Saturday, March 03, 2007
PTSD and Veterans: Beyond the Yellow Ribbons
Recon: The Wounds Within
, of which he refers to in film. Link can also be found to the right. He has also written a number of other books.Where Eagles Duh
Those who have never served but will join them as supporters have Nothing To Support, for they 'Verbally Spit' on us All!!
All of them together, Verbally Slandering/Spitting on 'Goldstar Mothers', thus their loved ones who sacrificed their lives, Disgrace that Sacrifice and This Country's Military Personal!
For they don't speak for the Fallen, the Fallen's Family Do!
The want to claim some sort of victory, from something Imagined that Never would happen and Hasn't, shows the mentality of this group.
Thousands, who will be attending, have connections not only with those givin HONOR on 'The Wall' but the Other Memorials as well, and your Threats to Stop Them From Giving HONOR will be Ignored!!!
USN '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In-Country '70-'71
It'll be fantastic, in the old sense of the word, meaning "made up."
So mark it on your calendar. I'll be burning a flag, blowing my mind on LSD and spitting on the troops at home. I can't get a babysitter, because the last one was killed by a maniac who was calling from right inside the house.
Gathering of Eagles (no, I'm not linking to their website, it makes me sad) have it in their heads that the entire march is just cover for an attack on the Wall. So they're going to Washington, too, to defend the feelings of an inanimate object that no one has threatened.
"We will protect the Vietnam Memorial. If they try to deface it, there will be some violence, I guarantee you."
"If they spit on Iraqi veterans again, or throw paint on a war memorial... they will encounter a buzz saw of Vietnam veterans and supporters...."
But how does Gathering of Eagles know about the spit/paint attack? I didn't get the memo, and there are a lot of liberals in my wiccan coven. So I checked the MarchonPentagon.org's website:
"We will not be in the Vietnam Memorial and all speakers for amplified sound are turned away from the Memorial so as not to interfere with family members visiting the site."
In other words: IT'S ON! If you don't have any spit, it'll be provided for you.
Visit our refreshment tent for an abortion on demand.
Frankly, I don't know how you could read that and not see what they're planning.
Maybe it's because you're not a mental defective.
Eagle Bud Gross can read between the lines, even if you can't:
"The anti-war/anti-America group cannot be allowed to use the Vietnam Memorial Wall as a back-drop to their anti-America venom and stain the hallowed ground that virtually cries out with blood at the thought of this proposed desecration ... it must not happen."
I'm with Bud. If there's one thing I hate more than a garbled pastiche of parroted cant, it's when someone gets venom on my back-drop. It makes me cry out with blood, a condition I should probably see someone about.
Russ Vaughn goes Bud Gross one better. He's written a song celebrating, with righteous anger, the memory of how he'll stop the thing that no one's planning. It goes a little something like this:
March up and down this Mall;
But, son, I'm gonna set you straight,
You ain't gonna touch this Wall.
You can shout and scream all you want,
On all that we'll give you a pass;
But you try some Wall-defacing stunt,
And, son, I'm gonna kick your ass.
Let us make it clear, we've all come here
To defend our long-dead brothers;
And understand you ain't layin' a hand
On our Wall you leftie mothers.
Drag out that traitor, Hanoi Jane,
To screech at you pinks and commies,
And Cindy Sheehan to exploit her pain,
The Barnum of Gold Star Mommies.
And, son, you hear this loud and clear,
Don't even think about spittin'
Less you want that smart mouth busted here,
And believe me, we're not shittin'.
Because of you losers we lose our wars,
Our warriors are left to bleed,
Cause of Jane and Cindy, those media whores
With their camera-craving creed.
So follow these traitors, those loser bitches,
Let them lead you to your fall;
But I promise you, son, you're gonna need stitches,
You even get close to this Wall.
You can get it on a t-shirt if you want. It's only $29, and it comes with an illustration of a soldier facing down a figure in sandals and culottes. It might not be a woman, but I'm sort of guessing it is.
There's a lot of super cute clothes you can buy from Gathering of Eagles. Hats, hoodies, do-rags. I've got my eye on an armband, and it's only $5 (50 for $200, 100 for $350). It's got an eagle on it, in case you forget what kind of bird you are. It's one-size-fits-all. And, if history has taught us anything, it's that nothing can really pull a paramilitary group together like some nice armbands.
Nicht denken Sie? Jawohl.
--
EXTRA CREDIT
In 1924, D.C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of Indiana's Ku Klux Klan, was disgraced in a scandal involving profits from the sale of Klan costumes and a violent hatred of women. Question: Why am I mentioning it now?
--
EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT
The actual word for a group of eagles isn't a "gathering," it's a "congress." You can see why they didn't choose that. And "Mews of Capons," while arguably more accurate, doesn't have quite enough zing.
What would be a better name for this group?
It's Time......
Friday, March 02, 2007
Iraq Veterans Memorial Trailer
Not Prepared for Crises
What Are The Neo-Cons Hiding?
Washington DC, March 1, 2007 - Since 2001, the government has added five years of delay into the process of releasing presidential records, according to testimony delievered today by Archive executive director Thomas Blanton before the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives. These are statistics from the Reagan Presidential Library - their official estimates of response times that they send to you when you request documents. The delay has risen from 18 months in 2001 to 78 months today.
According to Blanton's testimony:
"The late President Ronald Reagan left office 18 years ago, in January 1989, and the Reagan Library began making his White House records public in 1994, as the law envisions, with most restrictions expiring by the 12-year mark, or January 2001. The Freedom of Information Act says federal agencies have to respond to requests for records within 20 working days (roughly four weeks), yet if you write the Reagan Library today asking for a specific record, the Library staff will write you back with an estimate of 78 months (six and a half years!) you will have to wait before they complete processing. At the 12-year mark, that is, in early 2001, the Reagan Library's estimated response time was only 18 months. For organizations like mine that are veteran users of the Freedom of Information Act, 18 months is not an unusual delay when the subject matter involves classified documents or complicated processing."
"But early 2001 is the moment that the new White House counsel (now the Attorney General) decided to hold up the scheduled release of the infamous 68,000 pages of Reagan Library records that were ready to go, cleared by the professional archivists and the career reviewers, under the process that actually worked in the 1990s. During 2001, as those 68,000 pages sat on a White House lawyer's desk, the delay estimated by the Reagan Library went from 18 months to 24 months, by the time President Bush issued his Executive Order 13233 in November 2001. Since then, the delay reached 48 months in 2003, and 60 months in 2005, before its current 78 months."
"In other words, we are only six years down the road from the initial White House decision in early 2001 to intervene in the Presidential Records Act process, and five years of that turns out to be pure delay."
Click here to read the full statement in PDF
Thursday, March 01, 2007
What does America owe to those who serve?
Walter Reed has caused quite a stir here in Washington.
Hearings have been announced, people are starting to get fired, ceilings are being patched, members of congress are taking tours and soldiers are being told to shut up.
Everyone seems to be very upset.
I'm not -
I am outraged
The conditions at Walter Reed come as no surprise to most of us in the Veterans community. The failure of our government to follow through on their obligation to heal those injured in battle is not a new phenomenon in this country.
These problems didn't happen over night - we just want to think they did.
As the Washington Post reported this morning, our own Director of veterans affairs, Steve Robinson told Army Surgeon General, Gen. Kiley, point plank in 2003 while he was commander of Walter Reed, that the conditions were appalling and that soldiers were drinking themselves to death, sharing drugs and not getting the care that they needed.
Sadly, this is the way we have always treated injured service members and veterans in this country -- like disposable commodities.
38 years ago, while serving in Vietnam, a bullet severed my spine and left me paralyzed from the chest down. The hospital I recovered at -- Kingsbridge VA Hospital in the Bronx -- was the subject of a shocking cover story in LIFE magazine about the horrible conditions we were forced to endure.
The issue was the second-biggest selling LIFE issue ever. The cover story included a photograph of Mark Dumpert, one of the quadriplegics in my spinal chord injury unit, who had been left dripping wet in his chair after being showered.
Similar to the Walter Reed story, the nation was up in arms to learn about our conditions at Kingsbridge. And similar to Walter Reed, there were congressional visits, hearing and pledges galore that justice would be realized for those wounded in wartime service in Vietnam.
It never happened.
My best friend in that spinal chord injury ward, John Macari, gunned down by machine gun fire at age 19, committed suicide out of despair. Many others followed suit.
It was then that I decided to fight for my care so that the system would not ruin me.
Being an advocate, first for my own survival, put me on a path that led to founding a national organization for Vietnam veterans ( VVA ). I remained its president for nine years. I was intimately involved in the efforts to attain justice for Vietnam veterans. We led congressional hearings on PTSD, vet centers, an improved GI Bill, Agent Orange compensation, judicial review of VA decisions, etc.
Nothing we achieved came without a fight.
Round two is different. In many ways it's harder - it's deeper now.
As the media has demonstrated over the past several weeks, this country is failing its service members and veterans across-the-board.
The system is beyond broken. It is completely shattered.
The root of this problem is much, much deeper than any current political debate. It goes deeper than decrepit facilities, convoluted claims processes, long waiting lines, interminable budget hearings, inaccurate casualty numbers and ridiculous gag orders on soldiers.
The social contract between this country and those it sends to war is broken. Every problem facing our service members and veterans stems from the fact that as a country, we have never been able to answer one fundamental question - What does America owe to those who serve?
We have NEVER had a guiding philosophy for the healthcare and rehabilitative needs of service members and veterans. And as a result, the system in place today is an erratic hodgepodge of programs that has failed over and over again.
We are at a critical juncture in this country. We must come to an understanding about what is owed to those who serve, and we must find a way to engage the America people in this issue so that treatment of service members and veterans becomes a national issue and national commitment.
Anything less is unacceptable. We need an overhaul; we need a moratorium on band-aid solutions that do nothing more than perpetuate the failing status quo.
Enough.
What does America owe to those who serve?
Bobby Muller is President of Veterans for America
Martha Raddatz Recounts the Battle for Sadr City {Updated}
Martha Raddatz has spent extensive time covering Iraq. Her new book, The Long Road Home, examines a battle at Sadr City in April 2004.
is about the soldiers who fought that battle, and their families. One of the soldiers in the battle was Casey Sheehan, the son of antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan."Everything they had been told about where they were going, Sadr City, was that it was pretty peaceful, that it would probably be a babysitting mission. And they end up in Iraq pretty much thinking they're going to be passing out candy," says ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Martha Raddatz.
In one scene in her book, Raddatz recounts a moment when a patrol of armored Humvees led by a U.S. lieutenant noticed that the streets of Sadr City were ominously empty.
Read an excerpt from 'The Long Road Home.'
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Stop Iran War.com
I just received the following E from VoteVets.org.
And as Jon Soltz says "Pass It On"!
So that's what this old Vet is doin, "Passing It On"!
Sign on, if you haven't already! Support Action If You Have!
Dear VoteVets.org Supporter,
Last week, General Wes Clark and VoteVets.org, launched StopIranWar.com. We launched this site to help stop the Bush Administration from taking us down a path to another war.
And we were right to be concerned. Just a couple days after we launched StopIranWar.com, Vice President Cheney stated about Iran, "But I've also made the point, and the president has made the point, that all options are on the table."
As a veteran of the Iraq war, this sounds all too familiar to me, and I'm going to do everything I can to stop a war with Iran.
Now, I need your help.
Today, we're launching a web video urging Americans to sign our petition to stop a war with Iran. This will be the first in a series of video blogs we'll be releasing over the next month to help stop George W. Bush from starting another war.
[Signers]
Thank you for signing the petition. Now, it's time to spread the word. Please watch the video and then forward it to everyone you know.
[Non-signers]
I urge you to sign the petition today. Then watch the video, and forward it to everyone you know.
We're currently at 20,000 petition signatures and growing, but we need to reach hundreds of thousands of people. We need to create a movement so large that the Bush Administration will be forced to pay attention.
I have no delusions that my voice alone, or even the voice of someone as knowledgeable, as experienced, and as well-respected as General Clark will be able to compel George W. Bush to start diplomatic efforts to head off a looming conflict with Iran. Only the shared voice of millions of Americans has any chance of stopping a war with Iran.
Will you stand up and make your voice heard today?
[Signers]
Watch the new StopIranWar.com video blog today. Then forward this message to everyone you know.
[Non-signers]
Sign the petition today. Then watch the video, and forward it to everyone you know.
Thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Co-founder, VoteVets.org
VoteVets.org represents the Voice of America's 21 Century Patriots - those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. It primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf of troops, veterans and their families.
Now I realize it's a tiny bit repetitive in the message and links.
Well There's A Freakin Reason, As This Old Vet Sees It, To Get Your ATTENTION!!
Visit the Video link, double click and Vote It Up, Sign on to the Petition and Contact Your Representatives Over and Over with the Message You Know You Need To Send!!
Thanks
Women and PTSD
DoD Orders Troops - Not To Talk To Reporters, at Reed
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Feb 27, 2007 22:09:20 EST
“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training.
Soldiers say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.
They were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.
The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant has been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Army public affairs did not respond to a request sent Sunday evening to verify the personnel changes.
The Pentagon also clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending planned projects by CNN and the Discovery Channel, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Legendary Pirate Radio DJ Dave Rabbit
Texas Billboard
The Last Days of the American Republic
Chalmers Johnson argues that US military and economic overreach may actually
lead to the nation's collapse as a constitutional republic. It's the last
volume in his Blowback trilogy, following the best-selling "Blowback" and
"The Sorrows of Empire." In those two, Johnson argued American clandestine
and military activity has led to un-intended, but direct disaster here in
the United States.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Bob Woodruff: TBI
The ABC News Anchor Returns With a Candid Look at Brain Injuries and Veteran Care
He will be reporting on his story along with military personals similar stories, tomorrow and in coming months!!
With All that's been coming out, Finally, and my respect for his past reporting, my Hope Is That They Don't Constrain Him and Allow the Truth!!!!!
Go in and read the ABC Article!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
How U.S. Is Failing Its War Veterans
After returning from Iraq in late 2005, Jonathan Schulze spent every day struggling not to fall apart. When a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic turned him away last month, he lost the battle.
How well do we care for our wounded and impaired when they come home? For a country amid what President Bush calls a "long war," the question has profound moral implications. We send young Americans to the world's most unruly places to execute our national policies. About 50,000 service members so far have been banged up or burned, suffered disease, lost limbs or sacrificed something less tangible inside them. Schulze is an extreme example but not an isolated one, and such stories are raising concerns that the country is failing to meet its most basic obligations to those who fight our wars.
Images of Vietnam vets returning home from combat, only to be mistreated and forgotten, resurfaced in the memories of many Americans last week when reports surfaced concerning the poor healthcare offered to injured vets returning from Iraq. Already, nearly 50,000 servicemen and women have been scarred, both emotionally and physically, in the four-year war and if Bush is committed to staying the course, there will likely be many more. But if we can't promise to take care of our soldiers when they come home, how can we expect Americans to answer the call for more troops?
During an hour-long Live Talk on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at noon, ET, NEWSWEEK's Dan Ephron will be taking questions about the state of veteran health care. Submit questions now.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up homeless. How could this happen?
Kevin Felty came back from Iraq in 2003 with nowhere to stay, and not enough money to rent an apartment. He and his wife of four years moved in with his sister in Florida, but the couple quickly overstayed their welcome. Jobless and wrestling with what he later learned was posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Felty suddenly found himself scrambling to find a place for himself and his wife, who was six-months pregnant.
Iraqi soldiers are injured at twice the rate of Americans, and their prospects for long-term care are bleak at best.
Under Saddam Hussein, an extensive infrastructure was put in place to deal with the casualties of the dictator's wars. Military hospitals were set up for long-term care and an Association of Veterans' Affairs helped the disabled and paid out pensions. Now one of the largest former military hospitals is used by squatters and the veterans' office doesn't deal with soldiers who signed up after 2003.
Like the other Animals that inhabit this planet, that We Consider Unintelligent, the Human Animal shows we are not much above them, We Never Learn From Our Past Mistakes, it's Deja Vu All Over Again!!!
After he was injured in Iraq, Richard Twohig found himself fighting an unexpected foe: the U.S. Army.
By Paula Span
Sunday, February 25, 2007; Page W10
THE SHADES IN RICHARD TWOHIG'S GARDEN APARTMENT ARE DRAWN TIGHT AGAINST THE SUMMER SUN. This is partly because it's 94 degrees in Knoxville, Tenn., this afternoon, but also because light can trigger one of his bad headaches, the kind that make his knees buckle. His kids have grown accustomed to dimmed surroundings.
They've been cavorting on the living room carpet, Lizzie with her fuzzy pink dog named Princess, her little brother, Damon, with his prized jeep. Their chirpy ebullience isn't unusual for a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old who haven't had much chance to romp outside today but noise can bring on Twohig's migraines, as well. "Why don't you go up and play a while?" he suggests mildly, and they troop upstairs to their shared bedroom.
SNIP
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