Veterans from our wars, from Korea forward, have been maligned and forgotten, but when used for the oh so patriotic meme's, when we've come home, during and after and as Rachel says the message is carried by a lazy media, other forms also used. Especially us Vietnam veterans, the war that lasted so long till the quickly abandoned missions and troops after 9/11 sent to Afghanistan. Vietnam vets were mostly shunned as that occupation dragged on year after year. Once again issues were ignored so that those served wouldn't have to pay their sacrifice in caring for. Especially once we got PTS recognized for what it is, including in the civilian populations and not only as to war theaters. There were some making very comfortable livings speaking about and writing books about that it doesn't really exist. We were called shirkers and worse, labeled as drug abusers as well, seeking to grab government benefits because the wounds are unseen, in entertainment drama's we were usually cast as the bad guys, that's changed mostly. The Desert Storm veterans were totally forgotten, especially in ignoring Gulf War Syndrome, once again an invented issue that to be cared for but study after study made, again wasting time and causing suffering in veterans and their families lives. Finally, with the continued help from an Executive Administration and it's Cabinet, when they can, many of the long ignored issues are being taken care of or the push is on to, they don't have charge of the countries purse strings!
Rachel Maddow points out the shocking number of mass gun killings in the U.S., and criticizes lazy civilian media for using military service as shorthand for a false stereotype when the shooter happens to be a veteran.
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, senior correspondent for the Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about the distance between military life and the civilian world and the challenge veterans face trying to connect the two.
Published: April 2 - The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a nationally representative survey among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Click "Detailed view" on any question to view results by military branch, combat arms/combat support, gender and other groups. breakdown of survey>>>
March 29, 2014 - More than half of the 2.6 million Americans dispatched to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with physical or mental health problems stemming from their service, feel disconnected from civilian life and believe the government is failing to meet the needs of this generation’s veterans, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation.The long conflicts, which have required many troops to deploy multiple times and operate under an almost constant threat of attack, have exacted a far more widespread emotional toll than previously recognized by most government studies and independent assessments: One in two say they know a fellow service member who has attempted or committed suicide, and more than 1 million suffer from relationship problems and experience outbursts of anger — two key indicators of post-traumatic stress. read more>>>
Just because someone is in or has been in the Military and especially served in a War/Occupation theater the first thought of PTS when they do something uncivil in their communities is not a reaason to be focused on only, PTS does not only happen in war theaters and to military personal, it can be found all around us and in some or many each of us know, including family members. Any who've lived through trauma's in their lives that their minds won't let go of can and probably does suffer from, depressions are one factor but one only, and there are triggers that can bring in those nightmares. I was born in '48 with WWII veterans all around us. Back then it wasn't a diagnoses but called things like 'shell shock' etc. that eventually those suffering from would get over, one with never does and those triggers can bring the feelings and thoughts rushing back.
The oft used media and public meme in this economy and especially these two wars, but used before, as to hiring veterans is the fear of PTS and the veteran exploding into violence! Those that served in WWII, so called greatest generation, weren't only called that because of that war. They came back with what they learned in the military, everything but actual fighting, to join the labor force and used the military structure to enhance their skills they learned as they went forward. Some came back to start businesses that became successful, some industries, and the most that worked for others became great innovators along with the engineers etc. as they grew in their trades or also were schooled in the advances in. Korean war vets the same and yet not known PTS, us Vietnam vets same and we along with others finally got the medical establishment to recognize and gave it a name yet it was still ignored by the greater majority served. The country was envied by others for our innovative labor force and the growing economy from, the rise of a strong middle class, some continued to serve the country in many ways. That ended when, mostly non veterans, the greed took over and the idea's of capitalism, where everyone shared in the fruits of the labor, were shifted up to the top, with promises of 'trickle down' to the rest, we already had that in sharing and building strong industries and quickly innovating them. Many had PTS but suffered in silence their whole lives while functioning normally, many civilians did also and still do as the focus stays mostly on military, wars, and combat PTS, but that's changing, Finally.
One can suffer from bouts of depression, while a part of PTS one doesn't have to be suffering from PTS. One can get angry or in a rage and not be suffering from PTS. One can have a trigger, PTS or no, that causes one to quickly grab a gun they have and use, without thought of doing, and that also goes for those packing and grab to stop a shooter.
Having guns so easily at the ready is having something deadly right there when triggers hit, PTS or no PTS, doing the uncivil in a civilized society, to use, you don't need to be military, a veteran of or even a civilian suffering from, the over whelming amount of guns and ease of getting then stocking thousands of rounds of ammunition are what make the communities unsafe and easy to be terrorized, and terror it is! In a civil society the greater majority should be seeking ways to be civil towards each other, especially if spouting religious ideologies, and not be doing the complete opposite, living in fear and seeking deadly means to be close to them, those cause the ease to use!
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