IVAW protests once again
The new era of Iraq Veterans Against the War has begun. They are reborn as an essential part of the healing of wounded soldiers with their brand new program called “Operation Recovery”. This morning they began helping wounded soldiers by boldly, without fear, disregarding the danger, laying ten roses on a sign outside of Walter Reed Army medical Center. I know! It’s amazing isn’t it? I mean it’s just like all of the other useless shit they’ve done, only completely different, huh?
But that’s not all. You think that’d be enough, but that wasn’t all. They “planned” to walk to the Capitol!!! Stupendous, huh? I’m surprised they didn’t heal every single person in the entire District of Columbia by their unselfish action – walking six miles!!!
“The roses are to signify each year that we have been in Afghanistan,” said Spc. Zach Choate.
The group of about 14 veterans planned to march six miles to Capitol Hill, where a news conference was scheduled for later in the day.
Earlier, Ethan McCord, an Iraq war veteran, said, “I was denied treatment for the mental and physical wounds I sustained in battle, like so many others.”
He added, “This campaign is critical for soldiers because we are asserting our right to heal. Now, the government has a choice — will it recognize our right to heal, or continue to deny it?”
It’s funny how seemingly perfectly normal soldiers suddenly realize that have physical and mental wounds after they join IVAW. Not a word from Ethan McCord until he found his niche when the “Collateral Damage” video was released. Now he’s a healer by laying ten roses on a sign and walking six miles to the Capitol building.
Let’s not do anything tangible, let’s do a bunch of symbolic shit that doesn’t really accomplish anything. Just like always…only this time we’ll say we’re serious. That’ll change shit.
Category: Antiwar crowd, Iraq Veterans Against the War
I would really like to hear how Ethan was denied treatment, and offer to get him all treatment. I can actually guarandamntee him that if he has an honorable discharge I can get him into a VA.
I’m guessing that he’s referring to this denial of treatment;
IOW, he was “denied treatment” like every other whiny bitch is “denied treatment”. I swear, if I had a dollar…
I wonder how long it’ll take to get the patchouli stench out of Capitol Hill.
Years, ROS…Years
Whoa! Wait! I can join the IVAW and suddenly have uhhhh unhealed wounds after all these years? Dang it, boy!
*pussies*
Has a disease spread through the entire liberal community this week causing all of them to lose their math skills? It has been nine years. What is the fascination with ten?
First: after nine years, nine years and one day is the beginning of what will become the tenth year. Had to let the math thing be answered.
Secondly, Operation Recovery is the IVAW campaign I’ve been the most excited about in a while. There are servicemembers being denied treatment, still being denied accurate diagnoses, and definitely being redeployed when everyone sane says they shouldn’t be.
And let’s not get started on the VA system, or the medical system for TDRL medical retirees. Like the ones told they can only go through one person to make their appointments and that person doesn’t even think about doing so (while promising it will be soon) for six months.
We’re not doing our best for those who gave theirs, and we need to.
Also, VA really needs to provide suicide prevention services at the VERY least to all vets regardless of discharge. There are too many vets with misconduct or substance abuse charges that are suffering from PTSD and were at the time of discharge.
There are so many things wrong with what you just said, I will have to leave it until monday. Seriously.
You give me the name of one honorably discharged vet who can’t get into VA, and I will have an answer on them inside of 3 hours. Or, you could just ask Alex Horton to look into it. Or Brandon Friedman. Or, the OEF/OIF patient advocate at eeach hospital. Should I go on?
I can’t speak to the IVAW campaign or current vets that aren’t getting treatment. But it wouldn’t surprise me. In January 2006 I walked into the ER at the Hampton VA, VAMC and attemtpted to tell the charge nurse that I was suicidal. Before I could get the word “suicide” out, I was told that I should come back on Monday because the on call psyche wnet home at 15:00 (I had been waiting since 1:30) and that I could see an ER doc, but I would have to wait behind the 25 or so “Real patients” to be seen. I was also told that there was a walk in PTSD clinic that I should go to. (if I lived through the week end.)
When I finally get the nerve to go back (about four months later) I found out that there was no PTSD clinic walk in or otherwise and I chased my tail for an hour until I wnet ballistic on the nice folks at the walk in STD clinic and was taken to the psych out patient treatment area. All that having been said, once I got in the treatment was great and I have no colpaints. I just hope the system is better now.
It’s like IVAW read an old copy of the Washington Post, misunderstood the issues with the VA, and is now making up an issue in order to be on the “cutting edge” of the problem and consequently relevant. Regardless of a prior post, the service organizations like VFW have service officers to assist people in handling the paperwork and process, which can be daunting for some. But refusal, I suspect that if IVAW can present a real person, there is more to the story than IVAW would want to reveal. Why not revamp IVAW with knowledgable people to help with the process instead of ranting and burning flags?
TSO:
Honestly, with all due respect and affection, you’re a little busy these days. Remember that email you were going to get to and then never did? Same with Alex, who I also have deep respect and affection for. I emailed him asking about an issue, he said he’d ask Brandon, then no response. The few, few people who are trying to help are all overworked and can’t respond to everyone. And not everyone knows those connections. And often the advocates are also overworked or ineffective. The VA can’t even handle their own callcenters without giving vets busy signals all day. It is not the sterling example of healthcare you’d like it to be.
I went in there once because my family and friends forced me as I was so ill I could barely keep conscious. Six hours later, I still hadn’t even been evaluated, but fortunately my passing out in the waiting room let me get enough strength to say “Screw this” and walk out. I don’t know what VA you go to that everything is shiny.
“Also, VA really needs to provide suicide prevention services at the VERY least to all vets regardless of discharge. There are too many vets with misconduct or substance abuse charges that are suffering from PTSD and were at the time of discharge.”
Oh, horseshit.
TSO- I can think of one close friend off the top of my head who was honorable discharged & has a Purple Heart to prove his injuries. On top of that, he has also been diagnosed w/ PTSD. I would rather not give his name, but the VA has grossly dropped the ball with him. I’ve been quite concerned about him for some time. Still super confident in the VA? Cause I sure as hell am NOT.
In all of this discussion, no one as asked the most basic question:
Exactly how does IVAW plan on helping the Troops that are suffering? What is their plan of action to help Vets or
Soldiers on Active Duty?
At a minimum, I’d like to see doctor’s nondeployable recommendations given codified and binding weight. Also, a solid explanation from the VA on why some vets wait years for service-connection. Politicians fully funding the VA and demanding accountability for screwups.
Yep, laying ten flowers on a sign and walking six miles will really help you reach that goal. It’s no wonder you’re so excited. Why are McCord and his pals out pushing the “Collateral Murder” video on college campuses in Middle America under the banner of Operation Recovery and the only story McCord has about denial of medical care is the one about his squad leader telling him to clean his vaginal area?
Let’s keep in mind that all of this discussion about the VA has nothing to do with sending these supposed “wounded soldiers” into combat which seems to be the focus of the most recent brainstorm from the braindead.
In fact, the VA has as much influence over “deployed soldiers” as laying ten flowers on a sign has to do with…um…well…anything.
Ok, that’s what you want. Cool, but is that what IVAW wants? Also, how do you plan to get there. I think we all know what people want, but what is the plan to get from point A to B?
I don’t think flag burning and encouraging “resistance” is going to help change the VA. IVAW needs to reconstitute itself if it wants to be credible because its reputation is sunk and marginalized into the ISO mold.
“At a minimum, I’d like to see doctor’s nondeployable recommendations given codified and binding weight. Also, a solid explanation from the VA on why some vets wait years for service-connection. Politicians fully funding the VA and demanding accountability for screwups.”
Ok. So why the hell aren’t any of these mentioned in the materials for Operation Recovery? Presumably some effort went into planning this whole thing; at any point in the process did someone say “Ya know guys, vague claims to be passionate purveyors of truth and unflappable disciples of ‘collective action’ don’t really seem like a substantive plan for effecting change. Perhaps we should make a list of policies we’d like to see amended, and enumerate precisely all the ways in which we plan to get it done?”
Because to read the materials y’all have posted on ivaw.org, it really doesn’t seem like you have any idea what you want. Seems more like you’re set to make a bunch of obstinate demands, and rely on people to send you episodic tales of woe to be passed off as if they are illustrative of the whole.
Or was that just your idea, AS, and it got shot down since you’re a big right-wing spy and all?
AS- You have my work number, right? If so call me. If not, send me an email and I will send it to you again. And if anyone else has an honorably discharged vet who the VA is refusing to see, then send me an email, and I will get in contact with a Service Officer on the ground there, and try to find out why. Now, it is a two way street, I can’t get access to medical files without the vets help, so it can’t be “Help PFC Snuffy” and then Snuffy won’t help me.
Good Grief! I am damned glad that I don’t use the same VA facilities as those of you who try to sell the horror stories. My VA facility recently became a “JACC”. From the time I get on the property, when the DAV Limo Golf Cart pulls up and offers me a ride, it is all smiles and “How can I help you, Sir?”, til I once again depart. Being a “JACC”, I sit alongside active duty troops, (we can call navy guys “troops” can’t we?), and in conversation have yet to hear one word of disagreement with what is offered.
As I see it, anyone who thinks the VA is so bad, really doesn’t understand the mission of the VA.
Nuf Sed
AS: Exactly it is “what will become” year 10. I was just laughing at every article having the focus on 10 in giant letters this week.
How exactly does starting the 10th make it worse than 9 total years at war. It’s just a joke about semantics. Oh well, I guess I’ll start adding a year to everyones birthday the day after we celebrate.
Looks like just another attention seeking stunt by the IVAW. No plan, no substance, no clue. And what the hell does “right to heal” mean anyway, and how is the government denying that? Bitch, please.
I guess, like any institutional bureaucracy, there are plenty of horror stories to be found about less than ideal conditions at the VA. These are not particular to the VA. Walk into just about any ER in any major city at any given time and you’ll likely see what I mean.
By and large, my VA experience has been pretty painless and positive. Folks have been helpful, friendly, and efficient. I have just started the process, but in less than 60 days I have already had two meetings with the social worker/case manager lady, seen two different doctors and had X-rays taken each time, had some lab work done, and I just got back from my initial physical therapy visit. I’ve got appointments lined up for later next month. About the only complaint I have is I would like to be seen sooner, but there’s a lot more vets than doctors, so there ya go. Maybe after awhile I’ll be able to tell how my “right to heal” is being denied me, and be all bitter and pissy, but for now I’m happy enough.
I would just like a straight-up answer to my question.
While that’s all fine & dandy for all of you guys who think the VA is the best thing since sliced bread, I have worked mental health in the Army & can tell you that the # of “bitter and pissy” soldiers is much larger than you all seem to think. Soldiers make up a great group of people, but they are also human beings and can only take so much.
Here is a nice Al Jazera coverage of the event.
At 0:34 they claim the Collateral Damage video is showing Mccord pulling civilians out of the vehicle right before it is hit by rocket fire.
At 2:20 there is a nice claim that there so many injured troops that the entire military would reach culmination if they didn’t deploy wounded Soldiers.
I just love the fact that nowhere in the entire news report does anyone state what the campaign actually does, they just keep repeating the same old messages.
Daniel; Its standard tactic for the same message to be repeated continually. That way its ingrained in the unsuspecting publics mind, can’t think of any other way to better describe it.
On the other hand, and a much more serious tone I got involved helping vets from here that were complaining they were having issues with a “VA” field office.
Four of the six I assisted (and ran through POW Net before stepping up), served during the Faluhgia campaign. For whatever reason these men were being shuffled around,medical records coming up missing or misplaced, paperwork lost, ect.
After getting involved, several employees of the center were less than stellar. Investigating further those employees were found to be associated with a certain anti-war movement and no longer work there.
They intentionally did not complete computer entries & paperwork putting it off for another day, yada yada. Some misplaced paperwork was later found in other veteran files. Over all the center had an atmosphere of and operating under total incompetence.
The two remaining vets did not serve in combat, were stateside and “diagnosed” with PTSD, awarded compensation (a decent amount I might add) and pushed through the system well ahead of the Falughia vet’s.
Thanks to the vet representative for a US Congressman, this situation was remedied ASAP.
I still drop by unannounced and get a certain kick from the looks on the faces of those employees that remain after the barracks cleaning party.
hehe!
@Army Sergeant:
Yeah, I get all excited at disingenous bullshit from a
bunch of posers. Wanna help real war vets? Stop pulling publicity stunts disguised as concern. Stop abetting the peurile malcontents in the IVAW. The last thing real stressed-out vets need, is a bunch of pogues acting like retro 60’s protesters, and “conscientious objectors” with disciplinary problems spewing the “unjust war” shit.
The VA is a convenient punching bag, but it’s not really why you’re in the IVAW.
It’s not just the VA…..active duty is just as bad, if not worse. I worked psychiatry and Combat Stress Control in the Army and can say from firsthand experience that the ball has been dropped numerous times….if you guys had spent some time working in that field you might feel differently about being anti-war.
@30… Many of us here were trigger pullers so I’d appreciate not getting a lecture on how we should rethink our stance on “antiwar” based on your experience. Besides, I personally respect the right to hold such views, but the issue is that the “antiwar” groups have no credibility, marginized, caught up in their own egos/lies, and are nothing more than convenient shills for random political users such as ISO.