Am I Wrong on Veterans Affairs? Reacting to Viewer Comments

In this episode, I ask the uncomfortable question: Am I wrong on Veterans Affairs?

A YouTube viewer left a comment saying I’m wrong about Veterans Affairs issues and out of touch with what veterans are actually dealing with. So in true Unwritten Chapters fashion, I pull the comment up on screen and react to it in real time — no script, no filter.

From the perspective of a Canadian Armed Forces veteran and VAC client, I talk through:

How I see Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and where it fails veterans

Why so many of us feel betrayed, dismissed, or gaslit by the system

The tension between personal experience vs. policy and online “experts”

Why I say MAGA is a political slogan, not a boogeyman

How politics, labels, and outrage culture poison real conversations about vets

What personal growth and humility look like when someone says, “You’re wrong”

This isn’t a rage video — it’s a long-form, honest reaction where I break down the comment, own what I can, push back where I need to, and try to model what actual discussion looks like in a world of hot takes and echo chambers.

If you’re a veteran, military family member, VAC client, or just someone trying to understand veterans’ issues and political polarization, this one’s for you.

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Welcome — I’m Matthew Heneghan: Canadian veteran, former paramedic, addiction survivor and storyteller. After 17 years on the front lines — in the Forces and EMS — I now write, podcast and share stories of trauma, recovery and what comes after the worst of it.

📚 My Books

A Medic’s Mind
– Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention.
Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7x

Trauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way
– A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth.
Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV

🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com

Author Matthew Heneghan

🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter).

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMof...


LINKS & RESOURCES
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Author Matthew Heneghan

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WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL
– Talking-head reflections on trauma, mental-health work, addiction recovery
– Behind-the-scenes of EMS & veteran life — what they don’t teach you in training
– Practical tips to cope, heal and build resilience from the rawest possible vantage
– Author & podcast updates, plus live discussions about writing your next chapter

Thanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.