Why do Republicans who claim to care for veterans, block $5 billion allocated for the VA and veterans' care? Deny veterans their right to vote?
This Veteran's Day check to see where veterans live and their voting power in their communities. How far do they have to travel to the closest Veterans' Administration hospital? Talk is cheap. Providing veterans healthcare costs money. Let's hold politicians accountable for ignoring veterans. Check this map for:
- How many veterans live in a district
- What percentage of the community they represent
- The closest Veterans Administration healthcare facility
- The congressperson and senator representing them
This blog also explains how to create a rapid response video (like the #HonorVetsPassVotingRights) with the free iMovie app.
Share this StoryMap freely with this link: https://arcg.is/1qzvnG
Share as a GIF https://media.giphy.com/media/uf4nd9tAMZFCPqYVX1/source.gif
Embed it in a website with this code: < iframe src="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c7e042bdec9a4efabea04ae8e1c0e9f0?header" width="100%" height="500px" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="geolocation"></iframe>
Mapping Where Veterans Live
This map was created with ArcGIS Online and data from Living Atlas to show the number of veterans living in a county (by gender) and the percentage of the population they represent. This highlights veteran's voting power in the district. The map also has details on the closest Veterans' Administration and the local elected official and how to contact them.
The StoryMap has an introductory 20 second video created with iMovie and adapts a few seconds from a U.S. Marine Corps recruitment ad. The video is overlaid with images and titles. Watch the 20 sec video with audio here.
Create advocacy videos
This 22 second video was created in a few hours with the free iMovie app. It uses a few seconds of video from the U.S. Marine Corps Commercial 'A Nation's Call' overlaid with images and titles on the importance of providing better healthcare to veterans.
Create rapid response videos
We quickly edited the 22 second Veterans Deserve Better video into a 20 second rapid response #HonorVetsPassVotingRights video. This was done by removing the overlaid images and changing the title. Watch the the new video looks here:
Build Back Better Plan helps veterans
Most VA hospitals are over 50 years old, and it is clear there are places where the infrastructure of these buildings is failing our veterans. That’s unacceptable, and nearly three fourths of Americans agree that it’s time for an update. President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan allocates $5 billion for the Veterans Administration. These funds will be use to rebuild the physical infrastructure of the VA system, investing in VA’s workforce, and update the support structures serving veterans. - Committee on Veterans' Affairs
VoteVets
VoteVets elevates the voices of Veterans and military families through progressive legislative policies and electoral endorsements that impact the lives of active service members and veterans. VoteVets has over one and a half million supporters in all fifty states. It lifts up the voices of veterans on matters of national security, veterans’ care, and issues that affect the lives of those who served, and their families. - VoteVets
TakeAway: Veterans deserve better. Hold politicians accountable for not living up to their claims of caring for veterans when they block funds to improve the Veterans' Administration and deny veterans the right to vote, that they fought overseas to protect.
Deepak
DemLabs
Images used
