Shape Shifting on Veterans Day
WASHINGTON, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is an Op-Ed by David W. Gorman, Washington Headquarters Executive Director, of Disabled American Veterans:
On Veterans Day, politicians will praise the 30,000 troops “officially wounded” in action in Iraq and Afghanistan as if this “statistic” were some kind of “fact.” In doing so, they’ll harm the men and women who carry the burden of our nation’s defense in today’s very dangerous world.That 30,000 number is a fantasy.
Here’s the truth about the human cost borne by the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as shown by data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Of the 1.5 million troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, 720,000 (48%) are now veterans in the civilian population.
Of these, 202,000 have filed claims for VA disability benefits. The VA granted benefits in more than 90% of the cases processed so far, and will grant more upon appeal or presentation of additional evidence.
In other words, real statistics show that one out of four veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is disabled in military service. This should shock no one as troops return to the war zones for their third, fourth, and now fifth tours of combat duty.
Of the 720,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, a quarter million have turned to the VA for treatment - more than one out of every three veterans of the combat theaters.
The figures above don’t include troops still on active duty, many of whom remain in the service after being harmed by war. They too must not be forgotten.
Yet that 30,000 figure keeps floating in political and media circles as if it had authority. Well, it all depends on what you count. If you intentionally count to get a low number, you’ll get a low number. Obviously, someone wants a low number. But what happens as a result?
For one thing, the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center developed as Washington officials dazzled each other with low “casualty counts,” but this was just the tip of an ugly iceberg! Even as our troops shed their blood in Afghanistan and Iraq, health care and benefits for veterans have been decaying across the nation.
Our government tried to do war on the cheap, failing to recognize the back-end cost of veterans with disabilities. True, it increased funding for VA programs each year - by amounts far below the rapidly increasing needs of our disabled heroes.
By using the tightest definition to minimize the casualty count, politicians deny reality, preparing a ruinous future for all disabled veterans, especially our youngest generation. In no way is America prepared to deal with the aftermath of today’s wars as it will be experienced by veterans in the VA.
This is not meant as criticism of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but to present a more complete picture of the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.
Much is made of the idea that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan differ from past generations of America’s defenders. Actually, that’s been true of every generation of veterans to date, and the veterans’ movement has accommodated those differences.
But one thing will always be the same. Veterans age, and the costs of war last a lifetime.
A soldier who suffers a severe brain injury in Iraq today will still be a disabled veteran 60 years from now when reaching the age of today’s World War II veterans. Our nation will still owe that veteran every care in the world.
We must not allow self-serving rhetoric to shortchange any American hero - not now, not ever!
Disabled American Veterans
Larry Scott
another Veteran’s Day, another chance to say “Thank You!”, and another time to bear witness.
It is unbelievable that groups of veterans who have risked their lives for our Country and our Constitution which guarantees the right to free speech and public assembly, have been denied their rights to free speech and public assembly in Long Beach. What were they fighting for?! What is going on!! Something not just ironic but moronic and dangerous. This country’s greatest battles for true greatness will not be fought with foreign adversaries, but with itself. Depressing, and yet, you, who have also given the greatest sacrifice a patriot can give to his/her country, and have experienced the inevitable horrific results of an unnecessary war first-hand, still inspire people like me. You bear witness to what’s really going on, with an eye on history and the big picture, and you still have hope that unjust rulers (like Bush) will end up like disgraced rulers (like Nixon) and we as a nation will survive (recent example: the rats now jumping Bush’s sinking ship during the election-year cycle). You’ve made me see that power by political and military force is only temporary also has its blowback and retribution. How can this country say we support the troops when it has recently been revealed that 25% of our forgotten homeless people are vets? Do we only support them when they are canon fodder? I still believe (thanks to you) that there is a past greatness and potential future greatness for this country, but not from the likes of sneaky, greedy, neocon chickenhawk power brokers and politicians of either party, but in our Constitution, and in common people exercising their rights and freedoms. This is what the authoritarian wannabe dictator neocons and their sycophant followers fear the most, and why they work so hard to suppress. History, however, is not on their side.
Thank you for continuing to serve.
-Nick
Senator Craig Creates International Washroom Incident with Dalai Lama
By Dood Abides Unconfirmed Sources
Idaho Senator Larry Craig seen with the Dalai Lama immediatley after an incident which he described as “a huge misunderstanding”.
Washington, DC (Rotters) - The Washington office of controversial Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig expressed regrets today over what it described as a misunderstanding between the senator and the Dalai Lama that occurred in a congressional men’s room early this morning. The Dalai Lama was appearing as a guest of Congress and the Bush administration to receive the Congressional Gold medal for his services as an international peace activist.
Congressional security was called to the scene to investigate after the Dalai Lama reportedly fled the washroom, accusing the senator of attempting to grab his robes from under an adjoining stall and peek beneath them.
“It was an honest mistake,” stated an aide to Senator Craig. “His Holiness’s robes had a similar color and texture to the hand towels made available in the facility. The senator was merely attempting to dry his hands when the misunderstanding occurred.”
A clearly shaken Dalai Lama was seen holding hands with Craig afterwards, and reportedly forgave and absolved him through a translator.
Congressional security just arriving on the scene detained and took into custody an enraged Richard Gere who apparently attempted to go after the senator. No charges have been pressed in the incident.
Published by Greg at 11:59 AM on September 10, 2007