Preventing 18 deaths a day
By John Heid | Winona

War is killing us, abroad and at home.

This stark reality finally warranted front page coverage in Winona in your April 21 edition.
“An average of 18 military veterans kill themselves each day, and five of them are under VA care when they commit suicide.” A December e-mail between top VA officials has brought this dark truth to light.

Ethan Davis’ soulful vision of a transition center for returning vets is one desperately needed after-the-fact resource for beginning to heal the hidden wounds of war. Thousands of these centers should be opened around our country, not to mention Iraq.

And what about the vision of stopping war altogether? Period! Then VA transition centers would not be needed. Can we, as a civil society, begin to think in terms of preventing war? If not, our addiction to war will keep killing the enemy du jour as well as ourselves. Over there and here one at a time, or 18 a day.

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