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Much on my mind as I am and have been watching morning news recently. Maybe I should stop for a few days.
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On the Today Show (NBC) this morning:
In the face of rising foreclosures, there is a rise in pets being abandoned, or in better circumstances, left at shelters for re-adoption. As people are losing homes, they often can not find apartments or rental homes that allow pets in their income range. The numbers of pets in shelters is rising alarmingly.
There is one bright spot in this terrible trend. PAWS, Chicago, a no-kill facility, has begun a "Foreclosure Program," so animal owners can leave their pets while they sort out their finances. If they are able to take the pet back after relocating, they may; if not the shelter will find a new home for the pet.
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Yesterday on the same show was an interview with Phil Donahue who made a documentary titled "Body of War" about the effects of combat. It features Thomas Young, and it looks at the challenges this young man faces daily. You can find out more about it here. Mr. Young volunteered to go to Afghanistan after 9/11. He was, instead, sent to Iraq, a war that he considers unjust. He was injured and paralyzed from the waist down by a bullet to his spine, just days after arriving on his first deployment.
Mr. Young made several statements during the interview that struck me. I'm going to do my best to restate them here. I ran the DVR back several times to try to be accurate.
The only people who should be able to say they support this war are those who have been there, served.
If you haven't been there and seen what goes on, you don't get to be a side-line cheerleader.
Anyone can be against this war in Iraq, because what they want is the troops to come home safely and to be used properly, as they volunteered, to defend the Constitution and the country.
This documentary is not scheduled to be anywhere that I can see it in the near future, but I hope to see it when possible. I hope everyone who has the chance will do so. There is a schedule of showings on the web page as well as a link to watch the trailer. The trailer is powerful.
What this man says is a direct reflection of the views I heard from vets of all wars since 1950 as I sat in various waiting rooms of the VA hospitals in 2004 and 2005. The only ones who reflected feeling they were involved in "just wars," were those from WWII. And none ... n.o.n.e ... felt that the current war should have our troops involved.
:'(
I've carried concerns about these "military involvements" for a long time. Viet Nam was the blemish on my young years, and I've never outgrown it. It seems to become more infected with each subsequent war. I wrote about it years ago, I think about ten years back. I simply don't understand the need to do other than what Mr. Young said ... defend our Constitution and country.
OK, I gotta get busy. I need to work out my angst.
That makes me really sad about the pets :(
ReplyDeletePatti, yes, but I'm glad PAWS is doing what they are. Perhaps other shelters will follow.
ReplyDeleteI saw something the other day about Hurricane Katrina and New Orlean where people ran and left their pets and within two weeks the dogs had reverted into their wild state and were killing cats and smaller dogs to eat.
ReplyDeleteIf people took responsabilty for their pets there wouldn;t be a problem.
PAWs is doing a great job of it but i bet money would be needed. I think that when a person buys a pet the animal should be electronically tagged with its name and the owner and if an owner abandons the pet and is found they should be forced to pay for its up keep until a new home is found.
The saddest part of the history of war is that the vets never get to write it. only to serve, die or fade away when it's over. The ones that don;t go make up the stats and stories they want us to hear.
Walker, your idea for tracking pet owners isn't a bad idea. It would surely make people think twice before adopting a new family member if they aren't committed to it. It doesn't take long for an animal to to what it must to survive, and you can't blame the poor creatures.
ReplyDeleteI heard several veterans saying similar things. They felt that they were used, then ignored when it came time for opinions. I admire Mr. Young for speaking out. It is not a pretty situation, and the follow up care for veterans isn't much to be touted, either. My husband had excellent care, the doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff were wonderful to us. But above them were the offices of red tape which stood between many vets and their care. It was sad to hear how they felt about the war and then how they are ignored when they return with injuries or mental illness. Abhorable.
I don't understand people that would leave behind their pets. I would rather live in my car with my pets then in a home without my pets. I think of all the cats that would have been left if my parents weren't there to pick up after my brother.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, I agree, but one of the women who was highlighted on Today lost her CAR, then her HOUSE, and she had nowhere to go but to an apartment in which she couldn't afford with the pet fees. She took her dog to PAWS. It simply sucks, no, it SUCKS that people are put into positions where they lose so much. I can't imagine losing my babies. Yeah, if I had a car left, I'd be there, too.
ReplyDeleteI cannot read or listen to the news for more than a day or two at a time. Then I have to take a break. Sometimes weeks at a time. It usually triggers some pretty serious issues for me and I can't function if I'm terrified all the time. So, I get my news in small pieces from specific places. I'm glad I read this tonight. You've been on my mind lately.
ReplyDeleteTraci, it's sad, isn't it? I've actually found some peace since I don't listen to news as often as I used to. Isn't that odd? You've been on my mind, too. Hugs, Traci. :)
ReplyDeleteWe're of the same mindset. "Just wars" are a thing of the past, if there ever were any. WWII is the only time I've heard veterans say they felt good about what they did. We spend a lot of time talking about wars and stuff since Almost Hubs is a WWII buff and my dad is a civil war buff, and we've come up with the idea that unless you've been there it's wrong to glorify it. Listen to the people who come home - when they're saying we shouldn't be there you know there's a problem.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Oprah is featuring puppy mills on her show tomorrow. Between that story you told us about and that show I'll cry all weekend.
Melissa, I thin a key idea is that in WWII we were involved because of a direct, clear attach on US soil. I do no minimize what happened on 9/11, but a strongly question that our Middle East involvement is honestly related. I feel it is a ruse, an excuse to be there. Yeah, they shouldn't have to say ... there's a problem.
ReplyDeleteOK, I can't watch things about puppy mills. :'( I just can't.
Obviously that should be "attack" not "attach."
ReplyDelete