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America is in a state of emergency as disabled and homeless Veterans are abused and neglected by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Fellow Americans, Reveille is sounding. It is time to wake up.
Our country is in a state of emergency. A major war is being waged on our homeland soil against the men and women who wage war in our behalf around the world.
It is time to stand up and fight on their behalf.
Nearly 1,000,000 disabled military Veterans are fighting the bureaucrats of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to file claims for healthcare services and disability benefits to care for the war injuries they suffered while serving our country. Some have waited nearly two years.
One day is too long.
This is a worldwide embarrassment, coming from what is supposed to be the most powerful, most modern and most compassionate nation in the universe. We cannot even take care of those who have taken care of us.
It’s time to reinstate the military draft. Call all men and women, aged 18 to 21, for active-duty service to assist with our men and women who have become physically and mentally disabled from their overseas war injuries.
For the greater good and defense of our country, the U.S. government spends trillions of dollars taking innocent minds, strong bodies and training them to be professional killers against our enemies.
When they come back physically, mentally broken, no money, resources or assistance are available while the effects of their war injuries worsen.
On average, 22 Veterans commit suicide every day, nearly a 25 percent increase over last year’s Veteran suicides of 18 a day.
Enough.
On behalf of all disabled military Veterans, this is a public demand that the President of the United States and Congress declare a “National State of Emergency.” Reinstate the military draft, posthaste.
These newly inducted men and women will serve as Peacetime Draftees at every VA hospital across America to assist in administration, nursing and facility maintenance. They also would be assigned to individual disabled Veterans and families of disabled Veterans who need full-time care to become integrated into our society, instead of being treated as castaways.
This is a small, safe sacrifice to help those who sacrificed so greatly and now suffer even greater.
During active duty, our troops proudly serve together as a cohesive unit in a specific military branch (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard). When discharged, they become independent Veterans. They are left alone to fight their own battles.
David Bischoff, a fellow member of the Old Veterans Guard and a decorated combat Veteran of the Vietnam War, said it best: “There's a tsunami of disabled war Veterans coming in from the Middle East, and the biggest war they ever fought is waiting for them on American soil.”
Albert Einstein rightly noted: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.”
The VA is severely broken. It needs to be fully reorganized and merged into the Dept. of Defense. Then each branch of the military shall be permanently responsible to care for the Veterans who respectively served under them.
All Peacetime Draftees will serve in the Dept. of Defense’s Veterans Affairs so that we can eventually phase out most of the non-Veteran VA employees. We would have a fully functional agency operated by volunteers, draftees and Veterans.
In addition, we need to begin immediate construction of National Veterans Homes all across America so there always is a place called “Home” for those who become disadvantaged and homeless. These also would be Homes where military brothers and sisters can gather together to help each other overcome their war injuries.
Let’s start acting like grateful Americans and hold our Commander-in-Chief to his promise.
We must demand that he and Congress declare a “National State of Emergency” and reinstate a Peacetime Military Draft:
“For their service and sacrifice, warm words of thanks from a grateful nation are more than warranted, but they aren't nearly enough. We also owe our veterans the care they were promised and the benefits that they have earned. We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end. But we know that for too long, we've fallen short of meeting that commitment. Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need. Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets.” – President Barack Obama and his Veteran Promise, March 19, 2009, Washington, D.C.
God Bless America and the Veterans Revolution!
Finally: A Farewell Salute to my oldest cousin, Fred Summeier, an 87-year old World War II Veteran, who recently passed away.
Mr. Rosebrock may be contacted at rrosebrock1@aol.com