Opinion Forum

Military Culture and Suicide

August 4th, 2012

By Jan Barry One of America’s biggest hidden tragedies is suicide. When I was growing up in the 1950s, it was a virtually forbidden topic. When I began working as a news reporter in the 1970s, I bumped into a tradition in journalism that suicides were not reported. When a Vietnam veteran in a small […]

Articles written by Jan Barry
Tags: Afghanistan, culture, Iraq, PTSD, soldiers, statistics, suicide, veterans
Categories: Life, Military, News | Comments (3) | Home

The Day After: Election Results and War Issues

June 8th, 2012

By Jan Barry The day after Iraq war veteran Jason Castle lost his long-shot challenge in the primary election for the 5th Congressional District in New Jersey, news reports did not even mention his signature stance that it’s time to bring the troops home from Afghanistan. In the wake of primary elections in New Jersey […]

Articles written by Jan Barry
Tags: Afghanistan, casualties, Congress, election, Jason Castle, veterans, war
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Castle for Congress: A Marine Aims to Change the Mission in Washington

June 1st, 2012

By Jan Barry Voters in northern New Jersey have a choice this year to elect a very different and refreshing member of Congress than the usual incumbents. Jason Castle is a Marine veteran of Iraq who wants to quickly wind down the war in Afghanistan and boost reinvestment and jobs at home. He is running […]

Articles written by Jan Barry
Tags: 5th District, Afghanistan, Congress, Iraq, Jason Castle, Marine, NJ, veteran
Categories: Military, News, Politics | Comments (1) | Home

Vet Arts Profiled on PBS

May 2nd, 2012

By Jan Barry PBS Newshour ran an unusual program the other night, providing an insightful look at the Combat Paper Project that I’ve been working with for some time. “Finally tonight, transforming the wardrobe of war into art,” PBS Newshour anchor Gwen Ifill said in introducing this report aired on April 30. “In 2007, a […]

Articles written by Jan Barry
Tags: Afghanistan, combat art, Combat Paper, Iraq, PBS, veterans, vets
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Government and the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

April 26th, 2012

By Dan Miller Douglas Adams’ Ravenous Bugblatter Beast is a beacon lighting the way for government. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy clarifies much that would otherwise remain puzzling to sentient beings. With the explanations it provides, even carbon-based, bipedal ape-descended life forms on Earth — who are “so amazingly primitive that they still think […]

Articles written by Dan Miller
Tags: Afghanistan, apology, bow, Hitchhiker's Guide, Obama, ROE, satire
Categories: Arts, Military, Politics | Comments (0) | Home