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this site has an online copy of my article, however The New York Times is not able to be penntagged.  If you have any concerns please contact Penntags administrators, this is the best way they told me to tag this article. The information for the article is Weinraub, Bernard. "Angry Vienam Veterans Charging Federal Policies Ignore Their Needs; They See Neglect and Inactin by the ADministration in Jobs, Education, Health Care and Counseling. Group in Congress Grows Administration Lists Gains Visibility an Issue Education Employment Health."  The New York Times 2 Feb. 1979: A15

This article is from the New York Times and discusses the Vietnam Veteran’s, a group composed of Vietnam veterans, complaints with the Carter administration’s sensitivity to the needs of veterans.  The group charges the administration with neglect of veterans.  I chose this article specifically because it highlights the complaints of Veterans, which Travis Bickle is in Taxi Driver.  The film’s political recognition of the effects that the war had on veterans is apparent, and this article provides one with a more non-fictional and more comprehensive.  Whether or not all of Travis’ problems are the direct result of the war is not clear, however him being a veteran is definitely relevant to the film.  This newspaper article was written in1979, 3 years after the movie was released, so it is contemporary with the release and in a position to make commentary on issues of the era.  Travis is obviously a disturbed individual and the war had some part in that.  Without coincidence, many of Travis’ sentiments are reflective of the veteran’s sentiments in this article.  Feelings of abandonment, resentment, anger, and distrust of politicians, amongst others are present in Travis and in the Vietnam veterans.  The article helps definitely place this fictional character in non-fictional space and explicitly illustrates the ways in which Taxi Driver serves as social commentary on political/social issues of the 70’s.  This article helps illustrate the films reflective nature and can be used in support of any argument that claims that the film is reflective of the social issues of the 70’s and more specifically any argument that claims that Travis is reflective of the Vietnam veterans of the 70s. 

The article specifically discusses the GI Bill which provides education for veterans, veterans (in) ability to find employment upon their return to America, and treatment, or lack thereof, of emotional and alcohol problems for veterans.  While Taxi Driver, does not specifically get into Travis’s education, etc., I think the ambiguity of these things is exactly the point.  The audience is neglected of any information pertaining to Travis’s education, etc., because, essentially, Travis is neglected of such opportunity himself.