Stay calm there’s no need for alarm
you say goodbye to your mom and you’re off to Vietnam
You shoot to kill, come back and you’re a veteran
but how many veterans are out there peddling?

- KRS ONE “Stop the Violence”

Soldiers of the all-black 320th Battalion landing on the beaches of Normandy, June 6, 1944. Photo courtesy of Alice Mills & borrowed from jackandjillpolitics.com

On this Veteran’s Day, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, about one third of the adult homeless population in America are veterans of our armed forces.

All I can say is, America should be ashamed of itself. Although I’m opposed to war and the war machine for a number of reasons, I do know in my heart that we owe our veterans much more than this.

Vietnam Memorial, Washington DC

Here are more statistics and facts on homeless veterans.

*nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era

*homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly five percent being female

*roughly 56% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 12.8% and 15.4% of the U.S. population respectively.

*the majority of homeless veterans come form urban areas

*the majority of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders

These figures are scandalous and disgraceful. Shame on us!

Learn more about this complex and important issue from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans website.

Questions:

Do you know someone who is a homeless veteran?

What do you think should be done, or can be done to reduce the number of homeless veterans?

Any other comments about veterans or Veteran’s Day? Leave ‘em below–I’d love to hear from you!