Member John of Vermont sticky stuff sends us this. Senator Schumer (D-NY) came out today and advocated for Vets. More specifically, in light of the sanitary protocols breakdown at the Buffalo VAMC, he suggested it might be a good idea to start testing Vets… and their families.

This is something we’ve been trying to get accomplished for for nigh on 15 years to no avail. More recently, the VA has at least opted to offer testing for HIV. That’s a step in the right direction but HIV wasn’t rampant in the population, let alone the Veteran population, during the period of jetgun usage (1958-1998). These are the Veterans at greatest risk but they aren’t tested unless they ask to be. Considering that homosexuality was considered a personality disorder subject to immediate separation until DADT, it’s almost foolish to squander valuable medical resources to pursue that avenue of disease. HBV and HCV were the biggest danger for that universe of Veterans.

Considering that VA wants to know everything they can about us, I find it strangely odd that they wouldn’t extend their line of inquiry to HCV. As it now stands, when we go in for an appointment we are quizzed unmercifully about our state of mind and whether we are depressed. I noticed a member (Mark) posted recently and informed me he was grilled extensively about whether he had guns in his home. This resulted in a deal breaker. He got up and left without completing his mission. I would have too. It would be interesting to see what is entered in the VISTA computer about that visit.  VA has no reason to harvest this kind of information on us without some kind of predicate.

Thank you Sen. Schumer for your concern about your constituent Vets in Buffalo. Would that you evinced this concern all the time for all Vets in America.