A veteran, a young woman with a son, the mother and veteran the victim of domestic abuse and suffering depression from that abuse, went to the Veterans Affairs office in El Paso seeking help for her depression. A counselor told her she would not be able to see a psychologist: she “looked too nice and put together” for someone depressed.

Of course. How wonderful that the VA can hire folks so skilled that they can diagnose a lack of depression solely on appearance. Still, it’s one way to hold down the wait lists.

The VA has to go, and its budget has to be disbursed to our veterans as vouchers so they can see the doctors of their own choice in medical facilities of their own choice and at times that are actually useful to them.