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In the post-Walter Reed world, the MSM is on the prowl for stories that fit the template -- troops suffering at the hands of an indifferent military health bureaucracy. Yesterday's episode of the Montel Williams show demonstrates what happens when a soldier doesn't stick to the victimization script.
Have a look at this article from the Grand Junction [Colo.] Sentinel, which reports on the appearance on the Williams show of Kelli Frasier, a resident of Clifton, CO in the Grand Junction area. Frasier, who served 11 months in Iraq, was invited onto the show to discuss her experiences in Iraq and once she returned home. According to the article, "Frasier suffers anxiety attacks and bouts of unexplainable anger and has been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder." But while Williams was eager to emphasize the problems Frasier has encountered, according to the article:
When she told Williams she was treated well by the Department of Veterans Affairs, he seemed to lose interest and moved quickly to another segment, she said.
During a commercial break, though, he gestured to her and commented, “This soldier’s not going to complain,” Frasier said.
She was whisked away to the airport and never spoke again to Williams, she said.
“It was absolutely nothing like I expected it to be,” she said of the show. “He didn’t ask me any of the questions I was prepared for.”
On the other hand, she said, “Maybe I was able to educate people about what soldiers go through when they come home.”
The MSM: all the news that fits the Bush-bashing paradigm.
UPDATE - CNSNews.com, sister organization to NewsBusters, has a story on the matter with additional details.
UPDATE - This is apparently not the first time Williams has tried to frame the facts to fit his desire to portray an uncaring military health establishment. Have a look at this article regarding another Montel show. H/t AndisWorld.
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
