Watch the following video released a couple of days ago.
I’m padre for the local Royal Canadian Legion. I talk to veterans old and young. I talk with those who are diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and with those who probably should have been diagnosed with it.
I hear of the images they describe of what they have seen in theatre. I hear their stories about how the nightmares shake them awake at night. I hear how their wives need to leave the house for weeks at a time, just to be safe. I hear stories of deep depression and the potential for self-destruction. And I hear how they struggle with where to go for help.
I also hear how the staff at the local Veterans Affairs office help them get their lives back on track. I hear how these amazing, caring individuals talk to these veterans to get them the resources and help they so desperately need. Help they would never receive if it wasn’t near by.
Yes, our country is trying to save some money in the budget. But I can think of many other ways to save than to cut vital resources for those who have bravely put their lives on the line in the name of freedom and peace for our country and for other nations around the world.