Head Cases
It's all showbiz
--Nobody Loves You (When you're Down and Out),
John Lennon
________________
Subtitle: Take two aspirins and drive on.
PBS's Frontline spotlighted the brain injuries received by pro football players and congressional interest in the topic. Ranger finds it interesting that hurt pro ball players get the ear of Congress, but the issue of traumatic brain injury (TBI) amongst troops in the Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©) gets the short shrift.
Agencies like the National Football League give lip service to the problem, yet continue policies that insure TBI to the players (or "gridiron warriors", as they are also known.) Congress is being disingenuous in their feigned concern, but this is not new behavior for the amazing wobblies.
If Congress wants the NFL to pull out players with concussive injuries and sideline them pending medical release, then why is the same not being mandated for our soldiers? We recently mentioned the Michigan national Guard unit that regularly has vehicles blown out from under them. Do these men receive medical screenings to protect their brains from excessive blast exposure?
Let's take a wild guess here and say, No.
Why should our soldiers receive less concern than pro ball players?
--Nobody Loves You (When you're Down and Out),
John Lennon
________________
Subtitle: Take two aspirins and drive on.
PBS's Frontline spotlighted the brain injuries received by pro football players and congressional interest in the topic. Ranger finds it interesting that hurt pro ball players get the ear of Congress, but the issue of traumatic brain injury (TBI) amongst troops in the Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©) gets the short shrift.
Agencies like the National Football League give lip service to the problem, yet continue policies that insure TBI to the players (or "gridiron warriors", as they are also known.) Congress is being disingenuous in their feigned concern, but this is not new behavior for the amazing wobblies.
If Congress wants the NFL to pull out players with concussive injuries and sideline them pending medical release, then why is the same not being mandated for our soldiers? We recently mentioned the Michigan national Guard unit that regularly has vehicles blown out from under them. Do these men receive medical screenings to protect their brains from excessive blast exposure?
Let's take a wild guess here and say, No.
Why should our soldiers receive less concern than pro ball players?
Labels: american idols, TBI, traumatic brain injury
posted by rangeragainstwar at 7:57 PM
5 Comments:
What about you old paratroopers? When you make a bad exit out of an aircraft and your noggin makes contact with the outside of the bird does the Army give you an exam? Anybody ever taken off jump status for this?
Let me hazard a guess. Congressmen are interested in getting elected. By making a big deal over Pro Football players (who make enough money to buy most hospitals), the misplaced concern endears them to the many millions of potential voting football fans.
Traumatic Brain injury's in men and women who are daily putting their life's on the line, sadly falls in the behind the safety of 'endangered' sand plovers.
BH187
BH 187,
Right. As my compassionate conservative contacts would say, "Hey, those guys volunteered to be over there!"
Whereas, y'see, the football players (who also volunteered) are part of the crew that feeds the circus ("Let me, entertain you"), and we will not be denied our entertainment.
Americans strike me on the whole a s bunch of fervid cruise ship- goers: "We want too much food and shows... What's that --water creeping up over deck? Mop boy! ..."
I'm actually going through testing for this right now, Ranger.
I had near a dozen concussions that I remember playing football, two of which resulted in blackouts.
And the interesting thing about this is that a few NFL player are suffering from those effects.
This is all new territory that is being investigated and researched.
For the more interesting aspect of it is that with the NFL players, the medical researchers can now anticipate what the troops suffering from the same issues will be like in a few years.
BTW, several NFL players have volunteered to donate their brains to science because of the massive head injuries they've suffered.
For me, I think my symptoms are mild comparatively, but I felt it important to get checked out.
I highly recommend that you read about the science behind what is happening. Because for a lot of those troops coming home, sure, they got a knock on the head a few times, but it may take a year or two before the symptoms of those knocks begin to be noticed.
Studying the NFL players gives the scientists an opportunity to study the long term effects of head injuries which will translate to better treatment for the soldiers.
It doesn't look great right now, but like I said, this is pretty much new territory their delving into.
It will take time.
barca,
What about those old paratroopers and knocks on the noggin'? Well, you get Ranger Jim, and seeing that result, you'd think the Army would want to do a little better job testing, wouldn't you? :)
sheerah,
I will hope for a good result with your testing.
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