The convention covered five days. It was filled to the brim with speakers, workshops, films, caucus sessions and meetings. At the end, I was walking three feet off the ground. Many wonderful people with tremendous enthusiasm and sense of purpose promoted peace at this convention.
List of companies that use Monsanto products
In light of the recent public anger over the Monsanto Protection Act, here’s a simple, printable list of companies that use Monsanto products. By avoiding products made by companies on this list, you can help ensure your money isn’t going to Monsanto and also watch out for the health of your family and yourself.
http://pleasekillme.com/printable-list-of-monsanto-owned-food-producers/
Suicide Rate Among Vets on the rise
“More U.S. soldiers on active duty committed suicide than died in combat last year, shocking new figures reveal.” January 4th, 2013, The Daily Mail.
“I Am Sorry That It Has Come to This”: A Soldier’s Last Words
Link: http://gawker.com/i-am-sorry-that-it-has-come-to-this-a-soldiers-last-534538357
Suicide Rate Among Vets and Active Duty Military Jumps” – Now 22 A Day by Melanie Haiken, February 5th, 2013, Forbes.
Link to Article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/02/05/22-the-number-of-veterans-who-now-commit-suicide-every-day/
America’s Upside-Down Morality: Bradley Manning Apologizes for Doing the Right Thing
Pvt. Bradley Manning has apologized for leaking documents on U.S. government wrongdoing.The sad spectacle underscores how upside-down American morality now is —Robert Parry
READ ARTICLE: http://consortiumnews.com/2013/08/15/americas-upside-down-morality/
VA Grants up to One Year Retroactive Benefits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2013
VA Grants up to One Year Retroactive Benefits for Veterans Filing Fully Developed Claims to Help Reduce the Backlog
New Benefit Takes Effect August 6 for First-Time Filers
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that Veterans filing an original Fully Developed Claim (FDC) for service-connected disability compensation may be entitled to up to one-year of retroactive disability benefits. The retroactive benefits, which are in effect Aug. 6, 2013, through Aug. 5, 2015, are a result of a comprehensive legislative package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last year.
“VA strongly encourages Veterans to work with Veterans Service Organizations to file Fully Developed Claims and participate in this initiative, since it means more money in eligible Veterans’ pockets simply by providing VA the information it needs up front,” said Allison A. Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits. “At the same time, it helps reduce the inventory of pending claims by speeding the process.”
Filing an FDC is typically the fastest way for Veterans to receive a decision on their claims because Fully Developed Claims require Veterans to provide all supporting evidence in their possession when they submit their claims.Often, this is evidence that VA legally must attempt to collect on the Veteran’s behalf, which is already in the Veteran’s possession, or is evidence the Veteran could easily obtain, like private treatment records.
When Veterans submit such evidence with their claims, it significantly reduces the amount of time VA spends gathering evidence from them or other sources — often the longest part of the claims process. While VA will still make efforts to obtain federal records on the Veterans’ behalf, the submittal of non-federal records (and any federal records the Veteran may have) with the claim allows VA to issue a decision to the Veteran more quickly. Typically, VA processes FDCs in half the time it takes for a traditionally filed claim.
FDCs can be filed digitally through the joint, DoD-VA online portal, eBenefits (www.ebenfits.va.gov). VA encourages Veterans who cannot file online to work with an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) who can file claims digitally on Veterans’ behalf. While submitting an FDC provides a faster decision for any compensation or pension claim, only Veterans who are submitting their very first compensation claim as an FDC are potentially eligible for up to one-year of retroactive disability benefits under the newly implemented law.
FDCs help eliminate VA’s claims backlog because they increase production of claims decisions and decrease waiting times. Also, VA assigns FDCs a higher priority than other claims which means Veterans receive decisions to their claim faster than traditional claims.
VA continues to prioritize other specific categories of claims, including those of seriously wounded, terminally ill, Medal of Honor recipients, former Prisoners of War, the homeless and those experiencing extreme financial hardship. As part of its drive to eliminate the claims backlog in 2015, VA also gives a priority to claims more than a year old.
In May, VA announced a new partnership with Veterans Service Organizations and others known as the “Community of Practice,” an effort that seeks to reduce the compensation claims backlog for Veterans by increasing the number of FDCs filed by Veterans and their advocates.
VA is continuing to implement several initiatives to meet the Department’s goal to eliminate the claims backlog in 2015. In May, VA announced that it was mandating overtime for claims processors in its 56 regional benefits offices to increase production of compensation claims decisions through the end of FY 2013. In April, VA launched an initiative to expedite disability compensation claims decisions for Veterans who have a waited a year or longer
As a result of these initiatives, VA’s total claims inventory remains at lower levels not seen since August 2011. The number of claims in the VA backlog – claims pending over 125 days – has been reduced by 17 percent compared to the highest point in March 2013.
Veterans can learn more about disability benefits on the joint Department of Defense—VA web portal eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov, and the FDC program at www.benefits.va.gov/fdc/.
Ken Gray
Senior Field Representative
Congressman Mark Amodei
Second District of Nevada
5310 Kietzke Lane
Suite 103
Reno, Nv. 89511
Tel. 775-686-5760
email: Ken.Gray@mail.house.gov
Veteran Suicide Rate rose from 18 per day to 22 per day this year
Hi all,
As a volunteer service officer with the VFW, my top concern is a veteran suicide rate that this year rose from 18 per day to 22 per day. It is barely known that the average age of most of those taking their own life is over 50 and the Veterans Administration has failed to emphasize a historic cause of suicide. Attached is a list of the 71 DBQs that Healthcare providers now access to diagnose veteran disabilities. In the three DBQ’s related to psychological issues, notice that there is no accountability for those who have screwed up our society. The attached DBQ pertaining to PTSD (VBA-21-0960P-3) mainly blames the veteran. It’s somewhat like ignoring the Nazis in causing the Holocaust. There should – at least – be a separate DBQ for something like “cognitive dissonance” (culture shock?, moral violence?) because a major historic cause of suicide is well documented as “Anomie” of which a definition is attached.
The simple truth is that false leaders lied and soldiers died – but not only soldiers – many more innocent civilians. Slavery is slavery; war is war; and murder is murder. Since World 2 (and certainly Vietnam), our politicians have mixed these together and pretend to misunderstand the difference. The main problem with “peace” groups is that they accept the mixed definition. Soldiers and citizens were not meant to be slaves, so the false “masters” who have restored slavery need to be removed from power. Before chasing after peace or trying to end war, we must first assign accountability to the murdering war criminals and try to put them behind bars.
Peace without justice is not a worthwhile goal and, between these, what comes first should be obvious. It’s common sense! To develop tactics on restoring justice, you might want to learn from “In The King of Prussia” (1982, 91m)at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUph8GWFupE. It is a portrayal of the denial of Due Process after the “Plowshares 8” civic action against nuclear genocide at the GE plant in King of Prussia PA (9 Sept.1980).
This is a topic for longer discussion so feedback is welcome.
In fellowship
Victor
VFP Chapter 152
Vietnam War veteran arrested for participating in the Solidarity Sing Along
8.7.13
Mike Harrington, a Vietnam War veteran with Veterans for Peace, was arrested over the noon hour for participating in the Solidarity Sing Along. Capitol Police took a large white Veterans for Peace flag from Harrington’s hands and rolled it up. They handcuffed Harrington and marched him out of the rotunda, followed by his fellow Veterans for Peace activists and a crowd of outraged supporters.
Alt Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhXcmgQFvE&feature=share&list=UUmmBfhXY6ng65cULT7_v9TA