Even as protestors march across bridges across the nation, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate, history teaches us that America is resistant to acknowledging the persistent racism that plagues this country and even worse, resistant to do…
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Let me tell you the story of two veterans.
The first veteran – we’ll call him Jim – claimed he was exposed to herbicides – Agent Orange – outside of the Republic of Vietnam. After the VA spent decades denying his claim,…
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Bold and unapologetically honest, Pam Keith is a refreshing political voice you need to follow right now.
She smoothly articulates the most rocky and controversial topics of our time. It is no surprise that this attorney with 25 years of expe…
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By: Yalitza Ledgister, writing for “The Bridge”
Single mothers!
The poem “The Hill We Climb” recited by Amanda Gorman during the Inauguration on January 20th, 2021 was also written for you.
It was created and articulated by a br…
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As we approach Black History Month and Women’s History Month, I am presented with an opportunity to write about a Black woman. So, I chose me!
I am an Afro-Latina who also identifies as Black. On my census bureau application last y…
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Dear Veteran, We the People, the 79.8 million of us, voted that temporary economic stability should not come at the expense of Black, Hispanic, frontline workers, the immuno-compromised, and elderly lives. We demanded that the unity of our country m…
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Racist Ideas, Attitudes, and Behavior
On March 1, 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it proposed disciplinary action against three Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) attorneys and two judges who had repeatedly sent racist…
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By: Yalitza Ledgister, writing for “The Bridge”
One day my son came home from school and, pointing to his brown arms, asked, “Mom, why can’t I have white skin?”
After the initial shock and parent-fail slap wore off, I…
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“I am a Black man who jogs” was written by Augustus Turner, Mr. Turner retains all copyright to the image and content; it is republished here with his permission.
Augustus Turner is a husband, a father, a soldier, and an attorney.…
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This case involves the BVA judge’s inadequate reasoning of a denial of a veteran’s claim for an increased rating for PTSD.
The appeal was resolved through a joint motion to remand.
ISSUE ON APPEAL TO THE CAVC (BVA overlooked evidence…
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This case involves the BVA judge’s inadequate reasoning of his denial of a veteran’s past-due benefits in a claim for an increased rating due to an increase in the severity of the veteran’s PTSD.
The appeal was resolved through a jo…
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After years of exploring different fields, I’ve found purpose-driven work here, at Attig | Curran | Steel.
There are a lot of variables in the experience of “happy.” It is difficult to keep it continuous.
Do I feel happy when my kids…
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When appellate courts review the decisions of lower courts – or in administrative law where a Court like the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) reviews the decisions of the BVA, an administrative tribunal – they use “…
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Let me tell you the story of two veterans.
The first veteran – we’ll call him Jim – claimed he was exposed to herbicides – Agent Orange – outside of the Republic of Vietnam. After the VA spent decades denying his claim,…
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In January 2021, the loss of use of a reproductive organ for SMC purposes was the focus of a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals Veterans Claims issued a precedential opinion in Bria v. Wilkie.
The panel consisted of Judge Mere…
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