ࡱ> =?<3 bjbj $l:::: FPffffffff$  EfffffDffSDDDfFffDfDDfZ 𧅟:i0 . DDiscussion guide to Purple Hearts dvd: Tell students you are going to show them a side of the military that recruiters will never show them. Talk about how war is not neat explosions on TV, but death, destruction and chaos, with very far-reaching human costs. This is a very crucial part of war we rarely see. Photo-journalist Nina Berman had the urge to find the wounded returned vets she was reading about in the newspaper, but not seeing pictures of. She discovered that her mental picture of a wounded soldier was one of a soldier being helped off the field by other soldiers, or being accompanied and tended to by a dr. or nurse -- leading to the feeling that the soldier was going to be all right, everything was OK. What she found instead were acutely lonely men & women fighting the VA for benefits. She interviewed them and recorded the interviews as well as photographing them, and made a 10-minute dvd out of this material, featuring 6 of the 20 vets in the book. After the dvd: Tell kids that every year since this war began, the VA has gotten cuts of 10-15% - the VA is who takes care of soldiers like this after they have served. As of today, June, 21m they are officially ONE MILLION claims behind. Give follow up information on the vets: Sam Ross, the blind amputee vet living alone in his trailer in one of the poorest counties in PA, tried to kill himself on the anniversary of his wounds, and 16 more times since. He is now in a psyche ward. He says he was never interested in the army, but one late night he saw a commercial on TV, and decided to sign up. Sams father has been in jail for homicide for most of Sams life, and his mother deserted him when he was a young child. That may have something to do with why he felt the army was the best time of his life--it was the only time he belonged somewhere, with a group of people. Sam has been instrumental in PA Congressman Murtha's stance against the Iraq occupation. Alan Jermaine Lewis, the double amputee, has to go up 17 steps to get into his apartment. Stairs ice over in the winter where he lives. Note in the portrait he is keeping his prosthetic leg on with duct tape. These artificial arms and legs can be very uncomfortable. These wounds go on & on, always causing complications, requiring more operations. There are no easy fixes. Tyson Johnson has to wear a special plastic piece around his stomach to hold his intestines in place properly; yet he still vomits quite often. Few of these vets sleep well -- this is one symptom of PTSD. Try to imagine not sleeping well for months, then compound this lack of sleep with being in pain, or everything being complicated by the loss of a limb or being blind. How well do you think you would cope with loads and loads of phone calls and paperwork to get medical help, and benefits. Imagine your frustration when after a lot of time-consuming work, and needing people for rides and assistance, you are denied, and have to start over again. Maybe you can understand how vets end up homeless. Many just give up, esp. if there isnt a VA hospital close by. Nina opens up lots of interesting points about critical thinking --- one particularly good example is the trouble she had getting magazines interested in her story and photos. Finally TIME magazine decided to give her the cover story with a 9-page layout. At the last minute they drastically cut it and featured Russell Crowe on the cover promoting his latest movie. She then tells the kids Time is part of Time-Warner -- so when you're in the supermarket and you see lots of magazine covers with what you think are "news" headlines, remember they may just be sophisticated marketing tools for other interests owned by the same corporation. She also brings up the point that if this war is so great, then why aren't ANY of the children of politicians fighting it, and she stresses that this is a VERY FAIR question to ask. END of a presentation: When kids dont pay attention I tell them I was like that also, but we only have one, maybe a few chances to present this material, while the recruiters will have LOADS of chances to present theirs. Some call your house every week for a year. When I was 17 one week I wanted to have kids, the next week I wanted to be a farmer, etc. --by calling regularly a recruiter can catch you at a moment you think being a soldier is just the answer. Robert Acosta says his recruiter took him out to dinner one night; that was it, that was enough to convince him to go. He felt the recruiter was his friend. You never see your recruiter again after you sign up.   jOJQJUOJQJOJQJ'(89t v GHjl & p@ P !1$7$8$H$ & p@ P !1$7$8$H$/ =!"#$% i4@4 NormalCJaJmH sH tH <A@< Default Paragraph Font $'(89  WXpq00000000000000000000000000000"%\^"%9I    Xolm333333333XoRickYD:\WINWORD\DocNNOMY\National_Conference 2009\Conference docs\Purple_Hearts_Discussion.docRickjD:\WINWORD\DocNNOMY\National_Conference 2009\Conference docs\ready for upload\Purple_Hearts_Discussion.doc@\\Ԃ\\@iiii@ @,@UnknownG: Times New Roman5Symbol3& : Arial;" Helvetica]M LucidaGrandeLucida Grande qh^PL׆ S!20G&Discussion guide to Purple Hearts dvd:xxx xxxRickOh+'0D1   < H T`hpx(Discussion guide to Purple Hearts dvd:xxx xxx NORMAL.DOTRick4Microsoft Word 9.0@@Ԅ @ XG/VT$mK &WordMicrosoft Word  "SystemUf &-@"Helvetica Xwaw @wUf- D2 [&Discussion guide to Purple Hearts dvd:H228228878888B7!88H88!2818 2 [  6' 2  6'2 AUTell students you are going to show them a side of the military that recruiters will >82887821888!878878278G88S8288778T8!188 82!88!2G'2 Mnever show them. Talk about how war is not neat explosions on TV, but death, 8818!288G87T>81887888GG8!2888888188288288=C888788'A2 '$destruction and chaos, with very far882!827878818782G818"18! 2 ' -!%2 '4 reaching human co!88288788S881852 ' sts. This is a very crucial 22=822818"12!828'42 part of war we rarely see. 88!7G8!G8!8!81388 2 n 5' 2  6'2 PhotoC888 2 -!z2 Jjournalist Nina Berman had the urge to find the wounded returned vets she 88!882H78B8!T78788888!7887888G887887!88 888182188'2 Owas reading about in the newspaper, but not seeing pictures of. 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She interviewed them and recorded the interviews as well as 88772B8888!18H8887T788!818!8788878!18G282G882'=2 !photographing them, and made a 1088887!8888777T788T878788 2 < -- O2 \ -minute dvd out of this material, featuring 6 T87881888782S88!8878!878'52 of the 20 vets in the book. 778781828888782 2  -5' 2 q  -6' 2 After the dvd:C8!88818 2 A -6' 2 W  -6'22 Tell kids that every year >828287818!1189!V2 *2since this war began, the VA has gotten cuts of 10282882G8!8878788CC8827888182778 2 --!2 15% 88X' 2 = --!v2 = G the VA is who takes care of soldiers like this after they have served.88BC2G88818218!871888!2288278!881881828!188 2 =  -6' 2  -6's2 # EAs of today, June, 21m they are officially ONE MILLION claims behind.C278781288887S8818!87281NHCS88NH28T288878 2 # - -5' 2  -6'F2 'Give follow up information on the vets:eN1888G8878!S8887878182 2   -5' 2 | -6'"2 Sam Ross, the bC8SH822888p2 Clind amputee vet living alone in his trailer in one of the poorest d887T8787181878888882!88!7878788788!82'2 bTcounties in PA, tried to kill himself on the anniversary of his wounds, and 16 more 2888828BC!78728T28888887818!28"1882G8888288888T8 8'2 Ptimes since. He is now in a psyche ward. He says he was never interested in the T822818H7288G88821288G8!8H8181288G828818!88 8287888'12 Harmy, but one late night 8!T18887888877X2 H3he saw a commercial on TV, and decided to sign up. 8818G828SS8!2888>C878782878827888'2 RSams father has been in jail for homicide for most of Sams life, and his mother C8T2888!7827887888!77T2888!T827C7T2888782S878!'|2 .Kdeserted him when he was a young child. That may have something to do with ,8828!788TG88888G82818887288=87T81881827S8887878G8'S2 0why he felt the army was the best time of his liG91888888!T1H8278782T87822  fe82 ; --!!/2 } it was the only time he G8287881T788'|2 Kbelonged somewhere, with a group of people. Sam has been instrumental in ,!8888788!18S8G88!8G887!888787888C7T882878881!8T7888'-2 PACC@"Arial Xwaw @wUf- 2 t?K-_2 8Congressman Murtha's stance against the Iraq occupation.H887!822S88S7!882278288788288!8782188788 2   5' 2  6'2 mOAlan Jermaine Lewis, the double amputee, has to go up 17 steps to get into his C8828 T87878G288787887T7878872878787828828788882'2 Tapartment. Stairs ice over in the winter where he lives. Note in the portrait he is 888!T78B8!228718!888G88!G88!888182H8788878!!8872'>2 S"keeping his prosthetic leg on with288887828!827828788G8V2 S2 duct tape. These artificial arms and legs can be 882788=88288!288!T187887228888')2 very uncomfortable. 18"18828S8!888 2 y 5' 2 9 6't2 FThese wounds go on & on, always causing complications, requiring more >7828G887827878B888G81228828728T828782!878!87T8!8'2 Qoperations. There are no easy fixes. Tyson Johnson has to wear a special plastic i888!8882=88!88!8887821182>128818881888828G88!8288288822'=2 !piece around his stomach to hold h88288!88788217S8288788R2 /his intestines in place properly; yet he still i82882782888288!888!128782'-                    ՜.+,0 hp|  S G# 'Discussion guide to Purple Hearts dvd: Title  !"#$%&'()*+,-./012356789:;>Root Entry F@1TableWordDocument$SummaryInformation(t1DocumentSummaryInformation84CompObjjObjectPool  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q