Questionnaire View a copy of our candidate questionnaire.
Biden sent a letter instead of answers but at least he showed he does know some of the facts.
Sen. Joseph Biden of DelawareSenator Biden has provided NAMI with thisEdwards addressed the questions.
Mental Health Policy Statement in lieu of a response to our questionnaire.
John Edwards, former Senator from North CarolinaObama answered the questions
Questionnaire response
Sen. Barack Obama of IllinoisRichardson responded
Questionnaire response
Gov. Bill Richardson of New MexicoGov. Richardson has provided NAMI with this
Mental Health Platform in lieu of a response to our questionnaire.
McCain did not address mental health other than fluff.
McCain, who you would think as a Vietnam vet and POW, would put this on the front of his to do list considering we are loosing more when they come home than we do when they are in Iraq or Afghanistan. You would think that with the track record of the government addressing PTSD in Vietnam veterans is so deplorable, McCain would be the first one screaming about his but I guess it doesn't fit in with his priorities.
Sen. John McCain of ArizonaSenator McCain has provided NAMI with this
Mental Health Statement in lieu of a response to our questionnaire. The Campaign has informed us that it is Senator McCain’s policy not to respond to questionnaires.
But at least he responded. The other Republican candidates didn't bother. But Romney offers something very interesting.
Mitt Romney, former Governor of MassachusettsThe Campaign has informed us that it is Governor Romney’s policy not to respond to questionnaires. As with all candidates, we have asked whether they have information that they would like to submit on their mental healthcare/healthcare positions and the response is pending.
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With two occupations still going on with no ending date, why is this not important to all of them? Why wouldn't they stop talking and start listening to veterans and their families? How many times have they showed up at VFW or American Legion halls looking for supporters without showing any real support when it mattered?
The next president will be the next Commander-in-Chief. They need to take all of this seriously or we will keep seeing mental health for all Americans suffer, crime rates go up and homelessness go up. We have thousands in New Orleans suffering from the trauma of Katrina. We have close to that figure in New York still suffering from the 2001 attacks. From coast to coast, police, firefighters and emergency responders suffer with PTSD. If we cannot manage to take care of the people we count on the most when they are wounded by their jobs, then where will that place the rest of the people suffering with the aftermath of trauma? kc
From a political point of view, mental health is rarely a topic worth mentioning, for rather obvious reasons. The great majority of those who suffer mental illness in the US are poor, and the lucky ones are those who struggle (but get by) with marginal treatment. Americans as a whole despise the poor. A bit of attention is paid to PTSD today, though only as it applies to those in the military. When it comes to public knowledge about mental health, the US is far behind most nations. Their knowledge is usually limited to very extreme cases involving violence. For decades, we (as a nation) have regarded mental illness as a choice, and treat it punitively. There is a measure of compassion at the moment for veterans who suffer PTSD, but it is likely to fade away as quickly as our compassion for those hit by Hurricane Katrina.
ReplyDeleteI agree. My focus for the last 25 years has been on veterans and what happens to them. It's personal for me. That's what makes me do this. I figured if we cannot take care of the people who were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the rest of us, we as a nation, would let regular citizens fall into the abyss and remain there.
ReplyDeleteReagan closed the mental hospitals and set the tone for the rest of the needs of the mentally ill. His "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" was the biggest insult of all to the compassion of this nation. He allowed the corporatists and neocons to remove the thought of taking care of the "least among us" twisting the minds of decent people into thinking taking care of them was not longer in the best interest of the government and tax payers. We had a better nation back before men like Reagan came along.
FDR was loved because of what he did for the forgotten. It was all personal to him. When he was trying to treat his polio, he traveled to Warm Springs, meeting poor and needy people there. They became personal to him and he deeply cared about them as well as the rest of the American population suffering. He was very rich, from a family of privilege, but because he had a personal connection to a side of America he wouldn't have been touched by, he did something about it. The poor and needy became like his own family to him and Eleanor.
We all fight for our own families. I fight for veterans because I come from a Korean veteran and uncles from the Korean war. My husband is from the Vietnam war. They are all, all veterans, are part of my family. This does not mean I am not touched by and angered by what is happening to the rest of the poor and needy in this nation. I did a video on what this nation was supposed to be and can be again if people are able to see others like their own family. Take a look at it. It's Out Of Many One on Google video.