Deluded need to wake up fast!

This person (below) wrote an opinion piece and it was printed. The problem is, she is so wrong it's beyond belief but too many people will agree with her simply because they have not paid attention in all these years. That's right! Years! She is blaming Obama for the deplorable conditions veterans have been subjected to for years but President Obama has not even been in office for a hundred days yet.

Where was she and others when the veterans and the wounded troops were being subjected to this appalling treatment since 2001 and the first troops were sent to Afghanistan?

Where was she when Bush cut the VA so there were less doctors and nurses working for the VA than there were following the Gulf War but we had two military campaigns producing more and more wounded joining the veterans already in line for the care they were promised?

Where was she as the backlog of claims jumped from 400,000 to almost 900,000?

Where was she when PTSD wounded were being dishonorably discharged under "personality disorders" instead of being treated for this war born wound?

Where was she when Nicholson returned funds out of the VA budget as wounded soldiers returned to this soil, turned away from the VA when they sought help for PTSD and committed suicide? Did she weep at their graves?

The list of offenses Bush committed on our veterans is so long it would take hours to list, yet people like the writers of this opinion piece fail to acknowledge any of this. While she said " Over the last year" it was before Obama took office but she did not mention all of this happened while Bush was President. She also did not notice the fact that it was not "over the last year" but over all the years Bush was in office. Never once did she mention what the Democrats have accomplished since they managed to finally get in charge of the Veterans Affairs committee or the fact that Obama was on that committee.

She raised the point of the "private insurance" that Obama was considering but when he listened to the voices of the veterans he abandoned any thoughts of doing this. Again the key word is "thought" and not plan. While something like this would help veterans needing treatment but having their VA claims denied, since if they happen to have jobs they are charged for their care without an approved claim and a recognized "service connected disability" they pay out of their pocket because insurance companies can deny paying because as they put it "it's the responsibility of the government to cover this care." just as they did in the 90's when congress changed the rules under Bill Clinton. Again, she failed to pay attention.

When it came to what Napolitano had to defend herself and the administration over, again she failed to acknowledge the fact that under Bush the recruitment problems escalated to the point where they lowered the requirements so far down criminals were allowed to enter into the military. These criminals are heavily armed and serving right next to the rest of the troops who wanted to join because they wanted to serve the country instead of wanting to avoid time in jail. Gang members were allowed to join as well. Ever think about how violent gang members are when it comes to them getting their hands on the training the military offers?

The "tea party" was something else she avoided when it came to veterans around the country being part of the taxes they don't want to pay since the VA is paid by tax dollars and the budgets have been increased since the GOP has been out of control over it or the fact that they were responsible for the VA budget falling short every year. I wonder if she ever watched CSPAN when the budget was being debated and the GOP kept saying they couldn't afford to increase the VA because of all the money being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan? When it came to what Bush wanted, everything was vital, but when it came to what our veterans needed, well, there just wasn't enough money for it and then they managed to fight for tax cuts for the wealthy. Wonder if she noticed how this made veterans feel as they were sitting in their living rooms holding yet another denial from the VA telling them they could file an appeal?

She also avoided mentioning the fact that when our troops are wounded by PTSD and untreated, left abandoned by the nation they were willing to risk their life for, left to suffer financially and emotionally, it can lead to a lot of problems for the rest of society as it has already when they are suffering from PTSD driven flashbacks and nightmares that put them back into battle mode. If she cannot even consider the fact they have been treated so poorly by Bush and his leadership they could turn into disgruntled veterans, then she has a real problem.

There are so many needing help right now that have been unjustly treated, denied the care they were promised and left to suffer for serving it should make any American sickened but too many in this country would rather avoid knowledge of how it got this bad and who was responsible for all of this. It's easier to just jump on whatever the Obama Administration gets tripped up over instead of what they have been really trying to fix. We avoid the facts at our peril because this nation depends on the men and women serving it. They should never be used as part of some kind of twisted political game. If this woman had paid attention to facts instead of claims made by some talking heads on a certain cable channel, she would not be so deluded.

Letter: Obama isn't proving to be veteran-friendly
Thursday, April 23, 2009


President Barack Obama’s mantra to our veterans is: “I will take care of you.”

Upon taking office, Obama immediately set out to attempt to force veterans to pay for their own health coverage. Outcry and outrage surfaced in Washington, forcing Obama to relent.

Over the last year, the Veterans Administration has been trying to get all its psychiatrists and psychologists to deny veterans a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome in hopes of preventing permanent disability payments for them and their family members.

When this surfaced, Obama’s secretary of veterans affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, refused to comment.

Now we have Secretary of Homeland Security Janet A. Napolitano categorizing veterans as potential violent extremists who may be future threats who may join terrorist cells. Officials base this claim on Timothy McVeigh’s attack on the Oklahoma City federal building.

When veterans’ groups expressed outrage at this news, Napolitano tried to save face by stating that the Obama administration “honors” veterans.

During the Tea Party demonstration in Vero Beach, two-thirds of 3,500 members of the crowds were veterans. Not a single violent act disrupted this demonstration.

Every veteran brings honor, dignity, commitment and sacrifice on behalf of our great nation. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I am sickened and devastated by the Obama administration’s attitude and stance.

If this is President Obama’s example of how he will “take care” of our veterans, he definitely has a long way to go.

Letter: Obama isn't proving to be veteran-friendly

If you want to know who wrote the rant above, click on link.