BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely fired hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggest. Under pressure from Congress and the public, the Army later acknowledged the problem and drastically cut the number of soldiers given the designation. But advocates for veterans say an unknown number of troops still unfairly bear the stigma of a personality disorder, making them ineligible for military health care and other benefits. "We really have an obligation to go back and make sure troops weren't misdiagnosed," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist whose non-profit "Give an Hour" connects troops with volunteer mental health professionals. The Army denies that any soldier was misdiagnosed before 2008, when it drastically cut the number of discharges due to personality disorders and diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorders skyro...

FOR THOSE WHO TELL OTHERS TO "get over it" and/or "move on" - or that we are obsessed, out of control, etc.  It's not up to YOU when a victim moves on.  It's up to them in their own time and their own way! Talk about closed system of logic! ~~~~~~~~~ and its ABUSIVE to suggest that they should! Reality and Revictimization... (some changes made, for the original & updated version at a GREAT website see the link at the bottom of this post) Victim, survivor, victimology, victim abuse... why are victims being told to deny their reality? You have been methodically and diabolically abused and suddenly you hear "don't be a victim, choose to be a survivor." The concept that a victim can always consciously choose how to proceed, is wrong . The phrase, "move on with your life" is common. In a commanding, offhand and arrogant tone, those who have fought and lost a custody battle, their home, car and savings, family, job ...

If there was ever a good reason to get a plan together to get the U.S. out of Iraq in due time, the assault & rape of our women in uniform is a very good one. I am all for equality. I was born with a couple genetic problems that would have precluded me from joining the military. But my father, of blessed memory, was in the Army. My uncle, of blessed memory, was a Navy War Hero who was on a ship sunk by the Germans and spent some time in a military hospital after rescuing a number of men. My father in law, also of blessed memory, was in the Canadian Army and served in the U.K. during World War II, having done hand to hand combat with German soldier. There's a graveyard in Oxford, Mass. with gravestones with my last name on them - many of them fought as infantry and naval men during the Revolutionary War. I believe that while war is profane, defense is compulsory. And if you're an able bodied woman, who wants to serve their country via the military - I say - go for...

EDUCATION OR PROPAGANDA? Wait, did I read that right? Israel's EDUCATION Minister approved calling the 1948 War of Independence a "disaster for Palestinians?" What the heck is going on over there? Olmert, Peres and Tamir? There's the door, don't let it hit you on the way out! Mr. Tamir, the Arabs are expressing their feelings quite well - they're call Kassams, Honor Killings and Suicide Bombers... they don't need your help! Likud, NRP leaders call for education minister's dismissal By Or Kashti and Haaretz Staff The leaders of Likud and the National Religious Party Sunday called for the dismissal of Education Minister Yuli Tamir, shortly after Tamir announced that her ministry had approved a textbook for Israeli Arab schools that says the Arabs refer to the 1948 War of Independence as "Nakba," meaning "catastrophe" or "disaster." In an unprecedented move, the ministry has approved a geography text for third-grade children...