As we mark the 10 year anniversary of the Iraq War one of the war’s most outspoken veterans is going on hospice care, soon to leave this world.

But before Tomas Young exits he had one last letter to send to the men responsible for his condition and so much senseless pain.

One of the Vietnam War’s legacies was a generation of homeless veterans – traumatized by war and uncared for by the system that happily used them for its own ends before leaving them to the streets. Now, despite constant crowing about reforms at the Veterans Administration and treatment for mental illness in the military, it seems America will have another generation of homeless veterans thanks to our adventures and misadventures overseas.

Of the over 9 Million Veterans who rely upon Social Security for benefits, 3.2 Million of them rely on benefits due to service-related disabilities.

Missionary service is not the same thing as military service – a fact, and not just a semantic one – lost on Mommy, Daddy, and the Romney Boys. Donning a crisp white shirt and black tie to annoy the hell out of the good citizens of France from the back of a 10-speed is “service” to your church. Bleeding to death in a rocky Afghan Pass that a big flock of Mitt’s equally chickenhawkish supporters sent you to is service to your country.

A variety of links to articles/interviews/speeches/videos on current issues that may be of interest.

Sometimes I don’t understand conservatives with their “small government” approach to “government largess” and big government approach to reproductive rights.

This was an important LGBT year in so many ways: one interesting way was at the Stonewall Rally we raised San Diego’s new monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and LGBT community civil rights: a large rainbow flag was permanently raised on Normal Street. Perhaps it’s incredibly fitting that the flag pole is situated on Normal Street in between Harvey Milk Street and University Avenue — perhaps a fitting commentary on normality of LGBT people, LGBT activism, and the legitimate academic importance of queer studies.

In my speech at the rally, I called on community activism towards open service for transgender servicemembers.

Today is Memorial Day, the last day of the three-day weekend. Veterans and community groups will remember those who died in battle and, as they have done for more than a century, will place small flags on graves.

But, for most of America, Memorial Day is a three-day picnic-filled weekend that heralds the start of Summer, just as Labor Day has become a three-day picnic-filled weekend that laments the end of Summer.

A plaque in Capitol Park, Sacramento: In Honor Of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender Veterans Killed In Action . . . We honor these veterans here.

Perhaps showing concern about the softening economic forecasts of recent months, President Obama has provided a to-do list for Congress that would, in his words, “create jobs and help restore middle class security.” The to-do list includes several ideas from the American Jobs Act and subsequent legislation proposals announced in recent months, but there’s a curious omission.