BIAA Update July 2008-3
Urge Presidential Candidates to Participate In the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall!
Take Action!
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Town Hall Would Facilitate Discussion of Issues Facing America’s Military and Veteran Community, Including Traumatic Brain Injury
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) recently joined a consortium of non-profit organizations dedicated to serving active military, veterans, their families and their survivors, in inviting the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to Fort Hood, Texas, for an in-depth discussion of the increasingly complex issues facing America's military and veteran community. The CBS television network has agreed to produce and broadcast the very important Town Hall meeting in prime time on Monday, August 11, 2008.
As of July 17, 2008, the Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has agreed to participate in the Town Hall, but the Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has not agreed to attend the event.
BIAA is a non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of all individuals with brain injuries and their families. During this presidential campaign, BIAA strongly advocates for an open, transparent discussion of public policy issues related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) among both returning service members and civilians. BIAA believes the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall represents a tremendous opportunity to facilitate this discussion in regards to returning service members.
Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world. As a result, it has deployed, and continues to deploy, the most soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of our continuing global war on terror. Consequently, BIAA cannot imagine a more appropriate audience—or a more compelling location—for such a discussion concerning the health care needs of returning service members, including TBI.
1) To send a message urging Sen. Obama to participate in 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall, please click on the “Take Action” link in the upper right-hand corner of this email.
Similarly, BIAA also strongly advocates for the participation of both presidential candidates in the National Forum on Disability Issues, set to occur on July 26, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio. This Forum would allow the presidential candidates to individually present their visions for the future of disability policy in America followed by questions by Judy Woodruff, news anchor and journalist ("The News Hour with Jim Lehrer"), who will act as the Moderator. As of July 17, 2008, Senator McCain has agreed to participate in the entire forum, via satellite. Senator Obama's campaign team has yet to commit and is offering a representative instead.
2) To send a message urging Sen. Obama to participate in the National Forum on Disability Issues, please visit the following link:
http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/utr/1/GZKLIYSYCB/IBJKIYTLAF/2206694631
