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BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

Ilona Meagher is a product of the new citizen journalism.

Coming upon the plight of GIs with PTSD returning from Iraq, she decided to start an online account of the plight of troops with PTSD. In turn, this drew the attention of other blogs and websites.

Eventually, she developed enough material for a compelling book that is a wake-up call to the nation to help those who served our country, but now are at high risk because of PTSD. In fact, estimates reach as high as 25% of our GIs returning from Iraq with varying forms of PTSD.

Of course, as Meagher confirms, the Bush administration has done extremly little to aid these combat veterans. In fact, it has remained silent about their needs.

Meagher also explains how the Draconian methods authorized by the Bush administration to be used in the Iraq War, as well as the unknown mission of the conflict, have contributed to the high incidents of PTSD among returning soldiers.

Behind all the false patriotic rhetoric in "support of our troops," Meagher documents how returning GIs with urgent mental health needs are being basically ignored.

Beyond the compelling subject matter of "Moving a Nation to Care," Meagher's book is evidence that citizen journalists are creating a new media that is more relevant, in many ways, than the mainstream media.

Meagher cares deeply about how this adminsitration crafted a war that maximized the likelihood of increasing the occurrences of PTSD -- and then didn't provide adequate funding or support for its victims.

Like wounded Iraqis, GIs with PTSD are just so much collateral damage to the White House.

What makes "Moving a Nation to Care" particularly significant is that it is grounded in personal accounts of how many GIs with PTSD arrived at where they are. This is a well-researched book that combines facts, details and personal accounts into a compelling call for assisting our own victims of a fraudulent war.

Ilona Meagher truly supports our troops and cares about their well-being as they return to a country for which the Iraq War has been more faux jingistic sloganeering than real combat.

Unlike Bush, Cheney and the self-serving pro-war, pandering GOP candidates for president, Meagher identified an injustice done to our troops and has sought to do something about it with the power of the pen.

That, our friends, is a true patriot.

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS