Monday, May 26, 2014
Jon Stewart sets the record straight on vets medical care
by Larry Geller
On my way over to HPR this morning (to talk with Beth-Ann Kozlovich on The Conversation about Hawaii’s sad response to assisting its growing homelessness population) the radio news was speculating on whether Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki should be fired.
On my way back from the station, the radio program was debating whether Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki should be fired.
I’ve given my views here. But heck, what do I know.
If firing Shinseki will improve veterans’ access to medical care in some way, whether or not he is responsible, whether or not he has already brought about improvements (the radio folks didn’t seem to have any special insight), well, fire him.
But realistically, it may be unlikely to help anyone. So don’t fire him.
Jon Stewart revisited how well we have cared for our returning soldiers in a short spot on his Thursday 5/22/2014 program, a followup to his earlier spot on 5/19/2014. Check this one out. It’s short, well done, and to the point.
If you don’t watch the clip, in a nutshell: the problem is not just a current issue or one limited to this president’s administration. It seem to me that we treat our soldiers as disposable commodities as a longstanding matter of policy.
Though that’s not what you’ll hear in the media today, our Memorial Day holiday. That’s fine, but tomorrow, Washington should return to the problem. Will they?
We can help by urging our federal representatives to properly fund a medical care system that will ensure that each person in the system receives quality care in a timely way.
Don’t assume that because our Hawaii representatives are sympathetic that they are doing all that they can—ask for 120%. At least.
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