Welcome to the community supported best of the left podcast with clips today from the

Al Franken show, NPR, on the media, the young Turks, Ring of Fire, the BBC and Tom Hartman.

Paul Reikoff joins us again. He's the author of a terrific podcast, chasing ghosts, a soldier's fight for America from Baghdad to Washington.

He's also the executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of America.

Paul, a friend, a mutual friend of ours, Andrew Bereen, wrote about this story of Johnson. His shults are shultsy.

I think it's a shultsy, yeah. From Minnesota, who committed suicide this past week.

And he, as far as we know, at least from what his parents say, he had a sought help.

And I actually gone to a VA facility in St. Cloud and said he was suicidal and was turned away

and then told that he was like 26 in line for a bet or something like that. And you know, these VA hospitals are under-resourced and do great jobs, I think, considering the resources.

And I don't want to, you know, we don't know the whole story necessarily. It sounds like a horrible mistake was made because isn't the policy to take someone who says to give them a bet if they say they're suicidal?

Right. The policy is supposed to be that if you demonstrate any kind of suicidal tendencies that you're admitted immediately.

But there's a little bit of a difference of opinion here about whether or not he made that clear to the folks on staff. His parents allegedly escorted him to the VA hospital that day. His father's a Vietnam vet.

And Chelsea is a guy who spent time in Iraq in Ramadi, I think, as a Marine. He's got a baby and he was gone through some more problems that I think are not unusual for returning vets.

And he didn't get the carry needs and he needed it. And unfortunately, he took his own life. And I think there's a bigger story beyond his.

And I think if we can find some use for this sad story, it's in bringing delight in the fact that this is not unusual.

And we've got really a stressed VA nationwide. You've got over 1.6 million veterans who've been through Iraq and Afghanistan.

35% of veterans coming home have already sought mental health services. And about 20% reported mental health problem.

And we've also got a number of suicides in theater. 96 people have taken their own life in Iraq and 15 in Afghanistan.

So this is a problem. It's going to continue to be a problem, a growing problem. And the VA and the government in general need to get ahead of the curve.

And what is, is this a result of post-traumatic stress disorder or is that a, you know, or don't we, we don't, is it unnecessary to characterize it?

And what is the incidence of that? And what are we doing? And are people screened when they get back? Is there mandatory screening?

Well, Jonathan is kind of considered almost unfortunately a textbook case. He had seen a doctor when he was home on leave in October 2004.

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