“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself and in no instance bypass the discriminations of reason? You have been given the principles that you ought to endorse, and you have endorsed them. What kind of teacher, then, are you still waiting for in order to refer your self-improvement to him? You are no longer a boy, but a full-grown man. If you are careless and lazy now and keep putting things off and always deferring the day after which you will attend to yourself, you will not notice that you are making no progress, but you will live and die as someone quite ordinary. From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown-up who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never set aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable, or highly or lowly regarded, remember that the contest is now: you are at the Olympic Games, you cannot wait any longer, and that your progress is wrecked or preserved by a single day and a single event. That is how Socrates fulfilled himself by attending to nothing except reason in everything he encountered. And you, although you are not yet a Socrates, should live as someone who at least wants to be a Socrates.”
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERAN
Friday, November 23, 2018
Thursday, November 15, 2018
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Vietnam War Veterans' Kids Say Agent Orange Impact 'a Nightmare'
Monday, October 8, 2018
STAND UP FOR BILL
SUPPORT Bill Draft Request #95 - STAND UP FOR BILL
(And Other Veterans and Their Families)
I would like to create state and federal legislation that does the following:
1. Directs the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services
to create free, accredited continuing professional education (CPE) for civilian healthcare
workers and paramedical caseworkers (including social workers and chaplains) on veterans
health issues.
2. Directs all health care providers to change their intake forms and health questionnaires to
ask if patients “had any US military service” in order to “begin the conversation”. Self-identified
veterans should be asked to fill out an additional military questionnaire. A proposed
format is available.
3. Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to require that all healthcare workers (including
VA health care workers and CHOICE doctors) be familiar with compensable diseases and
disabilities so they can refer Vets and their families to the VA benefits office for evaluation and
additional assistance.
4. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to use public service
announcements and other media to reach out to veterans and their families to inform them
about presumed connected disabilities and report back to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the
Nevada state governor and the veterans legislative committee annually on the effectiveness of
these techniques.
5. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to prominently display
flyers and other media on presumed connected disabilities to all offices that work with veterans
and their families, including VA cemeteries.
6. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to prominently display
flyers and other media about survivor benefits to all offices that work with veterans and their
families, including VA cemeteries.
7. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to form strategic partnerships
with civilian support groups (e.g. the American Heart Association, the American Lung
Association or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) to identify veterans, children and
grandchildren who have a disease presumed connected to military service. Identified veterans
and family members should be referred to designated VA resources. Records of these referrals
should be rolled up to the governor, state legislative affairs committee and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs on a yearly basis.
8. Directs each state to keep records and prepare a yearly report to the governor, the veterans
legislative committee and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs evaluating the effectiveness of the
training delivered, contacts made and media used to provide information to veterans, spouses
and healthcare professionals.
WE MUST ACT NOW
• We must make sure that all Veterans who have a presumed connected disease take full
advantage of the benefits that they earned by their service to our country.
• We must make sure that all Veteran survivors have access to the benefits that their loved one
earned by their service to our country.
• We must make sure that veterans from all conflicts such as the Korean War, the Gulf War, Iraq
War, the war in Afghanistan, certain defense department projects and Camp LeJeune know
about the diseases and disabilities presumed connected to their military service and receive
the benefits they earned.
• We must act now to protect the children and grandchildren of veterans who were exposed
to toxic substances during their military service.
The VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases.
Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases.
VIETNAM - AL Amyloidosis, Chronic B-cell Leukemias, Chloracne (or similar acneform
disease), Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Hodgkin's Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, Multiple
Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Parkinson's Disease, Peripheral Neuropathy (early
onset), Porphria Cutanea Tarda, Prostate Cancer, Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
and cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma,
chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis aka
Lou Gehrig’s disease (this disease is associated with service in Vietnam).
GULF WAR - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Functional Gastrointestinal
Disorders, Undiagnosed Illnesses ( including fatigue, skin symptoms, headaches, muscle pain,
joint pain, neurological symptoms, respiratory symptoms, sleep disturbance, GI symptoms,
cardiovascular symptoms, weight loss, menstrual disorders), Chronic Multi-symptom Illnesses,
Gulf War Illness and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
FORMER PRISONERS OF WAR - Psychosis, Any Anxiety State, Dysthymic Disorder,
Frostbite Residuals, Post_Traumatic Osteoarthritis, Heart Disease or Hypertensive Vascular
Disease, Stroke, Avitaminois, Beriberi, Chronic Dysentery, Helminthiasis, Malnutrition, Pellegra,
Nutritional Deficiencies, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Peptic Ulcer Disease, Peripheral Neuropathy
and Cirrhosis of the Liver.
ATOMIC VETERANS -All Forms of Leukemia (except chronic lymphocytic leukemia); Cancer
of the Thyroid, Breast, Pharynx, Esophagus, Stomach, Small Intestine, Pancreas, Bile Ducts,
Gall Bladder, Salivary Gland, Urinary Tract (kidneys, renal pelves, ureters, urinary bladder and
urethra), Brain, Bone, Lung, Colon, Ovary; Bronchiolo-alveolar Carcinoma; Multiple Myeloma;
Lymphomas (other than Hodgkin’s disease); and Primary Liver Cancer (except Cirrhosis or
Hepatitis B).
CAMP LEJEUNE - Adult Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia (and other myelodysplastic syndromes),
Bladder Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Liver Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
and Parkinson’s Disease.
BURN PITS - Allergy-like symptoms, Asthma, Breathing restrictions, Cancers (including but
not limited to lung, brain, bone, and skin), Chronic bronchitis, Chronic coughs, Constant
infections, Cramps and severe abdominal pain, Diarrhea, Leukemia, Lung cancer, Nose bleeds,
Pulmonary injuries, Restrictive Airways Disease (Bronchiolitis), Serious heart conditions, Severe
a headache, Skin infection, Sleep apnea, Throat infections, Ulcers, Unexpected weight loss,
Vomiting, Weeping lesions on extremities.
The VA believes these symptoms may be temporary.
If you would like to help me in this effort, or if you have ideas on how to spread the word about
presumed connected disabilities, please feel free to contact me. I am Barbara Rodgick and I
am the widow of an Agent Orange Vet. My phone number is 425-442-7563 and my email
address is barbara98065@gmail.com. 9/27/18
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Why Does America Celebrate The 4th Of July? SOMETIMES A REMINDER IS IN ORDER.
Why Does America Celebrate The 4th Of July? SOMETIMES A REMINDER IS IN ORDER.
"An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation." —John Marshall (1819) "We are all born ignorant, but one must work very hard to stay
STUPID!"
Benjamin Franklin
(1706-1790)
Subject: Why Does America Celebrate The 4th Of July?
If you concur, please pass it on. If NOT, just delete.
Tomorrow is America's 242nd Independence Day, colloquially known as the Fourth of July. It is alwayscelebrated with fireworks, parades, cookouts and concerts.
But how did July 4th become the day? On that day in 1776, the Continental Congress ratified our Founding Fathers first founding document, the Declaration of Independence. One of three documents known as the Charters of Freedom, the original Declaration of Independence is displayed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Here's the facts from the National Archive's website:
• The Declaration of Independence announces a complete break with Great Britain and expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
How it came to be
• In the early 1770's, American colonists, under British rule, saw a pattern of increasing oppression, tyranny and corruption happening all around the world. The colonists elected delegates to attend a Continental Congress that eventually became the governing body of the union during the Revolution. Its second meeting convened in Philadelphia in 1775. In less than a year, most of the delegates abandoned hope of reconciliation with Great Britain. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states.” They appointed a Committee of Five to write an announcement explaining the reasons for independence. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, who chaired the committee and had established himself as a bold and talented political writer, wrote the first draft. Other members of the committee were: John Adams of Massachusetts; Roger Sherman of Connecticut; Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania; and Robert R. Livingston of New York.
• On June 11, 1776, Jefferson holed up in his Philadelphia boarding house and began to write. He borrowed freely from existing documents like the Virginia Declaration of Rights and incorporated accepted ideals of the Enlightenment. Jefferson later explained that “he was not striving for originality of principal or sentiment.” Instead, he hoped his words served as an “expression of the American mind.” Less than three weeks after he’d begun, he presented his draft to Congress.
• On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, it ratified the text of the Declaration. John Dunlap, official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print approximately 200 copies. These copies, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, were sent to various committees, assemblies and commanders of the Continental troops.
• One of the most widely held misconceptions about the Declaration is that it was signed on July 4, 1776, by all the delegates in attendance.
• By July 9, the action of Congress had been officially approved by all 13 colonies. On July 19, Congress ordered the Declaration be "fairly engrossed on parchment, with the title and stile [sic] of 'The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America,' and that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress."
• On Aug. 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records that "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed."
• John Hancock, the President of the Congress, was the first to sign the sheet of parchment measuring 24¼ by 29¾ inches. He used a bold signature centered below the text. In accordance with prevailing custom, the other delegates began to sign at the right below the text, their signatures arranged according to the geographic location of the states they represented. New Hampshire, the northernmost state, began the list, and Georgia, the southernmost, ended it. Eventually, 56 delegates signed, although all were not present on Aug. 2.
• There is one line of text along the bottom edge on the back of the Declaration. It reads, "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776," This docket (identifying label) was visible when the document was rolled up for storage.
Where has it been kept?
• During the Revolutionary War, the original document traveled with the Continental Congress. Afterward, it was cared for by various departments of government in various locations — until its permanent home was constructed at the National Archives.
• Its locations over the years: Washington, D.C. (three sites): 1800-1814; Leesburg, VA: August-September 1814 (during the War of 1812, it was taken there and hidden as British troops ransacked and burned Washington, D.C.); Washington, D.C. (three sites): 1814-1841; Washington, D.C. (Patent Office Building): 1841-1876; Philadelphia: May-November 1876 (for the Centennial Exposition celebrating the nation's 100th birthday); Washington, D.C. (State, War, and Navy Building): 1877-1921; Washington, D.C. (Library of Congress): 1921-1941; Fort Knox*: 1941-1944 (for protection during World War II, except that the document was displayed on April 13, 1943, at the dedication of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.); Washington, D.C. (Library of Congress): 1944-1952; Washington, D.C. (National Archives): 1952-present.
Copies
• In 1820, the original Declaration of Independence was already showing signs of age. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned printer William J. Stone to make a full-size copperplate engraving. This plate was used to print copies of the Declaration. The 1823 Stone engraving is the most frequently reproduced version of the Declaration.
• 26 copies of the Dunlap broadside are known to exist today and are dispersed among American and British institutions and private owners.
About the signers
• In an event of historic coincidence, both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4,1826: the50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is rumored that late in the afternoon before John Adams died, unaware of the passing of Jefferson, he said “Thomas Jefferson survives.”
• Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer at 70 years old. He was born on Jan. 17, 1706, in Boston.
• Two of the signers were 26 at the time of the signing. Edward Rutledge (Nov. 23, 1749) edged out Thomas Lynch Jr. (Aug. 5, 1749) by just over three months to be the youngest signer.
• Four signers were physicians, 24 were lawyers, and one was a printer. The remaining signers were mostly merchants or plantation owners. Two were also clergymen: John Witherspoon was a Presbyterian minister, and Lyman Hall was a pastor, teacher, and physician.
• Pennsylvania had the largest number of representatives with nine signers. The second largest group came from Virginia, which had seven signers.
• Eight signers were born in Europe. James Smith, George Taylor and Matthew Thorton were born in Ireland. Robert Morris and Button Gwinnett were born in England. James Wilson and John Witherspoon were born in Scotland. Finally, Francis Lewis was born in Wales
Below is the full text of the Declaration of Independence. Make a copy and gather your family around and read it out loud. Better yet, pass it around the gathered group to let every family member that can read, read it to it's end - to include reading the signatures. Then make it as much an annual ritual as Christmas, for your family on July 4th.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Pecos Road/CC-215 bridge closure scheduled for July 1
Pecos Road/CC-215 bridge closure scheduled for July 1
VASNHS staff and Veterans will begin seeing major traffic changes around the VA Medical Center over the next year as the next phase of improvements begins on the Clark County 215 Beltway between North 5th Street and Lamb Boulevard.
The first impact will be felt on July 1 as the current bridge in front of the VA Medical Center at 215 and Pecos Road closes for approximately four months for demolition and construction of a new bridge.
Individuals traveling to VA Medical Center eastbound on the 215 from the Northwest will be able to exit at Pecos Road, but will need to use S. Lamb Blvd. or Losee Rd. to travel westbound on the 215 from the facility.
Individuals traveling to the facility westbound on the 215 from I-15 will not be able to exit at Pecos. They will need to exit at S. Lamb Blvd. or Losee Road. Pecos Road will be open to eastbound traffic toward I-15 on the 215 from the facility during this phase of construction.
Those traveling to the VA Medical Center on I-15 North from Las Vegas are advised to exit at Lamb Blvd and take E. Centennial Pkwy to Pecos Road.
Engineering, Public Affairs, and leadership will all work to keep staff and Veterans updated as construction progresses.
VASNHS staff and Veterans will begin seeing major traffic changes around the VA Medical Center over the next year as the next phase of improvements begins on the Clark County 215 Beltway between North 5th Street and Lamb Boulevard.
The first impact will be felt on July 1 as the current bridge in front of the VA Medical Center at 215 and Pecos Road closes for approximately four months for demolition and construction of a new bridge.
Individuals traveling to VA Medical Center eastbound on the 215 from the Northwest will be able to exit at Pecos Road, but will need to use S. Lamb Blvd. or Losee Rd. to travel westbound on the 215 from the facility.
Individuals traveling to the facility westbound on the 215 from I-15 will not be able to exit at Pecos. They will need to exit at S. Lamb Blvd. or Losee Road. Pecos Road will be open to eastbound traffic toward I-15 on the 215 from the facility during this phase of construction.
Those traveling to the VA Medical Center on I-15 North from Las Vegas are advised to exit at Lamb Blvd and take E. Centennial Pkwy to Pecos Road.
Engineering, Public Affairs, and leadership will all work to keep staff and Veterans updated as construction progresses.
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