What do you think about Anderson Cooper's piece tonight on homeless US veterans of the war in Iraq? Are we doing enough to take care of our troops once they come home?
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AntigoneRising
ANSWERS: 2
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There is an appalling lack of services for returning veterans, especially those who have some type of permanent disability (mental or physical) as a result of their service. I am not at all surprised to learn that many vets are homeless, since readjusting to the homefront can be difficult, if not impossible, for people who do not feel capable of holding down a regular job. Veterans Affairs offices and hospitals are often reactive rahter than proactive, and often don't have trained people in place - case managers and providers - to assist vets with finding affordable housing, affordable health care, educational opportunities and reasonable accommodation for their injuries. Many of these vets have invisible disabilities such as PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries. No, we are not doing enough. The very least we can do is show some understanding the next time a homeless person crosses our paths, and not jump to conclusions. We can also contact our congressional reps to support funding of veterans' services.
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Why is everyone surprised at homeless vets? Is nobody paying attention to the VA budget cuts? Every year the VA has to go to the government and beg for money - and in 2005, their money was cut so funds could go to a luxury hotel in Coral Gables, FL and to (I am not making this up) the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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