Our government is using our most treasured heroes who have fought gallantly in Iraq and Afghanistan as guinea pigs.  Yes folks, our veterans are being encouraged to participate in a study involving an anti-smoking drug called Chantix.  Sounds like a good thing right, help our soldiers give up the cancer stick, not so fast; the drug lists as its side-effects, suicide and neuropsychiatric behavior.  Why are our patriots agreeing to participate in such a study you ask?  For an extra $30 a month.  Lured by the enticement of a couple of extra bucks a month our soldiers are putting their lives at risk to help pay the bills.  Such soldiers were recruited for the study after being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.  The participants were not told about the side effects until after three months of using the drug.  James Elliott, a former US Army sniper said this about what he heard from the Veterans Administration: “[t]hey never told me that I was going to be suicidal, that I would cease sleeping. They never told me anything except this will help me quit smoking.” What the hell??  Our soldiers risk their lives for our freedoms and this is the thanks they get?  As a matter of fact, examples of such treatment is so prevalent that the soldiers have a name for it inside the military “disposable heroes.” How is this possible?  Our bravest men and women referring to themselves as “disposable.”  Men and women who have given everything for their country are now being used as lab rats by the very government that they fought so bravely to protect!  Unbelievable!  More so than ever people……elections matter.  Obama responded to this outrage by issuing the following statement almost immediately after the story was reported in the Washington Times:

“It is outrageous and unacceptable that our government would irresponsibly endanger veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country. Our veterans — particularly those suffering from mental health injuries — should have the very best health care and support in the world, they should never be needlessly exposed to drugs without proper notification of the dangers involved or effective monitoring of the side effects.”

“I will immediately be asking for a full and thorough investigation of how our government could yet again let down our veterans and their families who have given so much to their country, and who have paid so much for the failures of civilian leadership in Washington. It is time to demand accountability and to ensure that this kind of breach of trust never takes place again.” 

McCain has not issued a statement.

Another example of neglect of our men and women in uniform is the alarming suicide rate among soldiers returning home from Iraq.  The suicide rate is so high that it is being labeled an epidemic.  We have not heard a peep about this from the Bush administration. Not to mention that it is being made very difficult to get actual numbers because soldier suicide rates is not something that the current administration wants to publicize considering how most Americans feel about the war. This is just one of many stories regarding how tormented our brave men and women are when they return home.

Twenty-three-year-old Marine Reservist Jeff Lucey hanged himself with a garden hose in the cellar of this parents’ home – where his father, Kevin, found him. There’s a crisis going on and people are just turning the other way,” Kevin Lucey said.

More so than ever….REGISTER…….VOTE!