Listen
to “social experts” on combat veteran suicides. In interviews
they magically turn into drivel merchants overflowing with
haute-speak and silly conjecture. The first thing out of today’s
horrible example was the problem of Vets being reluctant to ask for
help. The biggest problem was the stigma attached to needing help.
It’s
just sad. The big problem is the abandonment of these Vets by the
military and the failure of the VA to treat them effectively. I’m
sorry, Chuck. The military is constrained by congressional budget
issues, and it dishonorably discharges many problem Vets instead of
diagnosing their mental issues and getting them help. This cuts
costs because they are then denied expensive help to which honorably
discharged Vets are entitled (and often don’t get). The VA is
short-changed and understaffed and can’t properly treat the Vets
needing help.
Veterans
deserve better than wet-eared retail pop psych from the denizens of
public media. Last month, no combat deaths in Afghanistan; 700 Vet
suicides. Congress and the military are failing by omission and
commission to deal with the new realities of combat, and to
adequately train soldiers to spot symptoms, and to motivate soldiers
to follow up, and to train, motivate, and staff the hierarchy to
assess and comprehensively treat causes. And then follow up to make
damn sure the treatment is done. We can't just cut people loose.
Sure the stigma is part of it—the retail part of it, out in front
of a systemic wholesale problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment