Reflection: A Look in the Broken Mirror

As I write this, I realize I am still struggling.  I am struggling with some of the everyday issues that affect those with PTSD.  I still have mood swings.  I still have difficulty with loud noises and sudden gestures. However, I am making progress and I cannot complain.

        This blog project has brought up some feelings I have not dealt with in a few years, but it has also enlightened me.  I have personal experience with the way the VA treats our veterans but I can only imagine how bad the injured are being treated.  I do hope one thing, however.  I hope that I have enlightened at least one person who reads this blog.  I am not asking for pity or sympathy, I am asking people to take an objective view at the treatment received by our modern heroes.  My service in the military was a great time and an excellent experience.  I would not change the fact that I served in the military.  What I would change, if I could, is the awareness of everyday Americans to these travesties. 

        It has been an interesting course and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I have never created a blog and this was an enlightening experience. In summation, everyone needs to appreciate their service members a little more.  Take the time off on Veteran’s Day to appreciate what the day truly means.  Also, remember that veterans served year round for your protection, so do not just relegate appreciation to one day.  Thank you for reading my blog and good luck in the future to all students.

Homeless Veterans: A Modern Epidemic

I am broke.  I have no job.  The outlook does not look well.  Luckily, I have a support group to lean on when times get rough.  I separated from the military and started working a sales job in Orlando, Florida.  After a month, the job was no longer mine and I was living off credit cards and my savings account.  An account that was typically above $10,000 soon was depleted to $21 and I had no idea where my life was going.  I scraped up enough money to pay one last month of rent in my apartment but was forced to move in with family in Richmond.  If it was not for that family, I would be homeless. 

                Even with my unemployment compensation, it is not enough to live off.  $275 a week does not go very far in today’s society, especially in regards to housing.  Mine is not an uncommon problem being dealt with by discharged and separated service members.  Estimates of the homeless population vary, but veterans make up 10-25% of the total homeless populations (Katel, 2004).    Nine percent of the U.S. population are veterans, yet 275,000 veterans are homeless on any given night with about twice as much experiencing homelessness at some point this year (Katel, 2004).

                The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a homeless coordinator in each of the 57 regional offices to help veterans and transitioning members in hopes of preventing their homelessness.  Some VA offices have even been known to patrol the streets looking for veterans to help and find a shelter for, an encouraging sign.  However, most believe that the VA just is not doing enough to support our veterans and prevent them from losing their housing.  In Dover, Delaware, the state unanimously approved funding for the state’s first home for aging and disabled veterans.  States do vary widely on the kinds of services and benefits they offer to veterans, though.

                Veterans have served our country in its time of need and upon returning, thousands are going homeless.  This trend needs to be fixed and this issue needs to be corrected.  I am a 26-year-old man living with family after being on my own for eight years.  It is demoralizing and embarrassing, but it is better than sleeping on the streets.  It is allowing me to get my life back together.  The next time you see a homeless person on the street, do not get annoyed or disgusted.  Think about this:  25% of the homeless population has served so you can have your freedoms and live in whatever home you want.  If it were not for family, I would be one of those people.

               

Katel, P. (2004, November 19).  Treatment of veterans.  Retrieved October 21, 2011 from the CQ Researcher database.

A cartoon depicting the plight of homeless veterans.

A sign created for a national sleep-out designed to raise awareness of homeless veterans.

Visual Rhetoric 2





     The picture above is Deborah Barr visiting the grave of her brother, Daniel Dula, who served in the U.S. Navy.  This picture was taken at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan.  Deborah is visibly upset while honoring her late brother.  She is hunched over the grave, crying into her hands while a lone grave in the background has flowers placed in front.  The targeted audience in this picture would be everyone.  Anyone who has ever lost something or someone of great importance to them, knows the feelings that are associated in this picture.  There is great sadness involved.  The purpose of this picture is to let veterans know that they are not forgotten.  Their deaths affect hundreds or thousands of people throughout their communities and while it may take the family a great deal of time to come to terms with the passing, that veterans and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

     This image is also free of logos to make the message crystal clear.  This picture displays pathos in the most basic of intents.  The picture itself is so heart wrenching that is stirs emotions inside the viewer to times when they have dealt with the same circumstances. The woman appears to be hysterical with sadness as she crumbled to her knees to cry.  This hero gave the ultimate sacrifice, and the picture reiterates just how painful that can be.

     Ethos is displayed because not only is the woman honoring her brother by visiting him, but there are also flowers on a different grave signifying that other graves are visited as well.  This lends to the ideas that we, as a culture, will not forget the sacrifices made by these heroes.

     Mythos in this picture is the same principle as ethos.  There are multiple signs showing people have visited or continue to visit the fallen and honor their sacrifice.  This picture truly pulls at the heartstrings of a viewer.  For myself, I can only imagine what my family and friends would have been forced to endure had I been killed while deployed.  It is a great honor knowing that veterans will be remembered for their sacrifices.   I plan to visit more national graves to place flowers and thank those who sacrificed for me.

Jones, B. (n.d.) Picture about veteran’s family member.  Original source publication: We Remember.  Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/.

Visual Rhetoric 1

     The picture above is an image captured during the 2008 Veteran’s Day  celebration at the White House.  In the picture, we see President Barack Obama hugging wounded veteran, Tammy Duckworth, who had both legs amputated from injuries sustained during the Iraq War.  The targeted audience would be two-fold for this picture.  It appeals to both veterans, to let them know they are not forgotten, as well as targeting the mass public to influence them into thanking their veterans for all the sacrifices made.  The purpose of this message is both a celebration of Veterans Day and reminding the public that it is not just a day free of work or school, it is a day to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  President Obama is providing the ultimate message through this image.  If one of the most powerful and busiest men in the world has time to thank a veteran, what is stopping the rest of the country?

     The image is free of logos which prevents detracting the reader from the intent of the picture, thanking veterans.  Pathos is something that plays to the audience’s emotions.  This picture displays pathos because it is portraying gratitude.  President Obama is being gracious to a veteran who has sacrificed herself under his orders.  His face is somber and his body language displays sincerity.  This reiterates the idea of remembering what Veterans Day truly is. 

     Ethos shows a guiding belief or a set of ideals that characterize a community.  This is portrayed in the picture because of the people involved.  Nothing can characterize a community more than an image of their leader, whom they defend and serve, thanking a subordinate in such a fashion.  We, as Americans, should be thankful for all we have and acknowledge those who allow these freedoms.

     Finally, mythos is the basic pattern of beliefs of a people.  This is created the same way ethos is, for this picture.  President Obama thanking a service member for their heroic actions is how our community acts and the way in which most people believe.  I have been thanked numerous times for my service in the military by civilians in all lifestyles.  People support our troops, not because they support the war or believe in the cause, but because they understand service members are in a hostile land fighting because it is our orders.  Nowhere in my service contract did it state personal politics play a factor in deployments.  Every culture and religion is represented in the military and we fight as one. 

     The message from this picture is clear and reverberates in society:  thank your veterans for their service, and remember those who have sacrificed so much for your freedoms.

Moger, J. (11 November 2010) Picture about veterans.  Original source publication:  Not Forgotten.  Retrieved December 2, 2011 from http://jtmoger.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/not-forgotten-2/