Matt Burden, aka Blackfive, has posted a thoughtful and fair overview of the New York Times “War Torn” series about vets who return home and later commit murder. He also raises an important point about veterans care that we should all take to heart,
I, for one, believe the New York Times reporters were concerned about the vets. But I am also inclined to believe that they were pushing a stereotype, one that began with Viet Nam vets, and their stories fit their own mental narratives. Obviously, I cannot prove that. But it does ring true for anyone who’s experienced that kind of bias before – “Soldiers and Dogs Keep Off the Grass”.
In the end, I think we can all agree that war sucks, it affects everyone, and that our vets deserve all of the support that we can afford to give. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are NOT being addressed at the level that they need to be addressed. I don’t know anyone who believes that our veterans are being effectively treated. No. One.
This is a very complicated and expensive issue that deserves front line attention, I think everyone would agree with that. Can you think of any specific proposals from the candidates? How about this being a topic during a debate? If it has been, I missed it. The public should be demanding that this be taken up as a domestic policy priority.
Town Hall editor Rich Tucker has a column with a couple of ideas that strike me as worthy of consideration,
One way to do that is to enroll vets in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, the same system that civilian employees enjoy. FEHBP offers dozens of plans, from fee-for-service and health savings accounts to preferred provider organizations and health maintenance organizations. Vets could choose a plan that worked for them and their families, and would gain control over their health care.
Failing that, Washington could agree to give each veteran a set amount of money to buy health insurance. This would create a market, motivating companies to put together attractive packages to win new customers. Meanwhile, vets would become engaged partners in their health care, instead of being forced to wait on bureaucrats to serve them.
Coverage of Walter Reed is one thing. The real story is happening soldier by soldier in communities clustered around the country. It’s no secret. It’s happening all around us.
The length and ferocity of the Iraq War has overwhelmed the system and those who have sacrificed most are paying the price. To quote Bob Dole, “Where’s the outrage?”.
I think part of the answer lies in the fact that it is so shameful we don’t want to acknowledge its existence. Another reason is that so few are carrying the load for so many. About 1% of American families are military families.
The bottom line: the VA system is broken, the men and women in the military deserve the best care and we are not giving it to them. It’s about time that the public demands action from the political class.