From: Andrea M Garcia <yaya1@mail.fresnostate.edu>
Date: Sat, Apr 12, 2014 at 2:40 PM
Subject: Democracy Now!
To: tkubal2.2009.protest@blogger.com
Andrea Garcia SOC 122 Social Movements
For this week we had to look up different articles on Democracy Now, I was really interesting in these two articles because they had similarities between them about our war veterans. The first article was "The war comes home": Deadly Fort Shooting Raises Questions About Treatment of Returning Vets. On April 2, 2014 authorities identified the shooter known as 34-year old Army Specialist Ivan Lopez, who left four dead, including the gunman and sixteen people wounded in an attack following that day. Lopez served in Iraq, but officials say he never saw combat. Two members spoke of Iraq Veterans Against the War saying they themselves had trouble getting help when they came back form Iraq, as well when they were in Fort Hood. Healthcare was very limited; it was available but not necessarily accessible. Both said it was a challenge seeking help with mental health so they can start taking care of themselves. It is a sham how our veterans aren't provided with the best mental healthcare that quick and accessible for them to start getting treatment. Even though a person does not necessarily are in battle they are affected by others who tell them of all the gruesome stories and details. Soldiers should be able to seek a councilor or therapist as soon as they get out of war so they can let out all those emotions and nerves so they can start coping with horrible images in their minds.
Another article in which was similar to this story was called "Drugging America's Veterans: Painkiller Abuse Spreads as VA Becomes Vets "Drug Dealer of Choice". What was interesting about this article was who U.S. soldiers who served in war and now veterans who are now addicted to prescription painkillers, which were prescribed to treat mental health and other physical injuries. Investigators show how VA prescribed four different opiates, which include hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, and morphine. Many of these veterans probably don't have any pain from battle that severely need all these strong opiates but they are abusing it because opiates are very addicting when you become dependent of them. It causes a big concern because we now have an addiction with our veterans and its our country who's doing this to our veterans.
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