IF NOT THE VETS, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
Posted in Michael O'McCarthy's Blog, Main Blog (All Posts) on January 2nd, 2008 5:49 pm by Michael O'Mccarthy
Michael O’McCarthy
Activist Tells Congress About Suicide Epidemic Among Vets
By Penny Coleman, AlterNet - January 2, 2008
This is one of today’s Alternet headlines. The one that grabbed me. Another recent headline was about the failure of the VA to accurately diagnose and treat the growing victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD,) among the returning Iraq - Afghanastan vets. Another chronicled the extraordinary percentage of vets who compose the nation’s homeless. Again and again these headlines are Vietnam Deja Vu All Over Again. And again, the Congress and the Bush-Cheney war maching do nothing. As if!
Here’s the truth: NOTHING - NOTHING will be done as long as the vets themselves don’t rise up, rally the American people and force this war mongering goverment to change policy.
We set the precedent, albeit very late, in 1981 when Vietnam vets, era and combat veterans began a sit-in strike at the Brentwood VA hospital after the death of Jim Hopkins, a suicide by all reliable accounts. Failing an honorable response by the Reagan administration that called them “rabble,” Vietnam combat veterans began a hunger strike that finally reached the halls of congress: the vets marched everyday into the offices of the all too silent Congresspeople; finally striking a nerve with then Congresspeople like Daschle and Bonoir who were vets themselves.
Threatening to die in front of the White House raised the ante. The American people were not prepared to accept their guilt at letting their government continue Washington’s malfeasance and negligence. The vets won, keeping the threatened Vet Centers open and forcing the further studies into Agent Orange (the poisonous, dioxin-based herbicide sprayed over “enemy” and friendly alike in the “bush” of Southeast Asia,) and into the reality and effects of PTSD.
As for any victimized populace, rarely do the “do gooders” come to the rescue. Complaining, lobbying, getting Alternet headlines will not work: The people, drugged with the messianic BS of Bush, reality run way model and dysfunctional nut case family TV shows, terrified of confronting the Homeland Security apparatus that can dub them suspect at any moment without rhyme nor reason, will not respond until forced to. Forced to by either having the veil of denial ripped from their eyes by direct action, or confronted by their own vulnerability as their brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers, kin and neighbors continue to be victimized.
But somebody must lead. If not the Vets themselves, who? - If not now, when?
Michael O’McCarthy
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Im back H.L. Im back like never before. You did not think I was going to leave you alone did you???
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
hello Buck its good to see you here again
January 3rd, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Hey Buck its been a long time. Hows it going
January 4th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Bill, Im damn fine. Im still proud to be a republican and Texan!. I know, as Im sure H.L. knows, that the democrats chances of taking the white house look worse than bad. So, it is going good for me. How are you Bill???
January 4th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Buck I am doing good it has been a long time.
HL tell me why is it that everyone is ready to blame the government about these vets and yet not a single person was worried about the vets from WWI,WWII,Korea,Vietnam, or any other war. I don’t remember hearing people screaming about their welfare, no you people were more concerned with calling them baby killers and other names.
These Vets aren’t experencing anything different than any other Vet that has been in a War. The reason they aren’t being helped is because most Vets wont talk about what they have seen or done with anyone other than someone that was there because anyone else has no clue what they have seen or done or been through. So you can point the finger at your self and complain about that because you are sitting here backing a group of people that don’t care about the Vets you are more concerned about “YOUR GUY” getting into office and you don’t care at what cost. The congress should have never stuck their nose in this and they certainly never should have been the ones to write the “Rules of Engagement” because they have no clue as to what is going on and from what the Dems have been saying they really don’t care. You want to blame someone for the Vets and their problems than Blame your Dems for not supporting them and talking crap like they can’t win, they have lost, it is a civil war, and on and on. If they would have like the military go in and do what WE train them to do this would have been over a long time ago. But you bleeding heart libs don’t want that because that means the rest of the world will hate us. Well here is a news flash. You want to know just how many countries hate us take the money that we give them and see just how long it is that they hate us.
HL you have no clue how many countries say they hate the US and yet take money every time it is given to them. There aren’t as many countries that hate us as you think or that the media whats you to think. So when you and your friends talk about drinking the cool aid you better take a real long and hard look at yourself because you have no clue what you are talking about and you are the one that is drinking the cool aid.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Bill they are drinking the kool-aid but they spiked with LSD and 201 everclear
January 6th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
don’t insult the everclear. wait never mind at least it wasn’t good ole carn mash:P
January 10th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
it seems that nobody wanted the vets to serve while they where enlisted but now - well-now everyone is looking at them to do something. doesn’t make a lot of sense to me but $%^&