Monday, March 15, 2010

Homeless Vets

This is a guest post.



We Must Do More for Homeless Veterans

Last summer I volunteered for the NEPA Veterans Multicare Alliance and the LC Veteran Affairs office. I was surprised to learn that over 100k veterans are without permanent housing. That over one in three homeless men are vets. I feel this is immoral. If we asked someone to risk their life for our country, then are we not obligated to ensure they at least have a home? This is another reason I am voting for Joe Sestak for Senate.

The retired 3-star Navy admiral traveled five cities across Pennsylvania last week to bring the homeless veterans issues to the public. Traveling with members of Vet Vision, a national veterans advocacy group and publication that endorsed his Senate bid, Sestak warned that with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans more likely than veterans of any other conflict to end up on the streets, we must do all we can to prevent that from happening.


The leading voice on this issue in Congress, Sestak has already taken steps to help the Obama Administration’s goal of eliminating veteran homelessness within five years, including supporting the Veterans Bill of Rights, introducing legislation to increase housing assistance and getting additional funding to treat combat-related mental illnesses.


I don't need to point out to your readers what these people have done. We should be treating them as heroes. Why do our governments act as though we don't even owe them a decent home?

Thanks

Austin Smith Ford
Mountain Top

1 comment:

Stephen Albert said...

Well said Austin...very well said.