O’Reilly volunteers Fox News to provide housing fO’Reilly volunteers Fox News to provide housing for 195,000 veterans

[GaryC 7]

Well here in Chicago I am pretty sure I've seen more than 5 begging on different intersections- in this tropical winter we're having, too. Then again, do I believe a hand-written sign saying they're a veteran or do I believe a politician, or do I believe a [bad] entertainer?

I am sure there are some vets that are homeless. But I doubt the 200,000 figure. I knew some homeless vets in the past. (4 to be exact) Every one of them were homeless by choice. They knew that there was help available through charity (Salvation Army, churches ect.) or through the government. For their own reasons they chose not to get help. You can't force help on someone that does not want it.

I agree with what you say here. I also doubt Edwards' claim of 200,000, just like I also doubt Bush's claims of WMDs in Saddam's arsenal that was not acquired through us or our brokers.

On the other hand... the 5 that I've seen are street vets, not ones that I know personally. They could be telling the truth, and from what I read on their cardboards its not a choice they took to beg in 20 degree weather.

Like I said, I am sure there are some homeless vets just as there are homeless people that are not vets. The fact remains that in most if not all instances there is some sort of help available. If someone is homeless it is either through choice, ignorence or mental problems. The later two is where our government has an obligation to help.

[HAL 9000 96]

Well here in Chicago I am pretty sure I've seen more than 5 begging on different intersections- in this tropical winter we're having, too. Then again, do I believe a hand-written sign saying they're a veteran or do I believe a politician, or do I believe a [bad] entertainer?

I am sure there are some vets that are homeless. But I doubt the 200,000 figure. I knew some homeless vets in the past. (4 to be exact) Every one of them were homeless by choice. They knew that there was help available through charity (Salvation Army, churches ect.) or through the government. For their own reasons they chose not to get help. You can't force help on someone that does not want it.

I agree with what you say here. I also doubt Edwards' claim of 200,000, just like I also doubt Bush's claims of WMDs in Saddam's arsenal that was not acquired through us or our brokers.

On the other hand... the 5 that I've seen are street vets, not ones that I know personally. They could be telling the truth, and from what I read on their cardboards its not a choice they took to beg in 20 degree weather.

Like I said, I am sure there are some homeless vets just as there are homeless people that are not vets. The fact remains that in most if not all instances there is some sort of help available. If someone is homeless it is either through choice, ignorence or mental problems. The later two is where our government has an obligation to help.

And like I said I also agree.

As for our government being obligated to do something... well... if they fail so many on Active Duty I can only imagine, beyond going to the VA with grandpa on more than one occasion, what constitutes an obligation and what constitutes adequate coverage.