I, alongside many others, have been profoundly affected by a practice that disrupts the lives of veterans every day — the placement of discriminatory flags on our medical records. These flags, issued at a federal level, relegate veterans like myself onto a watchlist managed by Homeland Security. This placement not only harms our reputations, but also risks our health and livelihoods by compromising the quality of medical care we receive.

In my own experience, I've been medically neglected as a result of these flags. Appropriate care has been withheld from me, I've been subjected to unfounded investigations, and I've constantly faced harassment by VA police. The repercussions of these actions have destroyed any semblance of normality in my life, and worsened my quality of life drastically.

The U.S Department of Veterans Affairs reports that about 20 million veterans live in the United States. If even a small percent of this population faces the same discrimination and mistreatment that I have encountered, this turns into a significant issue we cannot ignore. A change in federal law is necessary to protect veterans from this form of discrimination.

We request lawmakers to take this matter seriously, amend federal law, and ensure that the medical rights of veterans, who've made selfless sacrifices for our country, are upheld and respected. Sign this petition to support our veterans and demand a halt to these discriminatory practices.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/local-vets-are-getting-letters-saying-va-may-restrict-their-care-this-what-va-secretary-says/55T4VLTAARG5HJFN6HRMCV7RZI/?outputType=amp