MEMORIAL DAY 2008

How many Americans know that combat veterans commit suicide three or four times as often as non-vets? That a quarter of the homeless population are veterans? That it takes more than five years to get the Veterans Administration to deal with claims filed by injured vets? That almost twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffered brain injury? That our Veterans Administration stonewalls as many vets who try to get their legitimate benefits as it can?

Is that the best our nation can offer returning troops, the ones tens of thousands of our car magnets claim to support? Can we do no better than a cold park bench or sidewalk to sleep on? Unemployment? Neglect of their health care needs?

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and Republican Kit Bond have introduced legislation that would require the VA to care for the wounded and that would offer our vets help in re-adjusting to civilian life. It’s called the HONOR Act. Anyone who can dial a phone can call a Senator or Representative and ask that they work to get this law enacted.

We can also show demonstrate our loyalty to those who willingly served the country by learning more about the problems faced by returning veterans. And writing a check to one of the veterans organizations who are working to give vets what government refuses to supply. One local one is San Francisco based Swords to Plowshares at  www.swords-to-plowshares.org and another is  www.veteransforpeace.org .