What does it say about our society?

I had intended to post one final "retrospective" piece today, an op-ed about homeless veterans that I wrote in the winter of 2009, but thought better of it. It was outdated, and honestly the writing was not up to par. But it's an important issue, so here's the updated, Cliffs Notes version:

In January 2009 a World War II veteran froze to death in his home. The story got national attention, because what the hell, how can that even happen? His power company had shut off his electricity because he hadn't paid the bill. Even so, he might be considered lucky -- after all, he had a home.

Veterans make up a third of the homeless population in America. That's more than 100,000 people that have worn a uniform and fought for our country that are now sleeping in cars, on the streets, in homeless shelters. What does it say about our society when we let our front line, our foot soldiers, our fighter pilots slip through the cracks when they get home? Veterans run higher risks than the rest of the population of mental illness and homelessness. A match made in heaven, no doubt.

Last night the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, gave a speech in Detroit in which he addressed homelessness among veterans as a major issue, folded into all the problems veterans are facing as they return home to a troubled economy. Last November, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki presented a 5-year, $3.2 billion plan to curb veteran homelessness. I imagine we'll see news stories this November about whether the program has made any difference. At least Shinseki, Mullen and others seem to be on the right track, but it's a long road ahead -- one that stretches far beyond the next five years.

We simply have to decide that we won't let veterans slip through the cracks. Allowing veterans to freeze to death in their own homes -- let alone on the streets -- is simply unacceptable.

Talk about the definition of "d'uh."