The inquiry is the third into the suicide of Jonathan Schulze, a former U.S.
Marine from New Prague who committed suicide Jan. 16. Schulze's parents contend
that he asked for mental health help from VA medical centers in Minneapolis and
St. Cloud days before his death.
It's unfortunate that it took a nationwide scandal at Walter Reed to bring more attention to what happens at VA facilities in the heartland of America.
U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said in February that VA Secretary Jim Nicholson
told him the VA medical inspector and a clinical psychologist who conducted the
initial investigation could not determine what happened.
Who is Jim Nicholson?
Do you trust Congressman Kline, the man who won't even hold a town hall meeting in his district to discuss the Iraq quagmire?
Don't look, don't find, don't pay. The real mantra of a VA and soldiers health care system that looks to privatize its system and sacrifice those that fought for our nation.
The Army Times has a strong opinion piece on the need for a real VA investigation.
To make matters worse for the family, VA Secretary R. James Nicholson told
lawmakers on Feb. 13 that Schulze “was seen by us 46 times,” although he said he
couldn’t go into specifics because the family has not waived its privacy rights
for Schulze’s case. Then, two days later he got more specific. “He did not
express to any [VA officials] suicidal ideation,” Nicholson said.
So we now have the spectacle of the head of VA implying that the grieving
parents of a dead veteran are lying when they say their son twice told VA
officials he was thinking of killing himself.
46 visits.
And that does not count the phone calls the mother was on the other line for, one in which Schulze stated he had suicidal thoughts.
Where is Congresswoman Bachmann when the VA is digging around a hospital in her district? Just curious, John Kline does not represent me, but then again, I'm not sure Michele Bachmann does either.
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