Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jul 2010 Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT) Copyright: 2010 The Billings Gazette Contact: http://billingsgazette.com/app/contact/?contact=letter Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515 Author: Dave Fox VA VIOLATES RIGHTS WITH STANCE ON MARIJUANA I read about the human rights violations around the world, especially in the Third World countries. But what about the human rights here in good ol' Montana? One group, the Veterans Administration, refuses treatment for pain to vets who use medical marijuana. They have an oath to "first do no harm or injustice," which is obviously meaningless to these people. With all of the science and facts and the millions of people who use it daily for their illness, these doctors cannot honestly deny the medical value. If they do, they have no business being a health care worker. They are not paying attention to their patients. None of us care that the federal people say it is illegal. We know that is because of politics. They are playing politics with our health. To allow and be complicit in the suffering is a human rights violation. To abandon sick patients is a crime in America. A veterinarian would not dream of letting a beloved pet suffer in pain and neither would they. But they would turn me and hundreds of American soldiers away because we use legal medical marijuana because it works. It is obvious to us that VA personnel are more concerned with the paychecks than treating our health. They claim a concern for all the suicides, yet when a soldier begs for help, they don't listen. They told me, "Why don't you people just go away?" Well, I will never go away until they start giving me the respect and treatment that they give their dogs. Dave Fox Pompeys Pillar - --- MAP posted-by: Matt