11.6.12

SUICIDE


Military Suicides made the headlines recently.

That is a bummer.

Highest in the years they say.

They did not mention that the military has grown exponentially over the last ten years and now it is getting ready to draw down.

They did not mention all the talk about taking away benefits that were promised when these kids enlisted.

They don't talk about the current pace of operations other than war.

I have not heard them mention how we are expected to do more while giving us less.

Nothing about how many people are effectively being forced out due to cut backs.

How's that unemployment rate for returning vets looking?

They talk about the wars.  That seems a popular horse to kick.

I haven't ever been the suicidal type so I have no direct insight as to why the kids are doing it.  But I'd wager the motivation for these folks might not be so easy to pinpoint.

2 comments:

NaomieC said...

Where there are more people, there will be more suicides. There is growing evidence suicidal thoughts are caused by medical illness and there is an ever-present percentage of the population that is affected by these illnesses without available cures or treatments.

The other reasons sound like good reasons, yet there are several people whom have much worse conditions in the military and outside the military who never take their own life.

I can tell this upsets you, yet it is a part of life. At least we attempt to save each other. Sometimes it just does not work.

SlowZen said...

Thanks Naomie, I may be more upset by the bad journalism and a lack of investigation into the issues than by people offing them selves. I don't know anyone who has killed themselves recently. And in the past those that did it had their own reasons.

I guess I'm strangely indifferent to it. Except at work where I refer people to crisis hotlines and or the chaplain because I don't want some knuckklehead dong it on my watch. I just want people to get smarter and wiser, and I think as a whole our country is sliding in the opposite direction largely thanks to the media.

Thanks for looking!