When the situation gets to the point that it's at today, it's obvious that someone somewhere dropped the ball!
Suicides
Suicide is a shockingly large problem in the military. Last year, 349 American services personnel took their own lives, 54 more than died in combat. But this just includes those on active duty. If you widen the net to include veterans, then the number who killed themselves in 2012 is a staggering 6,500. According to The Guardian, that equals one suicide every 80 minutes—and rather than treating the problem, the military is seemingly doing everything in its power to make things worse.
In 2010, Pvt. Lazzaric Caldwell was convicted of “self-injury,” a charge meant to cover soldiers who willingly injure themselves to escape battle. Caldwell’s crime? After suffering PTSD and learning he was in trouble for marijuana possession, he took to his barracks and slit his wrists. For attempting suicide, he was given 180 days. Ultimately, the Army Court of Appeal overturned his sentence, but the law remains on the books, meaning a commanding officer can still punish any of his men that attempts suicide. This is just about the dumbest thing anyone can do. The stigma around mental health is already so bad that only 16 percent of veterans who ultimately committed suicide had set foot in a clinic prior to taking their lives. That’s a disturbingly low statistic, and if the military continues to criminalize suicide, it’s only gonna get worse.
I almost wish that I had not found this article at Listverse, because it really haunts me. This is so far beyond sad, it's a shame!
On a brighter note, we can have our coffee out on the patio this morning! Sound OK?
9 comments:
Well, that was depressing and enlightening. Thanks.
Hey Linda...
Sorry to bring up such a depressing subject, but I thought that the facts should be known by all of us!
Thanks for coming over today!
Why won't we take care of the men and women that defend us? They should be our first priority. There is something going on.
Coffee on the patio would be lovely - I'll bring a box of Dunkin's!
That is just so sad that they would punish someone instead of trying to help them. Someone somewhere definitely dropped the ball in trying to help our service men and women who suffer from mental illness. Personally, I can't think of anything that would be so unbearable as to take my own life. But that is just me. These people need help and our Government should be providing it, not ignoring it.. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Here in Canada we unfortunately are "keeping right up" with you guys in terms of doing a lousy job of looking after our military personnel.
You get better treatmen if you're a refugee coming ashore in Nova Scotia, but don't get me started!
The purpose of the UCMJ is to keep order and have the solders ready to risk their lives on someone's order.
Being afraid enough to hurt yourself so you don't have to face the danger is what 'they' try and stop.
This suicide problem is probably not a new one, I'll bet it was not "noticed" before...
I must say that the VA Clinic in Corpus Christi TX is very proactive on suicide prevention. It seems like every time I go there the doc/ nurse checks me about that issue. That clinic at least thinks PTSD is a serious illness that is treatable.
It is such a sad state of affairs. So many of my friends took their own lives after Nam. and for years to come. Some did fine and learned to cope but many never did. We have so many Vets here that are homeless and just wander the streets. We have a huge VA Hospital here but not much help for these lost souls.
Coffee out on the patio sound great this morning a little over cast here today but not bad.
The question must be: Who else but the PTB have put humans in the face of dangers and continual damages with wars?
Ask the Suicide's remaining family how they feel! I am one who remains behind, questioning and sobbing in the ashes.
When will we uncivilized Sheople, as a whole, finally wake up? A dead-serious question - Will we ever get our collective heads on straight and face facts: that PTB orchestrate the horrors and thus the end results?
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