2008年5月27日
海湾狩医以后的家损坏了
Hushing自杀，精神伤痕危机
由EMANUEL MARGOLIS
2008年5月25日
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarymargolis0525.artmay25,0,4610803.story
博士。 Ira Katz，精神健康服务的院长为退伍军人服务站，寄发了电子邮件到VA同事读的这过去2月：
“Shh! 我们的自杀预防协调员辨认大约每个月1,000自杀企图在我们在我们的医疗设施看见的退伍军人之中。 是我们应该的这事(仔细地)对演讲在某一类发行，在某人绊倒对此之前？”
不幸地为政府，某人“绊倒了”对此。 博士。 Katz说谎了关于数字在退伍军人之前’事理委员会，总保守地说数量的这样自杀企图的众院。 他作证数字所有2007年是790。 他也忽略了军队的自己“自杀在26年透露2006锯军事自杀的最高的速率的事件报告”，!
CBS新闻做了它自己的广泛的研究，发现超过6,250个美国退伍军人在2005需要了他们自己的生活单独。 那每天来到轻微地超过17自杀。
大多数数据由发现得到在退伍军人情况下为常识v。 Peake，现在等待在美国。 地方法院 加利福尼亚. 为常识度过了几年寻找这信息的退伍军人在信息行动之下自由以及通过发现助手到它的诉讼。
在充分的透露的兴趣，我是退伍军人的成员为常识，并且我有一种应用即将发生以VA为我的残废恤金增量作为第二次世界大战的一个紫心勋章作战退伍军人。
对退伍军人事理秘书詹姆斯Peake的诉讼由寂静比政府秘密、包庇和欺骗熟悉的混合物揭露更多另一个联邦政府机关。
退伍军人服务站对我们的队伍保护和支持是重要的。 在他们服务了他们的国家之后，这支持运载了一个含蓄的例外，即消减成本为退伍军人’医疗保健。
The Veterans for Common Sense lawsuit has already demonstrated that the VA intentionally misled Congress and the public about the epidemic of veterans’ suicides. Here are the facts squeezed out of the government to date:
- 120 veterans commit suicide every week.
- 1,000 veterans attempt suicide while in VA care every month.
- Nearly one in five service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (approximately 300,000) have post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms or major depression.
- 19 percent of post-Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with possible traumatic brain injury, according to a Rand Corp. Study in April.
- A higher percentage of these veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder than from any previous war because of “stop loss” or an involuntary extension of service in the military (58,300), multiple tours, greater prevalence of brain injuries, etc.
The Veterans for Common Sense case has already uncovered widespread breakdown of the VA’s health care for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Rand Corp. study demonstrates that, in addition to the 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with PTSD, an additional 320,000 have sustained physical brain damage resulting from traumatic brain injury. A majority of these injured GIs are receiving no help from the Defense Department or the VA, which are more concerned with covering up such unpleasant facts than providing care and paying disability pensions.
The Rand Corp. study concludes:
“Individuals afflicted with these conditions face higher risk for other psychological problems and for attempting suicide. They have higher rates of unhealthy behaviors — such as smoking, overeating and unsafe sex — and higher rates of physical health problems and mortality. … These conditions can impair relationships, disrupt marriages, aggravate the difficulties of parenting, and cause problems in children that may extend consequences of combat trauma across generations.”
The Defense Department’s Task Force on Mental Health has begun to recognize “daunting and growing” psychological problems among our troops. Nearly 40 percent of our soldiers, a third of our Marines, and half of the National Guard members are presenting with serious mental health issues.
The administration and Congress must come to grips with this grave and growing problem among our returning vets. The suicide rates, domestic violence and the strain on families need to be recognized, and timely health care provided. Proper screening and treatment are essential. Our returning troops are entitled to nothing less.
These are the real costs of President Bush’s misbegotten and mismanaged wars. These are the costs that the administration seeks to hide while it attempts to make the test of patriotism the wearing of flag pins in our lapels!
It’s what is underneath those flag pins that really matters. It is called compassion. It is real patriotism as opposed to the fraud of “Mission Accomplished” and promises of victory.
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Emanuel Margolis is an attorney in Stamford, a former chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and an adjunct professor of First Amendment law at Quinnipiac Law School.
