Law&Order goes to bat for vets

I am a fan of Law&Order, and no more so than tonight. They did the veterans, especially the wounded veterans, a great service tonight. The show was about a group of three people who had beaten to death two homeless men. One of the group of three was a veteran of Iraq. One of the dead men was also. The first indication I had that this was going to be a humdinger of a show was when the sister of the dead veteran told how he had been wounded and had PTSD afterwards. He had been discharged with a "personality disorder" so he would not get benefits. She was rather bitter that the government would do that to him after he had served his country, "just to save a few bucks". He ended up living on the street, and was a victim of the beating deaths. The one who did the killings was also a vet. Also with PTSD, and had seizures followed by violent aggression. McCoy went to the VA hospital to talk to some of the people who had known him there when he was not allowed to see the medical records.

more below

What he found there was basically the same conditions that were at Walter Reed. Moldy rooms, overcrowding, dead cockroaches on the floor, etc. And his assistant took pictures with her cell phone when no one was watching her. Then the Feds got involved. There was a Federal case in New Mexico that superseded McCoy's case, and the Feds claimed that the publicity from McCoy's case would prejudice theirs. The case was someone suing the VA over lack of care for a vet, I think. Anyway, the Federal court ruled that none of the pictures or any of the evidence regarding care could be presented at McCoy's trial. Well, you know what happened..he did it anyway. And the VA doctor on the stand said that they hadn't expected so many survivors..ie wounded. McCoy was outraged, and asked him, "Would it be better then if our children sent to war had not come back alive??".  The "doctor" that McCoy was grilling on the stand said that the Federal government is under-funding veterans care by MILLIONS PER HOSPITAL. And that the aftercare is not available after they are discharged from the VA hospital. Then there were some good conversations among the other characters about the vet care, and there were some good remarks about what patriotism really is, taking care of our soldiers, not just talking about "supporting the troops".

I know it's just a TV show, but it is one that millions of people watch. And tonight they put the veterans care issue right up in America's face. Shoved it up hard and made them look at it. No one who saw that show tonight will ever take the care of our wounded for granted again. And they will know it's not just at Walter Reed, it's every VA hospital, every military hospital where the wounded are cared for and treated.

I will be sending an email to the show, particularly the writers, thanking them for bringing this issue up and taking the stand on it that they did. And they even had Fred Thompson talking about what real patriotism is, not flag waving and "supporting the troops", it's taking care of them when they need it..can you believe it?? I was stunned, to tell you the truth. And then ran to the computer to let you all know. Any one who hasn't seen it yet should watch it. If it doesn't get an Emmy, there is no justice.

•  Tip jar..*S*

  And do catch the show if you can, it's great.

  by Demfem on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:21:25 PM PDT

•  I appreciated it too

  Disgust with the Bush administration is permeating the whole culture. Bout time.

  by howth of murph on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:25:34 PM PDT

•  I wonder if this is revenge from high school

  Dick Wolf, the creator of the L&O series, was in the class of '64 at Andover, same as George W. Bush.

  Oh, and a little known fact -  my parents were having trouble with one another and explored sending me to prep school for my senior year.  When we explored Andover they said they would take me only if I would come for two years.  That would also have made me a member of the class of '64.   I think how lucky I am that I did not not take that opportunity.

  by teacherken on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:26:22 PM PDT

  •  This has to be the most interesting gem...

    of a comment to come out of this diary. Just think of the influence you might have had... history and chaos are such strange bedfellows. It's so damn fascinating to me.

    At the very least you'd have some funny first-hand anecdotes to share with us.  

    by Malachite on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:41:26 PM PDT

    •  Influence? Perhaps Mr. Conyers would be

      investigating teacherken this week...ken's right, he was lucky.

      by genwah on Sat May 12, 2007 at 07:10:18 AM PDT

      •  No

        way.

        Teacherken would fail as a GWB-clone.  Ken has all sorts of problems measuring up to George.

        Just a few:

        Ken has a soul.
        Ken has integrity.
        Ken speaks English and knows the meaning of most words.
        Ken has a conscience.

        I mean all that suff can really bog you down when you are trying to measure up to George W. Bush.

        by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 05:40:47 PM PDT

  •  there have been anti-Bush episodes of L&O...

    going back to when Jerry Orbach was on the show.

    by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:42:03 PM PDT

    •  I have been made aware of actual events thru L&O.

      Several times I saw a show that sure looked like it was based on fact. After I googled on some of the plot line, sure enough there'd be an actual news event.
      L&O also ran a program about people being taken prisoner and housed in a wing of the prison few knew about. They were tortured, often for the heck of it. Chris Noth starred in the program. I remember at the end (obviously fictionalized) when Noth and Co talk all the prison guards away from the major bully so that they can all walk away safely and report the horrors that have occurred there. I'm sure in Dick Wolf land, they were brought to trial and held accountable. Why can't life imitate entertainment that way?
      Oh, I've also seen a few where the bad corporations selling bad medicine or conducting illegal research on people are actually put out of business, arrested and penalized.

      by madgranny on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:25:43 PM PDT

    •  i miss Lenny

      Jerry Orbach was a great and underappreciated talent.  

      by TrueBlueMajority on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:15:51 AM PDT

      •  While I quibble with underappreciated

        you are right on about missing him.

        

        The most under-appreciated under-utilized star of that show is Epatha Merkel:

        

        by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:21:39 AM PDT

        •  Damn

          

          by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:23:55 AM PDT

          •  I had damn in my original subject line

            and took it out!

            but you're right.  damn, I miss Lenny.

            by TrueBlueMajority on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:31:06 AM PDT

        •  well, WE all know who he is

          but he should have been a household name.  and given the chance to get back to his first love, Broadway.  

          I also agree about the divine Ms. S.  Why she isn't a major star is beyond me.  most of the heartland couldn't even tell you what show she's on.  and she's got distinguished service in live theatre too.

          someone i know in the entertainment industry says that is the reason L&O has such outstanding acting even in the "3 line" bit parts: they use a lot of character actors from Broadway, people who really know how to act, as opposed to the California eye candy a lot of other TV shows are forced to settle for.

          long live L&O mothership!  I hear they are talking about cancelling it again, so if you want it to stay on, watch it and TiVo it.

          by TrueBlueMajority on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:30:17 AM PDT

  •  Wow

    I'm sure Dubya was one of the bullies in school.  You sure dodged a bullet.  You could have been a classmate of Dubya's.  Imagine the pain you'd get just reading the Alumni notes...lol.

    by SoCalLiberal on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:23:15 PM PDT

•  Can't trust anything on Law and Order

  Remember that Fred Thompson will probably be running for president. Sam whatever-his-name, the actor that plays McCoy, is a big fan of Thompson and so, probably, are others associated with the show.

  The Bush Administration and the republican party are responsible for the mess at Walter Reed.  I hope Law and Order doesn't try to create sympathy in real life either for Fred Thompson or his skinny, vindictive side-kick Sam Watterston, who both support policies that got us into this mess in the first place.  

  I know, it's only entertainment.  As long as it stays entertainment, that's fine.  But I am sick of actors in positions of political power and fear the way shows like Law and Order can be manipulated.

  by ivorybill on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:31:13 PM PDT

  •  what makes you think McCoy is a fan of Thompson?

    Sam Waterson is a spokesperson for Unity08.

    here's video of him at the National Press Club in April talking about it.

    by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:33:39 PM PDT

    •  no speakers here, so I can't listen

      but unity08 appears to be an effort to split off moderates from the dems.  

      by unterhausen on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:38:07 PM PDT

      •  technically...

        I think the idea is to split off moderates from both parties.

        I don't think it's designed to undermine the Dems... there's no need... we've already got the Green party for that.

        :-p

        by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:43:42 PM PDT

  •  It's a good show, and

    Sam Waterston is a very fine actor, and by the way, a liberal. They got Fred Thompson to say some rude things about the vet care in this country. Any show that can do that is fine with me, fiction or not.

    by Demfem on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:37:10 PM PDT

    •  agreed...

      and I've gotta say that although I don't agree with the positions he espouses on the show, I think Fred Thompson's character is far & away the best-written DA in Law & Order's history... and I think he plays the part very well.

      by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:39:29 PM PDT

      •  Oh no, I disagree.

        Adam Schiff, played by the utterly remarkable Steven Hill was by far the best.  And Dianne Weist was good too.  Thompson is a one-trick pony as far as his acting chops are concerned, IMHO.
        Hard to believe that NBC is seriously considering pulling the plug on L&O.  I think it is quickly closing in on "Gunsmoke" as the longest running drama in American TV history.  May not make it now.

        by jazzmaniac on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:01:05 PM PDT

        •  I never liked Adam Schiff

          and Dianne Weist was just plain weak in that role.

          by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:04:11 PM PDT

      •  I have never liked Thompson in that role.

        Too monotone. Too boring. Bad acting.

        by madgranny on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:28:16 PM PDT

  •  Who cares?

    Thompson was hriued as an actor, not as a pol or because of his political stances.

    On my worst day, I think BushCo deliberately didn't bother with body armor or armor protection for vehicles--not because they were idiots and failed to listen to the generals, but because they preferred people dead than maimed. Dead soldiers require  their body shipped home in a coffin and a military funeral. Their wives will get their   pensions (never enough) and their SGLI.  Cheap compared to lifetime medical care for an amputee or someone brain-injured.

    After all, to Bush, they aren't real. They're plastic action figures.   When they break, you throw them in the trash.

    The V,A<is underfunded,and ther was no plan to care for the wounded.  I relied on military medical as a dependent for 7 years in Japan--and I am so glad my husband retired, because I'd have had to wait months for an appt the way military medical is overstressed.</p>

    If Attila the Hun drew attention the plight of vets, I'd throw my arms aroudn him and kiss, whatever party he contributed to--the writers and producers that is.And if you cared about vets, so would you.

    by irishwitch on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:48:40 PM PDT

  •  i believe your are wrong about "mccoy".

    he is actually actively campaigning for a third party to solve the issues the current two can't seem to resolve. he was on cspan recently. i think it is called unity08. take a look.

    by stodghie on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:02:13 PM PDT

    •  I don't buy into that bullshit

      Disagreements are normal and healthy.  I don't like it when a majority party runs the country into the ground for 6 years, blame the minority for it, and then people come by with this naive idea that a third party will solve everything.  And all the criticism of the Democrats is unwarranted and unfair.  They've only been in power in Congress for a few months.  We have a constitutional system.  The president has a right to veto and the Senate Republicans have a right to filibuster, this does not signal failure or inaction among Democrats.

      Now, my understanding is that Waterston gave money to John Kerry.  And his character of McCoy is kind of a swing voter going back and forth between liberalism and conservatism.  Fred Dalton Thompson is extremely conservative though and his character represents it.  

      by SoCalLiberal on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:50:33 PM PDT

      •  hey, i am not saying "yeah, unity 08". what i am

        saying is that per my perception he is not a repub. ok!

        by stodghie on Sat May 12, 2007 at 07:26:26 AM PDT

  •  L&O has always had a conservative bias

    just go back and watch those shows in the 90s... the writers delighted in poking fun and undermining traditional NYC liberalism

    by Lionel Hutz on Fri May 11, 2007 at 11:04:19 PM PDT

  •  Waterston is also a featured "celebrity"

    for in-magazine ads for The Nation, which have also featured Dave Matthews, Janeane Garofalo, and I'm too tired to think who else.  I think he's more likely left of center.

    by vome minnesota on Sat May 12, 2007 at 01:34:47 AM PDT

  •  Wrong

    Sam Watterston is a long-time Democrat.  One of those evil Hollywood liberals.

    He may get along with Fred on the job, but there's no way he'd vote for him.

    by Miss Blue on Sat May 12, 2007 at 04:59:00 AM PDT

  •  Sam Waterson comment

    Here is what Sam said about Thompson running for pres.

    (I found this on a blog somewhere - no linky)

    Actor Sam Waterson made the TV rounds to talk about Unity08, but he was also questioned about co-star Fred Thompson:

    Asked if Thompson will run: "Yes, I think that’s going to happen."

    More: "He’s a good man, a very nice man and he’s been very, very straightforward with me all the time ... When I’ve come to him with questions about what was going on in the world, he’s given me straightforward answers" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/24).

    by RedJet on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:42:55 AM PDT

•  sorta OT...

  I remember reading back in/around '04 that there were problems on the set of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" because Vincent D'Onfrio was so political and depressed about the current situation.

  by Trix on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:31:19 PM PDT

  •  not off topic at all

    D'Onofrio was even on some conservative hit list of liberal TV actors because of his D political contributions, statements he made against the Iraq War before it even started, and his obvious major disappointment (and yes, some are using the word depression) about Kerry losing.  He was a HUGE Kerry supporter.  And he was so stirred up about politics during the 2004 election that the L&O producers made a rule prohibiting political discussions on the set!

    by TrueBlueMajority on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:46:52 AM PDT

•  It Was Nice To See This Show

  Regardless of Thompson it was nice to see this issues talked about on a popular show. Very nice. Most likely more people saw this show then read about it in the Washington Post. Sad to say, but true.

  by webranding on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:41:38 PM PDT

  •  OK, Fred Thompson's character mouthed

    words of support:  The question of the weekend to him should be: compare and contrast what your character said to what you believe.

    by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 05:58:41 AM PDT

•  It did and it didn't.

  In true Law & Order style, it started off well, and then copped out.  It did indeed demonstrate very dramatically the treatment and consequences of the lack of treatment that our vets are getting.  It even made this a moral issue, which it is.  And on the whole I think it did a good job trying to "rip  from the headlines" and important story.

  BUT, then they layed it at the feet of an unfeeling (and downright disgusting) military command that had expected more soldiers to die.  That is bullshit!  Think about that.  After years of combat operations, military commanders wouldn't have figured out what the mortality rates are?  Bullshit again!  There is only one reason why these facilities are in the shape they are in.  Because the Republican leadership has other priorities than our wounded children.  Because they cut the VA budget in the middle of a damn war.  And that connection wasn't made.

  So, Law & Order made it an issue (good), and layed it at the wrong fuckers feet (bad).

  Incidentally, it wasn't always like this.  I remember the early years when they really did take on important questions in the justice system.  Those were great shows.  Now it's "watch Jack nail the bad guy", which isn't as interesting.

  by zephron on Fri May 11, 2007 at 08:57:24 PM PDT

  •  Zephron - the only got away with it

    because none of the VA management nor any of the Military [DoD] made sure that the story got out. But, the mainstream press was just as complicit.

    Case in point:  Lakeside VA Hospital, Chicago, has been totally surrounded by Northwestern Memorial Hospital.  The land on which it stands is enormously valuable.  I am a patient there.

    The VA sold the hospital to Northwestern.  That sale has always been iffy - and the Chicago press has never questioned the validity of the sale.  Meanwhile, the equivalent of the overcrowding shown on last night's episode can be found at Westside VA. I have to head into Westside for a tooth extraction in 45 minutes.  I know that some Chicago reporters have attempted to report this mess because I sent pictures and information.  At least two followed through and asked me followup questions.  Still, nothing has been published.

    That episode of Law and Order wasn't ripped from the headlines.  It was ripped from reality.

    by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:16:04 AM PDT

    •  There is plenty of culpability at all levels.

      But do you believe that it was because military commanders thought it would be "more convenient if more of our children died in Iraq?"  Because that's what the show said.

      Also, remember that the VA is run by military doctors, and going outside the chain of command, and in particular to the press, is very difficult for these people to do.  They should, and it's way past time, but I appreciate that they are told "these are the resources you have, make it work" and they don't see other choices.

      That said, it is a goddamned disgrace.  

      by zephron on Sat May 12, 2007 at 08:50:36 AM PDT

      •  When they did the casualty estimations,

        which they do routinely for any conflict to prepare the medical facilities, they did not expect so many wounded and not so many wounded with major brain injuries. And because of that, they were grossly unprepared. No one figured on IEDs being such a formidable weapon and taking out so many troops with devastating injuries. It was not "convenient", it was unforeseen. And it should not have been. And chronic underfunding doesn't help.

        by Demfem on Sat May 12, 2007 at 09:00:25 AM PDT

        •  That's an excuse for the first 6 months.

          By month 7, they had the benefit of hindsight.  But you're right, that chronic underfunding doesn't help.  It also demonstrates what the Whitehouses priorities are (Haliburton) and are not (our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, who have signed on the dotted line to lay down their life in defense of our nation).

          by zephron on Sat May 12, 2007 at 09:04:20 AM PDT

•  You won't find another show on TV

  that despises rich people to the degree that Law & Order does.
  But it's true, years ago they would regularly go after CEOs of companies that knowingly made deadly products, crooked bankers, etc.
  Now they're more likely to be dealing with some thinly veiled Britney or Anna Nicole clone.

  by jazzmaniac on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:04:09 PM PDT

  •  As a matter of fact, I read

    that they are doing an Anna Nicole Smith one. The plot line is very, very thinly veiled - as are the characters themselves.

    by madgranny on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:32:47 PM PDT

    •  Criminal Intent just did an Anna Nicole one!

      Seriously, they want to do the same plots on all three shows in slightly different variations?  It's going to hurt ratings.

      by SoCalLiberal on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:42:44 PM PDT

•  I liked it too

  I hate to admit it but I am a fan of Law and Order.  I can't stand Fred Dalton Thompson and I fear him as president (just watching him every Friday night is bad enough) but I still like the show.  Tonight's show did some justice for the beleaguered veterans.  I don't understand how Republicans can claim that we're unpatriotic and don't support the troops and then treat the veterans in this disgraceful a manner.  It's really just plain sickening.  I'm glad that Law and Order is reflecting public sentiment.

  by SoCalLiberal on Fri May 11, 2007 at 09:41:10 PM PDT

•  great episode

  i only saw the very end of it, but was cheering and applauding.

  it's as if the (presumably liberal) producers of the show are trying to quash Thompson's appeal as a presidential candidate by connecting him to unpopular Republican positions.

  by TrueBlueMajority on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:14:40 AM PDT

•  DEmfem - thanks for the diary

  If Testvet pops in look for a mind boggeling story or two from him.

  To the writers of this episode of Law and Order:

  THANK YOU....and thank God it made it on the air.  If you really want some outrageous citations of the military being abused, please contact

  Testvet6778

  His story told by competent writers is the stuff great movies are made of.

  by llbear on Sat May 12, 2007 at 06:39:13 AM PDT