TominMaine and others are working on a new project but they’d like to include everyone’s thoughts in this process. Below is a list of questions, answering them will help them a great deal and provide a better foundation for their efforts.
A main goal is to bring the Netroots together with the Military and Veterans Groups. Right now there is a divide that could be overcome with a simple project or two like this one. So, below the fold are the questions:
1. If someone said the word Veteran to you, what comes to mind? Please just write down the first thoughts that come to you.
2. Besides online activities please name some other ways that Civilians could Support issues important to Veterans and the current serving Troops.
3. Would you be willing to link to our new project from your own blog or website or talk about stories posted on our site once we have it up and running smoothly?
4. Name your favorite web tools, like spell check, email this link etc. Which ones do you use a lot?
5. Name your favorite non-political websites.
6. If you are in the military or have served please tell us the first thoughts that come into your head when you hear the word Civilian.
Thanks for helping! We’ll have more posted on this project soon.
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a pro, someone experienced, a soldier come home from war, the very very old guy who sits in front of the supermarket on nice days giving red paper flowers or pencils in exchange for change… for vets.
there were two very good essays here recently… TominMaine’s piece on veterans you mention and srkpy’s essay on Human Rights Watch. it hit me that being forced to fight an illegal war for private profit and then, when those soldiers get home, to abandon them seems to be like human rights violations. torture of a different kind.
citizens need to demand their tax dollars be used in support of veterans and NOT war profiteering. we need to send a large amount of net and grass roots candidates into congress to reverse this and every other outrage…
http://elections.newsvine.com/
we can set up our own poll and thought: nlob might be interested in setting this up for DD, if you haven’t already.
#1, Veteran: People in my famly. People who sacrificed and served. People I worked for at the VA for 34 years.
#2. Support: 1. Lobby congress to give veterans the benefits they’ve earned. 2. Get informed and inform others about the symptoms and long range effects of PTSD and TBI–then support the efforts of activists like Ilona who are working tirelessly on behalf of these veterans.
#3. Yes. I don’t have a blog or website, but will comment and share any information I come across that might be useful.
#4. One excellent web resource that I use to find information or do research is refdesk.com.
#5. Non-political websites?–Hmmm, after checking my bookmarks, I see I’ll have to think about that one for a while & get back to you.
#6. N/A.
Author
Duke did a study on the current divide:
http://www.poli.duke.edu/civmil/
1. If someone said the word Veteran to you, what comes to mind? Please just write down the first thoughts that come to you.
~~A young Marine- husband, father- with traumatic brain injury. Vietnam. My (deceased) father.
2. Besides online activities please name some other ways that Civilians could Support issues important to Veterans and the current serving Troops.
~~Open meetings between Family Support Services and the local population. Workplace drop off sites for magazine, books, toothbrush, etc. donations to be sent oversees. Any effort to make the political personal.
3. Would you be willing to link to our new project from your own blog or website or talk about stories posted on our site once we have it up and running smoothly?
~~Yes, stories are crucial.
4. Name your favorite web tools, like spell check, email this link etc. Which ones do you use a lot?
I hate email! LOL
5. Name your favorite non-political websites.
~~Endicott Studio.
6. If you are in the military or have served please tell us the first thoughts that come into your head when you hear the word Civilian.
~~n/a
1) Honor, sacrifice
2) Supporting and contributing to Org’s….talking to vets, visiting VA hospitals?
3)Yes
4)spell check, lol
5 Post secret…um….
6) NA
I’m sure you know that the answers you get here will be as varied as the people who post them, and their answers will be in large part based on their own personal experiences.
For example, I asked an Air Force veteran what he thought of when he heard the word civilian. He thought for a minute, then said: “Hawk”. I was surprised at that answer, as I don’t consider myself a “Hawk”, and I’m a civilian, then I realized that he was thinking of his latest Iraq/Iran related conversations with civilian relatives (who never had served in the military–the AF vet remined me that “veterans” are civilians when their service ends). These relatives always talk about the military in terms of “we” need to go to (fill in the blank) and (fill in the blank).