From the looks of the audience in the clip at KAAL-TV, the Obama Town Hall Meeting at the Mayo Civic Center yesterday was well attended. Not bad for a gorgeous football Sunday.
In the first town hall meeting for Senator Barack Obama in Rochester
national security experts took the stage stumping for the democratic
hopeful.
They unveiled Obama's foreign policy vision for national security.
It includes withdrawing troops from Iraq within 16 months and refocusing the fight towards Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
. . ."The currently policy under president bush supported by Senator
McCain has been solely focused on Iraq that had nothing to do with 9-11
and had used our resources, our troops to the point where it's very
difficult to focus on the greater need," said Walz.
We will hear more as Obama and McCain square off next Friday in
Oxford, Mississippi, where the focus of their first presidential debate
will be on national security and foreign policy.
The latest Gallup survey found 48% of registered voters support Obama while 44% preferred John McCain. . . .
Our National Security is top of mind for many people and is one of the big issues in the presidential race.
Today some state leaders came to Rochester to discuss Barack Obama and Joe Biden's national security plans.
State representatives Tim Walz and Betty McCollum were among the participants.
The event was free and open to the public.
The
focus of the discussion was the country's situation in Iraq and
Afghanistan, our diplomatic relations with countries around the world,
as well as solutions for energy independence.
Former Major
General Paul Eaton says, "Militarily, we are in a less adventages
position today than we were eight years ago and as a retired soldier
and father of soldiers, I have a real problem with that."
Representative
Tim Walz says, "We've gotten ourselves in a situation where we don't
have the allegiance and allies that were once there and I think Senator
Obama's been talking about building those alliances for the 21st
century, reconstituting this force and using all the tools of diplomacy
of soft power, economic power as well as military to bring about true
national security."
The panel made their last stop of the day in St. Paul.
As a statement from Congressman Walz's office noted yesterday, nearly National Guard members who had been deployed to Iraq will be getting "Plus Up" educational benefits. Bottom line in the Strib's report:
The Minnesota congressional delegation, led by Democratic House members
Keith Ellison and Tim Walz, urged Veterans Affairs Secretary James
Peake to fix the problem. In a recent letter to the lawmakers, he
agreed to provide the retroactive benefits to the soldiers who had
sought them.
Great to know that they will be getting what they--and their families' sacrifices during a long deployment--earned.
Maybe it helped that it was an election year, or that Farmfest
wasn't far away. But the people attending an annual DFL fund-raiser on
Tuesday night said the main attraction was the chance to bring voters
and candidates together.
A mix of national and state Democratic
candidates spoke from the front porch of a farmhouse on the Ted Suss
and Janet Marti farm south of Lucan, including U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, U.S.
Senate candidate Al Franken, and Minnesota House candidates Bob
Skillings of New Ulm and Al Kruse of Marshall.
Some of the big issues that emerged in candidates' speeches included health care reform, education, and renewable energy.. . .
Senate District 21 straddles the First and Seventh Congressional Districts.
. . .Common themes emerged in each candidate's answers. Such as the need
for offshore drilling, the image of farmers as stewards of the land,
and a general distaste for the Clean Water Bill.
Walz lauded the
efforts of family farmers trying to "do the right thing but having 16
different organizations" trying to regulate their business. He focused
his answers on finding a common middle ground, saying it is politics
that makes people believe they have to choose a side when really the
sides can work together to produce a mutually beneficial solution. . . .
Go read the rest at the Sentinel. Blueman Hal Kimball has some Farm Fest Ponderings. We weren't at the Senate candidate forum, so we don't have an informed opinion to share about it, but he's close on the Congressional forum. Tinklenberg was terrific when he talked about his background and vision, but he could have mentioned Bachmann's absence once and that would have been enough. Sarvi came off up-beat and personable. Peterson and Walz earned the audience's applause.
Tim Walz and Brian Davis will be guests of Winona's Women in Business, according to this report from Winona Radio:
Four political candidates will be the special guests at this month's meeting of the Winona Women in Business group.
The event will take place at noon on Thursday, August 21st, at Westfield Golf Club.
On
hand will be First District Congressman Tim Walz and his Republican
challenger Brian Davis. Also attending will be Minnesota State
Representative Gene Pelowski and his Republican challenger, Rhett Zenke.
All four will address current campaign issues.
The cost is $12 a person and the reservation deadline is this Monday, August 11th.
For more information contact Tammy Kramer at 689-4552.
Too bad Senator Dick Day can't be there to add some life to the pachyderm party.
In Staff All-Star: Pat Ryan - Education Minnesota, Labor 2008 mistakenly puts activist Pat Ryan and Tim Walz in MN-06 (sorry Political Muse and Blueman). Both Ryan and Walz are based in Blue Earth County. The post highlighting the volunteer notes:
. . . As a Speech teacher,
Pat is naturally good at engaging people in conversation and his sense
of humor is an asset in heated political situations. He admits that
most of all, he enjoys Labor Walks because he gets to be outside walking.
Pat is one of many dedicated Release Staffers for Education Minnesota. He successfully recruits and engages union members on working family issues this year. Pat taught with Tim Walz at West High School and supports Walz’s run in Congressional District 6 [sic]. Pat also pulls for union-endorsed Franken and Obama.
State and national legislative leaders, notably former teacher 1st
District Rep. Tim Walz, have previously called for No Child Left Behind
reform. Still, no changes have been made.
"The kids are fighting it, and the pressures are there," Kelly said. "It's an unbelievable situation."
In a letter, Minnesotans for Immigration Reduction head Paul Westrum argues for reducing legal immigration in Immigration policy needs major reform. Perhaps now the media will quit identifying the group as being only "anti-illegal" immigration. Westrum clearly supports drastic reductions in the number of people who are willing to play by the rules when seeking to live in America.
. . .The first phase of 200-megawatt wind farm is set to begin construction
as early as 2009, and it has the potential to be a 400-megawatt wind
farm. If fully completed, the Bent Tree Wind Farm would be the largest
stand-alone wind farm in Minnesota.. . .
. . .According to Schultz, 400 megawatts is about enough to power 100,000
homes over the course of a year. Schultz said Alliant Energy has not
yet made a decision to build or not build the second 200 megawatts.. . .
. . .According to Dorman, both phases of the project being completed would
add a tax base equal to adding about six malls or about 40 industrial
buildings. . . .
Oh-- and good luck and congratulations to Joe, Liz and baby Bodell; our prayers also go out to Sgt. Zach Juhnke and the 2700 National Guard members from around the country who will be heading to Kuwait and who will begin serving in Iraq in September. Seven hundred of the soldiers are from Minnesota.
Photos: (Top) It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and only the House Republicans have to have a golf tournament to fund their campaigns. Actually, Boehner held one of those those golf tournaments while a delegated group of his members whined about Democrats adjourning for "vacation." We haven't seen such genius from Boehner since he came to Minnesota State in 2006 to help Gil Gutknecht as a higher education leader--despite the fact he'd taken all those PAC funds from student lenders and had a voting record like this. (Bottom) NRCC sock puppet alert.
Horse apple fans can head over to the PB and check out the new batch cooked up by the Brian Davis campaign, then wrap up their total meadow muffin experience with an interview at the Fillmore County Journal.
The Political Party blog has posted a press release containing Brian Davis's ag policy statement. We have commented there. With the exception of "Columbia" and "Columbian", the paper graciously left out the parts riddled with typos (how ironic is it to misspell "Heartland" in a press release about ag policy?). Davis himself left out any direct discussion of the Farm Bill, though he does mention returning land that is "not environmentally sensitive" to production as CRP contracts expire.
He may have a fight on his hands from local papers unless he clarifies that position. The Mankato Free Press editorial board says Don't gut, improve CRP. The Red Wing Eagle Republican editorial board says If anything, add CRP acreage, concluding:
. . .More than 9
million acres of CRP contracts expire in the next two years. The 2008
farm bill has a CRP cap, and acreage could drop from the current 39.2
million acres previously authorized to 32 million authorized in the new
bill.
The program is also at risk because cropland rental
rates have spiked because of rising farm commodity prices, thus making
CRP less attractive to farmers. One way to preserve as many CRP acres
as possible would be to raise payments to landowners.
CRP is arguably the most successful, most popular farm/conservation
program in the nation's history. It has accomplished what it was
designed to do: protect marginal land, reduce soil erosion, restore
grasses and other native plants, increase wildlife populations and
provide farmers with a fair price for using their lands for
conservation.
Long-term contracts have been crucial to its
remarkable success. It would be a monumental mistake to diminish CRP by
making it less financially viable for landowners. The program works. If
anything, it should be expanded.
Walz and the two GOP primary contenders will meet for the first time at the congressional forum at Farmfest, August 5, 1:30 p.m.
The Rochester Democrat notes that Tim Walz is out doorknocking today; the Post Bulletin says he'll also be helping to open the Obama office in Rochester.
Here's a worthy cause: Lake City family builds a legacy for son killed in Iraq. The Hebert family has created scholarships for student athletes and a fund for Lake City area children who need medical care. There's a golf tournament tomorrow.
act to help stop the forced repatriation of Hmong
political refugee from Thailand back to the authoritarian regime in
Laos where they face torture, persecution and imprisonment in
reeducation camps.
Twenty-one House members, including Wisconsin Republican Tom Petri and
Democrats Tammy Baldwin, Steve Kagen, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore, sent a
letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice outlining their concerns
about 6,000 Hmong refugees in a Petchabun, Thailand, camp. In June, the
Thai government sent 800 Hmong refugees who fled persecution in Laos
back to their home country.
The lawmakers said it is
"imperative" that the forced removals be stopped and that the Thai
government give the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
access to the Hmong.
They argued that the United States has an
obligation to aid the Hmong who were U.S. allies during the Vietnam
conflict. That assistance earned the minority ethnic group the enmity
of the Communist government now in Laos.
Thousands of Hmong fled Southeast Asia for the United States after the war. Wisconsin has the nation's largest Hmong population.
House
members were not the only ones calling for action Friday. Several human
rights organizations and Laotian and Hmong groups met in Washington and
condemned the Laotian government for its treatment of Laotian
dissidents and Hmong.
The Rothenberg Political Report looks at spending in some House races. After building a field operation, Walz had $1.2 million cash on hand at the end of the Q2 reporting period.
the risks of smoking, including passive smoking, are overstated. In 2001,[24]Newsweek journalist Fred Guterl reported, after an interview with Lindzen
He'll even expound on how weakly lung cancer is linked to cigarette
smoking. He speaks in full, impeccably logical paragraphs, and he
punctuates his measured cadences with thoughtful drags on a cigarette.[24]
We find it fascinating that an oncologist (albeit one who works
most with those afflicted by prostate rather than lung cancer) should have sought out
Lindzen's company.
Journal: When I say George Bush, what does that mean to you? Positive, negative? Good legacy?
Davis: I think we'll leave that to the historians to determine. I think
some of the analogies with Harry Truman being resolute, and sometimes
people even say "inflexible," but there may come a time down the road
when people will look back and he [Bush] will have a stronger public
perception than he does now. . . .
We were curious where Davis got that idea, since he doesn't seem to be to good at having original political thoughts. The principle advocate for the notion--when we traced it back--appears to be George W. Bush himself.
And finally,
for all those revisionists out there who think George Bush has
Truman-esque virtues for playing tough in Iraq in the face of adversity
- to quote the man, himself, "you're drunk."
In honor of Harry Truman and Torgrimson, we proffer up this 1992 YouTube of Uncle Tupelo covering Bob Dylan's Moonshiner.
Transportation and energy issues dominate today's congressional news in the First. Federal grants that will assist in the improvement of Highway captured much attention. The Waseca County News reports Walz presents Highway 14 grant:
Funding for the expansion of Highway 14 got a boost Thursday morning
when First District Congressman Tim Walz and members of the Highway 14
Partnership met in Waseca. They stood on the grass across from
Kiesler’s Campground, their backs to the highway they all want to see
converted to a four-lane.
Walz, a Mankato Democrat, was in town
to announce federal grants for two sections of Highway 14. Joining him
were the mayors of Waseca, Owatonna, North Mankato and Courtland and
officials from Waseca and Owatonna.
Walz said the highway is a major artery in the First District, used by 80 percent of the area’s largest employers.
He
said the Federal Highway Administration grant is the result of the
financial commitment the state of Minnesota has made to the finish the
project.
The grant was also made possible, Walz said, because of
the commitment of the partnership members who understood the need to
band together to get a new highway built. The new highway will improve
safety and the economy and infrastructure for the future, he said.
In The Carbon Footprint Trail, Tom Driscoll at the Fillmore County Journal takes a long look at ways in which local power co-ops are trying to reduce CO2 emissions. Both Congressman Walz and Davis were interviewed for the story.
Davis's global warming denial looks to be pretty light-weight in context of the rest of the story, especially when contrasted with Governor Pawlenty's efforts for conservation and energy efficiency. Guess that's what happens when you touts slim credentials (one year of work after receiving his undergraduate degree) from an industry Davis hasn't worked in for nearly 25 years (Davis began working on his mechanical engineering degrees in 1983, after graduating from college in 1982).
The Rochester Post Bulletin writes that GOP leader outlines strategy during speech at Mayo Civic Center. The strategy talk was about how to defeat Walz, not how to devise long-term energy policy. No word in the article as to whom Cole delivered his strategy pep talk. We suppose it's nice that Tom Cole's visit resulted in one or two pieces of earned mainstream media for the Davis campaign.
The Open Enrollment blog at the Winona Daily News' River Valley blogs looks at Walz vs. NCLB.
The Houston County News reports Houston County amongst those declared federal disaster area; the article mentions Congressman Walz's efforts, working with Senators Coleman and Klobuchar and Governor Pawlenty, to help secure the federal disaster declaration by the president.
The Iraq and Afghanistan wars linger on, but they
already are producing a new generation of politicians looking to
represent Minnesota in Congress.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Marine veteran Ashwin
Madia, the surprise Democratic challenger, is seeking the open seat. In
the 2nd District, Steve Sarvi, a National Guard member who served in
Kosovo and Iraq, is taking on a Vietnam veteran. And the 1st District
is represented by Tim Walz, a 24-year National Guard veteran, in his
first term running for re-election.
The three are part of an emerging trend nationally — veterans
of the two wars eager to take their concerns and the lessons they've
learned to Washington. . . .
It's important to note that Tim Walz served in a support operation in Italy for Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) but is not a combat veteran of OEF. Both Madia and Sarvi served in country in Iraq. Here's the new chart on competitive races from the Cook Political Report.
We had posted yesterday how MN-02, once considered completely safe for John Kline, was moved into the more competitive "likely Republican" from "solid Republican." Those pesks at IDHA note that Sarvi, Madia and Tinklenberg have just been endorsed by the Minnesota Nurses Association. Looks like the Republican Party of Minnesota will be playing defense in all three of its remaining congressional seats.
In Welcome Home for Minnesota Soldiers,KAAL TV reports that 400 Minnesota National Guard members from Mankato-based 2nd Battalion who had been serving in Kosovo will return to the USA by the end of next weekend. The Albert Lea Tribune says they're coming back between July 10 and 14 in Albert Lea troops returning from Kosovo.
Happy Birthday, America!
Fanfare for the Common Man Update: We spoke too soon about earned media for Brian Davis's campaign; the Grand Forks Herald has published an AP reports about Brian Davis's self-funding of his campaign. In 1st District candidate says spending won't change, we learn:
A doctor running for Congress in southern Minnesota says he won't
increase spending of his own money despite the new freedom he got with
a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The high court ruled against
campaign finance laws that allowed higher contribution limits for
opponents of candidates using more than $350,000 of their own money.
But Dr. Brian Davis, who is running for Congress in the First District,
says he never planned to hit that limit anyway. He has loaned or
contributed nearly $200,000 to his campaign so far.
Davis says he does agree with the decision.
He's
running in the Republican primary against longtime state Senator Dick
Day. The winner of that primary will run against first-term Democratic
Representative Tim Walz.
That $200,000 figure is quite interesting. At the end of Q1, Davis had contributed $58543.76 to his campaign and loaned his committee $24,000, for a total of $82,543.76. If the amount has escalated up to nearly $200,000, he tapped into his own reserves at a greater pace in the quarter that just ended--perhaps to the tune of $100,000 or more.
Our friend McPherson Hall of Minnesota Central gently chided us for neglecting to discussion the inclusion of the new G.I. Bill as an amendment to the war supplemental:
With all the hub-bub last week about the
FISA bill, there was another notable bill that the House passed.
Since your column has addressed veterans issues, you might be interested to know that by a vote of 416 to 12 Roll Call 432
was approved.
He is correct. Fortunately, Congressman Walz's office just came out with a statement about the passage:
WALZ RECOGNIZES GI BILL ANNIVERSARY AND PRAISES PASSAGE OF 21ST CENTURY GI BILL
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, Congressman Tim Walz marked the anniversary of the original GI Bill and lauded the passage of the 21st Century GI Bill:
"This past Sunday marked the 64th anniversary of the historic GI Bill that President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law on June 22, 1944. On that day, President Roosevelt observed that the GI Bill 'gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our Armed Forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.' I am very pleased that last week the House of Representatives renewed that commitment to our nation's Armed Forces by passing a new GI Bill for the 21st Century.
"The new GI Bill significantly expands the educational benefits our country offers to the men and women who have served so courageously since the attacks of September 11, 2001. It is designed to restore the promise of the original GI Bill, offering support for a full higher education for our veterans, a pathway to prosperity to them, and the foundation of a post-war economic recovery.
"I was proud to vote for this bill, and I am hopeful that the Senate will pass the legislation soon and the President will sign it into law.
We have a moral obligation and a national security interest to stand with our veterans, not just on the battlefield, but also when they return. This bill demonstrates our commitment to our young men and women.
"Under the bill, increased educational benefits would be available to members of the military - including activated reservists and National Guard - who have served at least three months on active duty since September 11, 2001. The amount of educational assistance veterans receive is linked to the amount of time they've served on active duty since September 11, 2001, up to three years.
"For those who have served three years, they will get support that would cover full tuition and associated costs at the most expensive public university in their state, though they can use their educational assistance essentially at any institution of higher education. The bill also provides for the federal government to match dollar-for-dollar any private assistance veterans receive at more expensive institutions as well. There is also provision for school costs like books, and a housing stipend appropriate for where the veteran is going to school.
"In short, this is a significant expansion of the benefit that is designed to keep pace with the real-life costs of education in the 21st century.
"Finally, a new provision has been added to the bill that would allow veterans who have served six years and who sign up for another four to transfer their educational benefits to their spouses and dependents.
"The original GI Bill was one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century in America. I believe this new GI Bill can be an equally great achievement of this Century."
Like the final passage of the increase in the federal minimum wage, final approval of the New G. I. Bill came--eventually--at the cost of continuing to fund the war in Iraq. Those who feel that Congress should quit funding the war and pull out immediately will be disappointed with Walz's vote for another amendment to the bill that continued money for the war in Iraq.
One issue facing rural veterans is the need for more VA satellite clinics that spare them the time and expense (partially reimbursed) of traveling to the medical center in Minneapolis. While most vets advocates see a need for the hospitals because of the special care needs of vets, decentralizing some of the services makes sense.
Mankato has just gotten a VA clinic, one that will at first offer mental health care. KEYC-TV reports:
Vietnam and Desert Storm Veteran Warren Taylor says,
''Veterans can talk to other Veterans, but they're not gonna talk to anybody else about these things, so that's why we need this.''
Vietnam Veteran Owen Painter says, ''This mental awareness is something that we really need for these guys coming back now. We probably needed it for us, there are a lot of younger guys, the ones coming back now, and it's hard for older people to accept the adjustments they got now.''
Adjustments made as troops return from war and readjust to society...With a new clinic in town that hopes to positively combat feelings of post-war alienation.Mary Olson, Minneapolis VA Mental Health Services Chief Nurse says, ''Absolutely a positive thing. The goal is to make mental health services very easy and accessible for people.'
Congressman Walz, who sits on the House Veterans Affairs committee, was at the opening on Monday:
Tim Walz says, ''There was always a desire to have it done, the Veterans knew there was a need for it, but it was very hard to mesh up the public will, the political will, and the funding that was needed to get it, so this is a testament that people stuck with it.''...A testament that will bring some much-needed peace of mind to local Veterans...
. . .Walz says, ''It's a good thing. This should serve both our older Veterans and our returning Veterans as well.''
The Mankato Free Press reported on the logic of opening a clinic in the Key City:
“There is an increased
demand for services and Mankato is centrally located,” said Ralph
Heussner, public affairs officer with the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
Demand on the VA overall is driven by two
factors, he said. “The Vietnam era veteran is approaching 60, retiring
and qualifying for the VA benefits. And the Iraq veterans are returning
home and seeking care.”
Getting veterans the assistance and care they need is a country’s obligation to its armed forces.
So it’s positive news
that today a veterans clinic is opening in Mankato. At first the
Veterans Affairs clinic in the Nichols Office building will see
patients only for mental health care, but services eventually will be
expanded to full primary medical care.
That’s good news for area veterans and
their communities. As Vietnam vets age and more vets return home from
Iraq and Afghanistan, medical services need to be available where they
live — not a two-hour car ride away.
Vets still will need to travel to the VA in
Minneapolis for specialized care, but the goal is to have medical
facilities for vets within one hour’s drive of them.
Not only is the plan more cost-effective,
but it is a sign the VA recognizes it needs to step up the care of
veterans. A Washington Post article in 2007 received national attention
when unsafe and unsanitary conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center were described in detail. Since then, veterans groups have sued
the VA alleging its mental health care and benefits system are flawed.
There have been incidents in Minnesota, and
in this region, involving vets suffering from stress disorders that
have resulted in erratic behavior, including standoffs with
authorities. A CBS probe that examined death records in all 50 states
found that veterans were twice as likely to commit suicide. . . .
. . . This new clinic in Mankato is a sign the system recognizes that
offering vets care close to home can be part of the healing process,
and giving vets convenient care is the least the government can do.
Image: The Nichols Building, home to the new VA clinic in Mankato. Directions here.
A friend sent us to a post naming the 30 House districts being hit by Freedom's Watch's calls. MN-01 isn't on the list. This omission suggests that Congressman Walz is indeed an ex-GOP target.
The post begins:
Freedom's
Watch is targetting 30 congressional districts held by Democrats with robocalls
attacking Democrats record on military issues.. . . .
With the
exception of MD-08 (Rep. Van Hollen, the DCCC Chair), these are districts that
many analysts think that the GOP can apply pressure and/or seats that the Dems
took in 2006.
Want to make sure the robocalls stay away? Contribute to Tim Walz's re-election committee or sign up to volunteer here.
The names and districts from Roll Call:
The
targeted Democrats are: Reps. Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Gabrielle
Giffords (Ariz.), Jerry McNerney (Calif.), Bob Filner (Calif.), Joe
Courtney (Conn.), Christopher Murphy (Conn.), Tim Mahoney (Fla.), Jim
Marshall (Ga.), Melissa Bean (Ill.), Bill Foster (Ill.), Nancy Boyda
(Kan.), Dennis Moore (Kan.), Don Cazayoux (La.), Steny Hoyer (Md.),
Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Carol Shea-Porter
(N.H.), Paul Hodes (N.H.), Shelley Berkley (Nev.), John Hall (N.Y.),
Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Zack Space (Ohio), Jason Altmire (Pa.), Joe
Sestak (Pa.), Patrick Murphy (Pa.), Christopher Carney (Pa.), Paul
Kanjorski (Pa.), John Murtha (Pa.), Nick Lampson (Texas), Ciro
Rodriguez (Texas) and Steve Kagen (Wis.).
In a post earlier in the week, Will VA Secretary Peake apologize to veterans?, we noted how some are trying to minimize or marginalize post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a veterans concern. In today's column in the Worthing GLobe, former editor Ray Crippen fills in some historical blanks about post traumatic stress disorder in The story of Old Pete, and a 'real and cruel' wound. The column begins:
For nearly as long as I can remember I have received unsigned letters
now and again. Anonymous mail. Sometimes a letter may be a suggestion
for a column or for a story. Sometimes a letter will be — well, not
flattering. That is a part of this business.
An anonymous letter came
through the week past which I think needs a reply even though, in fact,
it requires this column to take an untypical form.
The writer
claims service in Iraq from a year gone by. There is reference to PTSD
and then these sentences: “My uncle laughs at this. He says soldiers in
the Korea war never claimed anything like PTSD.”
Crippen goes on to note how PTSD isn't something uncles should laugh about, citing an example:
I remember a long-ago friend of my dad for only one thing. The man
had a tic in one cheek; there was a twinge every few seconds in either
the left cheek or the right cheek. Rather often the man would squeeze
his eyes closed tightly. I asked my dad about this. The surprising
thing is I waited with my question until the man was gone.
I was
told the man was a veteran of World War I. He had “shell shock.” I
don’t know if there was any more to that conversation. “War veteran,
shell shock.” This explains itself.
. . .I am saying this to the laughing uncle. I know something about the
war in Korea. Very brave soldiers and Marines in Korea sometimes came
to experience trauma - cruel mental suffering.
That word/ acronym PTSD is (I believe) of recent origin. What it describes is ancient.
Crippen shares an account from seventy years before of a Civil War veteran, Old Pete, whose mind was injured by a "cruel and real injury."
PTSD denial is distressing stuff, not only as a vets issue, but for the understanding and treatment of mental illness as well. The bipartisan battle to get mental illness covered on an equal footing by insurance companies was a long and winding road. To promote denial about PTSD in vets is more of the same--with the added shamefulness of abetting whose who would nickel and dime those who serve our country.
The number of U.S. military personnel diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder jumped 47 percent in 2007 according to new statistics
-- a change the Pentagon attributed to greater awareness and better
record-keeping.
The story notes that the stigma still remains, and some speculate that the military is much more eager to diagnose PTSD when traumatic brain injuries may also be in play.
We're proud to call veterans from the Korean War to present conflicts our friends; nearly all of our uncles who served in World War II have now passed. We've noticed that their stories aren't all that different, but perhaps we've been blessed not to know many people who think like the anonymous letter writer's uncle.
Our understanding has been shaped by far different tales. One vivid memory from our childhood was of Uncle Stan, who returned to the United States a year after WWII because his combat injuries kept him in a European hospital for many months. Our father and Stan were talking in the backyard about the psychological troubles plaguing many soldiers returning from Vietnam.
Dad said something about younger soldiers being whiners, and his brother, who taught shop classes in Southern California, unloaded with a story about having to shoot extremely young German soldiers in the waning days of the war. The boys he shot reminded him of his own little brother back home, he said, then he broke down weeping about his experience nearly thirty years before. It was the first time we'd ever seen a grown man cry outside of funerals.
And that ended any sort of talk of slackers in our house.
We were out working in our vegetable garden (finally!) and come home to find this press release from Congressman Walz's office in our inbox:
WALZ VOTES FOR HISTORIC EXPANSION OF GI BILL
Says legislation will give today's service members benefits on par with those WWII veterans received
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, Congressman Tim Walz announced that he voted to support an emergency spending bill to provide funding for on-going military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which includes a historic expansion of the GI Bill.
Walz said that the spending bill, which provides funding to meet the needs of soldiers serving in Iraq as well as Americans hit hardest by the recent economic downturn, incorporates what is commonly called the "21st Century GI Bill," which will offer the 1.7 million brave men and women who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan educational benefits on par with those provided to veterans of the World War II era.
"The legislation will give our returning troops the tools they need to continue their success in their civilian lives, will make military service more attractive, and will pay future dividends as it strengthens our sagging economy," said Rep. Tim Walz. "I think it is fitting that this restoration of GI Bill benefits is included in a supplemental war spending bill because we often forget that caring for our soldiers and veterans after they return from the battlefield is a real, measurable cost of war."
Under the new GI Bill, qualified service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, who have served 3 years on active duty, would receive benefits to cover the costs of a four-year education up to the level of the most expensive in-state public school, along with a stipend for housing, books and other expenses. Education benefits would be available to troops who have served at least 3 months of active duty service since September 11, 2001, including members of the National Guard and Reserve. Right now, veterans' education benefits cover only about 60 percent of the cost of a public-school education.
The supplemental spending bill was considered as three separate amendments:
Amendment #1: Provides $162.5 billion for the Department of Defense, funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the summer of 2009. Congressman Walz voted in favor of this amendment, which was not adopted.
Amendment #2: This amendment includes restrictions on the deployment of our Armed Forces in Iraq, by requiring that American troops begin to redeploy within 30 days, with the redeployment completed by December of 2009. It also requires that Iraqis match US reconstruction funding dollar for dollar and that the President reach an agreement with Iraq to subsidize fuel costs for the US Armed Forces so that our military pays what the Iraqis pay for their fuel. The amendment also prohibits torture and the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq. The House passed this amendment 227 - 196. Congressman Walz voted in favor.
Amendment #3: This amendment restores GI Bill benefits for veterans to WWII levels, extends unemployment benefits for workers who've exhausted their benefits and funds efforts to strengthen New Orleans levees. Amendment #3 passed with a vote of 256 - 166. Congressman Walz voted in favor.
From the looks of the audience in the clip at KAAL-TV, the Obama Town Hall Meeting at the Mayo Civic Center yesterday was well attended. Not bad for a gorgeous football Sunday.
