Being a type of military veteran with non-visible injuries I have been looked at like there is nothing wrong with me and turned away by doctors who could not figure out why veterans are in so much pain. Many veterans are discriminated against because of their age and years in service, they (and I) have had to endure pain for a longer period of time. For example, I have been dealing with severe back pain since 2010, however, because of my age and the fact I do not look like or show how much pain I really am in; the Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors refused to give me the treatment that I need. This type of discrimination due to outward appearance, not only affects veterans, but also making them feel isolated, just like many others such as the author
I really enjoyed reading your post – you’ve brought up some really good and crucial points. These soldiers have risked their lives to protect our county, so it is only right and fair for our country to provide them the services and treatment that they deserve if suffering from PTSD. I also agree with you over how we need to let these veterans know that it is absolutely normal to feel distressed about what they had to experience. We should definitely not belittle them or make them feel like they are being overdramatic. PTSD is a serious disorder and should not be taken lightly.
“How dark would you have to paint a vet to make him or her beyond sympathy” (Molin,Onward to DC–War Writing at AWP17). After returning from war, a veteran expects one thing which is sympathy. Veterans are stereotyped as these troubled men who are traumatized from the war. Peter Molin challenges this stereotype by questioning what a veteran needs to do to be viewed as more than just a traumatized war hero by saying what can makes a veteran “beyond sympathy.” Veterans are accustomed to being treated with sympathy due to the fact that civilians view them as troubled by the war, which is only a myth.
Mike Haynie takes a stand on how veterans are portrayed to the public through the media. Being a veteran himself, he is well aware of how the media’s reports are focused on displaying the negative side of veterans. Cases like Itzcoatl Ocampo’s, paint veterans to the public as being violent. Awareness on this issue has been raised before. In 1999, President Bill Clinton held a conference to shed light on mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it.
How many people have been over seas to protect our country and saw the devastation that war can hold in person? Many people think about this question and wonder. A good majority of people have regular good paying jobs. Still many people dislike the fact of working for a business or office setting. Some people have been through the dark side and back.
World War II was fought due to the persecution and execution of multiple minorities such as Jewish people. gypsies, the disabled, and homosexuals. However, the irony of this event is that while America was fighting for the rights of others overseas, there was an immense amount of discrimination happening right here in the United States. African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and other underrepresented minorities were all put at a large disadvantage in terms of economic and social opportunity. While the United States army needed more soldiers to fight in the war, African Americans who were fighting for their country in the military faced immense discrimination from Caucasian soldiers.
In Jane Brody’s alarming article, “War Wounds That Time Alone Can’t Heal” Brody describes the intense and devastating pain some soldiers go through on a daily basis. These soldiers come home from a tragic time during war or, have vivid memories of unimaginable sufferings they began to experience in the battle field. As a result these soldiers suffer from, “emotional agony and self-destructive aftermath of moral injury…” (Brody). Moral injury has caused much emotional and physical pain for men and women from the war.
Mike Royko describes the Veteran’s Administration 's treatment of Leroy Bailey in his article, “A Faceless Man’s Plea” published in the Chicago Daily News. Royko’s purpose was to expose the unfair treatment of veteran’s such as Leroy Bailey. He uses a frustrated and critical tone to convey the inefficiency and hypocrisy of the Veteran’s Administration. Royko centers the beginning of his article on Leroy Bailey, a Vietnam War veteran who was sent to the infantry and was later on injured by a rocket at the age of twenty-six.
Veteran Benefits The issue of veteran benefits in the United States is not taken as seriously as it should be in our country, even though it is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. The lack of available funding for veterans is especially obvious when compared to that available for lower income citizens, or even illegal immigrants. Also, what does exist appears to fall short in taking care of veteran’s needs. Considering that these veterans are people who have risked their lives fighting for this country, the fact that they are not receiving immediate benefits or even what they have earned is unfair.
Men and women who have made the sacrifice to serve in the military are often thought to be deserving of special resources and benefits after their service to our country ends. Unfortunately, for the veterans who become incarcerated, they may not receive these resources. This may be a contributing cause of their incarceration. They also may not have access to these resources while they are incarcerated, or even after their release. Neglecting to recognize the importance of their needs is likely to hinder their ability to reintegrate into society and lead productive lives.
has been understaffed to accommodate the millions of veterans who need access to quality healthcare. According to Reno, “ VA Health Care System continues to worsen in more and more dangerous ways, severely underserving the nearly 7 million veterans who rely on the network for care annually” (Reno, Para 16). If veterans were allowed to go to any hospital they choose, there would be no issue with staffing in civilian hospitals. Local hospitals have the ability to hire to their needs, and do not need access to government funds to hire additional personnel. Veterans should not have to worry about fending for themselves after surgery, because the VA doesn’t have enough room to accommodate their needs.
You saved many lives on the other side of the battle field. You chose to leave behind your loved ones and your life to die, make it home safe, or to have major injuries. Some people don’t care about the Veterans. But I care about veterans and all the people writing these essays. Equality
Other organizations such as Real Warriors offer advice to seek out medical help through speaking with a VA approved medical doctor to confirm PTSD and then become eligible for
Secondly, some veterans will come back from war and if they were shot or experienced heavy damage to the head, they can have severe brain injuries and when they’re homeless and they don’t have much help, that can be horrible for the homeless veterans. Lastly, while veterans are fighting in wars, if they get shot or a grenade goes
They argue that the government should not be spending significant amounts of money to veterans or people that just came out of war. While they acknowledge that some veterans are so psychologically damaged by their experiences in battle that they cannot function properly in society and require disability payments, other veterans, they say, may become unnecessarily dependent on veterans' services. Although, all these are valid arguments that they can make, in the long run by helping veterans out it will greatly impact not only veterans individually but the society in a positive
Many soldiers have “recovered from their traumatic experience with the right care” and can