Ahh damnit, I just had to read another story about how the GOVERNMENT is failing to help our boys and girls coming home from Iraq, and Afghanistan. This story tells of how a young man watched his buddies die in front of him. He was injuried, and was discharged. However, it doesn't end there....Upon feeling that he couldn't 'cope' anymore he went to the VA. Well this young man attempted to work a normal job as a roofer, and tried to make ends meet. He would talk to his buddies that had died, because, after all in his mind they were standing right there. He suffered from nightmares, and anxiety, and a number of other things. Upon finally agreeing to go to the VA clinic, he was turned away even though he was 'suicidal'. This young man felt he could not cope any longer, and took an electrical cord, wrapped it around a suppot in the basement, and hanged himself. This poor young man, cried out for help, and was REFUSED!
This young man, like many others had seen things, and been places that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. Yet the very system that was to support him, failed him. There are a million other stories out there just like this one, many of them are having the same outcome. In a recent study released suicides in the Army were up 26%, 26%! To me that's far to many, and for many of them, I am willing to bet they were denied the treatment that they so deserved by the VA because they simply didn't have the room, or was put on a waiting list. I understand the point of not having enough 'workers' but it doesn't take a fucking Rocket Scientist to type in the information in a computer, and make a few phone calls.
The simple fact is that we as a country and as a government didn't care. The GOVERNMENT didn't fully think this thing through before it went there. They didn't think about the 100,000's of soldiers that would require care for the rest of their life, not to mention all of those that are and were directly effected in some way by the events, and things like that, that they witnessed. I mean think about it, do you think that they allotted anymore money to the VA this year? Well hell no, why, because it wasn't in the budget. I don't give a fucking rat's ass about a damn budget, I'd rather my hard earned tax dollars go to the very ones that are serving and protecting this country, rather then to funding a useless war. We as a society owe it to our soldiers to fix them, and make them right after we sent them off to fight a war. I only think that's fair. I don't get the point behind allowing them to wait months, some even years to recieve the very basic of medical needs. I don't get that fact, I don't get the simple fact that we are allowing this to happen. I don't understand how the mighty United States fails to take care of it's own, and would rather them wait for this or that, then taking care of the problem right now.
The troops that are there now, will need after action care, if not for physical wounds, mental wounds for sure. I just don't understand how in the hell we could let these young me and women fall through the cracks. Most of the ones that are falling are the ones that need the most extensive help to begin with. It just bewilders me to think that none of this was thought out before hand. Not to mention nothaving enough staff, or even the facilities to have and support such things.
In another sad story, there was a Marine Gunny Sgt that was hit by a stray sniper's bullet when it bounced off the hatch he was in, entered through the right side of his head (below his right eye, and exited the left side the head beside of his ear.) while he was at the VA polytrauma unit in Los Altos CA, the doctors told his wife that it was best that she drive back to San Diago (80 miles away) and stay there, that this was HIS recovery, and rehab, not hers. But she pushed back, staying with him, and stating that she needed to see what she needed to do to take care of him when he did come home. I'm sorry to me that burns me to the core. Some people are just too damn stupid for their own good. I'd smacked that Doctor, and then kicked him in the balls for being an insensetive asshole. I mean comeon, you know as well as I do that family plays a HUGE role in the rehabilitation process, that it's always better to have someone there with you that's on your side, then no one there. Maybe I just don't understand...Maybe I'm just too stupid to see the bigger picture, or maybe I care too damn much. But for whatever reason, these men and women fight for the very freedoms that you and I enjoy, and some take for granted, maybe it's time we stand up and be heard, maybe it's time we make a stand, and demand better treatment, or we could do nothing, and allow things like this to keep happening. You need to think about it, and put yourself in BOTH places, and tell me how'd you feel. I don't know about you, but I'm going to take a stand and fight for those who fight for me. You can take this blog, however you want, however let me be VERY CLEAR, if you don't stand up and support our troops now, don't bitch when they aren't there to support you.
I will be posting a few links to different places that I have ran across that are tributes, or places where you can donate to help ease the burden on families that are facing this alone, and have no one, or no where to turn to. Just stop and think, if everything you loved so dearly was gone tomorrow, and you, and your loved ones were sent to a prosion camp, and made to work, and make to do things that you wouldn't do. Then what? Maybe you should ponder that thought, and when you come up with the answer, let me know. Like I said I'm taking a stand, take it or leave it! ~~~~DOC~~~~
