He Said, She Said

By Paul Chute LMSW

March 20, 2008

I’ve spent a significant amount of time over the past few months talking and promoting the battle that our veterans face returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The media in the Detroit area has given me great support on this issue.  I’ve met people in the streets who have read the articles and seen the television interviews and they are always supportive. 

I believe that most people do care about our veterans and believe that the government is obligated to care for them.  But alarming statistics continue to come to light. 

As reported in the latest issue of Disabled American Veteran, one in four of all the homeless people in this country are veterans.  According to recent reports from many news outlets including CNN and MSNBC, women in combat are suffering significantly higher rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  One in six returning veterans suffers from PTSD.  And yet, less than one-third receive treatment. 

Things appear so bad but yet, where is the outrage?

It is a difficult issue.  We do care about are veterans. I believe that.   But when things become so out of whack in our own lives it’s difficult for us to care about anything other than ourselves. 

The rates of PTSD and other severe issues will confront this country for many years.  This isn’t a political statement in any way. This is about doing the right thing.   We must, as a country, demand that our veterans be first and foremost on the minds of our politicians. Our elected officials must take responsibility and use great restraint before we send our men and women in harm’s way.  We must demand that our government consistently monitor and fund the programs that veterans need.  We must find within ourselves the power that veterans have fought for since the beginning.  That power is the freedoms we possess today.  It is imperative that we take responsibility as citizens.  We are the ones who have the power to decide our veteran’s fate.  If we are an informed populous and actively pursue the responsibility of citizenship by demanding a voice,I can only believe that we will be a better nation.

It’s hard to care about others when we struggle from day-to-day in our own lives.  But if we don’t, our veterans will again suffer silently, like those from others wars, and we will gather statistics and report PTSD numbers  and homeless rates and go about our day thinking someone should do something about this.