Vet: "Don't Thank Me Anymore ... Just Care for Veterans Who Return and Work to End All War"

[marmar]

Don't Thank Me Anymore ... Just Care for Veterans Who Return and Work to End All War

Wednesday, 11 November 2015 00:00
By Michael McPhearson, Common Dreams | Op-Ed


This past Saturday morning in Saint Louis, MO I was walking home when I saw a people gathering and portions of the street being blocked. I live downtown, so it could have been another run, walk or festival. I asked someone who looked like a participant and he told me it was for the Veterans Day Parade. I was a bit surprised because Veterans Day is Wednesday. He went on to say the parade was being done on Saturday because planners were not sure if they could get enough parade spectators on Wednesday. I'm not sure if he was right about why it was decided to have the parade on Saturday, but it makes sense and is an example of our society celebrating veterans but not really caring that much about us.

Many years ago, I became fed up with the hollow "thank yous" and stopped celebrating Veterans Day. Today, I join with Veterans For Peace in a call to Reclaim November 11th as Armistice Day - a day to think about peace and thank those who served by working to end war. I'm tired of us vets being used for war and then many of us being pretty much discarded. Instead of thanking us, change how we are treated and work to end war. That is a real tribute.

Do you know that an average of 22 veterans die by suicide every day? That means 22 died Saturday and through November 11th, 88 more veterans will die. Saturday's parade and November 11th means nothing to these 110 veterans. To illustrate the severity of this epidemic, by November 11th next year, 8,030 veterans will have died by suicide.

Suicide is the direst challenge facing veterans, but there are many others. Recently, after years of higher unemployment rates for veterans who joined the military after September 11, 2001 than their civilian counterparts, veterans' rates are lower at 4.6% - than the national average of 5%, as reported in USA Today, November 10, 2015. Yet, veterans between the age of 18 and 24 continue to face high unemployment at 10.4%, nearly identical to the 10.1% unemployment figure for civilians in the same bracket. However, these numbers do not tell the full story. Due to the slow economic recovery, many discouraged people have dropped out of the job market. Good paying jobs are hard to find. Well-paying low-skilled jobs nearly don't exist. Veterans negotiate these same obstacles while at the same time facing other challenges.

Homelessness continues to be a major problem for veterans. According to information from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, we veterans face homelessness because of "mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 12% of the adult homeless population are veterans." ..................(more)

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/33609-don-t-thank-me-anymore-just-care-for-veterans-who-return-and-work-to-end-all-war

[tazkcmo]

1. My "Thanks for your service." response...

Don't thank me. Call your Rep and Senators and demand full funding for the VA.

[GGJohn]

2. I wish I could rec. this a million times. eom.

[Scuba]

3. + Eighty Gazillion

[Baitball Blogger]

4. I respect that vet.