Shell shock, now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is claiming casualties all over our country. Soldiers come home not always able to make the distinction of being here or back under attack. Victims of the war even while back in peaceful surroundings.
I knew a Viet Nam veteran who was an officer in that conflict. Crazy George, as he was known by everyone, was a jumble of paranoid nerves that was always set to explode. His trips to the V A hospital to get his meds sometimes led to extended stays in the psych ward for a few months. I have seen him hide from “Charlie” when an Asian person walked by. He was always looking around sure someone was out to get him. Years after the conflict in Viet Nam was over he still lived in the jungle…in his mind.
In trying to help him they experimented with drugs and therapy to no avail. He couldn’t come home, always staying behind to be with his “brovets” (as Buzz calls them) that didn’t survive. He fought back against all those he felt were threats and was eventually shot to death by the Baton Rouge City Police while laying on his back, unarmed, in his own bedroom. (RIP my old friend)
Alicia at Last Left Turn Before Hooterville wrote about the hell that is coming back from war. Quite a disturbing post considering my old friend was just one victim of this horrible way of life returning vets face. So many new faces of this horrible condition are showing up in our hometowns as kids…yes kids…(I mean no disrespect at all as most of the soldiers fighting in Iraq weren’t even born by the time I finished college)…return home with fresh horror every day.
So they put them on new experimental drugs. Chantix is the popular one now. It, like so many other “anti-depressant” drugs is linked to violence and suicide. ABC’s Good Morning America did a story about this this morning. I haven’t figgered a way to embed the vids from there so I will post this link to ‘Disposable Heroes’: Veterans Used To Test Suicide-Linked Drugs. The story from this morning along with the vid clip I want you to see.
I guess there are many more casualties than the 4100 official KIA’s the DOD lets us know about.
Again I ask that everyone do whatever it takes to let the powers that be know we don’t want our fellow Americans over there anymore.
Seems like all of the biggies (AP, Reuters, ABC, NBC….) have chucked the very newsworthy story about Rep. Dennis Kucinich and his articles for impeaching George.
Ted got on his Soapbox 2.0 to talk about drugs and our soldiers. No…not that fine Afghani hash or the deadly opium and heroin available in the middle east, but about the prescription anti-depressants they are giving the troops. Maybe if they were smoking the hash they would be in a better mental state…naw…your mental health is gonna be horrible when death and suffering surrounds you. Especially when you are part of the cause of the suffering and your best buddy from The World just died in your arms.
As a former user of anti depressants I know that they “help” you cope with horrible life events by giving you an “I just don’t give a fuck” attitude about life…or death. What a handy tool for the government to keep problems down when the soldiers are told they are being flopped into another tour as part of the stop-loss backdoor draft. What a great stride to keeping the troops who invade homes filled with children and old folks in an I don’t care place of mind.
I have a friend….no…really…I do. She is a sweet caring thinking mother of three. All boys that are completely wonderful. Notice I said she is a thinking person. Not one to just fall into lockstep to the political dogma Faux News or Rush Limbaugh marching tunes. Not one to puke up the soundbites of the so called liberals either. A woman who I admire greatly because her views don’t line up with most of her friends opinion yet she stands fast with her beliefs.
While she by no means endorses John McSameolBushit she loaths Obama. In many of her onesided arguments she posts on her My Space page she berates Barack while saying she is not a Republican. I’m sure she is not. Like I said…she is a thinking person. I try to fancy myself as a thinker too.
So I have been doing some thinking about the effect slamming Obama has on the whole presidential race. While I know it is the stuff right wing folks seem to thrive on, you know, the problems with the preachers sermons, the flagpin issue, pics of Obama in the native clothes of a region he was visiting (which all political officeholders including Bush and McCain do) it doesn’t seem to be the norm with thinking folks. Thinkers want to deal with real issues. The things that affect the majority of Americans. Regular people like she and I are.
I believe that each slam against Obama (the presumed Demo candidate) is a homerun for McCain (the presumed Repube guy). Each time someone lashes out against Obama it a supportive lash for the same old stuff to continue in America. This isn’t to say that Barack is perfect just sayin’ that in our 2 party system he is the only choice to stop things from continuing down the same destructive path John wants to rush down.
Every time anyone puts Obama down they are in a sense supporting war. The already failing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the one McCain supports against Iran. Supporting the reinstatement of the draft that will be the only way to restock the cannon fodder children of America. Supportive opinion for this war is negligable and if we start another unwinnable war with Iran all support will wane.
In my opinion, every time someone talks about Obama’s faults they are supporting at least 100 years of occupation in Iraq. John McSameolBushit has compared his dream of peacefully occupying the country similar to Korea and Japan. But both of those nations had to be brutally conquered before the peaceful occupation could begin.
The people of Korea and Japan were not as heavily influenced by religion as the people of the middle east are. The zealots there will not be so easily conquered. Even nuclear weapons, like the U.S. dropped on Japan, would not deter the defense of Iraq or Iran. They want to be left alone and will fight harder than the other countries our military occupies. So overcoming their will is a long and deadly process. That could be a verrrrrrrrrrry long time before the “Hundred years…maybe a thousand” desired by McCain could even begin.
Which all comes together to mean that not only will the American kids that are already alive today be forced to be put into harms way in the middle east so will those of generations to come. The human toll alone with McCains dreams will be incredible. The financial cost will be enough to destroy our country as we know it. And with our military fighting a losing war in the middle east who will be here to defend those who would invade us in our time of weakness and vulnerability?
I guess what I am saying is this. Every slam against the man who can defeat the same old Bush stuff is a voice supporting endless war and the devastation of America.
The coffee was steaming in my cup at the Dennys counter. The sun was starting to peek above the horizon over the Pecos river west of town. All of the usual crowd was either gone or weren’t stopping on the way to work because of the day off. I was chatting with the waiter while he rolled silverware and watched the clock. The early morning waitress was late as usual and he couldn’t leave until she relieved him. We both looked at the door when it opened but it wasn’t her. A man I had never seen before came in and took a seat 3 stools down from me.
“Happy Memorial Day”, he greeted us.
WRONG!!! It’s usually best to not piss me off early in the morning. Especially when I have had a rough night full of pain. But he charged forward with his exuberant chatter about the family bar-b-que he was headed to. How he had a three day weekend and was celebrating. Wondering what time the stores started selling beer here because he was in charge of the alcohol for the party. Very up beat and bubbly he repeated his “Happy Memorial Day” greeting when the dishwasher came out from the back.
I asked the man if he had any relatives who would be absent because they were serving in our armed services. He didn’t. I then asked him if he had any family members who had died serving the country. He didn’t. I asked him if he knew how many U.S.soldiers had died so far in Iraq. He didn’t so I told him that the official numbers were approaching 4100.
My rant started then. I told him that Memorial Day was a day set aside to remember those who have fallen while struggling to preserve his freedom. A day to remember the troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and all other wars in our nations history. I reminded him that every soldier slain had a family at home who wouldn’t be having a “Happy” Memorial Day. I told him that his wishes brought hurt and pain to those who are home wishing their son or daughter could be home. I let him know how insensitive his greeting was and how I didn’t feel this day was meant to be a celebration. I made sure he knew that memorializing our fallen Americans was the true meaning of the day.
He paid his bill and asked the waiter to make his order to go.
He went and stood by the door to wait for the cook to finish cooking his breakfast.
I guess I’m not much of a people person when it comes to matters like this.
I remember why we have this day. I remember all too well.
Thanks to all of you who have served. My best wishes go to all of the families who have lost loved ones who were defending my freedom.
Georgie called the Iraqi Leaders and made a formal apology yesterday. Saying that we are sorry that some soldier, who was taught to hate by our government (you can’t kill someone if you don’t hate them), used a book for target practice. Promising that the soldier would be disciplined he tried to make nice with the Muslim people and the puppet government he installed in Iraq. Whatever!
The apology he should have been making to the Iraqis was for invading their country. Apologized for killing hundreds of thousands of their citizens. Said I’m sorry to the millions of displaced and homeless Iraqis whose lives were destroyed by his stupid invasion. Begged the hungry, water deprived citizens of Iraq their forgiveness for destroying their infrastructure causing many problems to them. The injured and sick masses deserve an apology too.
Then I feel he should bring his apologies home. First say “I’m sorry” to all of the people of our land for lying to us…constantly. Beg the soldiers who have died because of his lies mothers and fathers to somehow forgive him. Get n his knees in tears and say something to the troops who have been injured as a result of his administrations lies. Personally talk to Cindy Sheehan and all of the other families who want to know why their brave soldier sons and daughters have been killed or maimed. Then let them know he was wrong and try to remedy the problem he and his war machine started.
Apologizing for shooting at a book, no matter how “holy” it is, is a slap in the face to all Iraqis, Americans and the rest of the world. MSNBC has the story.
33 years ago today the United States officially disengaged from the conflict in Viet Nam I celebrated my 17th birthday that day as well. I celebrated many things that day from the fact that our boys were all going to be home as well as relief that I wouldn’t be forced to go fight a war I didn’t believe in.
Lets all take a moment to remember the 4058 US lives lost in Iraq without forgetting the “50,000 Names Carved In The Wall”.
A 20 year old high school dropout I know was talking to his mom the other day discussing the one class he would need to graduate. A simple credit that would allow him to attend college and somehow through education be a more productive adult citizen. A person who may make a bigger difference in the world someday. If nothing else he would have the opportunity to make more money and live a more comfortable life. His response was heartbreaking and somewhat predictable. Made me think a little. Why would a bright kid ask, “Whats The Use?”
Besides the pat answers of “lazy, unmotivated or too dumb” there are a lot of reasons I could come up with that would make the kids of today want to give up. I mean, look at the shit they are facing here. An illegal war in Iraq. Threats of more war in Iran. At least 2 of the front runners in the presidential race bowing up to the rest of the world with threats of nuking or somehow else destroying their nations. Promises from the Republicans to stay in Iraq at least 50 more years. Democratic candidates who are so sidetracked attacking each other that they can’t answer the important questions of how they would deal with the war and other problems that have been brought on by the present administration.
The fact that so far the DOD has a casualty list of at least 4058 US soldiers. The horror of knowing their peers who have lost life or limb in Iraq. The realization that the failed lying policies that our country used destroyed an entire nations infrastructure with no progress in rebuilding it. Knowing that at least a million are dead and even more millions have been displaced from their homes all in our name. The utter sense of hopelessness.
I guess that makes sense. If I were still that age I may feel the same.
Alex over at Army Of Dude is the most important of all of the bloggers I read daily. That isn’t to say that the other voices I listen to each day aren’t important, just saying this guy has served us in Iraq and his blog takes the hands on approach to opposition of this situation we all are involved in. He brings us things he feels are important on a regular basis and also lets us see, through photos, what our troops are going through while serving in the middle east.
He and his best girl are now in the process of moving from Washington state to Austin, Texas. (thats why his last post was a week ago) I wish them the safest of moves and the easiest acclimation that Austin can offer.
His move made me think about the good times I have had in both Washington and Austin. In my opinion the Austin music scene sooooooo outshines any of the music scenes in Seattle or anywhere else the great state of Washington have to offer.
One of my favorite blues/country/rock bands currently playing with Austin as their home is The Mother Truckers. Here is a vid of their view of the “Human Condition”.
Alien Trucker
June 17th, 2008 by Rocky 
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