Veterans deserve extra attention, including in the justice system

Almost everyone agrees that our country should give special treatment to the men and women who have served in our armed forces, whether in aid for education, preference in federal hiring or generous pensions. If you put yourself in harm’s way to protect and defend your country, you have gone above and beyond the role of the ordinary citizen and deserve special treatment. That still holds true for any veteran whose life has gone off the rails and who ends up in the justice system. If they are arrested for a nonviolent crime, their actions cannot be excused, but they need and deserve as much help as the community can give. That is the reasoning behind the creation of veterans’ courts, where they can get the help they need. Veteran advocates and the local United Way are laying the groundwork for such a court here.