Have We Lost?
Jonn has exposed and enumerated this… And it is NOT news or new, but:
The “Dangerous” Veteran: An Inaccurate Media Narrative Takes Hold
In a San Diego, California neighborhood, debate is raging: The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to establish a residential treatment program for Veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injuries.
On its face, the idea doesn’t seem controversial. After all, given two wars in the past decade, the U.S. government is doing what it can to provide Vets with the best care possible. But that’s not how some San Diegans view the situation. They say the facility will be too close to a school. They say it’s “just the wrong place.”
Without saying as much, this is an example where some in a community are simply not comfortable with what they view as damaged and potentially unstable Veterans being near a school. Of course, this attitude doesn’t take place in a vacuum, and it wasn’t formed recently. There is a reason people have such views of those who once protected them.
You young guys… BOHICA. I’m so tired of this crap.
Unfortunately, this rehashed portrayal of PTSD, reminiscent of the Vietnam era, has the power to deter Veterans from openly speaking about their service—especially in today’s economic climate—when unemployment among younger Vets hovers between 20 and 30 percent. That concerns Iraq Veteran Ryan Gallucci, now with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
“Vietnam Veterans were stereotyped as the crazy Veteran, but over the years we’ve proven that isn’t the case,” said Gallucci, the VFW’s National Legislative Service Deputy Director. “What concerns us are today’s Veterans sitting down for a job interview and once they mention their military service, the tone of the conversation changes.”
The point… this article does a masterful job of bringing it all together. Thank The Donovan!
Jonn Added: The author is our little buddy Kate Hoit who starred in yesterday’s “$#!# civilians say to veterans” video.
By the way, we discussed the San Diego thing back in December.
Category: Geezer Alert!, Veterans Issues
Get some, Xero!
Not sure that this is anti-vet as much as yet another manifestation of the NIMBY (not in my back yard) mentality that’s quite common in CA and parts of the southwest. Seems that no one in those areas wants anything in their local area that could cause any minor inconvenience to them whatsoever, even though it’s best for the community.
Tucson, AZ, was famous for that mentality. So were most urban areas in coastal CA. Ditto selected locations in NM and CO.
[…] This Ain’t Hell points out that the author of this piece also starred in the video about S*!t Civilians Say To Veterans video from the other day. Share this:StumbleUponDiggRedditMoreTwitterFacebookEmailPrintLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
@2: Yeppers!
@2 Hit the nail on the head me thinks. I frequently work in Sedona, AZ where that attitude is alive and well.