Land of the Free Because of the Homeless
LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE HOMELESS
In this article by Shaunna Miller, We learn about the American service members who have unfortunately committed suicide. Yearly, more than 6,500 service members lose their lives due to suicide cases. What most individuals fail to realize is that the number by far exceeds that of those soldiers killed in both Afghanistan and Iraq combined over the last six years. Even those who are against the idea of committing suicide are at high risks of meeting another ill fate. Despite their efforts of fighting for a noble cause, most veterans of America are today homeless.
According to estimates of the Census Bureau of the United States, there are over 470,000 homeless people every night. When an analysis is carried out regarding the plight of the homeless veterans, the numbers are devastating. Of the adult population of the country, only about 11 percent are veterans, yet on any given night, veterans make over 154,000 of those individuals who are homeless. This represents over 33 percent of the homeless population. This implies that one third of those persons who are homeless are those people who at one time served this great country. It is not uncommon to find Vietnam War veterans holding placards in streets begging for food. More than 335,000 veterans were reported to be homeless in 2006 alone. According to studies, about 44,000-64,000 of this homeless population is categorized as being chronically homeless.
The big question remains why are individuals who served our country left to suffer alone. The major reason that has been given to explain why there exist so many homeless people among the veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Statistics from PTSD National Center reveal that this psychiatric disorder normally presents itself after an individual has been through events that are life-threatening. “Life changing monster” is the name that the disorder has been given by experts. Individuals who were once healthy suddenly
In this article by Shaunna Miller, We learn about the American service members who have unfortunately committed suicide. Yearly, more than 6,500 service members lose their lives due to suicide cases. What most individuals fail to realize is that the number by far exceeds that of those soldiers killed in both Afghanistan and Iraq combined over the last six years. Even those who are against the idea of committing suicide are at high risks of meeting another ill fate. Despite their efforts of fighting for a noble cause, most veterans of America are today homeless.
According to estimates of the Census Bureau of the United States, there are over 470,000 homeless people every night. When an analysis is carried out regarding the plight of the homeless veterans, the numbers are devastating. Of the adult population of the country, only about 11 percent are veterans, yet on any given night, veterans make over 154,000 of those individuals who are homeless. This represents over 33 percent of the homeless population. This implies that one third of those persons who are homeless are those people who at one time served this great country. It is not uncommon to find Vietnam War veterans holding placards in streets begging for food. More than 335,000 veterans were reported to be homeless in 2006 alone. According to studies, about 44,000-64,000 of this homeless population is categorized as being chronically homeless.
The big question remains why are individuals who served our country left to suffer alone. The major reason that has been given to explain why there exist so many homeless people among the veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Statistics from PTSD National Center reveal that this psychiatric disorder normally presents itself after an individual has been through events that are life-threatening. “Life changing monster” is the name that the disorder has been given by experts. Individuals who were once healthy suddenly