Today is a day we are called to remember those who have sacrificed for our country. What’s the saying? “All gave some; some gave all.” On this day I am grateful beyond words for the sacrifices of all of those who have served in our armed forces. However, the way we treat these heroes in this country, a country that has long claimed to be the greatest country on Earth, saddens me nearly every day.
According to this about one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans. Another 1.5 million other veterans are considered at risk of homelessness. Regardless of my personal feelings about the conflicts in which our nation is currently engaged, the men and women of the armed forces deserve better treatment than this. In addition to homelessness, many veterans suffer from PTSD, lack of family and social support networks, substance abuse, etc., and, from my experience with vets, many (if not most) are unable to access services they need.
I’m not sure how to solve the complex problem of veterans’ issues, but I do know we can do better than we are doing now. On this day I only write to share my heartbreak over how the heroes in our society are treated and to express my desire to see change there. We must do better by those who sacrifice so much so that we may enjoy the freedoms we do.
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