state + local

Many peace groups like Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, AntiWar Committe,Women Against Military Madness, and Iraq Veterans Against the War, have the marching, shouting, protesting Who Profits, Who Pays! Besides innocent civilians.. the Troops do. We have been calling on legislators to end the wars because the longer they go on the more Veterans and Active Military there will be who have PTSD.. the more suicides and homicides. WE called to bring the troops home now! and to take care of them when they get here. But did any news agency, or any politicians, or voters listen? Very few. Very few interviewed the Veterans for Peace who had the guts to speak out. Instead time and time again Veterans who said to oppose the war was unAmerican. Gee.. who was looking out for the troops? who was trying to say we better do something for these men and women coming how who we knew would have PTSD and mental illness. And now our Government talks of attacking Iran????? I encourage those who would donate money to politicians to instead give it to the peace groups I mentioned above. They are the ones trying to help the troops. They are the ones who have been acknowledging that the troops are in distress. 10 years of War and Occupation based on lies. 10 years of torturing and detainees does have an effected on these troops. 10 years of sending these women and men back into Occupations that don't make any sense except for the profit of the many war contractors in Minnesota and other states. Shame on you who slapped a yellow ribbon on your car but would didn't call for the end of these stupid wars and occupations. Who Profits? Who Dies? Who commits Suicide ?

May Day Books on the West Bank of the U of M has some great books for Veterans struggling with PTSD. There are many Veterans who work at May Day books and often offer you coffee or soda and you can stay and visit. Cynthia Orange wrote a book after many years of living with her husband who struggled with PTSD. "Shock Waves: A Practical Guide to Living with a Loved One's PTSD". There is also a ret Dr., who is also a Veteran for Peace who has some great YouTube videos on nutritional supplements that help those with PTSD and mental illness. Do a search for Dr. Gary Kohl. He lives in Duluth but has some great info from treating people for other 30 years.

It's always the troops who suffer, and that isn't right.

There are some great VA clinics and hospitals out there. Unfortunately, Mlps is not a good one, never has been.

It's appalling that 1% of the country spent 10 years at war and is dealing with the horrible aftermath without proper resources in many cases, and the rest of us were told to go shopping and thought that flying a flag on our minivans was a good way of supporting the troops (and we were told we hated the troops if we opposed the Iraq war). Meanwhile, Joe Mauer got paid $23 million to play 80 games last season. Sickening.

This is why they need to think about voting people into office who want to cut military funding. Those services include the VA and various other programs that could help our men and women in the military. Stop making it a right or left issue and actually listen to the candidates from both sides than decide who is going to be best for our country in the place it is now!!! Our soldiers deserve that much!!

I have never had any problems with any Vet medical facilities. I was discharged from active duty in 1967

Shouldn't we think down the road a bit before we start sending troops into foreign countries to "liberate" them and "bring them democracy" predicated on phony intelligence? We were told that both of these "wars" would be over in less than 6 months, would cost us nothing and would essentially be cake walk for our troops because we would be seen as "liberators". Where are all of those people who promised us those things? Where are they to help these vet's? And where is the VAST sums of money that we spend on weapons systems that even the Pentagon says that they don't need and don't even want? The same politicians who decry "Socialism" and "Government Spending" fight tooth and nail for every weapons system for their District and State to keep the taxpayers dollars being spent - INSTEAD - why don't these "Patriotic" politicians voluntarily say "You are correct we don't need the weapons systems, instead let's redirect that money to bolster our ability to help our Vet's".... Yeah, I don't hold my breath for their either...

Having worked in the field of mental health this person would have been put on a 72 hour hold to properly asses his matters of confusion. Then before release provide a safety and competence test and given the necessary medication to help him in his struggles, if he wasn't stable then we would go to the court to recommend a 3 to six month hold to work a effective plan to help him manage is mental status. I never had understood why the VA doesn't practice this policy.

If every there were a case for a governor to pardon someone, this would be it. Personally I would like to see one or two people over at the VA fired over this. Outside my day job I volunteer working with mentally ill youth. Too often I have seen care providers and people who are suppose to help fail, and usually not because they are overworked.