Letter to President Obama RE Soldier Suicides

President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500

President Obama:

The last time I wrote to you, I asked that you do something about the 9/11 first responders that are ill from working in the toxic conditions of Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks. Eventually the fund to give those heroes the health care that they deserved was approved by Congress. The fact that so much effort had to go toward approving the meager amount of money required to provide health care to those that stepped forward to bear the burden of rescuing survivors--before they were added to the list of casualties--reflects very poorly on the government of this country. And the fund did not initially include coverage of cancer unless the victim could prove that their cancer was caused by the toxic chemicals and elements at Ground Zero. I'm not sure how they were supposed to do that and I'm sure they were stumped as well. It is absolutely shameful the way we have treated those heroes.(1)

I've been hearing for years that our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are committing suicide at rates far above what has been present in our military since the founding of our nation.(2) I expected that this problem would be addressed and get better over time but that does not appear to be the case. This is not acceptable to me so I call upon you, Mr. President, to address the issue personally.

I understand that you have a lot on your plate. The economy, the financial system and job creation all need your attention. These problems are monumental and affect the entire nation. But when the people who have given us our country, our way of life, our prosperity--and protect those things every day--are in jeopardy, I don't know what could be more important than making sure they are taken care of. How can I enjoy prosperity, safety and peace of mind knowing that the people responsible for allowing me to have those things are incapable of enjoying such things themselves?

Mr. President, it is not really your job to solve this problem personally but it wasn't exactly in the job description of our soldiers to be deployed on multiple protracted tours, fighting the two longest wars in our country's history simultaneously. None of our  soldiers could have known what they were signing up for. After all, the United States usually conducts wars competently and efficiently. But that was before profit became the primary motive for going to war. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan may have post-traumatic stress disorder, depleted uranium contamination, parasites and pathogens due to poorly treated drinking water and financial difficulties due to a lack of jobs. Some soldiers may be unable to work due to injuries sustained in battle and they are struggling as they wait for benefits.(3)

How long must they wait? Every veteran who needs health care should get it, no questions asked. There should be anonymous psychiatric services available 24/7 and just a phone call away. Currently, soldiers often refuse mental health assistance because it may be a black mark on their record and affect career advancement. Programs should be established to allow civilians to contact soldiers, meet with them and express their gratitude. Perhaps a program could be created whereby the US Post Office would deliver postcards from grateful citizens to struggling soldiers for free. How powerful would it be for someone to bring their best fried chicken to a struggling soldier to say "Thank you"?

The very wealthy in our country may not be willing to give up one dollar of their tax cuts to take care of our soldiers. But I believe and I hope that the rest of us, the so-called 99%, will step up and pledge to provide for our soldiers, no matter the cost. Our country can afford to take care of them. And if one soldier is contemplating suicide then we are not doing enough. So, Mr. President, please raise my taxes if necessary to ensure that needs of all veterans are provided for.

Sir, you were elected because we wanted a different kind of politician. One that would re-prioritize the nation's problems and find unique and effective ways of dealing with them. People believed we could make big, important changes for the country. But like George W. Bush, you have asked little of the citizens of the country while asking a tremendous amount of our soldiers and their families. In 2008, you stated on the campaign trail that change and strength for our nation must come from the bottom up.(4) But part of what satisfies and empowers people is being a part of effectuating that change and not just being beneficiaries of it.

Someone needs to lead the charge the way our soldiers have done. Like them, someone needs to go above and beyond for a cause that is so urgent and so critical. If you lead us, I believe this is a change we can make, despite the political division in the country right now. Please appoint someone you trust to address this problem as what it is: an urgent crisis. Oversee the operation personally and call upon US citizens to do what we can do to help. If we choose not do whatever is necessary to care for those that have sacrificed for us, what will other nations think of us? What will our soldiers think of us and what should we think of ourselves?

Respectfully,

~R. Charan Pagan
information systems technologist, musician, writer, filmmaker
Los Angeles, CA 90017
http://www.reclaimingourbirthright.blogspot.com/

(1)          http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zadroga-act-expanded-to-cover-50-different-types-of-cancer-159911035.html

(2)          http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57394452-10391704/study-suicide-rates-among-army-soldiers-up-80-percent/

(3)          http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2012/07/16/backlog-of-military-vets-awaits-service-disability-benefits/

(4)          http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/technology/07hughes.html?pagewanted=all