Posted on 02/06/2013 9:16:10 PM PST by San Rafael Blue
Last week, I saw an article online that took my breath away. An average of Twenty Two U.S. Veterans are committing suicide each and every week! Is this true? I'm sorry, I can't refer you directly to that article, but it was not the first time I had heard something like this. I am not even sure the subject was active duty or in-active veterans, now chosing to end their lives.
In spite of my spotty data, you must admit, have you not also heard of the many service people losing hope and leaving this existance 'ahead of schedule'? I wish I knew of some way to help these people. We could pray for them, as I do. We all need to be spiritually 'love-bombed' from time to time. We could probably send money someplace too. That has become the most common default of the sympathetic American People; when in doubt, send money to someone who is in trouble. But what else?
I have'nt much surplus money, but I do have years of job experience working with mentally disabled adults. I know the disability may be temporary, due to a particular trauma, or it permanant, but not always at the same bright flare of intensity. Life can continue to develop and flower, even after a major emotional shake up. I know this personally due to certain life experiences. I now know that one usually has choices in how one choses to react to given situations. I've learned that our sense of peace and morality is often intertwoven with those around us. We have a responsiblity to those who love and depend on us to show respect for the gift of life. With that said, fellow readers, what could the average Jane or Joe do to offer help for those who defend our freedoms?
The article and the numbers I quoted were for active duty Army AND Army Guard and Army Reservists who were “not-on-active-duty”. I used the 325 suicide number because this is what the Army said in their news release which CNN reported in their article.
Specifically, the article said “182 active duty suicides were reported (130 confirmed and 52 still under investigation) while 96 National Guard and 47 Army Reserve (total 143)were reported for an Army-wide total of 325.”
Not stated in the article is the obvious fact that many Guard and Reservists who are not currently on active duty did serve in Afghanistan and Iraq and who may be suffering from PTSD or whatever other causes lead to a person suiciding.
I see you point on separating the apples from oranges but the Army is not doing so, so why should you?
Thanks for your reply.
Some happen to be veterans. But if you compare the numbers of suicides in general versus those who happen to be vets, THEN we can have a discussion.
And again, suicides are much more likely among white men. Vets or not.
It happens, but I don't see a lot of black females comitting suicide.
The 8008 number is for total suicides committed by all veterans, you then cite numbers for "active duty" as well as reservists, thus you are mixing apples and oranges.
Before you comment on "fact checking" you should have your facts in order.
Also-
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/us/veterans-make-up-shrinking-percentage-of-suicides.html?_r=0
Look Michael, I’m not getting into a pissing contest with you. I simply quoted numbers supplied by the CNN article sent to me on the 2nd of Feb. You apparently are using an article published by Reddit. I quoted accurately and even clarified that further so no, I’m not mixing “apples and oranges”. If you cannot see that the Army is using the same numbers I did (325 suicides in 2012), then perhaps you might need to re-read the Army release or google the CNN article.
I came up with the 8008 number by multiplying the original posters’ comment and question (22 X 364). I don’t know what he read in the article or what was told to him. As far as I know, no one has mentioned the 8008 number other than me and I used it to show the original poster his understanding was incorrect.
You brought a smile to my lips for two reasons.
The second was that it reminded me of Paul LePage's motto: If it is to be, it begins with me....
Thanks for posting
Find those twenty two that are committing suicide each week and put them in a mental hospital so they won’t commit suicide next week too! I bet the EMTs are getting tired of reviving them!
(OK, OK, it’s a serious issue. And maybe it is counting attempts or suspected attempts, too. But what happened to good grammar.)
What’s with your self-righteous crap? I simply posted two links that support the OP’s post (that had no links/sources). I hadn’t even seen any of your posts. But now having gone back and looked through - I really don’t get your point or purpose in posting on this thread - or your senseless attempts at defending your views.
Reddit? Not sure what that’s about. One link is to FoxNews, the other the NYSlimes.
I also fail to see why you are posting a response to me about “apples and oranges” as I posted nothing even remotely similar or related to that...
What do you mean, “my self-righteous crap”? I did not reply to you at all, I was replying to MichaelSF. So why don’t you get off your high horse and check your eyes.
If you went back through to check my posts as you say you did, then you obviously overlooked the fact I was replying to the original poster and then to MichaelSF, not you.
I haven’t read the article you posted.
I have no idea what happened - but your reply showed up in my “pings”, and had “TheBattman” in the “To:” position. The post then began with “Michael”...
Now - when I go to my pings page, that message no longer appears addressed to me. I have no idea what happened - if it was a FreeRepublic script/server/database issue, or what.
I retract my previous double-barreled response. I am sorry.
God bless, onona.
My late husband had PTSD from Korea. He felt so guilty about the deaths he was exposed to and inflicted that he felt he had no right to happiness and did his best to destroy our marriage. All unconscious of course. I am sure this is a lot of what is happening now.
One more time. I simply quoted the CNN article. I added nothing beyond what they wrote. I directly quoted them in an effort to correct the original poster’s misconception. You jumped in and said I needed to separate things out. I went back to the article and again quoted the Army’s own numbers for active duty and Reserve/NG suicides as the Army press release separated them and made the distinction between active and formerly active. I’ve added nothing to the article nor did I take anything away. Sadly, the suicide numbers are what they are and there are too,too many of them.
I am a veteran. I am a former soldier. I served in VietNam and during Desert Storm and Shield. I volunteered to go to Afghanistan but now I’m too old. I had battlefield experience they could use and obviously still need. So yes, I think I do have a significant grasp on who is a “soldier” and who is a “veteran” in any sense of the word and certainly by your definition. I suggest it can be argued that a reservist or guardsman who is still on duty (till his enlistment ends) and subject to recall but who is not at this moment in a combat zone is still a soldier and a “veteran” in the sense he’s already completed a tour or more tours as several reserve/NG units have done.
No I haven’t missed any of the points. I grasp all that I need to, much more than you can ever know. You just want to keep splitting hairs and I simply stick by the official numbers given by the DA.
Apology accepted. Not needed, but then I understand what might’ve happened just as you do.
Am not sure why the acrimony tonight, the issue is a horribly serious one and is one I have to deal with professionally from time to time. I’m not sure the Army truly realizes the scope of the problem yet. The most recent funeral I went to on post was for a really STRAC up and comer W3 who had his S**t together (or so folks thought). He left a wife and 3 small kids. Still no one still knows why. The service on post left me almost cold. Way, way too much PC crap.
Anyway, thanks for your reply. Much appreciated it for both of us.
Hi Steve, I’m going to look up info on The Silver Stars of America. Maybe I can participate in some manner, better than the impotent twiddling of one’s thumbs clockwise and counter clockswise as I complain.
When you disconnect someone from the smiles, love and warmth of their family and friends, this happens. These long, repeated tours in harsh environments are making transition back home difficult. A vet always feels different from everyone else. While folks are talking about the next episode of brain drain, military folks are thinking about deep dark things. I did not even serve in a combat zone and I feel very different from non vets.
Unfortunately, the only solution is to re- establish the bonds to loving friends and family. Easier said than done when there is very little common ground. Chris Kyle was on the right track, it will take person to person commitment.
The reason for the acrimony is because people come at these stories from 2 different perspectives.
Of course everyone here is disturbed by suicides of our active duty and Iran/Iraq veterans. But many are also disturbed by the typical lazy libtard reporting that tries to paint veterans as crazy and deranged.
I read a couple of the linked stories, they were not only confusing when discussing the numbers, but there were also gross inaccuracies.
For example, the story that was linked by Michael SF claimed that veterans account for 20% of all suicides but make up only 1% of the population. This claim is garbage as veterans constitute far more than one percent of the population.
If you don't have honest reporting, you can't have an informed electorate, and you can't debate the issues properly.
I read this too, and was overwhelmed. I have an Iraqi War Veteran son with serious survivors guilt.
And the I read that the President had order a cutback on breakfast for troops in Afghanistan. The soldiers were writing home requesting breakfast bars, cereal & the like.
My heart is broken. We are abandoning them in the field.
I’m seeking a name & address where I can send some breakfast (the most important meal of the day by some accts) even if the Prez won’t.
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