Kanye Helps Young Iraq Vets

If you are a viewer of MTV on the regular, then you know that the network does a "Choose or Lose" campaign every time there is a major election happening. This time, instead of touring the country and trying to get voters registered, MTV veejay Sway and rapper extraordinaire Kanye West are dedicating its Choose Or Lose campaign this year to highlighting the issues of young veterans. Seemingly because approximately 1.7 million soldiers and sailors have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a recent MTV poll, nearly six in ten (58 percent) 18-24-year-olds stated that they personally know someone who has served in Iraq.

Kanye West has been interested in the issue for a while now, and he’s decided to team up with MTV for a special called “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming.” During his recent Glow in the Dark Tour, Kanye met up with three young veterans — one in Oklahoma City; one in Austin, Texas; and one in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each veteran had their own unique story, but all had two things in common: They served in Iraq and were now home and struggling. Whether it was dealing with family debt incurred while they were away or an inability to work while being treated for post traumatic stress disorder, these young vets were in danger of slipping through the cracks.

In each city, Kanye met with them and heard their stories. He brought them to his show and made sure they knew how thankful we all are for their service. More importantly, however, we tried to help. Whether it was money to pay off debt, help with finding a job or help with school bills, each vet was surprised by a gift from MTV and the Dr. Donda West Foundation, named in honor of Kanye’s late mother. Good show Kanye!!!! I love it when hip hop does something good to make a positive difference in someones life! I love it!