Saturday, September 10 is 2016's World Suicide Prevention Day, a day of hope for those who feel they've got no other alternative. It's a very serious problem for so many veterans of the U.S. Military who are susceptible to such severe depression, it often results in tragically high numbers of suicides by those who have served this country proudly.
President Obama, much to the dismay of many Americans, increased the troop numbers briefly, upon the recommendations of those generals that Trump says are 'rubble.' He eventually drew down the numbers and today, 10,000 US Troops remain in the Southwest Asian nation. It has been popular to oppose the Iraq Conflict, but the Afghan War has become largely a forgotten conflict.
Rachel discussed the issue of suicides by our Vets with the head of an organization known as The Ivy League Veterans Council, Peter Kiernan, who served in Afghanistan. He was inspired to serve after the attacks on 9/11/2001, even though he was only eleven at the time. Kiernan tells a heart-wrenching tale about a Columbia University friend who recently committed suicide, and how the current system is failing many of his fellow colleagues. Providing pain medicine, as Trump advised, is sure as hell not the answer, both Kiernan and Maddow see that very clearly.
Kiernan addresses an interesting issue that has received next to zero press. There are roughly 35,000 indigenous people in Iraq and Afghanistan who risked their own lives to help the U.S. and are left in peril if we don't help them find sanctuary somewhere else, preferably in this country. The program is set to expire on September 30, 2016, which would finance the resettlement of these generous and brave people. Our ever-so-uncooperative Congress, with its obstinate GOP majority, seldom acts in a way that is selfless and considerate towards others, especially if it doesn't earn them votes. The lack of glamour and popularity of allocating $35 million to help these folks, unfortunately, portends to the sad fact that Congress won't act in time and Peter Kiernan's worst fears will materialize.
During the Commander in Chief Forum, Donald Trump was proud of his statistical correction of a military officer who asked him what he'd do about the alarming number of veteran suicides. The officer said 20 veterans each day commit suicide, and Trump felt the need to add "I think it's more like 22." In the end, the vacillating fool admitted it was 'in the range of 20-22 suicides per day.' He knows a random statistic, and feels so emboldened, he spurts more of what his ghostwriter called 'Truthful Hyperbole.' It's pathetic and embarrassing.
Let's keep the pressure on Congress and our local representatives to help these people who have given so much. So many of us hardly feel the burden of sending people to war for years at a time because such a small percentage of our society are members of our military. The solutions posed by Herr Drumpf regarding these very sensitive and life and death matters should alarm even the staunchest of Republicans. His uninformed and insensitive solutions must wake them up to the fact that he is a man without regard for the safety and well-being of our military and the veterans who have served so bravely. A narcissist with a penchant for hyperbolic dishonesty is not someone who should be in charge of the well-being of real heroes.
If you or anyone you know is feeling such despair, remember, there's always a better answer than taking one's life. Make a call, talk to someone, get help! Real people have real solutions that will prevent any more tragic loss of life.
today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay if you or someone you know is struggling please please know you are not alone. pic.twitter.com/hIJZOp9tn2
— Isidora Goreshter (@IsidoraGore) September 10, 2016
