I sincerely hope that everyone here in Gainesville had a great Veterans Day. Remembering those who have served our country — both the living and those who have passed away or died in action — is incredibly important. Our government is right to set aside a day for celebration and respect for the brave human beings who lay down their lives in the name of protecting every citizen of the U.S. Whether you agree with the military policies and actions the U.S. government has taken throughout history, the sacrifices made by our soldiers should never be diminished.
However, besides this national day of remembrance, it seems that the U.S. government has done little to show its appreciation and gratitude for the veterans who have risked their lives upholding the very foundations of the U.S. government. Our soldiers are lauded on Veterans Day, but often, living veterans who need help, support, health care and employment are forgotten and disrespected every other day of the year.
According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, homeless veterans make up 12 percent of the homeless population in the U.S., with 50,000 veterans who have no homes to call their own every night spread across the cities that have prospered and become the booming economic and cultural hubs of the world because of the sacrifices of these very individuals. Sadly, the state of Florida has one of the highest populations of homeless veterans. Along with California and New York, Florida accounts for 44 percent of these former soldiers.
America also doesn’t provide proper health care or mental health counseling for its veterans, which only increases the homeless population every year. There are a startling estimated 25 percent of young veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffer from various mental disorders, according to a CNN study. Soldiers also have a rate of major depression that is five times higher than that of civilians.
When young men and women return from fighting for the U.S., our government fails in its duty to care for and heal its own. The U.S government has often had issues protecting its soldiers in recent years, seen in the high rate of sexual assault that occurs in the military and the scandal involving the delay of health care services of recently returned soldiers that occurred in Phoenix earlier this year. The fact that so many soldiers remain homeless and unsupported when they return from service only increases the government’s failure to recognize and respect these men and women who risk and lose their lives. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cannot sufficiently care for the high number of individuals who need help and requires more funding to adequately provide services.
Monuments, salutes of respect and ribbons splashed with red, white and blue are very important. They demonstrate respect to the soldiers who have died on our behalf, but there are thousands of veterans who are alive, who have returned to the U.S. and now are suffering in silence, with little support from the very country they dedicated their lives to.
We should remember these veterans for more than just one day every year. The U.S. owes every veteran the support they need to live happily in this beautiful country they have sacrificed so much for.
Sally Greider is a UF English and public relations sophomore. Her columns usually appear on Tuesdays.
[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 11/13/2014]
