Sullivan was working as an analyst at the Veterans Benefits Administration in Washington in early 2005 when he was called to a meeting with a top political appointee at the VA, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Michael McLendon. McLendon, an intensely focused man in a neatly pressed suit, kept a Bible on his desk at the office. Sullivan explained to McLendon and the other attendees that the rise in benefits claims the VA was noticing was caused partly by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who were suffering from PTSD. “That’s too many,” McLendon said, then hit his hand on the table. “They are too young” to be filing claims, and they are doing it “too soon.” He hit the table again. The claims, he said, are “costing us too much money,” and if the veterans “believed in God and country . . . they would not come home with PTSD.” At that point, he slammed his palm against the table a final time, making a loud smack. Everyone in the room fell silent.
53 comments
@David B: Now, now. Bush wasn't the only politico appointing people. There were always idiots in charge at multiple levels, and there always will be.
@Michael McLendon: Dude, you do realize the old line about "If the facts and the testimony are against you, pound the table" was just a lawyer joke, right?
I had PTSD, and it is no joke. Jumping, cringing and grating at every little noise makes your life completely dysfunctional.
This guy needs to be fired.
Why is it always the christ-stain conservatives behaving in this manner?
Why do so few of them actually serve their nation (militarily), yet so quickly jump at the chance to shove our young men and women into harm's way?
I noticed that McLendon didn't have a rank after his name, meaning, I assume, that he's never actually been in the military himself.
Which doesn't automatically make him unqualified at his job, but it does make his belief that "if the veterans 'believed in God and country ... they would not come home with PTSD'" unqualified.
So basically this Asshole's judgment is that if a Vet gets PTSD it's because they aren't a "True Patriot and Christian". F*ck you McLendon, seriously F*ck you.
Anyone read more of the reviews:
During the Iraq war, however, the great difficulty veterans experienced in getting psychiatric caregreater than beforewas not a product of cost-cutting, but of conviction: many Bush administration officials believed that soldiers who supported the war would not face psychological problems, and if they did, they would find comfort in faith. In a resigned tone, one prominent researcher who worked for the VA, and asked that he not be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the press, explained that high-ranking officials believed that “Jesus fixes everything.” Benimoff and the others who returned with devastating psychological injuries found a faith-based bureau within the VA. At veterans’ hospitals, chaplains were conducting spirituality assessments of patients.
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Are they ****ing insane?
If the State truly believed in God and country, they would not send "too young" people to be mentally scarred for life in far-away countries.
They ought to trust that God would protect their country from the heathens. (And that he can make oil spring out of the ground in the middle of the Bible Belt.)
Wait wasn't the fort Hood shooter one of the people who were supposed to help in the above system?
A Muslim being forced to turn their job into a "Pro-Christian" propaganda job. Radical religion meets Radical religion. Figures.
>> if the veterans “believed in God and country ... they would not come home with PTSD.” <<
Yeah, that's the problem with these whiny veterans: they just weren't patriotic enough ! It's not like any of them were willing to die for their country or anything.
What an asshole.
As a recently made OIF Marine Corps Veteran ENJOYING every fucking second of my PTSD and TBI filled afternoons at the clinic, I need someone to find me this guys address. I'm just gonna punch him in his fucking eye. That's it, I swear.
if the veterans “believed in God and country . . . they would not come home with PTSD.”
This kind of remarkable ignorance does not belong in charge of a McDonald's, much less in charge of a government program/bureau/association/whatthefuckever.
Ah yes, the Bush Administration.
I'm sure this character was educated over at Liberty University like most other in the same administration.
Their level of stupidity has only been seen lately in Sarah Palin and similar nutbags.
To every veteran on these boards: Thank you
To every veteran who has suffered PTSD or shell shock: I wish I knew how I could help you. I am so sorry
To Mr. McLendon: What have you got against our men and women? No fuck that What have you got against America? These people suffer for your rights. And you spit in their face. I met a man who had PTSD when I worked at Wal Mart. He told me he could buy the games for his son but could never play Gears of War or Modern Warfare because of what he had been through in Vietnam. That man is an American and fought for both of us. You sir. Mr. McLendon are an insult to Americans everywhere and owe each military personnel a thank you and an apology.
Dear Mr. McLendon,
Your an asshole for both saying that they are "costing us too much money", no amount of money is to much to help our vets. Then your a double asshole for saying that the only reason vets have PTSD is because they don't believe in "God and country." They deserve our respect and we should help them with it, for even one vet with PTSD is to many.
Fuck you.
SleepNeed
Too young? Children who have experience a disaster or trauma suffer from PTSD.
How about you take your chickenhawk ass to war, Michael, and see how you fare.
As an Australian service veteran I can assure you there is very little difference in our VA systems.
The newest federal minister responsible for Veterans Affairs is doing a great job in trying to change the system but the dinosaurs like this arsehole are firmly entrenched and try to prevent veterans from accessing their entitlements.
I would love to put them in harms way and see how they feel !
"The claims, he said, are “costing us too much money,”"
You have to wonder at the kind of "logic" that thinks spending billions on a war is okay, but balks at spending a few million on looking after the people who had to fight it.
This is why theocracies suck.
This is why America must never be a "Christian country."
This is why there is separation of church and state.
So thank you, Michael McLendon. I can think of no better argument in favour of secular government than your own skank-ass behaviour. And if ever anyone again doubts an atheists' patriotism I hope they are referred to you, the penny-pinching, neo-con pussy who valiantly fought to save America from having to pay too much to the people who risked their lives and sanity defending it, from behind a desk in Washington, DC.
It's funny that many of them, claim, sought help for their problem, BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF IN GOD. Please, look for a better way to express your lack of compasion.
The mention of god in this quote just lends more credence to those of us who think that current wars in the Middle East are a half-assed attempt at another Crusade.
I've done three tours in Afghanistan, and this quote is typical of the attitude of politicians towards the military, they want us to fight the wars they choose, and then quietly slink away when we're not needed, the certainly don't want us to cost them money that could be used to secure party contributions once we aren't shooting people for them!
@ FSMpirate: I'm in the RAF, and the only US Marines I've encountered have all been fundies, I've met enough that I began to think that the entire USMC posted on Rapture Ready, so I'm glad you've posted here, because now I know that some of you are indeed sane and normal!
As an Army medic who has seen and worked along with veterans with PTSD and a Christian myself, you mclendon, are an asshole.
For you to say that the claims you have seen are "too many", that "They are too young", it's "too soon", and it's "costing us too much money" is for a lack of a better term unfathomable.
You were put on that job to help veterans and be behind them in medical needs 100% no matter what the cost. You aren't a psychaitrist. You're just a person who is supposed to see that medical care, to include psychiatric care, is provided to veterans in an effective and efficent manner.
4 Step Perfect Proof for the Flying Spaghetti Monster
The Flying Spaghetti Monster said He proves Himself by observing pasta. Let's see if He is right. 1) Something can't come from that which does not exist, so pasta requires a cause. 2) Pasta can't always have existed because a) heat death would be far greater than it is, and b) mankind would have approximated into that alleged past eternity and not still be perfecting capellini all'amatriciana to the extent it still does along the exponential progression of conscience we are clearly on. What other option is there than the uncaused (uncreated) created?
Choose the one true faith (true reality) that comes out on top from the ones that are accessible: Christianity, Hinduism/Buddhism, Islam, Pastafarianism. Obviously Pastafarianism is the most personal because the Flying Spaghetti Monster reveals Himself in linguine. And only the Flying Spaghetti Monster is proven by the pirate proof and multiple resurrection appearances in various group settings, e.g.,
If you want to be eternally separated from the Flying Spaghetti Monster, it’s your choice to send yourself to be boiled in marinara. Unwittingly, however, you lead many people to the Flying Spaghetti Monster and strengthen the faith of Pastafarians and lead them to the stripper factory and the beer volcano because you are unable to disprove the perfect proof for the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
RAmen.
Yeah, fuck those assholes, risking life and limb, and then coming home all traumatized and shit by the horrors of watching human beings--some of them their closest friends--evaporated and ground into meat!
Aren't you the little righteous purity crusader?
Seriously. When is it okay to break Godwin?
@ anon
Sadly, many of my brothers weren't known for their philosophical wanderings...
And that whole "No atheists in fox-holes" is obviously bullshit...
Also, thank you, everyone who has preceded me in the military. And thank you, everyone who serves their country (even if it isn't the US).
You are the bad-asses.
Excuse me for a fundie-style, though I think deserved, rant.
THOSE FUCKERS SHOULD NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE NEAR POSITIONS OF POWER IN THE U.S.!!! EVER!!!1!
@Rambler:
"Are they ****ing insane?"
Uh,... yeah! (eye roll)
We tend to let the most insane people define reality simply because we can't shut them the f**k up. We only seem to notice that they're insane when they go too far. Well, on second thought, we also notice when they make hypocrites of themselves by acting normal.
One of the reviews here:
"During the Iraq war, however, the great difficulty veterans experienced in getting psychiatric caregreater than beforewas not a product of cost-cutting, but of conviction: many Bush administration officials believed that soldiers who supported the war would not face psychological problems, and if they did, they would find comfort in faith. In a resigned tone, one prominent researcher who worked for the VA, and asked that he not be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the press, explained that high-ranking officials believed that “Jesus fixes everything.” Benimoff and the others who returned with devastating psychological injuries found a faith-based bureau within the VA. At veterans’ hospitals, chaplains were conducting spirituality assessments of patients. "
This makes me more angry than I can say. THIS is why I get so angry over stupid ignorant theists talking about how religion is harmless and people go overboard with trying to force it out of the government. THIS is why. This makes me want to break something, scream, cry, swear, and then air drop all those damn snot-nosed evangelical Bush-administration bastards in Iraq to serve convoy duty for three tours when they're told that they'll only serve one. Let's see how far their belief 'in God and country' bullshit gets them then.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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