COLORADO SPRINGS- I watched yesterday as a group of homeless men disbanded beneath an underpass. I remarked how their yet unbent frames and close-shaved heads made them appear more menacing than usual. Then I noticed one had a graphite prosthetic calf, and I thought about our vets who disappear themselves into being vagabonds. Homelessness is elective you could say, like despondency or suicide. If one in four of America’s homeless are veterans, why not tell us what that fraction amounts to? They must know.
Americans were just leaked the number of suicides among our soldiers and veterans. It’s more even than have died in the Iraq war. We hear about the seemingly haphazard suicides, self-destructive acts and reckless endangerments, but who puts it together? Did you imagine the tally as a result of the war would be so high?
Probably the incidence of PTSD, they say now 30%, is equally under-documented. Who will contravene with the VA, the DoD and the State Department to give us the real totals?
Americans recently honored the 4,000th US casualty in Iraq. What was THAT milestone for? The American Friends Service Committee had been circulating a collection of army boots –Eyes Wide Open, before the number became unmanageable– to correspond to the official US losses. It didn’t occur to me how some military families might feel left out by that count. What about the non-combat deaths, or the wounded who expire stateside? What about the suicides, or the brain-dead? What about the broken bodies who would be over-represented by a pair of boots, who would need a single boot, or none at all?
What is the real figure so far, of US lives sacrificed to the war? What fraction of a Vietnam wall memorial are they setting aside for the true casualty count? Enough for ten thousand? Is our tally of wasted-lives several times that?
I want to know where are the yokels who make a big deal about supporting the troops? Where are they while homeless vets look for heat and food? Where is the support for young men haunted to the point of committing suicide? Is that yellow sticker on your car the furthest extent to which you support the troops? Do you hope your sticker remains obscured in the garage until the homeless vets pass?
I hope the yellow ribbon Support the Troops sticker comes to mean you’re good for a meal, a ride, a place to sleep, or spare change for a drink. I didn’t support the troops, what they did and still do, or the trouble they find themselves in now that their killing duty is served. You encouraged them, you’re still welcoming them home and cheering their continued deployment. You broke these young men, now support them.
Ah Eric,
YOU worry about the troops. You who never served are now an expert on the military vets? Ever serve in a night shelter, Eric? Or go under a bridge & talk to these vets? Well I have. You seem to forget that many of these guys had problems BEFORE they came into the servic. That time & time again military service has helped a young man & woman – not hurt him/her. Try not to put all the blame on service, these people had problems before service time. But i will agree with you. Much more should be done for the heros in uniform by the American who never serve yet live off their service. You want to do something, Eric? Go to the VA hospital in Denver. Serve there a year or two, empty a bed pan, write a letter for one who has no hands etc etc then come and tell me how to respond.
George
Your favoright neocon, retired military combat vet & Texican
George, I have emptied a bedpan or two for vets in my time, something that you advocate that Eric do, but something I doubt seriously that you have done yourself before. I am right about this, am I not?
In your comments above, once again you come up with the nonsense that civilians who have not been in the military are somehow beholden to vets! That would certainly be true if our vets had been defending our country, but they have not been doing that. Instead, our vets have been waging wars to subjugate other countries and peoples, and have been doing that to get ahead in their own personal lives at the expense to the civilians in our society.
Who do you vets think you are anyway? You joined up into the military to follow orders from just any old corporate jack that the big wigs put into power in our country. You didn’t really care much who, in fact. What was important to you, is that by joining up to follow orders to kill people on the other side of the planet, that afterwards you get better treatment from the top dogs, and be hailed as great heroes.
In another commentary, you encouraged me to ‘vote’, though I have expressed many times that I do not even feel that the US is democratic, as I know that the election system is entirely rigged to only allow corporate paid candidates to enter into power. Who are we to vote for then, and why?
The elections are rigged, George! The entire process is rigged and bought from above. This is the system of ‘democracy’ you have been defending all along against the rest of us. You have deluded yourself all your life, and I feel for you. They tricked you, George, and that was not right.
We are not your enemies at all. We merely want that democracy that we have heard from birth that is rightfully ours.
Yo Tony,
Democracy! you who profess to be a commimust. That type of government (?) surely is not a democracy. Or are you the tricked one?
Military folks are really, Tony, the best. They defend a way of life that the whole worlds wants. Why do you thing everyone – everyone, Tony, want to come to America? Because it is free here. To do your own thing.
As for your view of Military folk & life, seems to me you never served so what you say it silly. But I am sure deep down you know that. Most folk who never serve in the military always bad mouth it. Trying to cover their not being in the service, yet accepting all the good things the service folks fight for & protect. Sad you missed this very important part of life, Tony. Good to know you did empty a bed pan or two. Yep, been there – done that too, Tony. Remember, I do not think I am a hero but most other military fok are. Do not expect you to agree.
George
‘Why do you thing everyone – everyone, Tony, want to come to America?’
You are quite wrong about that, George. Most of the Latin Americans of all stripes actually are not that fond of living with your type of America at all inside of the US. They are here because this is Rome, and that’s where the jobs are currently at. Many of them want to go back home, and would if the US was not destroying their own economies in alliance with their own ruling rateros, and creating poverty and unemployment in their own lands.
Your constant simpleton analysis of everything really shows us that you have put little thought into anything you talk about, George. Try a different approach some, and do yourself and others a favor.
Maybe there is a human being inside you somewhere still, that’s just hidden way deep down? Give it a try, and think about it a little before you speak some!
Yo Tony,
Fact is Tony, simpleton analysis is best. Gets you past all the BS. Truth is, most folks want to come to the USA & LIVE. That is the simple truth. True, may want to go home & live, we are all more comfortable by where we were raised but many millions, Tony, do not want to go back. Home is now the USA. Sorry you disagree.
Human inside. Wow, Tony can you not be civil? Do I insult you. Really try not to. It is just I have lived, do read, not just accept commie BS or other BS & try to reason it out. Let try Tony & Eric to agree to disagree with respectful towards all??????????? Hope to see you both at a Memorial Day even.
Your favoright neocon, retired army combat officer & Texican
George
George, I cannot respect a liar like you. You got your rocks off on telling Eric to go empty bedpans for vets, then got called on it by me when I said I had done exactly that multiple times unlike you, who hasn’t emptied a one during your life. Then you had the unmitigated gall to claim that you had emptied bedpans for vets, too! What a pathetic con you are, Dude.
You wouldn’t be caught dead doing any dirty work. You’re just a goon and a con who claims to be a big hero all the time. In fact, I sincerely doubt you could find your way to a bathroom in Turkey even, despite all your boasts of being so knowledgeable about foreigners and all.
It’s hard to treat anything you say seriously, George, since your presence around the Antiwar Movement is meant only to try to intimidate others. Goons never get respect, just provoke fear and disgust, that’s all. And the spy is considered the most despicable of them all.
Yo Tony,
Goon now? Again with the intimidate? You ever look at me? Old gray haired dibetic person. If I intimidate it is by my telling the truth, Tony. Eric know what I say is true. To you I am a hero but to me Tony, just your normal average old citizen. Provoke fear…. me, come on Tony. Ahhh now I see this is just your way of filling up space as you fear to let me speak the truth. Called reverse something or the other, huh? Well thanks for making my day. Me intimidater! Wow what a dreamer you are. What you fear is to hear my truth, that is why you and Eric wish to censor me. Dude, you should, if you had truth, want to discuss with me. To show me the road to the left – the light – the hope – the Party way! Spy – 007 wow what dreams thou have Tony. Me – just an old, broken & ill (thanks to years – 27 of them, service to protect you & Eric against the barabarians) soldier who is just seeking the truth and trying to understand peace folks. Seriously, Tony, let the light shine in.
George