VA Attempting to Eat Its Own - Again

"Just six days after canceling one PTSD review, the VA “sneaks in”
another – Culture of secrecy makes agency designed to help
veterans their biggest foe."

As reported here
last month, the VA, in an attempt to save money tried to reclassify more than 72,000 Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) cases, mostly of Vietnam vets. Then the VA relented loudly before Veterans' Day - but that was a smokescreen. Now they are at it again.

The supreme irony: With an estimated 100,000 more cases coming out of Iraq, the VA is now essentially trying to fund the Iraq war on the backs of returning, mentally impaired, GIs. Protesting that the costs of taking care of PTSD cases out of Iraq will cost at least $6 billion, the VA is apparently unaware that this amounts to less than a month of Iraq war costs.

The VA even wants the American Psychiatric Association to rework the definition of PTSD. Apparently the VA thinks it is better qualified to judge PTSD than is the APA.

If all this doesn't make you angry, veterans, nothing will.

This policy is being pushed as Mr. Bush speaks at the Naval Academy about supporting our troops, hoping that by saying the same things once more, 60% of this country will magically change its mind that the war in Iraq was a bad idea.

Does he hope that by saying things louder and longer, to a - once-again - supremely safe audience, while our vets are being screwed, will hide what is being done? Write your Congressional representatives and senators - now. Use the 'Contact Congress' link to the right.