Escaping the Battlefield
Stories like that of Jeanne "Linda" Michel have become far too common place. Though they were not wounded in the sands of Iraq, some members of the military return home scarred none the less. But unlike a lost limb or disfiguring scar, these wounds are hidden. And in a society like the military, where seeking treatment for wounds not readily apparent might be seen as a sign of weakness, these cases often go untreated.
Worst still, Congress has made it a habit of cutting funding for that treatment, all in an effort to cover the cost of the war's ever burgeoning price tag. The military, desperate to maintain troop levels, has taken to sending individuals diagnosed with such things post traumatic stress disorder right back to the streets of Baghdad. Given all that, it is not surprising that some may come to see death as their only means of truly escaping the war.
Support for the troops should not end at the battlefield's edge. Because for people like Linda and her family, escape is too high a price to pay for us not to.
Update: A good sign.
(Filed at State of the Day)
Worst still, Congress has made it a habit of cutting funding for that treatment, all in an effort to cover the cost of the war's ever burgeoning price tag. The military, desperate to maintain troop levels, has taken to sending individuals diagnosed with such things post traumatic stress disorder right back to the streets of Baghdad. Given all that, it is not surprising that some may come to see death as their only means of truly escaping the war.
Support for the troops should not end at the battlefield's edge. Because for people like Linda and her family, escape is too high a price to pay for us not to.
Update: A good sign.
(Filed at State of the Day)
Post a Comment