Here are some staggering facts:

[babylonsister]

One in three homeless Americans are military vets, and that is rising.

One in four vets with PTSD sought medical care from the VA, where they experienced a two to three month wait to see a doctor.

Over 53,000 are wounded. The ratio of doctors to patients is one doctor for every 500 patients.

Veteran males aged 20 to 24 have twice the unemployment rate.

40% of troops currently being rotated are National Guard or reservists. 95% of them are experiencing problems getting their pay. Many are being sent back are on potent anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs with little or no counseling or supervision or screening.

Over 200 have committed suicide.

There's a 70% divorce rate for returning soldiers.

The GOP plan for 2007 drops $65 billion in benefits over the next five years.

There was not a mention of this crisis in the State of the Union address, as if the war only exists over there and not here. And there was not an ounce of criticism from any of our presidential hopefuls. I say to those who tell me that we are fighting this war over there so that it doesn't come here: listen to the sons and daughters who are returning and their families, and you will know that the war is being fought here in the hearts and minds and bodies of those that are returning and have already sacrificed so much. Shame on you! We are here today to say it is time to remove the burden of the political crisis of the Iraq war from our soldiers and commit to caring for a new generation of Americans who are grieving, severely wounded and mentally troubled. Thank you.

From Susan Sarandon
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/29/1453235

[NotGivingUp]

1. that is so horribly sad. and not a peep on msm.

[Donnachaidh]

2. they made sure to show Jane Fonda though

And a snippet of Tim Robbin's speech. But NADA of what Susan was saying.

[babylonsister]

5. Who's 'they'? I just saw the entire speech on Democracy Now!. nt

[Donnachaidh]

6. my local Fox affiliate

did a TINY piece on the march. Nothing to show the crowds, but did the first sentence or two that Fonda said and finished with that.

[babylonsister]

8. Consider the source; Faux not reporting, or doing a negative piece,

is no surprise.

[Donnachaidh]

12. the other locals did little or nothing on it

it wasn't just Fox.

[NotGivingUp]

14. remember how they they frigging barraged us 24/7 with the illegal aliens marching in the streets?

once eyes are opened to the mainstream media, it's so easy to see the frigging games they are playing. they make me sick.

[Donnachaidh]

15. how about one week ago? The anti-choice rally?

We heard about that practically all week fer criminey's sake. But a PEACE rally? 30 second whiz bang. :sarcasm:

[NotGivingUp]

17. i missed that one. i can barely stomach looking at any of that crap anymore.

[NotGivingUp]

13. well, mainstream media, of course so that EVERYbody can see it.

[soswolf]

9. It wasn't just Faux, either n/t

[Zodiak]

3. From Susan Sarandon

what an elitist!!!

Doesn't she know that the size of her house disqualifies her from speaking out for vets!!

:sarcasm:

[BOSSHOG]

4. Cantcha just feel all that compassionate conservative support for our troops?

Why waving flags and yellow ribbons is all ya need. "Conservatives" do not give one flying dog fuck about our vets dead or alive or homeless or wounded or crippled or waiting for a doctor's appointment.

Never forget the right wing talking points:

- More die in car wrecks
- More die because of doctors bad hand writing
- Most vets lie about their PTSD
- They are all volunteers
- If ya wanna bring em home you support terrorists

That's the heartwarming points of view of today's republican party base.

[Solly Mack]

7. My best friend's marriage is ending - primarily because of Iraq deployments

Her husband has spent 3 of the last 4 years away from home. 2 in Iraq and 1 divided between schools and training, both of which required more time away from home in another state. They have 2 young sons.

Their marriage survived the 1st deployment to Iraq when many marriages in our company did not - and now...

She couldn't take it anymore and asked for a divorce the same day her husband returned home from his second tour in Iraq.

You get lonely and tired of being a single parent...you get tired of the worry and the stress...and you feel guilty for having perfectly normal feelings about it all... so you become more stressed because of the guilt (how dare you feel angry when he's/she's at war!! or feel sad or feel deprived or feel cheated or feel like you're doing it all)

Little time between tours and other moves to adjust and work problems out...it builds and builds.

Now compound that with a spouse injured...or a spouse dead

I could type all day and never ever come close to expressing just how bad it gets.

[babylonsister]

11. So tragic and avoidable; lives, loves, futures ruined.

:cry:

[LiberalFighter]

10. 70% must be Republicans and 30% have to be Democrats

[Porcupine]

16. Pain has no party. Have some respect. nt.

.

[ItNerd4life]

18. Wow! Those are sobering

Thanks for sharing.

[noonwitch]

19. That first stat, about homelessness, is staggering

In and of itself.

[donkeyotay]

20. Here's a related thread about a young marine who committed suicide

At the VA hospital where he did not get help, he was told there were 26 on the waiting list in front of him. (Who knows how many more behind.) It would be about 4 months. He couldn't wait that long.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3088315