She just does such a great service for all of us on tumblr.
Some of the links are difficult to click through because the content shakes us, disturbs us, and we’re left unsettled. In my opinion there were at least 3 posts (1 post not part of my series) from her weekly round up that warrant a further breakdown for anyone to disturbed to click through or looking for the ‘meat and veg’ of it.
Part 1:from thepoliticalnotebook
IAVA released its annual survey of members this Monday. Veterans listed as their top concerns in this order: employment, mental health, disability benefits, health care, education, suicide and families.
Here are some of the findings from the report I think are essential to break down:
- “17 percent said they were unemployed when they took the survey in January, a higher rate than was documented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which put the veterans’ unemployment rate for January at 9 percent.” (Source: NY Times; all quotes below from same source) .
..I’ve said this time and time again, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics might as well pull their numbers out of hat.Also, 9% are disabled and unable to work. - ‘More than one in three respondents, 37 percent, said they knew someone who had committed suicide, down slightly from last year’s result. Asked if the person who committed suicide was serving or had separated from the military, respondents were almost evenly divided: 30 percent said the person had separated when the act occurred; 27 percent said the person was serving but not deployed; 25 percent said the person was serving and deployed. Another 11 percent said the person was in the National Guard and not deployed.’
- ‘Two-thirds said they think troops and veterans are not getting the mental health care they need.’
- ‘Asked about their relationships, nearly 80 percent said they were married or in a long-term relationship during a deployment. Nearly two-thirds said the deployment strained their relationships, and 6 in 10 said readjustment was difficult.’
- Nearly 9 in 10 of those surveyed were men
- 6 in 10 were Army veterans
- More than 8 in 10 had served in Iraq.
- Almost half, 45 percent, were 36 years or older.
- Nine in 10 said they were registered to vote.
- When asked, ‘The President listens enough to service members
and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.’ (Source: IAVA), 23% Agree or Strongly Agree; 16% No Opinion, and 61% Disagree or Strongly Disagree - When asked, ‘Congress listens enough to service members and
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.’ (ibid), 13% Agree or Strongly Agree; 13% No Opinion, and 75% Disagree or Strongly Disagree - When asked, ‘Corporate America supports service members and
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.’ (ibid), 32% Agree or Strongly Agree; 22% No Opinion, and 46% Disagree or Strongly Disagree (the most variant across the 5 questions asked on public opinion)
These are just some pieces I pulled from the article and corresponding report (available for download at the IAVA link above) that I found interesting/alarming/disturbing.
Thoughts?
