Posted on Sep 22, 2015
Why Are Veterans Not An Issue in the Debates?
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Why Are Veterans Not An Issue in the Debates?
RP Members do you agree with the article and the lack of concern for Veterans in this upcoming election or are there more important issues?
Your thoughts and comments welcome!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dustin-demoss/veterans-debate_b_8164118.html
With the 2016 presidential election quickly approaching, campaign season is in full swing and boasts no shortage of candidates. Presidential hopefuls from all sides of the political spectrum have pulled no punches when it comes to the multitude of issues currently concerning the American public. In fact, candidates have weighed in on any number of topics, from immigration reform to civil liberties, with incredible diverse and aggressive opinions. Perhaps this willingness to engage and volunteer opinions is what makes the lack of attention to one topic in particular so striking, especially in the glare of the ongoing G.O.P. presidential debates.
Do you know where the candidates stand when it comes to veterans' affairs and healthcare needs?
A Growing Lack of Attention to Veterans
The lack of attention to American veterans and the care they receive once they return home is not necessarily a new development when it comes to presidential debates. Veterans and their supporters faced this same problem in the 2012 debates, for example, where only repeated urging convinced the candidates to briefly consider the topic. And as more and more people are aware, the number of candidates with any sort of military service background is constantly shrinking. Not only is this concerning for a country that is still in the midst of a war that has already spanned 14 years, but it's especially worrisome considering that one of the major topics up for debate is the looming ISIS/ISIL threat and how the United States will engage with it.
RP Members do you agree with the article and the lack of concern for Veterans in this upcoming election or are there more important issues?
Your thoughts and comments welcome!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dustin-demoss/veterans-debate_b_8164118.html
With the 2016 presidential election quickly approaching, campaign season is in full swing and boasts no shortage of candidates. Presidential hopefuls from all sides of the political spectrum have pulled no punches when it comes to the multitude of issues currently concerning the American public. In fact, candidates have weighed in on any number of topics, from immigration reform to civil liberties, with incredible diverse and aggressive opinions. Perhaps this willingness to engage and volunteer opinions is what makes the lack of attention to one topic in particular so striking, especially in the glare of the ongoing G.O.P. presidential debates.
Do you know where the candidates stand when it comes to veterans' affairs and healthcare needs?
A Growing Lack of Attention to Veterans
The lack of attention to American veterans and the care they receive once they return home is not necessarily a new development when it comes to presidential debates. Veterans and their supporters faced this same problem in the 2012 debates, for example, where only repeated urging convinced the candidates to briefly consider the topic. And as more and more people are aware, the number of candidates with any sort of military service background is constantly shrinking. Not only is this concerning for a country that is still in the midst of a war that has already spanned 14 years, but it's especially worrisome considering that one of the major topics up for debate is the looming ISIS/ISIL threat and how the United States will engage with it.
Election 2016
Elections
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Issues
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 121
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We are not a big enough sluce of the population for it to matter to either side. With the minority of Veterans in Congress now days they don't really think our vote will affect them
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Trump has made some efforts to include Veterans. But during the downsizing its not likely the main focus to win an election.
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Because the majority of those running never served to include their kids!
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Blahhh to me.. " The government seems to see us Expendable and we do not matter!!" That's the way I feel about it. We signed a blank check with our lives for our country and yet we get overlooked all the time. I have all but given up on trying to get help and knowing good and well it does not matter. After service 1984-1987 I worked until June 2014 and had to give up work due to health reasons. Now I am having to fight with my lawyer just to get my SSI started. Really...really? When I started work at 17yrs of age and joined the USAF Res (Then USAF) they took my SSI from my check and I have to fight to get it now? Even with 2 doctors taking me out of work?!?! 1 doctor was a specialist and the other a regular doctor.
We have more than you think on the population count for veterans. Out of my family I can tell you of 6 from my father to brother to step father to step mother to my cousins etc. So there are a lot of veterans out there and like me ..'Why even try!" Yes I would do it again and my blank check still stands.
Chuck D
We have more than you think on the population count for veterans. Out of my family I can tell you of 6 from my father to brother to step father to step mother to my cousins etc. So there are a lot of veterans out there and like me ..'Why even try!" Yes I would do it again and my blank check still stands.
Chuck D
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Helping veterans will be a talking point as election day gets closer but for right now it's more or less a free for all
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PO3 Michael Cardinale
Veterans are not an issue because the voting record of Republicans proves they vote against Veterans. Â I can name many bills shot down that would greatly improve the lives and welfare of Veterans. Â
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SGT Scott Henderson
PO3 Michael Cardinale -
I would go a step further and say the government on general doesn't care. We are a commodity, pure and simple. Any candidate Republicunt or Democrap is going to wait until after the primaries to try and get the vet vote. After the nation views another worthless turd into office they'll do next to nothing to help; but it sounds good when they're on stage.
I would go a step further and say the government on general doesn't care. We are a commodity, pure and simple. Any candidate Republicunt or Democrap is going to wait until after the primaries to try and get the vet vote. After the nation views another worthless turd into office they'll do next to nothing to help; but it sounds good when they're on stage.
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We are just 1%, and also those are still under UCMJ ... can't said much anyway.
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Numbers. Not a lot of Veterans, not a lot of family members of veterans. Nothing to disagree on, everyone agrees 'something should be done' but not at the cost of things that directly affect them. Everyone has a grandmother (social security, medicare) not everyone has a veteran.
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Vets won't be a debate issue because we've always been quiet and believed our government would take care of us if we were injured. We now understand that isn't the case. We must make ourselves not only be heard, we must command their attention through to action. This is because we (Rally Point) have not organized ourselves into a social media force to be reckoned with. We have a substantial number of followers on RP with an intense interest in all matters concerning veterans and the V.A. Many our members are excellent administrators, skilled technicians, policy analysts, slide show makers and more, all highly motivated, people and service oriented -- not careerists administrators who popped up over time as is the case in the V.A. (NOT FAULTING THE MEDICAL STAFF -- THEY ARE HEROES.) We need to look at aligning with Congressional Leaders who hear us and know us. Ill Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth - Combat vet, multiple amputee, mother and wife. She knows for certain. AZ Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema is taking on the VAin Arizona and kicking their ass! She is moving legislation to make it easier to fire incompetents and provide better care for vets. We have some of the smartest, most tech savvy members in the universe. We have CyberCommand vets (our new overlords) so now all those smart and highly motivated folks (I am a retired big idea guy) need to jump up and talk about it as administrators and figure out how to tie it all in. If we can routinely generate 150,000 signatures to a question the White House must reply to it. We can survey our own members and get instant opinion polls to the Congressional leaders who really want to know what we need and what we think. We can do this. We can ask Duckworth and Sinema to send us their questions. They can direct vets to Rally Point. I think we can create a large voice pretty rapidly. I know we have COMM guys from all branches -- and you know what they say "If you don't have comms you're just camping." Well for us, without comms we'll just be new age geezers gassing in front of the BX snack bar talking about the glory days.
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I have been in the military for 21 years, and have found that a lot of problems facing Soldiers is self-inflicted. They spend outside of their means and complain about everything. I am surprised that there isn't any backlash from the military's senior leadership regarding the statements from politician that we are ill-equipped and ill-prepared to defend our nations. The only complaints that I receive from people nd their dealing with VA is "they only got 70% not 100% disability. So, I am frightened at the possibility of VA healthcare to the private sector where profit motives and dividends will determine your level of care. The 70% you receive will be 25% percent if the VA is transitioned to the private sector.
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