Our group is
open to veterans as well as their families, their friends and appreciative-supporters.
Below is our
letter to Congress. Please send out a copy (Through snail mail and/or email) to your member of Congress
and your two federal senators. Also, please pass this email to all those Americans, who care...
Address links
to Congress are below.
There are more veterans wounded
with PTSD than any other type of combat wound... According to Department of Veterans Affairs'(VA)estimates,
there are over 98,000 new PTSD Vets.
Americans Who Support PTSD Veterans
PTSD
VETERAN ADVOCACY GROUP
..........
Americans Who Support PTSD Veterans
November 00, 2006
Honorable Senator (or Congressman)
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Senator or Congressman) Name,
As a member of Americans Who Support PTSD Veterans we are writing in concern
of the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Veterans. We personally feel that veterans who have PTSD have historically
been treated like second class citizens. This is sad for individuals who fought for this great country only to come home and
be ignored. We want to address this issue with all of the senators and congressman to hopefully get someone to listen to our
plight.
Veterans with PTSD have been subjected to a stigma where they are considered
to be misfits who have no grasp on reality. PTSD is a disability and should be treated as such, especially when it comes to
reasonable disability accommodations. Violations of these rights should be considered a federal crime and should be investigated
and prosecuted properly. Currently there is a strong focus on discrimination towards an individual’s race or sex which
we feel that same focus should be put on veterans with PTSD. PTSD is a real mental illness and should be treated with a high
sense of importance.
Every March in the federal calendar it is stated that: “SEXUAL HARASSMENT
IS A FORM OF DISCRIMINATION.” Not taking away anything from Sexual harassment and discrimination, but if harassment
is a form of discrimination, why isn't PTSD harassment a form of discrimination? Harassing anyone with
PTSD should be a Civil Rights discrimination crime and should be punished as such by the federal government, even if the federal
and state governments are doing the harassing.
There have been some improvements in the Veteran Affairs system but they
are simply not enough and more has to be done. For a veteran to get service connected benefits, they have to wade through an eternal sea of red tape and wait years for an answer. Can you imagine not being
able to work and left with no means to support yourself? Hence, the huge and growing amount of homeless veterans.
The claims process should be much simpler than it is now and we feel that the
only way that this is going to be done is putting more money into training those that handle the claims. There is a serious
riff between veterans and the VA because of the mistreatment that has been historically portrayed. As veterans we also ponder
why illegal immigrants get so much of our tax money to feed, clothe and send illegal immigrants to school rather than helping
the veterans that provided the way and means for the choice to be made.
There is always the idea that politicians are bought and sold to the highest
bidder. To me this is not the case; rather the issue is that there has never been a push to make sure veterans with PTSD get
the treatment and compensation they deserve. With the advent of technology, veterans are able to access information easier
and thus are now becoming more vocal about their rights.
Just consider that to date, 98,000 military personnel have
come back from Afghanistan
and Iraq since the conflicts began and are now diagnosed with PTSD.
This does not account those that are in denial or have not gone to the VA for
help. Someone with PTSD, who has not been informed of the symptoms, begins to think they are crazy, and the world
would be a better place if they didn't exist. Due to this there have been too many suicides by suffering veterans.
If nothing is done, and the politicians sit by idle, then a big catastrophe is inevitable. Our question for you is where do
you stand?
Respectfully yours,
John Doe
Your name
Address
City, State ZIP
Telephone “optional”
This letter sponsored by:
Jack “John” Cunningham/ John Waltz
Americans Who Support PTSD Veterans
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