Re: the story in the Gazette last week about welcoming ceremonies for a visiting veteran, this is absolutely a great thing that Island veterans started doing for their fellow veterans several years ago. But maybe an even better way for these veterans to be honored for their bravery in protecting the people of America would be to show some public outrage over the widely-publicized reports and knowledge over the years of the daily 22-plus suicides among our veterans, and deaths caused by totally improper care at VA hospitals throughout our entire country.

The public’s outcry has been deafening and crooked Hillary Clinton said in an interview that the controversy which shook the VA was way overblown. “It’s not been as widespread as it has been made out to be,” Clinton said, on of all places MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show.

The actual facts are that it is much worse, as much more information has been shown and proven.

Even the federal government’s own reports contradicts Mrs. Clinton’s comments. The VA’s inspector general concluded inappropriate scheduling practices at VA medical centers were “systemic” and a CNN investigation (not a FOX investigation) revealed veterans were dying while waiting for care on so-called secret lists. That scandal led to the resignation of then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

Obviously I could go on for days but you get the idea.

Woodrow W. Williams
Vineyard Haven