Minister Foote attacks Veteran

It didn't take long for the Liberals to get arrogant beyond belief did it? Last week the Liberals announced they were resuming the lawsuit against disabled veterans. Despite having passed a resolution in the House of Commons recognizing Canada's "sacred" duty to its injured veterans, a motion passed unanimously in the House, the good old Liberals just renewed the lawsuit against those same vets in the courts in BC. Among the points of contention - should veterans have to prove they are still disabled every 2 years? One of the vets in the suit points out his lost two legs are not going to regenerate themselves... and so it goes. The Liberals broke their word.

As one of those vets I was deeply angered at the betrayal. My local member of parliament Judy Foote, who also happens to sit at the right hand of the Prime Minister in Parliament, posted a few pictures of herself with provincial and federal politicians on Facebook a few days ago. It was the usual pomp and circumstance - flags, podium, smiling politicians - you get the idea. Ms. Foote captioned the photos with self-congratulatory commentary about $35 million the feds were putting into Newfoundland to help with roads, etc. Your typical political stuff here. However, given the absolute anger and borderline hatred displayed recently against the newly elected Liberal provincial government here, it was inflammatory at the least for Foote to be sitting with those same politicians extolling all that they're doing in the province. In other words, it was typical Newfoundland politics of "look at us, we're giving you money for a road, aren't we awesome". The flavour of politics here isn't going down well anymore.

My anger and disappointment at the Liberals renewal of the veterans lawsuit overcame me, as did the obvious attempt by Foote and her other Newfoundland and Labrador federal Liberal MPs to boost the provincial Liberal government, that I had to comment. As a disabled veteran, and as a member of Foote's riding, I thought it was my right to let her know my opinion on these issues. Wrong. Judy Foote, in her righteousness and arrogance decided that wasn't the case. Here's how it went down on Facebook:

Me: " Putting lipstick on a pig (the provincial Liberal Party)  doesn't help. They are tattered.    You should be convincing Trudeau to settle the lawsuit with injured veterans before you (the federal Liberal government) end up the same way."

This is how she responded:

"Well a happy 24th May long weekend to you too Brad. So now you've turned your sights to finding fault with initiatives I am taking as a Member of Parliament to help the people of NL. Why am I not surprised that I have ended up on your long list of those who just can't get it right and you say that without any idea of the work I do behind the scenes on many federal issues to make a difference in the lives of others including our veterans. It is so easy to find fault - having a positive impact takes effort and desire to effect real change and in some circumstances takes longer than in other cases."

Now, in case you can't find any logical connection with her response to me on Facebook and the comment posed to her, well let's just say you're not alone. Minister Foote in fact chose a public forum to marginalize, if not gently smear, a permanently, severely injured veteran - the kind she professes to do so much for. It is true that as a writer, commentator, and as a political scientist I do push for democratic change in this province. I push for fundamental change to the political culture of this province that Ms. Foote's commentary so richly illustrates. As part of that push for change I've written this post so that others can see not just the challenges seriously injured veterans must put up with in pushing for our rights, and those of our brothers and sisters, but also the contempt for which we are held in for doing so. Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees us the right to freedom of thought and expression. Apparently Minister Foote disagrees.

I'm Sorry Russia

There is something very wrong, and possibly very evil going on in our world today. Aside from all the conflicts spawned by greed and the desire to control in our world, there is some all too real revisionist history happening. When people, let alone governments, try to recreate history it's an ominous sign. A sign of hatred. Of deep hatred. That's what is happening right now in our world when it comes to the Russian (then Soviet) victory over Germany in World War Two.

The Soviet Union suffered 25 million killed in World War Two. By comparison, the other allied countries suffered:

United kingdom           450,900
United States                418,500
India                         2, 087,000
China                       15,000,000
Poland                       5,700,000
Yugoslavia                1,363,500
Dutch East Indies      3,500,000

and there are many more.

The Soviet Red Army suffered the most military deaths of any nation in World War Two at 9,750,000. Almost twice as many as the nearest country, its enemy, Germany. The Soviet people, comprised today of Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Belarus bled the German army white. Of all the German military deaths of World War Two, 2,742,909 were caused by the Soviet army on the Eastern Front. By way of comparison, only 534,683 were killed by all other allies put together on all other fronts. In this way it's clear to see that the vast majority of the German armed forces were wiped out by the Soviets between 1941-1945. For that sacrifice the world owes the old Soviet Union, or Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus our undying gratitude. No question. To believe otherwise is to disrespect the sacrifice of a generation.

However, that seems to be all the rage these days in the West. And, I'm having a very hard time with that. There are a few reasons. First off, we owe the families, mostly Russian, our eternal respect for the generations of young men and women lost. The families broken to bits. The loves lost. The communities, towns, cities destroyed. They took the steel punch of German Nazism for the rest of us. We set foot back in Normandy when the German army was essentially already defeated. Secondly, to white wash the heroic struggle of the Russian people is to invite a repetition of the same savage crime. We preach this constantly with the Holocaust - rightly so. However, it's as if the greater sacrifice of Russia is somehow less and open to some sort of political interpretation. Lastly, it speaks to who we are, not who they are. It says we are so superficial, so petulant, that we can allow such a sacrifice to be degraded to suit our present political needs or wants.

That leads me to the Victory Day celebrations and parade in Moscow in about a week from now. Countries like my own (Canada), Britain, the US, etc are boycotting the celebrations and parade marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Germany. As a son of a vet who fought in that war against the Nazis I find this new Western revisionism very hard to swallow. As a retired infantry vet myself I am ashamed by it. The disrespect is unconscionable. It is dark and it is evil. It goes against everything I believe in and hold as dear. The West should hold its head in collective shame. Not just the leadership, but also the people. It's a disgrace. I'm writing this post just to let the Russian people know that not everyone agrees with this slight. Not everyone sees sacrifice through the lens of political expediency. That the sacrifice of your people is recognized and honoured by anyone with any education and knowledge of history - even though it was just a short while ago. Mostly, I just wanted to say: "I'm sorry Russia".

How to Fix Veterans Affairs Canada

Veterans Affairs Canada is the department of government that's meant to look after the needs of Canada's military and RCMP veterans. These days, actual war veterans numbers are dramatically falling, while soldiers injured and hurt in normal duties is on the rise. Part of that is awareness of mental health issues like PTSD and/or Serious Depressive Disorder. Often referred to as "operational stress injury". However, the vast majority of injuries are of the physical nature. Currently there are just over 3000 civilian employees at Veterans Affairs administering the needs of people that the department refers to as "clients".

It's come to my attention that the new Veteran's Affairs Minister O'Toole has been heavily canvassing VAC staff to seek answers for making the system run smoother. One answer he appeared to receive was the need for more case managers. I would argue here that is the response of the bureaucracy seeking to help the bureaucracy and not the veteran. By way of example, it was three years into the process before I even new a case manager was assigned to me. I found out when a central VAC operator transferred me to him by mistake. Has it helped a lot since I found him. Not really. The case manager can't do a thing to speed up decision making on benefits, or anything similar to that. That process is highly centralized in certain centres in Quebec, and the Maritimes.

Where I believe Minister O'Toole is being lead astray is that the bureaucracy is more concerned with making its job easier, rather than making Veterans lives easier. The two are not necessarily the same. To understand Veteran's Affairs you need to realize that the department is heavily politicized. Not just by the current government. In fact the New Veterans Charter was brought in by the Martin Liberal government. It's sole purpose was to strip the right of injured Veterans to receive a proper disability pension, and instead give a one time payment. In other words, instead of a Veteran receiving over a million dollars over a life time on pension, he would receive on average $40,000.00 and cut loose. The Rehab program provides a stop gap measure for the most seriously injured, but there are not guarantees with it like there is with a pension.

Here are some steps that I believe would depoliticize Veterans Affairs and make it better for Veterans:

1. Disband Veterans Affairs Review and Appeal Boards. These two levels of appeal boards are all political appointees. Many are failed political candidates, party fund raisers, etc. Almost none are ex military, and even less have medical training. They are viewed, for reason, as persons delaying and denying Veterans benefits.

2. Replace the Review and Appeal Boards with single judges. Singular judges can be placed in each province or region, depending on demand. Judges are more likely to understand the evidence and the legislation. They are professional decision makers. They are required to be apolitical. When a Veteran can't get a positive decision at the review and then appeal level, he/she must go to Federal Court in any case, and all the Federal Court is currently empowered to do is refer the matter back to the same process a soldier just came out of - the review and/or appeal boards. A never ending bureaucratic ride that only serves to employ civil servants and delay/deny veterans. The result would be a judicial system, showing judicial respect, and a vast reduction in matters going as far as the Federal Court.

3. Amend the Canada Health Act to require doctors to conduct medical examinations, and complete paper work as required or face sanction for refusing to do so. Many Veterans find that doctors simply want nothing to do with the huge paperwork required of VAC, and therefore refuse Veterans a proper examination and most importantly the filling out of currently needed paperwork. An alternative to this is a massive reduction of the paperwork to two simple doctoral requirements: 1) Is there a diagnosis; and 2) If the answer is yes can it be contributed to military service. Pure and simple.

4. Do away with the massive amount of nitty-gritty medical analyses currently numbing the system. The system of awarding dollars or benefits based on fifths of an injury. If a soldier is injured he is injured. It doesn't matter whether three fifths or five fifths is attributable to military service. If he was injured during service that's it. Whether or not he can wipe his own arse, whether or not he can drive, etc. People with no legs can drive. Does that mean they are only partially disabled?  Drop all these massive manuals defining this degree of injury or that definition of injury. It's an injury. Full stop. Simplify so that the system meets the legislation, which means the soldier is given the "benefit of the doubt" by a "grateful nation". Not the soldier is given "what we have no choice to give him" by a "stingy nation".

5. Require that all injury claims be administered, adjudged, and settled no later than 1 year after application. With a massively reduced paperwork/bureaucratic trail, there is no reason why a soldier should have to wait for more than a year to finalize all his financial/benefit determinations. After which the soldier may or may not need further or life long care, but the dollars and cents that will stabilize his life and give the family peace of mind will be in place fast. In my own case it's been 5 years, and I'm not finished yet - which to me is bizarre. I know there are others that have been in the system for longer than that.

6. Institute a Triage System. Major injuries get priority handling, meaning they are expedited within weeks. Lesser injuries that are not considered major can be somewhat less. By way of example, if one soldier has injuries that could result in loss of life or ability to work, then it takes priority. Lesser injuries like arthritic pain in a limb are secondary for priority, but all must still be dealt with in a year.  

7. Layoff some staff and hire others. By massively simplifying paperwork, eliminating fifths of injury and other minute nitty-gritty diagnosis requirements, the government can massively reduce the work force in Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs salaries alone constitute about a quarter of a billion dollars. By reducing the administrative portion of VAC and refocusing it from an administrative organization to a "response" organization, the government can actually save money in pension and salaries to civil servants. In other words a complete culture change. We aren't "clients". We are Vets. We served our country. We didn't go to Walmart.

It's an old saying in the military: "KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid". Veterans Affairs doesn't need nips and tucks. Veterans Affairs need radical surgery. It's NOT the fault of this government. Veterans have been getting short shafted for decades. Where it's becoming an issue for this government is due to its continuation of the system, not the creation of it. That is understood by all Vets I believe. Certainly those of us who had parents serve in the Second World War understand that. The Canadian public needs to understand it as well. Transformation to serve the Veteran is what is necessary. Whether labour unions like or dislike the loss of membership is irrelevant. Treat the men and women with the respect and dedication they served with. Show them Canada cares, and not that Canada just does the bare minimum..or less. That's how to fix Veterans Affairs Canada.

On Heroes

This week marked the end of a long life of suffering, oppression, and final victory for Nelson Mandela. He passed away as a hero of the world. He is now with another of my greatest heroes - Martin Luther King. It is amazing, even ironic, that in a world that has seen nothing but the subjugation and oppression of black people, that two of the world's biggest heroes of modern time were black men. It's ironic because none of the "great" white men have made anywhere near an impression on the world, yet white societies have controlled the history books for a millennium. But, despite the absolute greatness of these two men, this article focuses on other heroes.

Master Cpl. Sylvain Lelievre, 3rd battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment; Master Cpl. William Elliott, CFB Shilo, 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; Warrant Officer Michael McNeil of 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment; and another yet named. These four men all committed suicide this week. They suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). These men are all heroes, tragic heroes, for suffering through the anger of PTSD, being ignored by the military, and sadly in the end taking their own lives.

There is also the case of Master Cpl. Kristian Wolowidnyk. He attempted suicide a few weeks ago, because the military was shuffling him out of the Canadian Forces for the great sin of having PTSD and associated depression. As the former Veteran's Ombudsman, Col. Strogran, himself suffering from PTSD, said this week on national television: " The government would rather have soldiers killed than come home wounded". Bottom-line, it's cheaper for them. A dead soldier equals a one time payment of less than $300,000. A wounded or disabled soldier is a "constant drain" on the system. Many with zero military experience, especially in the media, would consider this a radical statement, but those of us that have been in know it to be a fact.

Now, suddenly, with the death of four soldiers in one week the politicians are tripping all over themselves in concern. Do not believe it for a moment. That includes the military politicians. This week the Chief of Defence Staff issued an impassioned plea for vets to reach out for help if their PTSD is causing a crisis. Here is his advice: 

"If you have thoughts of suicide, help is immediately available by calling 911. Expert help is also available at your base and wing clinics, via the member assistance program (1-800-268-7708) or at your local emergency room.."

So call 911 is an option. Not original, and certainly not acquainted with vet's issues or PTSD, but they can send you an ambulance or the police. Local emergency room is an option also, if the vet wants to wait in an overcrowded room of sick people to talk for 2 minutes, if they are lucky, to a doctor. Seems to me the "emergency" type situation involved with a suicidal soldier requires specific "emergency" type response - let's say from the military. Oh, there is that 1-800 number. Can't recommend that option for a distressed soldier though. I've tried the number myself.

Here is what you will get on the other end: a person who does not work for the military; is not a medical person; is a bureaucrat from Health Canada; and will not provide you with any counselling. No, that person will take your name and number, will find a social worker or other professional in your area that has a contract with National Defence, and won't guarantee you will hear from that medical professional for at least a few days. When that medical professional contacts you, they will make an appointment for you when they can. Normally that is at least days. Oh yes, they won't diagnose you either. They will talk to you, but that's it. So if you need a sympathetic ear, and aren't concerned with what is happening to you, and aren't in a hurry, by all means contact the 1-800 number.

The Government of Canada's response to its vets is a shame akin to the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. How to get rid of an inconvenience en mass? Simply place them in a bureaucratic maze, or circus may be better, claim to be doing the honourable thing with plenty of resources at the ready, and then leave them to tread water until they snap or simply go away to make make out as they will. The entire veterans system in Canada is based on denying vets real assistance - like funding and proper, unobstructed treatment. 

Are the suicides of our four boys this week shocking? Yes they are. They are terrible. Their blood lays in the hands of a government and military that talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. As an Officer I used to eat last, and the men ate first. That's the way it is. You have what's left, and your men are taken care of before you are. Our government and military brass do the opposite. They take what they want, and the soldier is left with what is left, and that's usually nothing. If you are a civilian, and are reading this, do your part and contact your media, or MP, or write to the Minister of National Defence or the Prime Minister, and tell them how disgusted you really are. If you aren't disgusted, then ask yourself why not. If you are a member of our government reading this, know that you are betraying our heroes. If you are a soldier reading this, stay strong and remember the people in your life love you and need you, and that you are a hero.