A couple of amateurs Here's a story we were meaning to get to, and then a whole bunch of other stuff happened. Last Friday, retired Army general and former CIA director David Petraeus and Mark Kelly, the retired NASA astronaut and husband of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, announced they were
A couple of days late ( I was on the road ), but perhaps I was reading too much into your response to me.
As it is, my initial response was snark ( agreeing with BitterScribe ), per the idea that Republicans have been pushing the supposed "VA Scandal", not because of any sense of right and wrong due vets, but to advance the interests of their political benefactors ( i.e. lobbyists ).
Sorry if I read too much into/misread your comment - I guess was too sore about that idea. As it is, one wonders if your relative has any opinion about the idea overall of "privatizing" the VA - not just "mental health care" ?
I'd argue it's just as misleading to suggest the reverse -- that suicide "often" follows mass murder implies it's unusual for suicide to happen by itself. The suicidally depressed really do not need further demonization. The vast majority are only a threat to themselves.
Addendum: studies of attempting suicides reveal that the vast majority are impulsive acts. That is, they didn't plan it out in much detail. The suicide who leaves a lot of clues and writes notes is actually the exception, not the rule. For this reason, controlling access to methods of suicide is surprisingly helpful in preventing suicide.
Linked article quotes an essay by Alexander Hamilton specifically saying “This [well-organized militia, i.e. the National Guard] appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it.” (my emphasis)
Yes. I have a hell of a lot more faith in the ability of the states' National Guard to go up against the Army, than I do about a bunch of Joe Sixpacks with their semi-automatic rifles that they were never properly trained on.
Yea but these are just government folks that are trying to keep us good citizens from taking over. Of course they don't want us having machine guns. They know if we do we could over power them and run things the right way. Kind of like the Bundys and those ranchers in Oregon did.
He is a fan of the VA as a whole as it is now and sees no reason to privatize. While some outside contracts were necessary because there simply weren't enough beds available it isn't because quality of care was lacking. There are a host of reasons why some VA hospitals/clinics were unprepared for the numbers of returning vets needing care and "the VA sucks" doesn't appear to be one of them.
AFAIK it's an issue of capacity primarily rooted in political causes. For what it's worth my relatives lean right and agree the demonization of the VA was loathsome and cowardly. Politicians scapegoated the VA.
While the VA is by no means perfect, as you mentioned that is true of all healthcare systems. You are correct that private hospitals are a crapshoot as well.
I read my comment again and can understand how it can be seen as pro privatization. You don't know me and have no way of knowing what my views are.
I should mention my views on the VA are influenced by where I've lived. Some areas of the country have higher populations of veterans and, from what I've seen and been told by veterans the quality of care tends to be higher. Two uncles and an older friend go out of their way because they prefer using the VA. They have other insurance and can well afford private care but they choose the VA.
Eliminates the 8-hour training requirement for a CWP handgun course, but maintains the topics that must be covered in that class.Waives the CWP training requirements for individuals that can prove they have completed military basic training or are a retired law enforcement officer that can prove graduation from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
Yeah, let's just waive all the training requirements but keep the training material current. Why? Just in case someone asks?
A couple of days late ( I was on the road ), but perhaps I was reading too much into your response to me.
As it is, my initial response was snark ( agreeing with BitterScribe ), per the idea that Republicans have been pushing the supposed "VA Scandal", not because of any sense of right and wrong due vets, but to advance the interests of their political benefactors ( i.e. lobbyists ).
Sorry if I read too much into/misread your comment - I guess was too sore about that idea. As it is, one wonders if your relative has any opinion about the idea overall of "privatizing" the VA - not just "mental health care" ?
I'd argue it's just as misleading to suggest the reverse -- that suicide "often" follows mass murder implies it's unusual for suicide to happen by itself. The suicidally depressed really do not need further demonization. The vast majority are only a threat to themselves.
Addendum: studies of attempting suicides reveal that the vast majority are impulsive acts. That is, they didn't plan it out in much detail. The suicide who leaves a lot of clues and writes notes is actually the exception, not the rule. For this reason, controlling access to methods of suicide is surprisingly helpful in preventing suicide.
Linked article quotes an essay by Alexander Hamilton specifically saying “This [well-organized militia, i.e. the National Guard] appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it.” (my emphasis)
Obama is a secret ventriloquist.
Yes. I have a hell of a lot more faith in the ability of the states' National Guard to go up against the Army, than I do about a bunch of Joe Sixpacks with their semi-automatic rifles that they were never properly trained on.
Yea but these are just government folks that are trying to keep us good citizens from taking over. Of course they don't want us having machine guns. They know if we do we could over power them and run things the right way. Kind of like the Bundys and those ranchers in Oregon did.
He is a fan of the VA as a whole as it is now and sees no reason to privatize. While some outside contracts were necessary because there simply weren't enough beds available it isn't because quality of care was lacking. There are a host of reasons why some VA hospitals/clinics were unprepared for the numbers of returning vets needing care and "the VA sucks" doesn't appear to be one of them.
AFAIK it's an issue of capacity primarily rooted in political causes. For what it's worth my relatives lean right and agree the demonization of the VA was loathsome and cowardly. Politicians scapegoated the VA.
While the VA is by no means perfect, as you mentioned that is true of all healthcare systems. You are correct that private hospitals are a crapshoot as well.
I read my comment again and can understand how it can be seen as pro privatization. You don't know me and have no way of knowing what my views are.
I should mention my views on the VA are influenced by where I've lived. Some areas of the country have higher populations of veterans and, from what I've seen and been told by veterans the quality of care tends to be higher. Two uncles and an older friend go out of their way because they prefer using the VA. They have other insurance and can well afford private care but they choose the VA.
So jealous right now.
Don't blame you.
Ever been in a Georgia Air National Guard C-123? There were times I was glad I was jumping out...
Gotta be one of the first signs of the coming apocalypse…
Some say he had difficulty separating his movie roles from real life.
Eliminates the 8-hour training requirement for a CWP handgun course, but maintains the topics that must be covered in that class.Waives the CWP training requirements for individuals that can prove they have completed military basic training or are a retired law enforcement officer that can prove graduation from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
Yeah, let's just waive all the training requirements but keep the training material current. Why? Just in case someone asks?
And your comment on that is . . . . ?
like trying to find logic where none exists...