Film festival wants contractors to hire veterans

This weekend, be sure to remember what Memorial Day is all about. The Traverse City Film Festival's State Theatre is doing its patriotic part by instituting a new policy requiring all of its contractors and vendors to try to hire veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts.

The festival was founded by filmmaking legend Michael Moore, who has always been a strong critic of the Iraq War. In announcing the new contractor policy, Moore pointed out that too many brave vets have had a hard time finding work after they return home from serving their country. Some of them have even lost their homes to greedy banks. Labor Department statistics even show a higher unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Moore had also hired veterans for important editing and production positions for his documentaries like 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and 'Sicko'.

Michael Moore certainly does more for veterans than the armchair chickenhawks who think the war is so great but have never served in the military in their lives. And Moore does more for vets than the Bush regime does. For example, Bush's appointees in the Veterans Affairs Department recently tried to bilk vets out of disability payments by misdiagnosing their PTSD.

The filmmaker also announced that the State Theatre will offer free admission to active duty military personnel to any film that the theater shows. He asked other local businesses to make similar pledges to veterans.

Chickenhawks like Jim DeMint need to start supporting the troops to the same degree Michael Moore and the Traverse City Film Festival do.

(Source: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=11554)