I wondered the same thing, because I really haven't seen a lot of anti-military comments on Glenn's blog, although that is not true every where else that I comment. In fact, I was just commenting to someone else via email that there actually seems to be quite a few here who have their own military experience, or know either a little or a lot about a parent's, or who like me, and some others, are military brats, and have our own unique perspectives on the situation. In my case, I have been opposed to this war from the beginning (both in Afghanistan and Iraq), but I still want to see, and eventually expect to see, better funding for veterans' health issues, as well as programs to assist their families, etc.

Still, (to Garry O.) I have to agree that veterans issues need more and better coverage in both the media and in the blogosphere, and that it really shouldn't be a matter of left/right, Dem/GOP. However, my own experience says that the bright line between those two sets would delineate very different perspectives on what military experience "is" in Reality, or is "supposed" to look like in theory.

Though I may not have mentioned it in any comments here, I have followed as closely as possible, the (few) stories that I've seen on VA issues, (decreasing) funding for dependent's children, etc., etc.

Perhaps there is not yet the critical mass in the media and the blogosphere to make the VA a regular beat... even here at Salon, although I do think there has been some good coverage here. But, that's just one more of the many vagaries of the M$M. Not so long ago, I couldn't help but notice how many papers didn't even have an "Education" beat, even though it's such a hot potato, politically.

My own father was a lifer in the AF, and then went on to another career, and then literally bought a farm and went back to nature, so to speak, (as much as that's possible for a former military man to do), and then sold it and bought another, all of these last three phases with my 2nd stepmother, and long after I was a "grownup." I can't honestly speak to any family experience with PTSD; however, there was still a very strong RWA environment present when I was growing up, and I suspect that's still true for a lot of children growing up in the military now, with or without the PTSD. And a good portion of my adult life has been spent in learning how to shed its remnants.

Have you given any thought to starting up a blog of your own to collect stories on VA and other personal military issues? A place where you could gather what news stories, and links to academic papers there are... having a resource like that might actually help to create the critical mass that would lead to more and better coverage in the Media. After all, down the road, the PTSD issue in particular is only going to become even more urgent (and we haven't even mentioned yet all of the mercs/contractors who are possibly returning from Iraq with PTSD, and with even fewer treatment resources available to them). You would be performing a real public service, if you were to take on something like that.

[By any chance have you read Military Brats by Mary Edwards Wertsch? It's a must-read. http://tinyurl.com/2z2muv]