The ugly truth about homeless vets

Activists portray homeless people as innocent victims of our economic system, with no responsibility for their own sad condition. Homeless veterans are cited as classic examples, but a new study by the Department of Veterans Affairs shows as many as 43 percent of homeless vets were dishonorably discharged for serious misconduct, including criminality or chronic addiction.

The study also showed no clear link between combat exposure and homelessness, with a full 15 percent of homeless veterans engaging in military misconduct so serious that they’re not even eligible for VA services.

These numbers should serve as a powerful reminder that providing free housing or government welfare won’t be enough to help transients build decent lives: there must be some change in the destructive behavior that made people homeless in the first place. The sad truth is that enabling people to continue living on the streets does nothing to bring about those much-needed changes.