Monday, December 27, 2010

Ongoing wars, ongoing veterans issues

November 4, 2009, Staff Sgt Amy Tirador was found dead in Iraq. Adam Ashton (Olympian) reports on Colleen Murphy's continued fight to find out what happened to her 29-year-old daughter in what the military now maintains was a suicide. Colleen Murphy states, "I am going to keep Amy alive as much as I can because she deserves it. The military has stripped her of her honor and dignity by saying she killed herself. That's what I want to give her back." In other news, yesterday on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour, Bob Woodruff covered the issue of homeless veterans (here for video, here for transcript):


BOB WOODRUFF: Was-- was it ever this cold when you were sleeping here on the bench?

JOSE: Last winter wasn't that cold.

JOSE PAGAN IS A DECORATED VETERAN WHO SURVIVED TWO TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ AS A ROAD CLEARANCE SPECIALIST…JUST THREE DAYS AFTER LEAVING THE MILITARY HE WAS HOMELESS, LIVING ON THE STREETS OF THE BRONX…

BOB WOODRUFF: how long was this your home?

JOSE: For around a month and a half to two months.

BOB WOODRUFF: A month and a half on the benches?

JOSE: Yes, yes, yes, yes. But it was safe.

BOB WOODRUFF: It was safe here?

JOSE: It was safer than any other place.

BOB WOODRUFF: Well, how'd you lay down?

JOSE: Well, I had duffel bags. So-- you know, I normally put the duffel bags here. And-- a duffel bag here. Pretty much lay on it. But-- I was lucky to have one of our sleeping bags with me.

BOB WOODRUFF: And that was your only warmth?

JOSE: Yeah. It was embarrassing. Pretty embarrassing. Especially as a veteran. Yeah. Honor, pride, duty, loyalty, all these things that we-- that kick in as a soldier, you know. And then, to find yourself here, it's-- .

BOB WOODRUFF: It's something you'd never imagine.

JOSE: Never.

SPECIALIST PAGAN WASN'T ALWAYS ON THE STREETS - HE HAD A WIFE AND DAUGHTER, A HOME…

JOSE: We had two vehicles. Beautiful apartment, with a real nice fireplace. We was planning to go to Brazil this year, this Christmas. And then, you know, none of that-- none of those plans could exist anymore. So, it was kind of-- it'll-- it'll kind of mess with you a little bit, you know.

THE BREAK UP OF HIS FAMILY AND HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE MILITARY PROVED TO BE HARDER THAN HE THOUGHT…

JOSE: I was a trained soldier. Readily available at any time. You know, mentally. Tough, physically tough to go ahead and handle business. In basic training, we say you eat now, and taste later. So, in Iraq we say you fight now, and you cry later.

BOB WOODRUFF: What about here? JOSE: Here, it's-- everything's backwards. You're just always constantly crying. And-- and, you know, thinking about what could've happened, what just happened, you know. So, it was worse here.

HE'S NOT ALONE. THE VA BELIEVES THERE COULD BE THOUSANDS MORE HOMELESS IN PART BECAUSE OF COMBAT STRESS, BRAIN INJURIES FROM IED'S AND THE RISING USE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. ALREADY, OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION TROOPS HAVE ASKED FOR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT GO UNDIAGNOSED…

Also covering the issue is Steve Lopez (Los Angeles Times) who speaks with Stephen J. Peck of U.S. Vets:

I went to see Peck last week in Long Beach, where 545 formerly homeless vets live and get job training, addiction treatment and other services from U.S. VETS. Peck said the demand for services nationwide is bound to grow dramatically, given thousands of multiple deployments to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and there's no way the Department of Veterans Affairs will be able to answer the need.
That's unacceptable, if you ask me, but it gets worse. ProPublica and NPR reported recently that the military is refusing to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury because of the high cost of treatment.
It would be nice if those who led the charge to war were as militant about treating injured soldiers as they were about delivering tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. But Washington is crawling with cowards and hypocrites, which makes the work of nonprofits like U.S. VETS all the more important.

Fight Back! News reminds, "On Dec. 22, the U.S. House and Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. The bill authorizes $725 billion for next year's Defense Department budget, including nearly $160 billion of what the Pentagon calls 'overseas contingency operations' -- Congress's name for the U.S. wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. All 100 senators, every Republican and every Democrat, voted for the mammoth military spending bill. The House passed it by voice vote without debate or discussion. The $725 billion amount is likely to grow more through separate supplements for the Afghanistan occupation throughout the year. This is the largest military budget since 1945, the last year of World War II."

And we'll note this A.N.S.W.E.R. action via the Party of Socialism and Liberation:

March 19 is the 8th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Iraq today remains occupied by 50,000 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of foreign mercenaries.

The war in Afghanistan is raging. The U.S. is invading and bombing Pakistan. The U.S. is financing endless atrocities against the people of Palestine, relentlessly threatening Iran and bringing Korea to the brink of a new war.

While the United States will spend $1 trillion for war, occupation and weapons in 2011, 30 million people in the United States remain unemployed or severely underemployed, and cuts in education, housing and healthcare are imposing a huge toll on the people.

Actions of civil resistance are spreading.

On Dec. 16, 2010, a veterans-led civil resistance at the White House played an important role in bringing the anti-war movement from protest to resistance. Enduring hours of heavy snow, 131 veterans and other anti-war activists lined the White House fence and were arrested. Some of those arrested will be going to trial, which will be scheduled soon in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, March 19, 2011, the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, will be an international day of action against the war machine.

Protest and resistance actions will take place in cities and towns across the United States. Scores of organizations are coming together. Demonstrations are scheduled for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and more.

Click this link to endorse the March 19, 2011, Call to Action.

In San Francisco, the theme of the March 19 march and rally will be “No to War & Colonial Occupation – Fund Jobs, Healthcare & Education – Solidarity with SF Hotel Workers!” 12,000 SF hotel workers, members of UNITE-HERE Local 2, have been fighting for a new contract that protects their healthcare, wages and working conditions. The SF action will include a march to boycotted hotels in solidarity with the Lo. 2 workers. The first organizing meeting for the SF March 19 march and rally will be on Sunday, Jan. 16 at 2pm at the Local 2 union hall, 209 Golden Gate Ave.

In Los Angeles, the March 19 rally and march will gather at 12 noon at Hollywood and Vine.

Let us know if you are going to be protesting locally. Events taking place around the country will be listed at www.AnswerCoalition.org.

Click this link to submit your local event listing.

Cities around the country will be printing flyers, posters and stickers to spread the word about March 19 events. Funds are urgently needed to help in this effort. Please make a generous financial contribution today. Click this link to donate online with a credit or debit card, and to find out how to contribute by check.


On this week's Law and Disorder Radio (begins airing this morning on WBAI at 9:00 a.m. EST and around the country thorughout the rest of the week), hosts Michael S. Smith, Michael Ratner and Heidi Boghosian, there's an update on Lynne Stewart and they speak with Ricahard D. Wolff and Nellie Hester Bailey.

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