Noah Wyle arrested marching for disabled

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Popular celebrity Noah Wyle is arrested at D.C. protest by disability rights group ADAPT

Noah Wyle is pictured in handcuffs at a protest by the disability rights group ADAPT in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2012. - (photo National ADAPT)

Hollywood stars are coming out for social activism and the ER cast is leading.

Noah Wyle, who played medical student John Carter in ER, was arrested and taken away in handcuffs at the ADAPT disability rally in Washington. DC.

George Clooney was recently arrested for civil disobedience at the Sudanese embassy in Washington, DC protesting the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan.
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Remembrance Day, Lest We Forget video

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Stephen Pate

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

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Wounded by Lennie Gallant

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Stephen Pate

PEI singer songwriter’s moving tribute to the returning soldiers from Afghanistan

Lennie Gallant singing Wounded

When Lennie Gallant visited Afghanistan on an troop entertainment tour, he was moved by the courage and the danger our troops faced.

He also came face to face with the men and women who return from Afghanistan with visual and hidden wounds from war.

In honor of these veterans with disabilities, Gallant along with J.T. Harding wrote Wounded.

Gallant captures the real lives of our veterans in his touching song, which is his forte.

Video of Lennie’s solo and haunting performance follows the story break. Continue reading →

Save our outrage for real issues impacting veterans

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Stephen Pate

The white poppy campaign doesn’t compete with red poppies but seeks to raise awareness of non-violent conflict resolution

by Paul MacNeill, publisher, Eastern Graphic

Much is being made about a white poppy campaign initiated by the Island Peace Committee. Since the story first appeared hundreds of comments have been posted on news sites. The vast majority view the white poppy as a stunt and an insult to the symbolism of the traditional red poppy.

It is neither.

The peace committee started the white poppy campaign several years ago. It in no way competes with the sale of red poppies. Its goal is to raise awareness of non-violent conflict resolution. The red poppy is a powerful symbol of remembrance of the sacrifice by Canadian soldiers primarily in the First and Second World War.

To put the red poppy in context, there are some who believe it should be an exclusive symbol of the two world wars and should not be associated with our current military campaign in Afghanistan, which only proves that the poppy is a different thing to different people. As a society we should revere and honour any soldier killed in action, regardless of where the death occurred. Continue reading →

Veterans have government attention by taking action

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Practical day-to-day problems of veterans, many with disabilities, needs to always be on front burner

Veterans protest in Ottawa November 2010 (image CBC)

On Sunday, Veterans across Canada took to the streets to protest foot-dragging and benefit cut-backs in a Canadian Veterans National Day of Protest.

They got results.

Veterans Affairs Minister Blackburn was on a media blitz this week trying to re-assure Canadians he had the best interests of veterans at heart. Blackburn said that the $2 billion recently announced for more benefits would go a long way.

Veterans know that is only a partial solution.

Canada is a wealthy nation. It can afford to deal fairly with those for whom it asks the greatest sacrifice.

The Government of Canada has embarked on a program of downsizing services to veterans at a time when we are in a war in Afghanistan.

Instead of declines in veterans and veterans with disabilities, their ranks are growing.

Veterans Affairs have confirmed out-going Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran’s claim that the government finds it cheaper to deal with dead soldiers than soldiers who come home with disabilities. Continue reading →

US Veterans getting better compensation for Agent Orange exposure

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Stephen Pate

The Royal Canadian Legion has become concerned about the budget allocated for Agent Orange compensation.

Legion First Vice Pat Varga places a wreath at the Cassino War Cemetery assisted by youth representative Mélanie Morin. (photo Tom MacGregor)

Letter to the Editor, Daily Gleaner – It would seem that the allocated funds, which have not all been spent through the ex-gratia payments made by the federal government as compensation for exposure to the chemical, will lapse with no benefits for veterans.

The legion was at the forefront in advocating for this compensation and applauded the federal government for its initiative on this issue.

But it was concerned on two fronts – the period of eligibility was much too restrictive, and the criteria to allocate these payments was much broader than the test applied to compensate veterans through the disability benefit system where the cause must be proven rather than inferred.

Regardless of our concerns on these issues, we considered this a good first step. Continue reading →

20th Annivesary of the Americans With Disabilities Act

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Stephen Pate

54 million Americans have a disability and are protected by the ADA, 4 million Canadians are still waiting

President Bush signed the ADA into law

PRLog - The civil rights of Americans living with disabilities were passed into law 20 years ago on July 20, 1990 by President George Bush Sr in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The law was meant to ensure that people with disabilities would not be discriminated in their employment, government services, housing and in the community. It granted them rights similar to the Civil Rights Act.

During the intervening years, the US Courts narrowly restricted the application of the ADA. President George Bush Jr. pushed through Congress and the Senate 1,100 pages of amendments to the ADA to ensure the law did protect them. The ADA Amended was signed by President Obama in 2009. Continue reading →

Wikileaks releases 90,000 Afghan war documents

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Stephen Pate

We probably are hopelessly mired in another Vietnam trying to win an un-winnable war

Wikileaks has release 90,000 official documents on the Afghan war. Canada has lost 151 soldiers and created several thousand disabled veterans. The US has lost 1,000 men and women, the UK 320. Civilian deaths may be as high as 33,000. BBC

When you consider the casualty statistics in Vietnam, that’s not bad. But is it going anywhere or is the Afghan war hopeless?

The 90,000 documents released by Wikileaks point to ineptitude on the part of military leaders, complicity by Pakistan with the Taliban, and and every increasing amount of violence.
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Blackburn does not deny Veterans Affairs downsizing in Charlottetown

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Rumors and reality will mean VA is much smaller in 5 years

Jean Pierre Blackburn gave his best non-denial, denial of the rumors about downsizing Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown.

“We heard rumours from time to time about maybe this headquarters would be closing,’’ Blackburn told The Guardian. “I repeat no, not at all, there is no plan to close the headquarters.”

Then Blackburn went on to remind the Guardian of the declining number of veterans from previous wars being served by the office.“If our veterans are dying at a rate of 1,700 each month, you know it means that less people are needed to deliver our services for the older veterans.’’

Along with the Veterans Charter which replaced lifetime pensions with a lump-sum payment, any sensible person can see the perfect storm of downsizing or eliminating DVA in Charlottetown.

HRDC has been organizing itself for a decade to dispense all pensions and benefits to Canadians. Transferring over the last few files can happen on 12 months notice.
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Soldiers given disability cash but not financial advice

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Byline

Only 35% got advice on how to invest lump sum payment

Toronto Sun - OTTAWA – The overwhelming majority of Canadian soldiers who received tens of thousands of dollars in disability payments did not obtain any financial advice, an internal government survey shows.

“I was surprised to learn that less than half of the veterans who received a lump sum payment sought independent financial advice,” said Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn.

Of the 9,138 disabled veterans who received lump sums, worth up to a maximum of $276,080 for injuries suffered, more than 1,000 answered a questionnaire about the award’s effectiveness.
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Veterans Minister claims lump-sum is not cost saving

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Blackburn says lump sum payments meant to improve lives of disabled veterans, others don’t agree

Jean Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs image: Globe and Mail

The Minister of Veterans Affairs came under repeated questioning in the Canadian House of Commons this week over the treatment of disabled veterans.

Veterans with disabilities will have to wait until December 2010 for the Minister’s report but they should continue to voice their concerns so the matter isn’t shelved by the government.

In 2006, the Conservative government invoked the Veterans Charter which replaced lifetime pensions for disabled veterans with a lump-sum payment of $276,000. That payment, other than medical and rehabilitation expenses, was an attempt to close the book on disabled veterans in one fell swoop.

The payments have been criticized as inadequate and inappropriate. The disabled veterans, many with PTSD, are not trained to be financial planners and some have run through the money and are left with nothing.
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