Homicides and recent Veterans of Foreign War

[Fish-Bait]

Ya'll gotta' read this. Wow. (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080113/NEWS01/80113009)


NEW YORK — At least 121 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have committed a killing or been charged in one in the United States after returning from combat, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The newspaper said it also logged 349 homicides involving all active-duty military personnel and new veterans in the six years since military action began in Afghanistan, and later Iraq.

That represents an 89-percent increase over the previous six-year period, the newspaper said.

[Queen Mother]

Is it possible that some of these veterans are returning with mental health issues and are not being treated after coming home?

[Nana]

Yes it is. Not only is it possible but it happens a lot more every day but the government and media do not want us to know about these things. It is much more important to them for the discussion to be about Paris and the likes.

[Fotno]

I'm not trying to give an excuse for all these murders,but I can tell you that it is a huge change coming out of a combat zone back into civilian life.Some people come back with problems they can't deal with and nobody seems to care.Some vets feel "thrown away"if you will.I wish that not only the government,but regular citizens also,spent a little more time trying to help our Veterans out(all veterans).My motto has always been ,screw the politics-support our soldiers.Soldiers are soldiers,plain and simple.They have nothing to do with the idiotic decisions that our politicians make.They swore an oath,as did the politicians.In my eyes the soldiers are the only ones keeping up their end of the bargain.
So what do you do with a good ole boy that was trained by the best Military professionals in the world to be hard-core killers after their time is up in the Military?Do you throw them away or try our best to take care of them?I say that we need to address the problems our vets are facing and at least try to help them become members of our society instead of pushing them to the outer fringes.
That's just me though.

[SoMissTV]

How do we do that, fotno_?

[Fotno]

For starters,We could give them what was promised to them when they signed the dotted line.

Another,We could stop the idiots from protesting the war at soldiers funerals.
That's a time for the family to mourn,not a time to be hassled by protesters and media pricks.When crap like that happens it pisses all soldiers off and from personal experience causes soldiers to be less sociable and strengthens their distrust in everything.

[maggie-doodle]

This story really made me think about one of the guys we had for Thanksgiving dinner the first year the troops started training at Shelby. He was in Iraq for a year...he had been extended but due to his mental status he was sent back home early.

I havn't been able to talk to him or his wife in about two years but prior to that he was having a very bad time emotionally...and his wife was having a very hard time getting him treatment at the VA...I am sorry...THAT is just wrong. IF we send our guys over and they get hurt they should have the BEST medical care there is to buy...funny how they can treat the enemy for their health problems and feel the need to rebuild over there but can't seem to find the money to do the same for the ones paying into the system...I find it hard to believe that the politicians do not find that odd.

[dreamhippy]

According to Bill O`Reilly, this was a complete fabrication to smear the soldiers because of the hate the Times has for the current President. The actual numbers show veterans to be MUCH LESS INCLINED to be violent or kill in the USA.