Dear Next President,

Out of the 318.9 million people that live in the Unites states, 1.4 million of American citizens serve in the U.S. military. 1.4 million of our own brave men and women risk their lives to protect what we worked so hard to accomplish, freedom. It is of utmost importance that our veterans are treated properly. There are many possibilities of how to honor and respect veterans. We can give them financial and medical benefits that help them recuperate after the trauma of war, offer counseling to reset their minds and liven their spirits, and provide housing for homeless veterans after they return to America.

The U. S. already provides some of the benefits listed such as disability benefits and loans for veterans to be able to purchase homes. There are approximately twenty-three Veteran Association hospitals throughout the country, but, even though the country has those resources available for veterans, many people think the treatment they are receiving is far below satisfactory. Dr Arthur A. Fletcher one stated, “If your life becomes so miserable that you want to commit suicide, just check into a VA hospital. It won’t take long,” (Downey). Even though America does have the resources available, they do not provide compensation for the amount these veterans give up for their country. Since the Revolutionary war, 1,194,354 people and counting have given up their lives to defend this country ("How Many Americans Have Died in U.S. Wars?"). Also, 2.6 percent of the veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan only suffer limb loss in war (Klimas). No one should have to suffer that level of trauma, but the brave men and women of this great nation would do anything to defend their home. If anything, making VA hospitals safer and more satisfactory for veterans would be the least the U.S. could do.

War is more than just a conflict between two people or countries, it is a battle with psychology. PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) has everlasting effects on the brain. The prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus are first responders of stress signals. Trauma of war can negatively change these important parts of the brain. Between making them produce more hormones and making them shrink, PTSD is one of the main psychological effects of war. Benefits for psychological trauma should also be more satisfactory. Veterans of war have seen everything imaginable. They watch their friends and enemies die fighting for what they believe in, yet they have to come home and forget about all of those things.

Our veterans are supposed to be provided with housing after they return home. Since that’s the case, then why there are still a ton of homeless veterans doesn’t make sense. Many people say veterans are perfectly taken care of in the U.S. Sadly, now-a-days that is far less than true. Until more veterans are housed than refugees, then the U.S. has a major problem. No veteran should have to come home to nothing.

In Conclusion, veterans aren’t treated like they are promised. Fixing VA hospitals, providing better psychological benefits, and housing the people that fought for this country are the stepping stones to better treatment. Let’s step up and help these brave men and women.

Sincerely,

Danielle

Works Cited

Berger, Sarah. "Survey Reveals US Veterans Feel Shortchanged."International Business Times. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

Bremner, J. Douglas. "Traumatic Stress: Effects on the Brain." Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. Les Laboratoires Servier, Dec. 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, Office of the

Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Management, Office of Facilities, Access and Administration. "Veterans Benefits Administration." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

Downey, R. "Our Shameful Treatment of American Veterans." Our Shameful Treatment of American Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

"Feature: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic / Neuroscience and PTSD Treatments | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine."Feature: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic / Neuroscience and PTSD Treatments. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

"How Many Americans Have Died in U.S. Wars?" PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Klimas, Jacqueline. "More than 1,000 Troops Have Lost Limbs in Iraq, Afghanistan: Report." Washington Times. The Washington Times, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Mattson, Ed."Where Does VA Stand Compared to Other Countries?" Veterans Today. 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

Poor Health Care for Veterans." Center for Public Integrity. 19 May 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2016. Https://www.publicintegrity.org/authors/center-public-integrity.

"Reform Government For Today’s Veterans » Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America (IAVA)." Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. N.p., 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.