Your thoughts on the real antagonists in the story?
- wordslinger42
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Re: Your thoughts on the real antagonists in the story?
- Brenda Creech
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It is really sad how our military men and women are treated after they risk their lives for our country. They should be treated like kings and queens when they come home!Zeix wrote: ↑29 Nov 2019, 23:29I totally agree with you, this happens even in real life right know. I know people who are going through the same currently, militaries who have been affected by wars but no pentions assigned to themB Creech wrote: ↑03 Nov 2019, 19:50 I had two uncles and a brother-in-law serve in Viet Nam. One of my uncles did two tours of duty in Nam and was exposed to agent orange. When he came home he didn't initially get any benefits from the military at all. He had to battle the system for several years before he finally received his VA benefits! It is a shame on our government to deny ANYONE who serves this country their benefits when they come home. It still angered me to read about how these heroes were treated in the book. This may be a book of fiction but what happened to these guys is a reality for most military heros!
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- Abacus
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What an assinine rule that military personnel should wait months to be seen at a VA hospital and cannot go to hospital available to the public. Someone should be held accountable for that.
- chelhack
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- evraealtana
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I completely agree, and it's an inexcusable disregard that the VA cannot defend. They become more concerned with cost-cutting maneuvers and unfairly worded guidelines, so much so, that all these soldiers wind up suffering alone on a massive scale. As a psychiatrist, I have worked alongside providers at the VA, as a former military spouse, I have dealt with them as a civilian. And the entire organization is flawed beyond measure, despite their goodwill mission statements.Katherine Smith wrote: ↑03 Nov 2019, 13:06 I think that the Veterans Affairs department needs to be completely redone to meets the needs of our soldiers coming home. As a country, our priorities are getting men and women ready for combat. We focus so intently on fighting that we don't put any time or effort into helping them into civilian life. I think that this was perfectly illustrated during the Vietnam War and the way that these veterans were left behind to fend for themselves.
- AvidBibliophile
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I recently read an article in one of the Psychiatric Journal publications I receive as a physician, and a former mental health provider for the VA flat out stated that she thinks the issue with increasing rates of veteran suicides (in her opinion) stems not from their experiences at home or abroad, but simply due to their easy access to firearms. I was in disbelief.Abacus wrote: ↑30 Nov 2019, 16:00 The bureaucrats in the VA who deliberately withheld services not because of policy but because of personal rancor should be punished for killing members of the military. They are as guilty as terrorists and the Viet Cong.
What an assinine rule that military personnel should wait months to be seen at a VA hospital and cannot go to hospital available to the public. Someone should be held accountable for that.
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I agree. The clinicians do care and do good works, but beware the bean counters that have the power to hobble them.vermontelf wrote: ↑26 Nov 2019, 10:51 I have not yet read this book, so I can only talk about the VA based upon my own knowledge. I think the VA has done some truly awful things for our society and Veterans. I also know some people who have benefited greatly from the medical (my cousins) and the temporary housing (my friends). Above all, I think the bureaucracy of the VA sucks (to put it mildly), but the employees and volunteers associated with it, genuinely care.
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Nope. I see that as a cop out.VTEC lar it wrote: ↑17 Nov 2019, 03:43 At first, I thought the real antagonist of the story was the Veteran affairs department. Clearly, the injustices they serve these honorable veterans are unthinkable.
However, on a closer look, I think the real antagonist here is not even human. Sometimes we get so caught up in post-war politics. I think we have to realize that the real antagonist isn't the enemy or the Veteran Affairs department despite the wrongs committed by them.
The real antagonist, in my opinion is, war itself.
Do you agree?
- mariana90
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Thank you for that, V. Reading this book, people may be tempted to ignore the many volunteers who try to make life tolerable for our war wounded.vermontelf wrote: ↑26 Nov 2019, 10:51 I have not yet read this book, so I can only talk about the VA based upon my own knowledge. I think the VA has done some truly awful things for our society and Veterans. I also know some people who have benefited greatly from the medical (my cousins) and the temporary housing (my friends). Above all, I think the bureaucracy of the VA sucks (to put it mildly), but the employees and volunteers associated with it, genuinely care.