22/1

Let’s imagine ourselves in the shoes of the average nine-to-five office worker.
7:00 a.m. – Wake up, get ready
8:00 a.m. – Leave house, kiss wife/partner/kids/pet dog on the way out
8:30-11:45 a.m. – Office work
11:45-12:45 p.m. – Lunch with your cubicle buddies and Jim the guy from regulatory that no one really likes
1:45-5 p.m. – Leave the office, head back home
5:30-6:30 – Gym
6:30-9:30- Walk the dog, feed the cat, do laundry, make dinner, pack your lunch for next day
10 p.m. – 7 a.m. – Sleep
A normal day, roughly broken down in one-hour long activities.
In those 24 hours, you went about the business of your every day life.
In that same time period, 22 U.S. military veterans are taking theirs.
A recent report by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs highlights a very concerning trend among veterans:
(Reuters) – The most extensive study yet by the U.S. government on suicide among military veterans shows more veterans are killing themselves than previously thought, with 22 deaths a day – or one every 65 minutes, on average.
The study released on Friday by the Department of Veterans Affairs covered suicides from 1999 to 2010 and compared with a previous, less precise VA estimate that there were roughly 18 veteran deaths a day in the United States.
More than 69 percent of veteran suicides were among individuals aged 50 years or older, the VA reported.
“This data provides a fuller, more accurate, and sadly, an even more alarming picture of veteran suicide rates,” said Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state, who has championed legislation to strengthen mental health care for veterans.
The news came two weeks after the U.S. military acknowledged that suicides hit a record in 2012, outpacing combat deaths, with 349 active-duty suicides – almost one a day.
Bolded for emphasis. What does that say about our nation that it is more dangerous to be a veteran, a person who served in the armed forces, than it is to be active duty? Congressmen are more concerned about filibustering than they are about taking care of our veterans. That’s not all, certain congressmen have also been more concerned about sticking it to the President than help out veterans.
The fact is, joining the military is entirely voluntary. Men and women make the conscious decision to lay their life on the line because they love their country. After they come back, this is the welcome they get? A nation complacent with the horrid state of mental health facilities that will let 22 of her heroes commit suicide every day?
Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-TALK, Veterans Press 1
Image Credit: www.veteranstoday.com