A Military Rant

Somewhere In Norway

Those of you who have been around Nichevo for a while know I am a Viet Nam Vet. As painful as that period of time was for our country with much vitriol hurled at returning veterans from that conflict, veteran's affairs were not nearly the f****d up mess they are today. The current administration has so screwed our military it will take most of the next two presidential terms to rebuild it to its pre-Iraqi Freedom strength and readiness. The screwing does not stop when veterans return from the current quagmire in less than top mental and physical condition. One of the major struggles many veterans face is with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The VA recently issued a memo directing service providers to diagnose veterans with "adjustment disorder" instead of PTSD. That diagnoses does not carry the care, treatment and disability payment requirements of PTSD. This outrageous action is sure to save the VA some money at the cost of veteran's sanity and safety. You can get more details by reading Va Ordered Not To Diagnose PTSD. Failure to diagnose and treat conditions such as PTSD leads to other deplorable situations such as the suicide rates that are rising at a disproportionate rate to the general population. Eighteen soldiers or veterans attempt suicide daily which totals more than 500 a month. WE are losing more soldiers and veterans to suicide than to combat in the current conflicts. This should be a giant red flag to the VA and the government signally a significant problem needing to be solved right now. In Vet Suicides Continue To Rise, Gregg Mitchell of the Huffington Post cites some startling statistics like in California where of the more than 3000 suicides last year, 21% (666) were soldiers or veterans who make up only 6% of the population. Not only is the current administration sending our young people overseas to die in foreign wars without proper training or equipment, but once traumatized by the events in which they find themselves involved, these young people are returned to our shores and cast aside. Having served as grist for the mill and mangled in the process, they are set adrift in a leaky boat surrounded by sharks with no paddle or life jacket. To show his empathy with soldiers and veterans during this time of war, our President made the extreme sacrifice of giving up his golf game which he bragged about on national TV. I could go on but I like the apoplectic reaction to the President's statement by Keith Olbermann and I think he puts it ever so much better in his two part Special Comment which I have posted below.

Following Keith Olbermann's videos I have a cool video from PBS showing the move of a 100 year old church several hundred miles to its new home accompanied by the Manning Choir. After that little travelogue is the CNN coverage of the announcement of the California Supreme Court decision striking down the ban on Gay Marriage which includes an interview with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome. To round out the video selections we have Part Three in the Great Classical Composer series. This of course is followed closely by today's eye candy section for your perusal. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Keith Olbermann Special Comment Part One


Keith Olbermann Special Comment Part Two



Moving A 100 Year Old Church



CNN California Supreme Court Ruling



Great Classical Composers Part Three