Homeless Vets: Americas Biggest Black Eye on Society

Homeless Vets: Americas Biggest Black Eye on Society

I do not have the answers; Lord knows I wish I did, but something is seriously wrong with a system that allows those who have served honorably to just fade away and live substandard lives.

“A Veteran Is Someone Who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America’ for an amount of ‘up to and including their life.’
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

I cannot bring myself to blame the Government completely as I truly believe they have no business with their hands in our pockets anymore then they do now. No; I blame the individual.

Times are hard and the economy sucks; I understand that more than most but, there are still a lot of people out there that “net” a million dollars a year or more. They live nice, comfortable lives while their brothers and sisters live in tents, on park benches and under bridges. This is completely unacceptable in my humble opinion.

What if each person that makes a million or more bought one house, just one, and gave it to a homeless family or person? How much of an impact would that make?

Of course as frustrated as I am about the homeless situation, I am equally as tired of hearing how they are all drunks and drug addicts. You know if I was in their situation, I would probably drink just to escape for awhile. Certainly many with this attitude have never served and never had the courage to stand up.

I don’t know what the answers are but I have to believe they are out there. That somehow a society as advanced as ours, with all of our wonderful gadgets and gizmos, can begin to take care of those individuals that honorably stood up when others would not.

Just think on it folks…

Semper

Its sickening and morally objectionable to me that the country these vets swore to protect and put their lives on the line for turns their back on them. They risked life and limb, many not returning home and others who come home a mere shadow of their selves for enduring terrible hardship all in the name of this country.

Many Americans turn a blind eye to the veterans who fought to protect this nation. They let them sleep under bridges and in parks year round. They scoff at the "bums" when they drive by. "Drunks" they say. I don't rightly support drinking or drug use, but i can understand wanting to escape after all the crap they endured, the things they were forced to do.

I don't hold it against them in any way shape or form for their problems they may have now. I believe that as Americans we should support them they way they supported US. I myself donate to the VFW and others when i have the money. Its a hell of a lot more than most do.

Just sit back and criticize them when you have not the slightest clue about what these poor people went through in the name of liberty and the American way. My father was a Marine and served in Vietnam. I listened to his stories and seen the pain in his face when he told me any of them. I could tell those memories were as sharp in his mind as they day he lived them.

I say we as Americans could crowd source some funding to get these people the help they need. Get them back on their feet and get them the rehabilitation they deserve. Give them a place to call home. Its the lease we can do after their physical and emotional sacrifices they made for us. We the people can do more for them then the government ever has, and all for ten bucks a person.

This is ridiculous America! Unacceptable!

Edit: pain

I agree completely. I think it's shameful that, as a country, we use these men and women to protect us and fight our battles, and then toss them aside when the job is done.

We have a homeless vet here in our neighborhood and for years, we've been helping him with clothes, food, money and helped him with VA assistance to get a wheelchair, but recently, he's become very angry and reclusive and he resists contact with people, even lashing out with horrible insults and threats of violence and it's causing people to back off. Every time I see him, he looks worse and I hate to just stand idly by and watch him die, but I fear that's what we're all doing. It breaks my heart.

Over the past 40 years, the wealth of this country has been allowed to be funneled up to the top. The gap between the wealthy and the poor is growing insanely and the middle class is disappearing. The wealth has been distributed UP. As long as CEOs are permitted to pay their workers less than a living wage and keep the rest for themselves, this will continue. The greed of those at the top is taking a great toll on this country in many ways. Homeless vets is just one of MANY groups who are suffering.

There comes a time when we have to ask ourselves if this is a viable way to run the country. And the answer is NO. It won't last.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

To borrow a quote from another Thread.

"...And so I have a message for my fellow filthy rich, for all of us who live in our gated bubble worlds: Wake up, people. It won’t last. If we don’t do something to fix the glaring inequities in this economy, the pitchforks are going to come for us. No society can sustain this kind of rising inequality. In fact, there is no example in human history where wealth accumulated like this and the pitchforks didn’t eventually come out. You show me a highly unequal society, and I will show you a police state. Or an uprising. There are no counterexamples. None. It’s not if, it’s when. Many of us think we’re special because “this is America.” We think we’re immune to the same forces that started the Arab Spring—or the French and Russian revolutions, for that matter. I know you fellow .01%ers tend to dismiss this kind of argument; I’ve had many of you tell me to my face I’m completely bonkers. And yes, I know there are many of you who are convinced that because you saw a poor kid with an iPhone that one time, inequality is a fiction. Here’s what I say to you: You’re living in a dream world.

I believe that this is quite true. This country is being run by the uber elite and some day soon there will be retribution. They use the people of this country for their own agendas and toss the good people to the curb once they are of no further use to them.

Ive seen it time and time again, from the lack of VA healthcare for Veterans. To the way they keep stringing people along with minimum wage jobs that wont give you any hours. The people will only take so much before something snaps.

I call it the rubber band effect. Trust me, the lash back is a real *****!

a reply to: semperfortis

As a former "outdoorsman" who has met their fair share of homeless veterans I can attest that many of them are happier this way. Its a simple uncluttered lifestyle, one preferable to the workaday stresses of "civilized life". Their system has seen enough shock and awe. A personal choice less taxing to their current state of mind.

Just my opinion.

If you want to help them go find one and give him a flashlight, wool cap and or rain poncho.

Coming to a bridge near you.

a reply to: shaneslaughta

Yes, I saw that thread and thought of it when I saw this one, too.

intrptr - I know what you say is true as well. We helped Steve (our local homeless vet) to get care at the VA and he stayed there for the winter, but then left on his own accord. He prefers to sleep under the stars and get by day to day. There is some attraction there. I can imagine after being in Vietnam that he wouldn't be eager to join the rat race here.

But MANY vets would welcome a helping hand.