We Interrupt Your Attention to Cultural Warriors for News on America's Real Warriors

Media attention to the birthers and others engaging as histrionic culture warriors overshadows coverage of America's real warriors -- our servicemembers -- who are fighting and experiencing great needs and purposeful strides abroad and at home.

What's new for our veterans? Two online developments this weekend tell the tale. On the positive side, the 111th Congress has passed historic legislation giving unprecedented health and education benefits to our veterans, and the Obama administration VA just launched its Post-9/11 GI Bill Web site http://www.gibill.va.gov describing the resources funded through appropriations and the stimulus package. On the negative side, we have today's New York Times expose "After Combat, Victims of an Inner War," which demonstrates the acute need for more mental health screenings and suicide prevention work at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to help our servicemembers deal with the pressures of combat. It should be a wake-up call and teachable moment for all -- but can it compete with the media's preferred topics?

Why the disconnect in coverage?

Part of it is America's civilian-military divide. As young Iraq veteran Phil Carter told me in an interview for my book Campaign Boot Camp:

With less than 1% of Americans and less than 3% of our draft-age population serving in uniform, 'there is a deep civilian-military divide, which is dangerous for the heath and future of our democracy.'

Grassroots efforts to bridge the divide, and to help military families, and returning veterans receive information about resources from peer counseling to education to employment, are strengthened by groups like Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America http://www.iava.org and Welcome Back Veterans Welcome Back Veterans.

Part of the disconnect may also be that while it took Democrats to pass and sign the Post-9/11 GI Bill, many military family issues receive broad bipartisan support -- which blows the professional punditry's preferred "partisan bickering" argument.

Unless there is a conscious decision to drive coverage of these issues, the American civilian-military divide remains. If the cable bosses can order Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly to stand down in their public relations fight, can they order their on-air staff to stand up for our military families in their actual fight?

Follow Christine Pelosi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sfpelosi

Comments

[lyonsthinker]

The number of U.S. servicemen and women lost to suicide rivals the number killed in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am working on a project to bring awareness to this most difficult issue, and it's called the Wingman Project. http://WingmanProject.orgg) I am the film producer creating the media to illustrate the very real situation these folks are facing.

The one question that helps tremendously is to ask a person who may be suicidal: "Are you thinking of suicide?' That question seems unaskable but is one that saves lives. Not, "Are you going to hurt yourself?" or any other watered-down versions, but simply: "Are you thinking of suicide?" Once the person can share the thoughts with someone else, then they can finally get someone else involved to help them help themselves. (Here's a scenario of an Intervention: http://vimeo.com/6242892)

If you recognize any of the symptoms in your family or friends, they need YOU to be their WINGMAN--please direct them to the site for help. We can all learn how to recognize the signs of suicide and hopefully save a life.

[cloudminder]

well, there are two big issues

1- are the soldiers coming back from war going to receive psychological support while they are transitioning from the battlefield to campus?

2- is the University of California going to become less corrupt and even be a place these soldiers would even want to get their degree from?

http://cloudminder.blogspot.com/

Californians need to be concerned about the corruption taking place at UC and CSU

[larry278]

As a very old veteran, I don't take it as a given when a person or a body of people says the he/she/it are a friend of a GI or a veteran that includes some traditional veterans groups. There are times when a person or a groups agenda, hidden or not, isn't relevant to why I chose to serve & what I learned as a GI.

[Christine Pelosi - Huffpost Blogger]

Larry278, I feel the same as a new mother - just because someone says they support women and children doesn't mean they do - one must look to their body of work.

[StopInjustice]

Ms. Pelosi,
As a new mother there is no doubt in my mind that you want to make this world a better and safer place for your child. My wife and I were fortunate to witness President Obama’s inauguration on the capitol grounds. I have never seen such a diverse crowd be so mutually respectful and united, it was magical. For a brief few days I witnessed what the American dream is, and it is worth fighting for. Everyone, including veterans and mothers must persevere to make the American dream a reality for our children. Christine, thanks for doing your part.

[Melissa]

I don't know if Olmbermann is a supporter of the troops but Bill O'Reilly is and so is Hannity. I am really glad this GI bill is being passed. Both my uncles, injured in WWII, received their education on the GI Bill and were forever greatful for the life that education gave them.

[StopInjustice]

Ms. Pelosi,

As a military veteran I appreciate your support in this column. But as I have stated in the paragraph below the hateful culture at AmeriCorps that is directed towards veterans is shameful. I refused to conspire with staff members to extort money from the young volunteers (the money was taken in the form of “fines” for losing their ID cards and dorm keys). I also refused to condone massive fraud and waste and actually reduced it by over a million dollars. When I refused to engage in the criminal misconduct I was accused of not being a “team player” by the National Director. My concerns regarding the hostility directed towards military veterans were summarily dismissed by the former national director of AmeriCorps, and subsequently got worse. This is the tip of the iceberg.

Ms. Pelosi, if you are serious and want to help veterans and save the AmeriCorps brand, I urge you to contact me? You have my permission to contact me. You can get my phone number from Congresswoman Matsui’s office, in Sacramento. I filed a large criminal complaint through her office to the Department of Justice in May urging that the IG be removed along with other AmeriCorps / CNCS senior management officials. I am still waiting for a response.

[StopInjustice]

The non-veterans on staff at the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps campus in Sacramento are hostile towards their fellow military veterans. Most of the vets have either left or been forced out after being assaulted. After decades of honorable service the veterans civil service careers were ruined. Pleas to the former National Director of AmeriCorps were ignored. The Director resigned in March 2009.

In my opinion it is un-American to treat the veterans as poorly as AmeriCorps does. Support for the presence of veterans on staff was even taken out of the legislation recently passed by President Obama.

The hateful culture towards military veterans in Sacramento needs to be fixed. Don't take my word for it; do some research. Ask the remaining vets how unhappy they are. Ask the CNCS about why the attrition rate of the career vets is so high compared to non-vets over the last 3 years.

[freelyb]

How'd her movie turn out, by the way? Keep promoting mediocrity. It's done such a good job so far.

[SeriousBlack]

And that has what to do with the issue she is commenting on?

Oh, I forgot - you're a conservative. That means you support our troops. (I note the concern for them in your post.)