Martin Luther King preaches against war
Mr Bush and MrCheney and yes, MrMcCain need to see this video
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
JOHN EDWARDS ON LETTERMAN TONIGHT.....(sigh)
John Edwards is on Dave tonight. He has a new book, HOME, about how lives are created, the Blueprints that set our lives in motion. Check it out over at One America , or on Amazon. John stomped his heart out this Election, remembering the Middle Class and also remembering that Many Working Americans are Living in Poverty. He also has spent the past year working hard on Katrina Issues. Show him some love.....Tune in tonight....
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
THE MORNING AFTER: HONORING THE VOTE
Dear Mr.Bush,
THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY HAVE SPOKEN.....ARE YOU LISTENING ?
Change has now come to this Country, Our Country. But it came because of people , We the People , had Courage and went to the Polls and voted for What Mattered. It was our ONLY Voice against your Dangerous Regime of Corruption and Greed that has been harming people in Our Country and around the World. This is OUR Purple Finger Moment, a moment to reclaim OUR Democracy and Our Country that was stolen in 2000 and has been on a path of Destruction and Corruption ever since.
It was time for Truth and Justice to reach the Doorsteps of the White Castle.
There are many Good People and Entities that need to be Thanked and Honored for their perserverance in this Battle.
(1) The People, the people who VOTED, even though they had been beaten down and mistreated for six years.
(2) All of the Democratic Legends that hit the tarmac and the airwaves to speak to the Intergrity of the People. And yes, I think Clinton's Meltdown on FOX was a Turning Point Moment. And yes, Mr.Bush President Clinton is still Relevant and a Force. But new Forces made this Race a watershed moment, Obama, Ford, and the Edwards, and Murtha and so many others became Voices in the Dark.
(3) Micheal J.Fox , who basically was quietly handed the Torch by the Reeves. Cell Research is a Matter of Life and Death, especially living with this reality daily. Bless him for taking a stand and being a Voice. He was Courage in Motion and Grace under Fire. Mr.Bush there are more Heros in this world, and not all wear a military uniform.
(4) YouTube: Amazing that such a technological wonder could educate and connect millions around the world, and deliver Messeges of Hope and Change. It made the Internet the Velvet Hammer you had feared for so long Mr.Bush. The Photos and th Video kept the reality in our hearts and our minds. Mr.Bush I reccomend that you have Laura show you how to work that white box in your office, you might learn a bit about Our Country and the World.
(5) The Internet and Blogatopia , it is much like the French Resistance, a time of Underground Newspapers and Messeges bringing change and hope far and wide. Where in the middle of the night, moms and dads, college students, and grandparents could Fight to get OUR Country back by hitting the Keyboards. These were people you wrote off the first time you laid your hand on the Bible in 2001. And to the Bloggers, You did ride at Midnight, you carried this wave of Hope and Change. I know Somewhere Thomas Paine and Paul Revere are cheering Blogatopia.
(6) VETS and their families also are to be thanked for all of their hard work and sacrifices and heartache that mostly goes hidden under than a few glossy photo-ops. These families and these fine Military Minds need to be Respected and Heard. Murtha should seriously be offered Rummy's Job....not some other suited Puppet. And yes, Mr.Bush , never underestimate the power and strength of a Mothers Love. Cindy Sheehan , Bless you.
And I guess in that same breath, we need you Mr.Bush to acknowledge that all the Pain and Agony that Iraq is suffering , because it is now being acknowledged by the American People with this Vote. Because the Americans, the Voters did indeed Remember Iraq, not just the Soldiers, we remembered millions of Suffering Iraqi Families of that region.
(7) The Comedians and Music Folk and for keeping the Facts in Perspective by using their music and their humor to be Wise and caring. And yes, Mr Bush that means the Dixie Chicks, Neil Young, Green Day and U2, Sean Penn,Geroge Clooney. The "MrBush does not care about Black People" Moments effected Millions that have Conscience and Intergrity.....and many others. And of course John Stewart, Dave Letterman, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher.
(8) Mr.Bush , You now do have to acknowledge the Victims and the Survivors of Katrina, as these people are now scattered thoughout the Country, and all of the Country and the World, saw that you dishonored the Poor, the Elderly and the Black of this Country. Shame on you, because the Black, the Minorities, the Women, and the Poor of this country, Our Country deserve More, Much More.
(9) Keith Olbermann, for giving us Journalistically what We the People were searching for all these monthes. You gave us Courage, Hope and Strength in the Special Comments.We will always tresure these Edward Murrow Moments.Bless You. Mr.Bush you need to listen to the People and Keith is speaking for millions of us.
(10) The Grassroots People of the Country, that you Mr.Bush threw under the Bus on Day One. You should never underestimate the Endurance and Heart and Minds of We the People. And yes, I mean Move On and AARP and United for Peace and Justice, and hundreds of other groups and organizations that pounded the pavement and the issues.
These organizations and the Internet educated millions of important issues,including on your Regime's Criminal Activities and Policies,and Abuse of Power.
And last I say Mr.Bush, I Know that for the past 6 years I have watched my son grow up in a Country that is battered and beaten and causing Harm to the World. That your Regime poses Harm, signifigant harm to his Future and all of the Children of the Country and other Countries. Families Voted, Parents Voted, maybe now you can see the Power and Wisdom of America's Families. We Voted because we want Our Country Back, We The People Know What Democracy means. Do you ?
The People Have Spoken, they Voted.
12:02 NEWSFLASH: MSNBC IS REPORTING THAT RUMMY IS STEPPING DOWN
AP is reporting that Rummy is stepping down.
He susposed to resign, no time or date being giving.
He susposedly has offered to resign.
I guess the Decider has had his ass handed to him.
Holy shit, we voted and within hours the First War Criminal is going down.
( I had already written the above post, then posted it, and then half hour later ended watched the Bush Press Conference, where he petulently admitted he was in the process of replacing Rummy- and started that process on Sunday. His jokes are falling
deaf ears, and he is sweaty and rattled. Why a CIA person is being chosen by him to replace Rummy with a failed war, holy hell....)
FREEDOM... A Messege to King George
Freedom
WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR...
( I THINK GEORGE MICHEALS SONG IS PERFECT FOR THIS)
"It is not an Election anymore, it is an Intervention"
( Andrew Sullivan on CNN last week)
***** NOVEMBER 7TH AT 11;30PM LET THE INTERVENTION BEGIN, ELECTION NIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE THE
KING IS BEING SENT A MESSEGE******
"Freedom is not merely a word or an abstract theory, but the most effective instrument for advancing the welfare of man."
John F.Kennedy
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of Freedom, must ,like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."
Thomas Paine
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God cannot long retain it."
Abraham Lincoln
And finally a Special Messege from the Grave for the King and his Cronies:
"Yet we can maintain a free society only if we recognize that in free society no one can win all the time.No one can have his way all the time"
Free Coffee for a week at Enigma Cafe for the first one to identify the Writer of the above quote....Think hard.
(Hint: think about Where you are having your am cup of joe).
WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR...
( I THINK GEORGE MICHEALS SONG IS PERFECT FOR THIS)
"It is not an Election anymore, it is an Intervention"
( Andrew Sullivan on CNN last week)
***** NOVEMBER 7TH AT 11;30PM LET THE INTERVENTION BEGIN, ELECTION NIGHT IT LOOKS LIKE THE
KING IS BEING SENT A MESSEGE******
"Freedom is not merely a word or an abstract theory, but the most effective instrument for advancing the welfare of man."
John F.Kennedy
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of Freedom, must ,like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."
Thomas Paine
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God cannot long retain it."
Abraham Lincoln
And finally a Special Messege from the Grave for the King and his Cronies:
"Yet we can maintain a free society only if we recognize that in free society no one can win all the time.No one can have his way all the time"
Free Coffee for a week at Enigma Cafe for the first one to identify the Writer of the above quote....Think hard.
(Hint: think about Where you are having your am cup of joe).
WHEN THE KOOLAID RUNS LOW
So it is 11:57pm on Election Day. DC is the new Jonestown, except no more Koolaid needs to be served. And in years past the Koolaid was served and sipped and hell even guzzled on such a day.
But tonight, FINALLY the dialogue is on what matters, and the We the People have spoken and sent a messege to the King. No More Koolaid is gonna save the King. No More.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
DON'T GET DIEBOLDED, DOCUMENT THE VOTE (take cameras to the polls)
WELCOME TO VOTERS HELL...
I live in Cuyahoga County in Ohio...It was covered on MSNBC last week and CNN. There are Problems. Plenty of Problems.Like Dead People that Voted. And
( If you want to learn more about Our Problems,go above and click the Title go to WEWS, Channel 5 Website, learn about DEAD VOTERS....yeah, Dead...) Also go to FUZZY & BLUE over on the Blogroll, Tina is also tracking Ohio Voting Woes.
I have not been sent a Voters Card. I have not been sent an absentee Ballot.
Even as an Absentee, you don't get to keep a copy or receipt of your Vote.
What and How I vote is a Big Mystery...I easily may end up on my knees praying that my Vote does get counted...this time.
And sadly I Know I am not the Only One...
I am going to take cameras and Mr6-6 to help document our First Vote in Ohio.
Through an Exhaustive Investigation involving West Coast Senators and the ACLU I do know that my Vote in 2000 was NOT counted at all, and I am not sure about 2004, it is still missing as far as I know. So I will be honest- I am pissed.
I want my Fucking Vote back. I want my Fucking Country Back.
"IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE RIGHT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS WRONG"
Voltaire
HEAD OVER TO TRUTHOUT AND READ THE VOTER RIGHTS SECTION, EXCELLENT MATERIALS AND INFORMATION.
***If you know sites tracking Voter Problems let me know and I will post- thanks.***
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Saturday Night Music...11.4.06
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
Okay Sunday night....and finally finally Blogger seems to want to play nice again- blocked out all day Saturday...Sorry Folks.
Keep the Faith.....Tuesday and The Big Wave of Change A' Coming......
Okay Sunday night....and finally finally Blogger seems to want to play nice again- blocked out all day Saturday...Sorry Folks.
Keep the Faith.....Tuesday and The Big Wave of Change A' Coming......
Friday, November 03, 2006
THE ONE BREATH CHALLENGE
One Breath
The name of this challenge is ONE BREATH....good luck...Try to read this List of GOP Wonders in One Breath.
( Ha?!?!! Can it really be done??)
And now that I have given you Something that Left you Breathless, here is some Reading below that will stir your soul..
You also need to go read Rude Pundit's Post of November 2nd " Why Vote Against the Republicans, Because Fuck Them".
( he has been on quite a roll , he rocks..)
And you also need to go Enigma 's Blogroll and read NEWSGUY..he has a post put up earlier in the week about Being A Real Journalist , it is compelling and gives a perspective that is a Breath of fresh air.
HACKING DEMOCRACY the documentary is on HBO on November 4th 12 pm......
The name of this challenge is ONE BREATH....good luck...Try to read this List of GOP Wonders in One Breath.
( Ha?!?!! Can it really be done??)
And now that I have given you Something that Left you Breathless, here is some Reading below that will stir your soul..
You also need to go read Rude Pundit's Post of November 2nd " Why Vote Against the Republicans, Because Fuck Them".
( he has been on quite a roll , he rocks..)
And you also need to go Enigma 's Blogroll and read NEWSGUY..he has a post put up earlier in the week about Being A Real Journalist , it is compelling and gives a perspective that is a Breath of fresh air.
HACKING DEMOCRACY the documentary is on HBO on November 4th 12 pm......
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
WHY VOTE ???? THINK ABOUT IT.......
* IRAQ THE VOTE*
*CAST A VOTE FOR THE KATRINA VICTIMS THAT THIS REPUBLICAN REGIME ABANDONED *
GIFTS FROM IRAQ :ROAD KILL AND THE WALKING WOUNDED
NEED MORE REASONS TO VOTE ?
[ THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED NOVEMBER 2005, AND IRAQ IS WORSE THAN EVER, MORE THAN 600,000 DEAD IRAQIS, AND 2800 US TROOPS, AND 103 IN OCTOBER ALONE. 98,000 are now being treated for PTSD- up over 20,000. More than 41,000 have been treated for wounds, how many have been sent back into this botched battlezone is unclear.There are between 128,000 US troops-140,000 in Iraq,and suposedly there are over 450,000 Iraqi soldiers yet the Country is disintegrating into Chaos at best and Civil War at worst. And we don't have enough National Guard to protect Our Own Country and or the crumbling situation in Afganistan.]
WE NEED A BETTER DEMOCRACY, AND REGIME CHANGE in the United States.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
We have seen alot of the King giving speeches and posing coquetteishly for the Camera these past few weeks, always with the Militarized Backdrop in full effect. ( I don't think I have ever seen him pose with any wounded yet- atleast not recently).
And as more die and are wounded, and more Real Veterans demand a Timetable, and to bring the troops home, there are some issues that have been left unacknowledged. I am talking about the Gifts of War- this War, the Walking Wounded and the Road Kill that are invisible to the King.
This post covers several issues: Homeless Vets, PTSD, and Medical Care for our Reservists. It is about the Abandonment of these issues and people, and the hidden heartache that stretches across Our Country . Again it is indeed a longer post and told as a true story, about the real people that are effected. So it is dedicated to Jarrad and Robert and Iris, my neighbors, just three of my Homeless neighbors, and dedicated to what they have silently Endured. And Robert's story is shared below. I think he would want people to know that sometimes things are not as they appear, and that No One should be Invisible in America . I saw King George's Delusional Speech Today , yet another pissed petulent tirade, and I listened to him pontificate His Victory Plans and Schemes . I don't think he knows about the VETS, and I know he doesn't know Robert and the 74,000 PTSD Sufferers, and the Ticket to Hell he has given them. This is Robert's Story, his Reality.
( links will be posted with Part II of this tale , and this is Part I in a series))
BENCH PEOPLE AND GRATE PEOPLE
I live in Cleveland, but I have a suspicion that this scene is not so unfamiliar and might indeed be happening in towns and cities across the country. We live Urban, I moved here 6 monthes ago, and my son wanted Urban, edgy, "Real". He wanted a converted Urban Loft. He is 14 ,he is 6feet4in, he is Black Hightops, cargo pants and Rolling Stones and Green Day infusing on his iPod, idealistic teenage angst pulsing through the apartment. He lives and breathes John Stewart, Michael Moore and Al Fanken. We had been living out West, and he wanted a Change. He got It. I have wanted him to see All Sides of America, our America. Not just the Feel-Good-Post-Card Version.
Suposedly 10,000 people actually live in our downtown region, in the heart of the downtown. I have my doubts, it seems like less than that . Suposedly 3000 of downtown residents are homeless. ( And the Homeless medical clinic has a patient load of 600-800, so the numbers actually might be accurate. I will keep researching it ). I would see them as I walk the dog and go in search of better coffee than I can make. But statistically I view the Homeless as my neighbors, because they are. I carry extra gum and change. And in the summer I delivered iced water ,cold drinks and cheese sandwiches , and bandaids and cool wipes. And if I had extra change I would give them enough for a $2.99 Egg meal at the Johnnies Diner on my Street. And I know the Gyro Guy gives out meals- he appears to be a gruff hairy Serbian fellow that never smiles, but he has a heart. And the Homeless I see on a regular basis I have learned their names, and heard their Stories. It was the least I could do. They all have stories, illness, lost homes, and mostly Lost Jobs. And sometimes they let me take their pictures. ( One day I will post the photos). First their Stories.
On errands to the library or the small little market I pass blocks and blocks of vacant buidings. Buildings built between 1900-1930, most have beautiful architecture, dignified lines and graceful curves, Art Deco with a Slavic Flair. You can look at them and imagine that they were once bustling with offices and business. Now the windows are hollow like an old lover's empty eyes, it is a permeable grief palpable at each bustop. In the heat of the summer the Homeless found benches to rest on. During the day behind the churches benches are staked out like prime beach front property, but it seems to be a hospitable process. And at night the Homeless gather in packs ( for safety) and hide from the police. And I can't understand why those lonely empty buildings could not somehow be used to provide shelter for some of my neighbors?
Now it is Winter, and we have had some bitter nights and cold that makes your bones ache. In the Winter at dusk as the temperatures drop the Homeless look for Steamy Grates to lay on. They carefully arrange mats and blankets and use their bags as pillows. They wrap their feet in plastic and baggies to keep warm,and some wear socks on their hands as mittens. And during the election the Mayoral Candiate made sure they were removed, "relocated", so as to not clutter up the walkways near her Campaign Center. They are picked up in Vans and taken to the other side of town, away from familiar services and safety. And yes, there are not enough shelters and it is a System that is beyond repair, because it gets so little spotlight. The Campaigning focused on issues for the pearled and well healed, not the patched and blighted.
And from listening to many of the Stories as I walked my dog 4 times a day. I have learned the Circumstances that had contributed to their Homelessness. Many of the Public think they must be drug addicts or drunk, and that is mostly urban myth. Some have wrestled with substance abuse, and some are in need of medical care and mental health care. And a large number are Vets, of varying ages and service, and a shocking number are from the Gulf Wars- BOTH of them. Within the first few monthes here I had met three back from Iraq with different stories and damage. It was compelling and it was disturbing.
ROBERT: BACK FROM IRAQ
Robert was one of the first vets I met, and it was a challenge because if it was up to him we would never have met. Except for he was intriqued by my dog. I have a sweet little rescued honey colored hearing impaired Barkless Basenji. Her first few monthes here she was rattled by Big Buses and loud city noises. But the little park across the Street became her park,"Lilly's Park" and not shared with too many other dogs. She has a way of trotting up to people and sniffing quietly like a little fox. It can be endearing , but it can also be annoying.
Robert used to sleep over on a Bench over by the Law School at the University ,part of "Lilly's Park".. The first time I met him it was because Lilly went up and quietly and gently sniffed his head. He jumped awake and I apologized. He didn't smile, he would not make eye contact with me. Yet he did look at Lilly and patted her just once very cautiously on the head. His eyes were sad, haunted like an old man. His face was well lined and his hands gnarled like bark of an old tree. He turned away quickly and went back to sleep. And I walked away quietly. I would see him but quietly give him his space, it seemed like he needed quiet. And over time Lilly kept wanting to see him. So over time she would go to visit him and I would not talk, I would just let him pet her.
One day a Truck was backing into the parking garage, while she was visiting him on his bench. And KABANG!!!, the truck backfired. Some students near by lunching laughed. But Robert slammed to the ground and covered his head. I asked
"Iraq ?" He nodded with etched pain" in his eyes, like he had stepped on glass. And slowly he went to get up. I offered him my hand. 'Robert "he said. The eyes were looking down again. I knew he was embarrassed.
" Those godammned trucks" I said and let him pet Lilly. I knew that he had PTSD and that he needed help, but that trust was fragile and if I offered unsolicited help or talked too much he would move on to another bench. I decided that in the long run Lilly was what he really needed more than chatter from a nosy nurse. I knew that it was a silence worth nurturing, to help him heal.
Over time I learned Robert's Story, piece by piece. He was in his late twenties, he signed up for the Reserves after 9-11.
He spoke with a Southern drawl, he was from the South- "Roots in Alabama and Louisiana, got family there".
Parts of his story didn't make sense, pieces were fuzzy, and I think it was for him as well. He had signed up and been sent to Iraq , in the beginning. He explained that when he signed he never thought that he would go Anywhere, he thought that he would helping at home, protecting his family and friends. ( I wonder how many share this tale). He said first folks were sent off to Afganistan and he was relieved not to go there. And then monthes later he found out he was going to Iraq. And he went. He was a driver, and I am not sure What exactly happened, some sort of shootout and an accident, that he could not discuss with his eyes clouding over. He hit his head and left him with some damage. Yet that didn't get him sent home. He was there until end of May 2003. I was unclear what brought him home and he would not discuss. He did tell me he had the Nerve Disorder. I said the PTSD. And he said it was awful dreams while waking, and unprovoked flashbacks. He is one of the Walking Wounded, and as he said, " Hell, I'm just glad not to be one of the Road Kill".
He would twitch while talking. I don't even think he knew he was twitching. He knew he wasn't "right". "Can't hold a job, can't think straight". I asked him if he was getting help- for the PTSD. And he looked at me and laughed bitterly . " You'all don't know nothin". And I told him he was dead right- I did not know enough. He said that Medical care is given for only two years and that's it. ( I really thought that didn't sound Right). And the only "care" I could offer was egg sandwichs and Lilly's unfaltering attention. He said the care that was "Offered" was a joke, "Re-Exposure Therapy" and schizophrenia meds, all of which he claimed left him even more injured, more damaged.
In September I saw him, Katrina had happened. He said that he wanted to get Home. He didn't care anymore if they knew he was sick. " Can't hide it forever, maybe after all of this it won't matter I ain't right".
He wanted to get home and help his uncles the Shrimpers. I gave him Greyhound bus money. And I prayed for his sake that he could go there and help his family, find some Meaning again. I also prayed that no more devastating Hurricanes would hit down there. (And yes, i worried about him when Rita hit the Gulf). I never saw him again. I walk by his bench and Lilly still looks for him.
I hope he is in a Better Place. I hope he made it Home.
PTSD FACTS:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is what was known in WWI as Battle fatigue. Currently it is our Military's Biggest Dirty Little Secret. I am sure Rummy would rather change his underwear in front of the Press Corp than discuss how Big a problem this really is. I understand that each War has it's own Hells and Wonders. The Korean War gave us MASH units and Vietnam brought Agent Orange. And the First Gulf War gave us the Gulf War Syndrome and the Horrors of Depleted Uranium, and the wonders of Denial. Yet all wars and Miltary action can cause PTSD. ( Even Police and Fire , other High Intensity Work can leave nervous system damage.) My Great Uncle Stu had suffered it after WWII , but it was a nameless disorder that was not properly treated and he was suposed to come home go to school and work. ( Story for another day).
AT THIS TIME THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMITS TO TREATING 74,000 with PTSD on disability, and most of these are military that are Home now and not in service any longer . Many can not work, and qualifying for Disability benifits has been nightmare of a wrestling match. They come home and their work and relationships ALL suffer, and many end. This is the most that are suffering at one time. Is this number accurate ? Most likely not. Many have been refused care, or put on waiting lists, or should come back down the road for more followup. So the 74,000 might indeed be the tip of a Huge IceBerg of Broken Souls. Robert's Story is just one of thousands, and after researching PTSD on the VA websites, I learned Everything he told me was True, the "Re-Exposure Therapy", and the Meds, and how as a reservist he only gets two years of care.
This is Part I of my Vet Series, the next part will have links on more hard data, and also will have the other half of the story,
and if the Medical Care is bundering and inadequate , but the Housing part of the Story is just as mindbending. And sadly, ironically, the next part of the Story does indeed Award another Heckuva-Job -Brownie- Award to yet another of the King's Crony Buddies. We will call him the Rennaisance Man- and he istruly deserving.( I will post links and also ALL updated Stats- that have been rising steadily since Summer- and have had to be updated TWICE since July).
As the weather continues to whip at us with cold wind and snow, I am asking that the next time you see a Homeless Fellow or Lady please stop and reflect that there is a story there. And like Robert they may indeed be a Vet, a Homeless Vet discarded by this Administration , Used, Spent and Wasted: Just More Walking Wounded and Not Yet Road Kill.
******************************************************************************************************************************
"I may be compelled to face danger,
but never fear it.
While our soldiers stand and fight,
I can stand and feed and nurse them."
Clara Barton
[Clara Barton,founder of the Red Cross, worked with Dorthea Dix to advocate on behalf of Civl War Vets, that they be provided safe care and shelter during ALL phases of Battle and War]
******************************************************************************************************************************
<<< Stats: Atleast 200,000 Homeless Vets look for a place to sleep every night, and the stats show that there are atleast 500,000 Vets Experiencing Homelessness per year under this Current At War Administration. I read the 27 Victory page book online, and the Chapter on Sick Homeless Vets seems to be MIA. Part II of this story will have ALL the stats and Links related to Homeless Vets .Part I was just to tell one VET"s story, and make certain he wasn't just a number. So stay posted.>>>>
[ THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED NOVEMBER 2005, AND IRAQ IS WORSE THAN EVER, MORE THAN 600,000 DEAD IRAQIS, AND 2800 US TROOPS, AND 103 IN OCTOBER ALONE. 98,000 are now being treated for PTSD- up over 20,000. More than 41,000 have been treated for wounds, how many have been sent back into this botched battlezone is unclear.There are between 128,000 US troops-140,000 in Iraq,and suposedly there are over 450,000 Iraqi soldiers yet the Country is disintegrating into Chaos at best and Civil War at worst. And we don't have enough National Guard to protect Our Own Country and or the crumbling situation in Afganistan.]
WE NEED A BETTER DEMOCRACY, AND REGIME CHANGE in the United States.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
We have seen alot of the King giving speeches and posing coquetteishly for the Camera these past few weeks, always with the Militarized Backdrop in full effect. ( I don't think I have ever seen him pose with any wounded yet- atleast not recently).
And as more die and are wounded, and more Real Veterans demand a Timetable, and to bring the troops home, there are some issues that have been left unacknowledged. I am talking about the Gifts of War- this War, the Walking Wounded and the Road Kill that are invisible to the King.
This post covers several issues: Homeless Vets, PTSD, and Medical Care for our Reservists. It is about the Abandonment of these issues and people, and the hidden heartache that stretches across Our Country . Again it is indeed a longer post and told as a true story, about the real people that are effected. So it is dedicated to Jarrad and Robert and Iris, my neighbors, just three of my Homeless neighbors, and dedicated to what they have silently Endured. And Robert's story is shared below. I think he would want people to know that sometimes things are not as they appear, and that No One should be Invisible in America . I saw King George's Delusional Speech Today , yet another pissed petulent tirade, and I listened to him pontificate His Victory Plans and Schemes . I don't think he knows about the VETS, and I know he doesn't know Robert and the 74,000 PTSD Sufferers, and the Ticket to Hell he has given them. This is Robert's Story, his Reality.
( links will be posted with Part II of this tale , and this is Part I in a series))
BENCH PEOPLE AND GRATE PEOPLE
I live in Cleveland, but I have a suspicion that this scene is not so unfamiliar and might indeed be happening in towns and cities across the country. We live Urban, I moved here 6 monthes ago, and my son wanted Urban, edgy, "Real". He wanted a converted Urban Loft. He is 14 ,he is 6feet4in, he is Black Hightops, cargo pants and Rolling Stones and Green Day infusing on his iPod, idealistic teenage angst pulsing through the apartment. He lives and breathes John Stewart, Michael Moore and Al Fanken. We had been living out West, and he wanted a Change. He got It. I have wanted him to see All Sides of America, our America. Not just the Feel-Good-Post-Card Version.
Suposedly 10,000 people actually live in our downtown region, in the heart of the downtown. I have my doubts, it seems like less than that . Suposedly 3000 of downtown residents are homeless. ( And the Homeless medical clinic has a patient load of 600-800, so the numbers actually might be accurate. I will keep researching it ). I would see them as I walk the dog and go in search of better coffee than I can make. But statistically I view the Homeless as my neighbors, because they are. I carry extra gum and change. And in the summer I delivered iced water ,cold drinks and cheese sandwiches , and bandaids and cool wipes. And if I had extra change I would give them enough for a $2.99 Egg meal at the Johnnies Diner on my Street. And I know the Gyro Guy gives out meals- he appears to be a gruff hairy Serbian fellow that never smiles, but he has a heart. And the Homeless I see on a regular basis I have learned their names, and heard their Stories. It was the least I could do. They all have stories, illness, lost homes, and mostly Lost Jobs. And sometimes they let me take their pictures. ( One day I will post the photos). First their Stories.
On errands to the library or the small little market I pass blocks and blocks of vacant buidings. Buildings built between 1900-1930, most have beautiful architecture, dignified lines and graceful curves, Art Deco with a Slavic Flair. You can look at them and imagine that they were once bustling with offices and business. Now the windows are hollow like an old lover's empty eyes, it is a permeable grief palpable at each bustop. In the heat of the summer the Homeless found benches to rest on. During the day behind the churches benches are staked out like prime beach front property, but it seems to be a hospitable process. And at night the Homeless gather in packs ( for safety) and hide from the police. And I can't understand why those lonely empty buildings could not somehow be used to provide shelter for some of my neighbors?
Now it is Winter, and we have had some bitter nights and cold that makes your bones ache. In the Winter at dusk as the temperatures drop the Homeless look for Steamy Grates to lay on. They carefully arrange mats and blankets and use their bags as pillows. They wrap their feet in plastic and baggies to keep warm,and some wear socks on their hands as mittens. And during the election the Mayoral Candiate made sure they were removed, "relocated", so as to not clutter up the walkways near her Campaign Center. They are picked up in Vans and taken to the other side of town, away from familiar services and safety. And yes, there are not enough shelters and it is a System that is beyond repair, because it gets so little spotlight. The Campaigning focused on issues for the pearled and well healed, not the patched and blighted.
And from listening to many of the Stories as I walked my dog 4 times a day. I have learned the Circumstances that had contributed to their Homelessness. Many of the Public think they must be drug addicts or drunk, and that is mostly urban myth. Some have wrestled with substance abuse, and some are in need of medical care and mental health care. And a large number are Vets, of varying ages and service, and a shocking number are from the Gulf Wars- BOTH of them. Within the first few monthes here I had met three back from Iraq with different stories and damage. It was compelling and it was disturbing.
ROBERT: BACK FROM IRAQ
Robert was one of the first vets I met, and it was a challenge because if it was up to him we would never have met. Except for he was intriqued by my dog. I have a sweet little rescued honey colored hearing impaired Barkless Basenji. Her first few monthes here she was rattled by Big Buses and loud city noises. But the little park across the Street became her park,"Lilly's Park" and not shared with too many other dogs. She has a way of trotting up to people and sniffing quietly like a little fox. It can be endearing , but it can also be annoying.
Robert used to sleep over on a Bench over by the Law School at the University ,part of "Lilly's Park".. The first time I met him it was because Lilly went up and quietly and gently sniffed his head. He jumped awake and I apologized. He didn't smile, he would not make eye contact with me. Yet he did look at Lilly and patted her just once very cautiously on the head. His eyes were sad, haunted like an old man. His face was well lined and his hands gnarled like bark of an old tree. He turned away quickly and went back to sleep. And I walked away quietly. I would see him but quietly give him his space, it seemed like he needed quiet. And over time Lilly kept wanting to see him. So over time she would go to visit him and I would not talk, I would just let him pet her.
One day a Truck was backing into the parking garage, while she was visiting him on his bench. And KABANG!!!, the truck backfired. Some students near by lunching laughed. But Robert slammed to the ground and covered his head. I asked
"Iraq ?" He nodded with etched pain" in his eyes, like he had stepped on glass. And slowly he went to get up. I offered him my hand. 'Robert "he said. The eyes were looking down again. I knew he was embarrassed.
" Those godammned trucks" I said and let him pet Lilly. I knew that he had PTSD and that he needed help, but that trust was fragile and if I offered unsolicited help or talked too much he would move on to another bench. I decided that in the long run Lilly was what he really needed more than chatter from a nosy nurse. I knew that it was a silence worth nurturing, to help him heal.
Over time I learned Robert's Story, piece by piece. He was in his late twenties, he signed up for the Reserves after 9-11.
He spoke with a Southern drawl, he was from the South- "Roots in Alabama and Louisiana, got family there".
Parts of his story didn't make sense, pieces were fuzzy, and I think it was for him as well. He had signed up and been sent to Iraq , in the beginning. He explained that when he signed he never thought that he would go Anywhere, he thought that he would helping at home, protecting his family and friends. ( I wonder how many share this tale). He said first folks were sent off to Afganistan and he was relieved not to go there. And then monthes later he found out he was going to Iraq. And he went. He was a driver, and I am not sure What exactly happened, some sort of shootout and an accident, that he could not discuss with his eyes clouding over. He hit his head and left him with some damage. Yet that didn't get him sent home. He was there until end of May 2003. I was unclear what brought him home and he would not discuss. He did tell me he had the Nerve Disorder. I said the PTSD. And he said it was awful dreams while waking, and unprovoked flashbacks. He is one of the Walking Wounded, and as he said, " Hell, I'm just glad not to be one of the Road Kill".
He would twitch while talking. I don't even think he knew he was twitching. He knew he wasn't "right". "Can't hold a job, can't think straight". I asked him if he was getting help- for the PTSD. And he looked at me and laughed bitterly . " You'all don't know nothin". And I told him he was dead right- I did not know enough. He said that Medical care is given for only two years and that's it. ( I really thought that didn't sound Right). And the only "care" I could offer was egg sandwichs and Lilly's unfaltering attention. He said the care that was "Offered" was a joke, "Re-Exposure Therapy" and schizophrenia meds, all of which he claimed left him even more injured, more damaged.
In September I saw him, Katrina had happened. He said that he wanted to get Home. He didn't care anymore if they knew he was sick. " Can't hide it forever, maybe after all of this it won't matter I ain't right".
He wanted to get home and help his uncles the Shrimpers. I gave him Greyhound bus money. And I prayed for his sake that he could go there and help his family, find some Meaning again. I also prayed that no more devastating Hurricanes would hit down there. (And yes, i worried about him when Rita hit the Gulf). I never saw him again. I walk by his bench and Lilly still looks for him.
I hope he is in a Better Place. I hope he made it Home.
PTSD FACTS:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is what was known in WWI as Battle fatigue. Currently it is our Military's Biggest Dirty Little Secret. I am sure Rummy would rather change his underwear in front of the Press Corp than discuss how Big a problem this really is. I understand that each War has it's own Hells and Wonders. The Korean War gave us MASH units and Vietnam brought Agent Orange. And the First Gulf War gave us the Gulf War Syndrome and the Horrors of Depleted Uranium, and the wonders of Denial. Yet all wars and Miltary action can cause PTSD. ( Even Police and Fire , other High Intensity Work can leave nervous system damage.) My Great Uncle Stu had suffered it after WWII , but it was a nameless disorder that was not properly treated and he was suposed to come home go to school and work. ( Story for another day).
AT THIS TIME THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMITS TO TREATING 74,000 with PTSD on disability, and most of these are military that are Home now and not in service any longer . Many can not work, and qualifying for Disability benifits has been nightmare of a wrestling match. They come home and their work and relationships ALL suffer, and many end. This is the most that are suffering at one time. Is this number accurate ? Most likely not. Many have been refused care, or put on waiting lists, or should come back down the road for more followup. So the 74,000 might indeed be the tip of a Huge IceBerg of Broken Souls. Robert's Story is just one of thousands, and after researching PTSD on the VA websites, I learned Everything he told me was True, the "Re-Exposure Therapy", and the Meds, and how as a reservist he only gets two years of care.
This is Part I of my Vet Series, the next part will have links on more hard data, and also will have the other half of the story,
and if the Medical Care is bundering and inadequate , but the Housing part of the Story is just as mindbending. And sadly, ironically, the next part of the Story does indeed Award another Heckuva-Job -Brownie- Award to yet another of the King's Crony Buddies. We will call him the Rennaisance Man- and he istruly deserving.( I will post links and also ALL updated Stats- that have been rising steadily since Summer- and have had to be updated TWICE since July).
As the weather continues to whip at us with cold wind and snow, I am asking that the next time you see a Homeless Fellow or Lady please stop and reflect that there is a story there. And like Robert they may indeed be a Vet, a Homeless Vet discarded by this Administration , Used, Spent and Wasted: Just More Walking Wounded and Not Yet Road Kill.
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"I may be compelled to face danger,
but never fear it.
While our soldiers stand and fight,
I can stand and feed and nurse them."
Clara Barton
[Clara Barton,founder of the Red Cross, worked with Dorthea Dix to advocate on behalf of Civl War Vets, that they be provided safe care and shelter during ALL phases of Battle and War]
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<<< Stats: Atleast 200,000 Homeless Vets look for a place to sleep every night, and the stats show that there are atleast 500,000 Vets Experiencing Homelessness per year under this Current At War Administration. I read the 27 Victory page book online, and the Chapter on Sick Homeless Vets seems to be MIA. Part II of this story will have ALL the stats and Links related to Homeless Vets .Part I was just to tell one VET"s story, and make certain he wasn't just a number. So stay posted.>>>>
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