Saturday July 5, 2008, 2:56 pm

Thanks so much for this article, Michael. The mistreatment of veterans is a major issue for me.

I find it deplorable that this country's administration subjects their soldiers to unspeakable horrors, then tosses them into a dumpster when they are no longer useful -- not even wanting to invest any funding into restoring them to mental and physical health, so their lives can continue with some meaning after the military.

A large percentage of our homeless population is veterans. We owe these people, and they should not be treated as "disposable."

Saturday July 5, 2008, 4:14 pm
In the Bad Old Days of World Wars
One and Two, they used to refer to
it as "shell shock", but veterans
who develop PTSD, depression, and
other mental/emotional disorders
is as old as war itself. It would
have to be, because we're all human.
I'm sure veterans of the Phoenician
wars had PTSD. It's just that it's
only been so recently that we've
begun to develop ways of helping such
people.
I'm Bi-Polar w/severe depression and
anxiety, so I have only a tiny idea
of the hell these poor people are living
with.
Carole, you are SO right, "our" Govt.
needs to start taking some serious care
of these people. They deserve the help,
they NEED the help, and the help needs
to come from the people who screwed them
up in the first place by sending them into
a fraudulent, illegal war based on lies!

Thanks, Mike.
noted.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 6:48 pm

Thanks, Tim.

A point I think many of us are guilty of missing is that these "soldiers" are our country's sons and daughters.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 6:54 pm
Some of them were/are literally "our children".
And dammit, far-too many of them
never lived to see 20!, for the
love of God!
They are our sons, daughters, brothers,
sisters, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers,
grandmothers and grandfathers.
This is what this damnable mis-Administration
thinks of us and our loved ones; we're disposable,
we're dispensable.
Goddamn them ALL!

Saturday July 5, 2008, 9:07 pm
There's no need of another Viet Nam with more scarred bodies and souls left unhealed. Time to awake up and demand that this madness be stopped, once and for all.This generation must be saved from participating in the delusions of a few at the top who care nothing for the rest of us and Humankind in general. Peace in our Quest For Truth

Saturday July 5, 2008, 9:37 pm
I want to send this to a whole lot of people who are only questioning or totally for supporting this war -- that, war itself, ever! Thank you again, Michael. I've gotta see if it's been long enough for me to send you a star again yet!

Saturday July 5, 2008, 10:00 pm
You welcome Carole, Bruce and Tim.

I've got relatives that have served in a few wars and the reality of these diseases is no joke. I've seen way too many vets drown themselves in alcohol and drugs; partly because they don't know that help is available that can help them.

The other part is that some don't trust doctors along with the fact that the gov't doesn't take care of their soldiers.

What really angers me about this is that these congresspersons and senators won't send their own kids to war but they expect the poor and middle class to do so. That isn't right.

Saturday July 5, 2008, 11:22 pm
In the years after thw Civil War,
there were tens of thousands of
veterans who drank themselves to
death, or became hopelessly addicted
to Heroin and Opium, which were legal
and available over the counter.
War destroys everyone and everything it
touches.....always has, always will. Those
who survive are killed, too.....it just takes
them a helluva lot longer to die.

Sunday July 6, 2008, 12:52 pm
Thanks, Michael!

Sunday July 6, 2008, 4:51 pm

The one issue not mentioned outright, whether considered part of a PTSD diagnosis or other, is the fact that there are issues of violence and
less concern for others among our returning children.

This has been the most difficult issue for our family to deal with, and
I am in touch with other mothers of returning veterans who have similar problems. Yes, it seems to go hand in hand with the alcohol and drugs,
but in many, it seethes under the surface regardless of sobriety.

It seems that no-one really wants to acknowledge it publicly.

Thank you Michael.

Sunday July 6, 2008, 4:57 pm

Excellent point, Marian. And, you're right, I scour news sources daily for information on veterans, and always find articles regarding depression, denied benefits, homelessness -- but cannot recall reading any about resultant violent tendencies, which would be understandable after living in a constant "life and death" situation.

Good catch!

Wednesday July 30, 2008, 10:35 am

SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK EFFORT TO AID PARALYZED VETERANS
The bill, Advancing America's Priorities Act, was blocked by a 50-42 vote, short of the 60 votes need to overcome a filibuster. It was created in an effort to draw attention to Sen. Tom Coburn, a stalwart crusader for tightening the pursestrings of gove