By Mark Benjamin
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
from http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking ... -6449r.htm
-Washington, DC, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. veterans from the war in Iraq are beginning to show up at homeless shelters around the country, and advocates fear they are the leading edge of a new generation of homeless vets not seen since the Vietnam era.
-Nearly 300,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, and almost half served during the Vietnam era, according to the Homeless Veterans coalition, a consortium of community-based homeless-veteran service providers. While some experts have questioned the degree to which mental trauma from combat causes homelessness, a large number of veterans live with the long-term effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, according to the coalition.
-Some homeless-veteran advocates fear that similar combat experiences in Vietnam and Iraq mean that these first few homeless veterans from Iraq are the crest of a wave.
-Advocates said seeing homeless veterans from Iraq should cause alarm. Around one-fourth of all homeless Americans are veterans, and more than 75 percent of them have some sort of mental or substance abuse problem, often PTSD, according to the Homeless Veterans coalition.
Ship 'em out, put a gun in their hand, ship 'em home when they're fucked. Then what, dump them like so much cheap plastic packaging? These are the people risking their lives so you can have your guns, your SUV's and your super sized McShit burgers, now they're home you don't want to know. 'Nam comparisons were a dime a dozen during the election campaign but i feel another one coming.
The truth behind supporting the troops
The truth behind supporting the troops
-Dale Jury
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hacksterbator
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