What is Digg?232 Comments
- johnhummel, on 11/10/2007, -2/+70We'll spend billions in the war on Iraq - but a pittance of that number taking care of our veterans. We'll give them a gun, and when they come home we tell them they don't have mental issues and kick them onto the curb.
What is wrong with us as a nation? Spending the equivalent of 40 days in Iraq on health care for children is "too much". Spending enough money and time and energy to ensure that our veterans hospitals have all of the support they need to serve the veterans is just too big of a burden.
There is something seriously wrong with us as a nation. And as someone who works in the VA, this just makes me very, very sad. - thejude, on 11/13/2007, -0/+47So much for supporting our troops. You can't put a ***** band aid on post traumatic stress.
- jimdonovan, on 11/09/2007, -3/+41This is a disgrace! Our veterans have given of their time and talents, put their lives at risk and served their country. They are owed better than to end up living on the street, scraping by. While there are many dedicated people doing what they can to help, what's needed is something more than government bureaucrats throwing money at the problem. Walter Reed hospital was a good example of how much our government cares about the vets. Perhaps privatization with corporate backing is one way. It's time we made ending homelessness, especially among veterans, a national priority and did whatever is necessary to end it. It is a complex issue but one that can be addressed and it must be.
- siong1987, on 11/09/2007, -8/+38Instead of spending all the money on war, why don't just provide them with accommodation with that money?
- thespudmall, on 11/09/2007, -9/+38I have seen 28 year old homeless Vietnam vetrans.
- xcbxcb, on 11/09/2007, -1/+25I work with homeless veterans in Las Vegas. We have about 238 in our housing program currently. As pleasant as it might be to place the blame on PTSD and other combat-related illnesses, the simple fact of the matter is that the vast majority are there due to substance abuse. So the question shouldn't be "Why can't we take care of these men and women once they've been through the stresses of war," but "What is it about the Armed Forces that causes people to drink," or "What is it about the Armed Forces that draws substance abusers into the rather unnatural situation of military life?"
Each of the fellows finds himself homeless due to a myriad of different factors. There are no easy answers, as there are an enormous array of services for homeless people of all varieties; none of which work unless the person in question desires to change their behaviors. Something that's impossible to impose.
It's a sad situation, to be sure, but outrage and sympathy won't do much. Writing your Senators won't help. Throwing money at them won't help. - bullhead2007, on 11/09/2007, -0/+19Because many people are maimed, injured, or mentally incapable of working. Many people who actually go to war can never get out of the war mental affects. It's very hard for a lot of veterans to adapt into every day life again.
That coupled with the fact that our government doesn't take care of our veterans, leads to many homeless veterans. - bundwallah, on 11/09/2007, -2/+18What? No one learned about this post Vietnam? Soldiers are faceless tools of the gov't. Once used, they are disposed of or ignored. It's shameful. But do continue to buy "Support our troops" bumper stickers et al...
- Bhatch514, on 11/12/2007, -4/+20"the few, the proud the Marines."
...but once you have served with them your cast out and left to deal with the dreams the flashbacks... gg - inactive, on 11/08/2007, -2/+17I'm curious as to what % of verterans are homeless as opposed to the % of homeless that are veterans.
- fnaqzna, on 11/08/2007, -2/+17Really... I'm a veteran and I've never killed anyone.
- dunderballer, on 11/08/2007, -5/+20War is mental health suicide.
- johnhummel, on 11/08/2007, -0/+13RTFA
- KnightMareInc, on 11/08/2007, -1/+14Support our Troops and save our kids!
Just dont do anything to actually help - firechill, on 11/09/2007, -3/+16Screw the other 3 homeless guys. Only house the veteran.
- dreagen, on 11/08/2007, -0/+12We are talking about people that are trying to deal with the fact that every loud noise makes them look twice. These people were trained to do a job that is not really wanted by to many employers here in the states.
A lot of these people are so damaged that they can not do the job they were trained for.
I was an Aircraft Mechanic, my injuries will not allow me to work on Aircraft again. So my training was useless when I was Medically discharged. Luckily my family took me in and supported me while I went to college and got a new career started. Working a lot of jobs that you would think were easy, like McDonalds, was not going to work for me since I could not stand up for long periods of time.
If it wasn't for my family and friends that helped me when I needed it I would have been on the street more worried about food than college.
Government aid for me was $500 a month for disability from the VA. - Sean98125, on 11/08/2007, -1/+11The drug abuse is likely a result of PTSD, not a separate issue.
- Murdats, on 11/08/2007, -0/+9maybe its because so many of them are.
- fnaqzna, on 11/08/2007, -0/+9Wow... gotta love the nuanced opinion one gets from an eighth grade education and action movies.
- xcbxcb, on 11/08/2007, -0/+9Actually, no. There are a handful from the Vietnam era, but most of our guys are Post-Vietnam. And of those who were in Vietnam, very few saw any combat.
- Sham1969, on 11/08/2007, -1/+10umm.....
Did you notice that nowhere in the article does it say 'Vietnam Vets"? Did you know that someone who fought in WWII, or Korea, or Grenada, or Panama, or in either of the 2 Iraq wars is a veteran? Or even someone who was part of the armed services during peacetime? Just because you don't like a statistic, doesn't mean you get to call ***** on it. - xcbxcb, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7The numbers don't support that. Very few of the substance abusers - and it's most often alcohol - have PTSD. However, many of those who DO have PTSD were self medicating, yes.
- Enendar, on 11/08/2007, -1/+8Yeah because its pretty hard for me to be free in this house I live in...
- gencha, on 11/08/2007, -3/+10No surprise in a country that's constantly at war.
- djphatjive, on 11/08/2007, -1/+8Actually most have health care issues. And is why they can't work. So a health care for everyone would probably help them more.
- typicalusername, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7End of me giving a ***** about your comments...
- xcbxcb, on 11/08/2007, -3/+9I know this is Digg and therefore won't go over well, but the single characteristic that seems to best predict a homeless veteran's successful rehabilitation is, in most cases, belief in a higher power. Most of the time this means, at least in our population, Christianity.
Draw whatever conclusions you will. - TheLoneHoot, on 11/08/2007, -0/+6"Get a cheap, nasty apartment and a job at McDonald's. It's not hard."
Minimum wage can rarely support ANYBODY in ANY situation. - SheilaNoya, on 11/08/2007, -0/+6We saw the same thing during the Vietnam war. Lots of guys came back mangled and/or ***** crazy and no one would hire them. Just wait until all of the Iraqi refugees start showing up here too. Then we'll have the same kind of outrage we did after Vietnam when we see our government giving massive handouts to the refugees, while doing virtually nothing to help our wounded and mentally ill veterans.
- djphatjive, on 11/08/2007, -1/+7Who doesn't know this already. I mean it says right on there signs!
- Ellipsys, on 11/11/2007, -0/+6Tons of things, really. Finances, societal stratification, and just plain outlook were way different at that time. WW2 vets came home to the late 40s and 50s, where everyone could basically strive for the "American Dream", get a little house, have a steady job that was in no danger of going over seas, and you didn't need a college degree to make a minimum living wage. It was well before my time, but it was like the whole country let out a big sigh after the war and said "That's it, we kicked their asses. Now we're going to rest and be happy".
- Verchiel77, on 11/08/2007, -2/+8"Support" for the troops: Extended deployments that destroy families, inadequate/inaccessible mental health services...and bumper-stickers.
- TheLoneHoot, on 11/08/2007, -0/+6Been protesting military funerals in your offtime from Oakwood Baptist Church?
- inactive, on 11/08/2007, -2/+8Two words to describe our politicians who ignore the majority who say, "No More Wars": Sold Out
- nakani, on 11/08/2007, -1/+7They're made in China, by the way. And none of the profits go to the soldiers. Yeah...
(as the people who bought them continue to bitch about outsourcing) - ridium, on 11/08/2007, -0/+6
One easy way to help is to support AmVets (http://www.amvets.org/) and Purple Heart Service Foundation (http://www.purpleheartfoundation.org/main.asp). These organizations work directly with vets and are already well-positioned to help vets in need. When these organizations call, give them your unused clothes, small appliances, etc. They also accept monetary donations to help cover other services I believe.
Managers and others responsible for hiring have an obligation to attend military career fairs, take them seriously, and recruit vets. It's easier than you think. http://www.hireveterans.com/ - IndigoMoss, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6It depends on a number of things. I'd say that what Hitler did was unlawful, but to him and his country (at the time) it was not. Just because one person sees killing someone as lawful, doesn't mean that another person does not. It's all about perspective.
- NinjaBoy, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5Anyone who honestly believes war is a good decision have never been.
- xcbxcb, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6You'll notice that one of my questions was "What is it about the Armed Forces that causes people to drink."
- fnaqzna, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5I think stress has something to do with it. I also believe that the social aspect is a factor.
Also, alcohol is the only legal drug available. - TheLoneHoot, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6So, "the few, the brainwashed, the used, the Marines"?
- ZenMojo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5Man...how can anyone support the troops while turning them into this....
- br0ck, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5"Many VA critics think homeless veterans are cycled through ineffective VA 12-step programs, restricting housing programs, and low skilled job training programs that actually keeps them cycling from program to program and back to living on the streets." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_U ...
- MacEnvy, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5"Is" refers to the "1" out of the "4". Since it refers to the "1", the singular usage of "to be" is correct.
- gllopc, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6Isn't there supposed to be some government money coming there way?
- johnhummel, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5No. Us as a nation. We elected Bush - twice. We elected leaders - mainly Republican, but plenty Democratic as well - who supported his policies that spending billions on the War in Iraq - which has nothing to do with finding the people who attacked us on 9-11. We bought into the culture of fear and called those who spoke up as unpatriotic.
So yeah, we as a nation. Now, the question is, can we as a nation look ourselves in the mirror, say "We were wrong - but now I'm going to fix what I did", and elect people who will really represent us - or are we going to hold on to failed policies (from "Abstinence Only" to "Enemy combatant status" to "Secret military tribunals" to "Warrantless wiretapping" and on from there)? - nakani, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6It is when you're paying a mortgage.
- fnaqzna, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6It's a poor explanation. Working in the military isn't all that different than working anywhere else. The key difference is that the penalty for failure or substandard performance can be severe.
All the services value the ability to make decisions. The military even has a word for it. Leadership. - vonfook, on 11/09/2007, -1/+51) The article states exactly the number of homeless: "194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans." In my opinion 194K homeless veterans is an absurdly large number.
2) The two rates of comparison is important because it shows that veterans are more likely to be homeless than the general population. The two statistics are not independent as both use the veteran population to determine them.
3) I assume you have evidence for your claim about the weed. *****.
4) The long-term cost of a veteran for going to war is FAR greater than the pittance they are paid in salary and benefits. You should be thankful you have to pay so little. Prick.
5) Many veterans (most?) do not get the proper care that they need and are mired in red tape before they even get access to their benefits, if they do. Ass. - Astr0cide, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4My husband was confronted by a woman who claimed she was a vet. She begged for money. He pulled out his wallet and she took more than what he handed to her.
She was seen numerous times begging. My husband is a vet and struggled for a long time. But he never resorted to begging. There were programs out there to help him, he just had to be patient and keep pestering them until he got help. The VA is *****. Nothing but retards working there. -
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