May I say something that’s rarely if ever brought up publicly…?

Lacking a draft, our best people are not going to war. Those with few employment options, or, those incapable of fitting into society to begin with are, often with mental problems.

I’m closing fast on 62. I watched Vietnam come & go.. It fucked with me ..in that - why pay attention in school … if I get back from Vietnam - then I’ll worry about ‘career education,’ or whatever. I’d have gone, my dad had trained my brother and I well for just that..

So, I stayed home (went to college to be a cop), ending up fighting the economic battles that kept this country from exporting every last fucking product or production job it had. We lost that, too ~

But guys were still going, with nowhere to fight? I always listened close to Nam era Vets, and had a good one as a supervisor once. He said, “The war didn’t fuck those guys up,” “I was there, and saw as much as anyone.” “Those guys were fucked up before they went.” If you’d met him, you’d not question him - not because he’d twist yur head off ...but because he was cool.. spoke the truth.

Same guy, had his sister’s fuckup son to raise. The son, a couple years younger than me had already been in the military. But it became ‘my job’ to get him to work, for the boss - shit. He’d started before me, I ended up with his job - he screwed up outside work, and a judge gave him the choice: jail, or back to the military. Around 3 months later he drove an army jeep off a cliff in CA… Had made his uncle (boss & Vet) his beneficiary, Uncle gave it to his mother..

Ten years later, same kind of ..fuck up, different factory. No wife, kids, estranged family, but would go on.. about his military exploits for ..days. I was one of few who listened. Conclusion - a guy my age, chose the military because he knew he couldn’t make it in civilian life, and as screwed up ‘now’ as ever..

Met a Vet while passing out political shit after that.. Said he’d watched me go up the street, and that he doesn't let anyone in or near his house. .. He invited me in, said I looked OK.. Described always living alone, shown me his glass encased military medals, and explained them. Went on to describe atrocities I’d not repeat, and began to cry..

...I’d been on a local internet ‘discussion board’ at the time, much like this ..current members included. I contacted our resident ‘hero’ (special forces, and damn sharp), asked if he knew of any help for this guy.. I cared, cus that’s how we fucked up Democrats roll… Don’t know what ever happened to him ..he’d obviously lived alone there for many years. I’d drive by, to stop if I saw him, but never seen him outside.

Not everyone in or through the military is messed up, of course. I’d watched a lot of ‘our best’ recruited fresh from my daughters’ rural high school. They had no viable options (and the recruiters knew that), the mill was gone, the mobile home factory closed, the steel mill only laid off, home building was going to illegal immigrants, farming & logging were mechanized - the US no longer made anything - and Walmart was an obvious dead in. The military, as it had been to me, was portrayed as what, not only ‘made you a Man’ - but provided you the skills and education opportunity to succeed when finished!

They’d do their shit, get out & home … but nothing had changed. In fact - some returned to the worst damn recession-depression of our lives! What jobs? An education leading to where..? The stress & responsibility of a family? I’ve known some who returned to combat zones as private contractors.. And if any of them were struggling to begin with.. I can understand calling it quits.

Hell - I was losing my families century farm, raising teenage daughters alone ..and barely staying afloat in ‘the real world.’ Divorce looming, economic freefall, about to lose the home I’d built … and very attuned to the suicide rate of returning US Veterans.. I’d cry - still do ~

We need National Health care. Hell - make it the best in the world! Early mental health screening and treatment for troubled youth. Health care that allows young families a far less stressful experience raising children. Mental health screening and treatment for everyone - not dumping our crisisses at ER’s or police stations..

I say whatever the fuck we’ve got now is not working - so why the fuck not try anything different?! Are we so scared of FOX propaganda that a subset of dogdamn billionaires don’t have enough to help us provide for those keeping alive the nation - if not the world - so as they can continue to profit handsomely..?

I get the feeling some are ready to grab pichforks or AK’s and storm the fuckin gates.. It’s not what I’d like to see, but there may come a time when that’s the only option (count me in). Yah - I’m off the fuckin rails here.. But never think the death of a good, if troubled man is lost on me. I’ve been there - in my own way. ..and am open to suggestions ~

How they handle mental health issues is insane --- they literally gave me three sheets of providers and told me to find one I liked....but that I had to call and find out if the provider was even taking new patients...or even still here in town. Or, you can schedule an appointment through them for about 120 days from now for an "assessment".

It's like they don't realize that crippling PTSD and depression makes it hard to even leave the house let alone pick up the phone and call strangers.

Can't say that I haven't thought about offing myself more than once. Most days, I still think of it as a viable option if the time ever comes.

Also, we need to bring all our troops back home. This is why I became a Libertarian and have worked for the LP campaigns for over the past decade. We have NO BUSINESS being in these foreign lands.

I love this country but the current Democrat/Republican bullshit has got to end.

Can you say #petrodollar? I knew you could

I saw a documentary that had the actor from the Sopranos in it. On HBO, wish I could recall the name of it. They said a veteran commits suicide almost every MINUTE.
It’s a crisis of such huge proportions.

Well spoken Ronin. I have small differences in how I see things you spoke, (small). Well spoken.