02/07/2015 - In 2013, Jerome Murdough baked to death in a 101-degree Rikers Island cell. This is how a former U.S. Marine met his end.
In the United States of America, patriotism is a highly popularized sentiment. The love and pride in one's country is an attribute often trumpeted throughout society. As America, home of the brave, a key component of patriotism is supporting our troops. Almost everyone agrees, those who fought for our country should be supported. Yet with all the declarations of veteran support, the USA has a dismal record of actually doing it.
To say that we've fallen short is an understatement. Key examples of this bleak record includes: the initial neglect of veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome and depression, years of disregarding the effects of Agent Orange exposure on Vietnam veterans, the consistent silence on Iraq veteran suicide rates and the maltreatment of rape victims in service. There are also the years of racism, homophobia and second-class treatment of women in the ranks.
However, it's not just the government that has fallen short on protecting veterans. Business entities such as for-profit colleges took advantage of the G.I. Bill, making millions of dollars deceptively convincing veterans to use their financial aid towards degrees that are likely to be uncompleted or unaccepted among employers.
snip This leads us back to Jerome Murdough. His death made headlines after his body was discovered in a Rikers Island cell. Murdough's crime was sleeping in a stairwell. His punishment as a homeless mentally ill veteran was "baking to death" alone in a cell. read more>>>
As the Obama Administration came in they were tasked to deal with the already dangerous two long wars and occupations, along with so much more like the collapsed economy. One area not ignored were the returning Soldiers and their Families along with those discharging and joining our Veterans Community ranks. Bringing in Gen Shinseki, target on him already for speaking Military truth to the previous CiC and peoples Representatives. Like many before him he came in to oversee an Agency that was grossly under funded especially in relation to the war policies engaged in by others and not fully funded nor properly overseen by previous Veterans Administration Secretaries, under Clinton Cleland tried but was often blocked in moving the agency forward, and an Agency, the People Served Responsibility, not built on their Promises, thus constantly causing extremely costly problems, called 'scandals' by the Peoples, conservative, Representatives who control the Nations purse strings, usually the same over and over from previous Congresses.
Being a Vietnam Veteran himself he knew the pitfalls and battles Veterans have fought for years, those served and their reps not blaming themselves but the VA agency mostly dedicated employee's in every area tasked under the VA administration, thankfully there have always been plenty of volunteers giving aid to staffs and the tasks charged to perform and the veterans within. He took on the decades long ignored issues that Congress saw fit not to fund. They might throw a few million every now and then for studies, mostly to private firms, they knew the results wanted would be reported in, thus no actual Sacrifice by those served, i.e. taxes and especially for the wealthy who added to with defense and war investments. They also used writing and speeches by, mostly following political lines, so called experts as their talking points to deny issues even existed, it was all in the heads or previous conditions of each individual veteran. So much needed proper care wasn't available and Veterans were left to wage battles on the homefront many often dying from what was ignored or denied.
Those below are just some that the General {retired} and his staff started addressing, still grossly under funded and wasting needed funds on problems created by that under funding, these issues with help from the Obama Executive Administration and Cabinet agencies when they could partner up on similar issues along with those around the Executive branch. After that target finally succeeded in his ouster it was feared much of that advancing forward, as promised but never fulfilled by the country served, might come to an end. But with the pick by the President {CiC} of Secretary Robert A. McDonald that's so far looks like he's proceeding where Gen Shinseki left off and with the infusion, still mostly borrowed, of more funds continuing to improve the agency. Left so far behind, and constantly under attack, for so long.
You can find much more information on the Veterans Administration Public Health Site Page >>>
Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, nor the continued blowback from the spread and growth from the policies implemented!
Neither the long term results from, including the long ignored or outright denied existence of, till this Administrations Cabinet and Gen Shinseki, only Government branch consistent for the past six years, Veterans issues from!
As well as under deficits most of the, grossly under funded for decades and the wars from now, VA budget is still borrowed, with interest, thus added problem creating costs, with representative who control the purse strings blaming the mostly dedicated VA personal within, that shouldn't exist!
No comments:
Post a Comment