Interview with Tulsi Gabbard

ABILITY Magazine speaks with presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard about Aloha, PTSD, TBI, and disability policy.
Read the full-length article: https://abilitymagazine.com/tulsi-gabbard-interview-with-chet-cooper-discusses-tbi-ptsd-aloha-and-more/

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(Tulsi Gabbard)(Aloha)
(Inaudible)

The reason why we greet
each other with Aloha

is because of the real powerful meaning
of this word, that really expresses,

I come to you with respect

and with an open heart,

and with love, and recognition
that no matter where we come from

or the colour of our skin or how we work,
or if we worship, or how we were.

All of these things, it cuts right through
and recognises that we are all connected.

We are all brothers and sisters, all
children of God, and therefore are

inspired to treat each other with
that most deep respect and care

that inspires us to take action.

To take action to care for one another.

(The Cost of War)
(Inaudible)

I get asked about the grey
that I have in my hair here

and I started to go grey
during my first deployment,

and just over the years,
I have decided to keep that

because of the reminder
that it brings to me of those

who pay the price for war.
The cost of war, I will never forget.

(People in Power)
(Inaudible)

I think that it is most important
to make sure that we have the right people

with the right qualifications,
motivated purely by that love, and care,

and compassion for others
in positions of power.

Because ultimately when
it comes down to it,

whether you have men or women in positions

of great power and influence,
if they are driven by that hunger

for power and desire to hold onto it,

that's where we end up
in a very bad place.

(PTSD - PART I)
(Inaudible)

The VA is an organization
that has a mission

to protect and to serve the needs
of our veterans.

Those who go and are willing to sacrifice
all for our country.

And unfortunately what we are seeing
is that even after all of these years,

both, in the post-9/11 era of veterans
but also Vietnam veterans,

Korean War veterans,
those who've come before us,

the services are still falling short.

And the area of post-traumatic stress
is one of the main areas

where that is true.

There continues to be a stigma around it,
whether people are willing

to admit it or not, both within
the military and also

as people have transitioned back
to their civilian lives.

I have experienced it through some of
my friends, who I have served with,

who have come home really struggling,

and having a hard time finding
the best place that can help them.

(PTSD - PART II)
(Inaudible)

This is one of the drivers behind the
continued rate of veteran suicide

that we are seeing in our country,
and shows that we have to take

a more holistic approach.

And this is what
I would lead as a president,

where as a veteran,
I understand in a deeply

personal way, who pays the price for war,
and how heavy that price is.

And I will ensure that our VA leaves no
veteran behind.

And that every single veteran gets the
care that they need.

And as we look at post-traumatic stress,
there are many different levels of how

it impacts people on a whole spectrum,
some very extreme situations,

some may be less extreme.
But every person heals and finds

their therapy and their path forward
in a different way.

And as a VA, as a government,
and as a society, we need to be able

to help support that.

(Disability Policy)

We are still working on putting

together kind of on paper
in each of these areas

what my vision for
the kinds of changes that we need

to see as a presidential platform.
These are issues

that I have been closely involved
with and working on

with legislation in Congress, both,
co-sponsoring bills,

like the AIM HIGH Act and others,
and bringing voice to those

who are my constituents
and others in the country, who are still

not being represented at the table,
where a lot of these decisions

are being made.