The problem is that while we understand that vets can have a difficult time, and can use help, we all know that the Trump Administration is not the entity to tackle the issue.
At best, they will make it all about enriching some corporation with a giant contract that does absolutely nothing to move the needle, and at worst it will be an inhumane warehouse to detain inconvenient people.
At first they came for the Latinos then they came for the veterans… That’s kind of the vibe I’m getting…
I didn’t read the article though and it seems like there might be a need for some of this, but I don’t trust this administration to actually address anybody’s problems… probably just going to Make some company a lot of money.
So I work with people experiencing homelessness, and can tell you with authority that there are often times when we know someone meets criteria for guardianship and would genuinely benefit from it, however they have no known next of kin and the alternative state-initiated process can take years.
Based on what I’m reading, they’re not talking about seeking guardianship for someone just for being homeless, they’re talking about people who have debilitating medical or psychiatric conditions, which often co-occur with homelessness. I think this is a good thing, and I wish my state would support enhanced guardianship capacity for the civilians who need this.
I notice the title posted here has been edited to remove “some” homeless veterans, which was already doing the heavy lifting as clickbait for the NYT. This effort is clearly not aimed at homeless veterans, but some homeless veterans may be impacted if they meet guardianship criteria.
they’re talking about people who have debilitating medical or psychiatric conditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_abuse_of_psychiatry_in_the_Soviet_Union
In times like ours, I’m going to oppose any attempt to expand the powers governments have at putting people in cages, however benevolent the aim.
Yeah, my wife works with homeless veterans. They run the gamut, from hard on your luck to absolutely insane. She had to call PD yesterday because one threatened suicide. She convinced another to speak to a therapist after she acted as a mediator for two hours between the vet and their landlord.
Some of these folks are just off the deep end. Some have very serious drug addictions. And some are fine. If people like my wife got to be part of the process for determining whether someone needed to be institutionalized, I feel like I could trust that process.
Honest question. Do you trust this administration, our systems as they stand, and do you understand the historical significance of such measures?
Because I can answer those.
No. Yes. Yes.
And in no way, shape, or form would I grant them this power. Especially since we literally have a talking head on the main network that our current president literally hires from that straight up suggested just killing homeless people because it’d be easier.
So, I understand and can respect your good faith interpretation, and I understand how you could believe this could be used for good but with all that said, are you outta your god damned mind? Of course they’re gonna end up abusing that power. It’s a literal inevitability.
But what they’re proposing here isn’t something like the VA/feds deciding someone gets a guardian, all they’re proposing is giving physicians with the VA the power to refer people into the guardianship legal process in state courts, specifically Virginia. Potential wards would still be subject to a full vetting by county-level guardianship investigators who are typically attorneys, and then be appointed an attorney ad litem, and then go before a judge to argue their case, and then be subject to regular judicial follow-ups to make sure things are on track.
They’re not proposing tearing down any of the existing guardrails to protect people, nor are they attempting to federalize this process. Do I trust the Trump Admin? Absolutely not. But I see no shenanigans with this one
i mean it’s possible it could be better than homelessness. unlikely, but possible
Has anyone tried, IDK, giving them a home?
You’d be surprised, I think, at how many of the homeless are there because they are unfit for housing; and refuse all help when offered. NYC is home, and there are more than a few homeless vets that would not be allowed in a normal housing unit. Vancouver has a similar problem
Brother, yes, we have. I have a list of people I can name who we helped house in my city through public housing or permanent supportive housing vouchers and who 1. refused to move in and lost the opportunity, 2. moved in but later decided they’d rather be on the street, or 3. were evicted due to behavioral issues. Most of these people would not meet guardianship criteria, but some definitely would.
And of those how many simply didn’t agree to the conditions your program required? Curfew, drug testing, work requirements, no company(perhaps)?
None of those rules apply at any of the housing programs we work with. People sign leases and have their own apartment. There is no curfew, no expectation of sobriety, it’s 100% free for those with zero income and ridiculously low rent for those with income, and they’re welcome to have guests as long as they don’t stay there long-term. They also have food pantries and laundry on site, as well as case managers and mental health support whenever someone needs it.
Yes? Housing at least, if not a home. Many homeless are more so that way due to mental heath issues. I’m not sure if forced treatment will really help them tho.
So this is why they’re turning VA lawyers into part time prosecutors. Great.
They’re building concentration camps and the scope of who they target for detention increases. Immigrants. Now US citizens. It will not stop until we stop it.
Frankly, anyone trained to kill by the state should be on parole for the rest of their lives and strict controls on their conduct.
This is an unhinged take
So serial killers are acceptable as long as they wear a costume to do it with extraordinarily flamboyant equipment?
Only a severely touched individual with chronic “im14” brain would unironically treat all veterans as a monolith and make a universal comparison to serial killers.
You need grass in your life.
I was an 0317 in the Marines which tells you how long ago that was. I regret what I did every day of my life. I council, volunteer, teach, organize, contribute and instruct for many mutual aid groups that serve the unhoused and all marginilized people who want help.
There is nothing I can ever do to forgive myself so my life is guided by helping others. There is absolutely no way I could’ve done any of that in the care of the state. Puttng combat vets behind bars often makes everything so much worse.
Fuck Trump, Fuck this war in Iran. Fuck Israel. Most of all. Fuck not collaborating with your fellow comrades to work to end this fascist administration. Fuck purity tests.
I don’t know how your military works, but in the US military, most people aren’t trained to kill. The majority are trained to sling wrenches, manage accounts, monitor software programs, prepare meals, and conduct necessary supply and maintenance duties.
Despite the fact that they aren’t out killing people, many still experience profound trauma that permanently alters the course of their lives. The suicide rate for veterans is staggering; additionally, tens of thousands of vets slow-suicide, which often results in periods of alienation and homelessness. This “resolution” is about the vets who don’t have the decency to crawl into a dark corner and die quickly.
Plus. Most Americans are basically told. “No education for you. No health insurance for you. No decent paying job for you. Unless you join the military.”
I swear they make the country shitty just to dangle a carrot in front of people to get them to enlist.
Its always the most privileged people with the most unhinged takes.
“I DiDnT hAVe To jOiN tHe miLiTaRy”
well fucking good for you. So glad you had so much going for you that you had options, lucky you.
Get a therapist
