Comments on: VA Staffer Discourages PTSD Diagnoses

The Department Of Veterans Affairs Condemns "Inappropriate" E-mail

[pfd572]

My family has a strong and proud military service record. My grandfather, father, aunts, uncles and many of their children all served. The ''Greatest Generation'' members all saw action during WWII and Korea, the younger generation were in Nam and other recent engagements. My grandfather, father and uncles, plus come of the kids, were career military, all serving 25 plus years. I lost an uncle to complications from his action during the Battle of the Bulge and lost 3 cousins in Nam. My point is I am not just an armchair political philosophiser, I know what I am talking about. This administration and its minions have committed high crimes against the people and especially against their ''employees''.

[pfd572]

viperash: I''m sorry, did I hear sarcasm in your statement? I''m not sure what statement(s) I made you are referring to and what areas you have a problem with. My political statements, as you call them, are all based on being informed and learning the facts

[Marie Zarankevich]

pfd572 -- I totally agree with you. -- America is being robbed blind. -- But these are private interests, being funded by public money. -- Most of those dollars are going into large corporations, many which are owned by foreign interests, and those dollars will never be seen in America again. -- The problem is corrupt business practices, and governments are just puppets for them. -- It''s happening all over the world, with a special few groups making insane profits from all the confusion they''ve generated for just this purpose. -- It stinks to High Heaven. -- All of us are being victimized, including our veterans.

[pfd572]

Never felt the government owed me anything. Go to work.
Posted by mjvw2
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I don''t think my post suggested or referred in any way to government/socialized medicine and insurance. I was addressing your tone that these men and women who were damaged while serving their country aren''t owed anything by their ''employer'', us. You get hurt on the job as a civilian, there is Workman''s Comp., why isn''t the employee of the US entitled to the same care? I bet 99% of them would love to be healthy enough to work. Find some empathy for the men and women working and dying for your ''company''.

[pfd572]

We have to stop using dollars as an excuse not to treat, safely house and support the returning vets. If we can sit back and by our silence condone the spending of billions of taxpayer dollars to exploitive companies, many who are under investigation while still being awarded billion dollar contracts by their friends in high places, then we are just as guilty. PTSD is real. It happens just like marazara stated.

[pfd572]

marizara: you have valid points. Yet the administration can budget billions of dollars to pay contractors who will move their businesses off-shore to avoid paying taxes and benefits. They are getting rich as the expense of thousands of lives and not even paying a return on their ill-gotten gains. The problem is deep. There needs to be call for change from the American people. Some of that blood money should be added to the VA budget, immediately.

[viperash50]

pfd572 Thank you for making my point with your political statement..and by the way I am a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran who has had excellent care from the VA

http://members.aol.com/viperash50/page2/index.htm

[mjvw2]

...HOWEVER, did you ever actually serve in a war zone, in harms way?

Posted by pfd572

I believe two tours as a ground pounder in Vietnam qualifies. Saw many fellow soldiers give the ultimate. If you consider the fact that I don''t want our government, who doesn''t do anything right, to control our health care system a flippant remark; I''m guilty as charged but don''t look for an apology anytime soon.

[pfd572]

PTSD is being used by Liberals to increase the "bodycount" of the war for their own sick hypocritical politics.


Posted by Neo267
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We don''t have to make up injuries or illness caused by the war. The numbers are numbing without building the body count, as you say. Its liberals who are the true supporters of these young men and women. We are pushing and demanding they receive proper and adequate care. All you and you fellow right-wing zealots are asking them to serve their country and not to expect support when they come home. I, and people like me, want only the best for these heroes. You want them to suffer and shut up, while still making excuses and supporting a failed leadership. Who are the real ''friends'' of the troops? That would be liberals.

[Marie Zarankevich]

Almost everyone exposed to extreme violence experiences some degree of post traumatic stress. -- This includes earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, murder, gang violence, rape, and even violent arguments. -- That doesn''t mean that EVERYONE needs to collect disability for the rest of their lives. -- The government needs to handle this sanely, AND responsibly. -- They have no choice. -- They are TRYING to do it without bankrupting the VA system. -- The VA does not get a bottomless wallet like some other government agencies.

[pfd572]

willymack: the way I see it, the VERY small percentage of vets who are looking for disability that they aren''t really experiencing is not an excuse to intentionally misdiagnose the real victims. We are spending billions of dollars to send them to war, we can err on the side of caution when they come home. And, for the record, the disability payments are so ridiculously small that there is a grave lack in their quality of life. Most of them will still lose their homes, sometimes their families, and just scrape by. Educate yourself, get the facts and when you know what you are talking about, come back to the discussion.

[pfd572]

Just like to say that I had a very successful 24 year military career. Got a free education while doing so. Spent the next 10 years starting a company I sold for $6.5 million and now happily split my time between SC and Grand Cayman. Never felt the government owed me anything. Go to work. Posted by mjvw2

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First, thank you for serving in the military and for your country. HOWEVER, did you ever actually serve in a war zone, in harms way? I know for a fact that someone can serve their entire career without every facing the horror of up close and personal warfare. We treated Nam vets and now Iraqi vets like they are only worthy when they are placing themselves in the line of fire. If you ever saw one of your friends savagely killed in front of you, saw the devastation of a country and their horrific deaths, lived under constant threat of a surprise attack (IED''s for example), weren''t provided with the ordinance needed to fight and were ignored and mistreated by your government you would be credible. Otherwise, don''t make flippant and moronic statements.

I think if the VA limited its hiring to veterans there might be fewer problems. Is it me or what, when people mess up in the VA (read Dr. Katz) everyone asks them to resign... what the heck happened to firing people who don''t do their jobs. AHHHHHH, tenure and a government position.

[tonyd_31]

Neo267, sir I am a veteran and I am offended by your posting. You neo-cons are poision. I haven''t been able to figure out if you are brainwashed or just mentally disturbed. Do us a favor and move to Canada or any other place that will have your sort. It seems to me that you guys are hell-bent on ruining the country and in the process shift the blame on DEMs. Your time is almost up though! Go Obama!!

[pfd572]

AaaBee: You 0931 Post was excellent. I was unable to copy it (????). I hope others read it and were able to actually comprehend what you said. I have my doubts about some posters bias and self-imposed ignorance; they may not be able to understand.

[pfd572]

PEREZ, a real American name!!!!

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Just what is a ''real'' American name? O''Leary, Smith, Nordstrom, Goldberg, Patel, Tanaka, Chang, Tolstoy, Schmidt, Campbell....? They, and Perez, are all ''real'' American names. Unless your a full-blooded, Native American your family immigrated here. Which makes you just as much a ''real'' American as any Perez, Rodriguez or Zozaya that is a citizen. You reek of bigotry and have lost all credibility.

[neo267-2009]

Guess what? If the soldiers thought the country was really supporting them, there would be a lot fewer cases. PTSD is being used by Liberals to increase the "bodycount" of the war for their own sick hypocritical politics.

[mjvw2]

And you think corporations will accomplish what the government seemingly cannot?

Posted by hypnotoad72

if you could name me one thing the government does well I might be inclined to put a little faith in your opinions

[mjvw2]

and besides, it''s sometime fun sitting here get your do nothing liberal panties in a bunch

[mjvw2]

Do you have anything relevant to add to the discussion or are you content with just cynically jab away with neocon nonsense punch lines?

Posted by bobbyduck1

Just like to say that I had a very successful 24 year military career. Got a free education while doing so. Spent the next 10 years starting a company I sold for $6.5 million and now happily split my time between SC and Grand Cayman. Never felt the government owed me anything. Go to work.