http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BEsZMvrq-I
I know this video is about the first Gulf war, but what changed between then and 2003? To me, this is just unbelievable and so hard to watch!
Because of "bad intelligence", we have now lost 3,921 Americans as of today! In 1994, the administration thought 146 American lives lost was a bad number. What about now?
I know I'm not really stating anything new about the excuse given to take us to war in 2003. Isn't it about time someone admits there is nothing that can be done to establish a new government in Iraq? Isn't it about time someone stops the senseless killing of our soldiers?
Let me quote the article below - "Dishonest." "Reprehensible." "Corrupt." "Shameless."
Fight or Flight?
Cheney's weak argument in the war debate.
By Michael Kinsley
Updated Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005, at 8:19 AM ET
"One might also argue," said Vice President Cheney in a speech on Tuesday, "that untruthful charges against the Commander-in-chief have an insidious effect on the war effort." That would certainly be an ugly and demagogic argument, were one to make it. After all, if untruthful charges against the president hurt the war effort (by undermining public support and soldiers' morale), then those charges will hurt the war effort even more if they happen to be true. So, one would be saying, in effect, that any criticism of the president is, essentially, treason.
Lest one fear that he might be saying that, Cheney immediately added, "I am unwilling to say that"—"that" being what he had just said. He generously granted critics the right to criticize (as did the president this week). Then he resumed hurling adjectives like an ape hurling coconuts at unwanted visitors. "Dishonest." "Reprehensible." "Corrupt."
"Shameless." President Bush and others joined in, all morally outraged that anyone would accuse the administration of misleading us into war by faking a belief that Saddam Hussein possessed nuclear and/or chemical and biological weapons.
11 January 2008
09 January 2008
Going "outside" the system
Many soldiers today have mental health issues. That's no secret to most of us. The thing that worries me is what will happen to them if they seek care initially with their primary care physician on post - open up and tell all, so to speak, and have what they say used against them? As I stated before there are already too many soldiers being discharged with pre-existing personality disorder. What happens if the soldier hasn't heard these stories? They could be in for a long ride. It's fact, it's happening every day.
I want all soldiers to know there is help "outside" the system. Confidential treatment can be sought through Army One Source. They provide six counseling sessions at no cost. The next step after these six sessions, if they feel they need additional counseling is to then, and only then, go to their primary care physician on post and tell them something like "I'm feeling a little stressed", "I'm just having some trouble readjusting and I really want to talk to a counselor". Don't say anything more than that. That's all they have to say, they don't need to go into detail, all they have to do is ask for a referal for counseling. I got this advice from a counselor associated with Army One Source.
My point is that it is in the best interest of the soldier to find a counselor through Army One Source first. Hopefully, they will make a connection with that counselor and then second, if necessary, they can continue to see that same counselor using their Tricare benefits.
My concern is, if they were to seek a referal for counseling with their pcp first, the counselor has to send an assessment back to the primary care physician within ten days of the first Tricare paid session. How can a counselor give a true assessment after only one, maybe two visits. So the advantage would be to use the Army One Source first. Then after six sessions and the intial first session covered by Tricare, the counselor that they have been seeing should be able to give them a fair and accurate assessment that will then go into their medical records. It just makes more sense to me to have an assessment in their records that is fair and true.
If only one person takes advantage of this information, it will make me happy. My prayers are always with our soldiers and I really only want the best for them.
I want all soldiers to know there is help "outside" the system. Confidential treatment can be sought through Army One Source. They provide six counseling sessions at no cost. The next step after these six sessions, if they feel they need additional counseling is to then, and only then, go to their primary care physician on post and tell them something like "I'm feeling a little stressed", "I'm just having some trouble readjusting and I really want to talk to a counselor". Don't say anything more than that. That's all they have to say, they don't need to go into detail, all they have to do is ask for a referal for counseling. I got this advice from a counselor associated with Army One Source.
My point is that it is in the best interest of the soldier to find a counselor through Army One Source first. Hopefully, they will make a connection with that counselor and then second, if necessary, they can continue to see that same counselor using their Tricare benefits.
My concern is, if they were to seek a referal for counseling with their pcp first, the counselor has to send an assessment back to the primary care physician within ten days of the first Tricare paid session. How can a counselor give a true assessment after only one, maybe two visits. So the advantage would be to use the Army One Source first. Then after six sessions and the intial first session covered by Tricare, the counselor that they have been seeing should be able to give them a fair and accurate assessment that will then go into their medical records. It just makes more sense to me to have an assessment in their records that is fair and true.
If only one person takes advantage of this information, it will make me happy. My prayers are always with our soldiers and I really only want the best for them.
07 January 2008
It's the same thing every day
And it is....the same story every day in the newspaper and on the internet. The only thing that changes is the names. How many soldiers is it going to take to be discharged with so-called pre-existing personality discharges before we can put a stop to it? The public doesn't have a clue until it's in the media. These cases aren't known about unless someone decides to go to the press. It's sad that it comes to that. The leaders of our children won't take care of their own without being shamed into it. You would think after a while, they would learn, but they don't. What makes them so hard and callous that they don't care about their own? Steadfast and Loyal. The only thing they are steadfast about is culling out the soldiers who need their help. The only loyalty they have is to the system, not to the soldier who has their back. It's the same thing every day. Different name, different unit, different military post, it isn't changing.
I'm tired. I'm tired of reading these stories every day. I'm tired of writing my Congressmen only to get a letter back thanking me for contacting them, thanking me for my family's service in the military. Letting me know for the umpteenth time that he is one of the fewer than one-third of members of Congress to have served on active duty. Yes, Mrs. Constituent, I support the passage of .....this legislation will provide....blah, blah, blah. I will be closely monitoring the progress of this legislation....
I don't want him to monitor the progress. I want someone who will push for it to get passed and sent to the President to sign into law! There is too much at stake to allow all the bills involving our military and our veterans to just let them sit there. I want results.
Is it so much to ask that they simply pass two bills to stop the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder? I really don't think it is.
I'm tired. I'm tired of reading these stories every day. I'm tired of writing my Congressmen only to get a letter back thanking me for contacting them, thanking me for my family's service in the military. Letting me know for the umpteenth time that he is one of the fewer than one-third of members of Congress to have served on active duty. Yes, Mrs. Constituent, I support the passage of .....this legislation will provide....blah, blah, blah. I will be closely monitoring the progress of this legislation....
I don't want him to monitor the progress. I want someone who will push for it to get passed and sent to the President to sign into law! There is too much at stake to allow all the bills involving our military and our veterans to just let them sit there. I want results.
Is it so much to ask that they simply pass two bills to stop the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder? I really don't think it is.
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