More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq (OP)
America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans
More American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq, it was claimed yesterday.
At least 6,256 US veterans took their lives in 2005, at an average of 17 a day, according to figures broadcast last night. Former servicemen are more than twice as likely than the rest of the population to commit suicide.
Such statistics compare to the total of 3,863 American military deaths in Iraq since the invasion in 2003 - an average of 2.4 a day, according to the website ICasualties.org.
The rate of suicides among veterans prompted claims that the US was suffering from a “mental health epidemic” – often linked to post-traumatic stress.
CBS News claimed that the figures represented the first attempt to conduct a nationwide count of veteran suicides. The tally was reached by collating suicide data from individual states for both veterans and the general population from 1995.
The suicide rate among Americans as a whole was 8.9 per 100,000, but the level among veterans was at least 18.7. That figure rose to a minimum of 22.9 among veterans aged 20 to 24 – almost four times the nonveteran average for people of the same age.
There are 25 million veterans in the United States, 1.6 million of whom served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Not everyone comes home from the war wounded, but the bottom line is nobody comes home unchanged,” said Paul Rieckhoff, a former Marine and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America.
CBS quoted the father of a 23-year-old soldier who shot himself in 2005 as suggesting that the military was covering up the scale of the problem. “Nobody wants to tally it up in the form of a government total,” Mike Bowman said. “They don’t want the true numbers of casualties to really be known.”
Mr Bowman’s son, Tim, was an army reservist who patrolled one of the most dangerous places in Baghdad, known as Airport Road. “His eyes when he came back were just dead. The light wasn’t there anymore,” said his mother, Kim Bowman. Eight months later, on Thanksgiving Day, Tim committed suicide.
A separate study published last week shows that US military veterans make up one in four homeless people in America, even though they represent just 11 per cent of the general adult population, and younger soldiers are already trickling into shelters and soup kitchens after completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While it took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless, at least 1,500 ex-servicemen from the present wars have already been identified.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. Data from 2005 estimated that 194,254 homeless people on any given night were veterans.
Daniel Akaka, the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said: “For too many veterans, returning home from battle does not bring an end to conflict. There is no question that action is needed.”
The plight of US veterans is a matter of acute sensitivity for the Bush Administration which has set great store by standing up for – and support from – US troops. This year General Kevin Kiley, the US Army’s Surgeon General, was among senior military officials dismissed for his role in the mistreatment of wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Newspaper revelations about conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington became a lightning rod for criticism of the war in general. The outpatient clinic was described as squalid and rat-infested; a maze of red tape left many outpatients – often with severe brain injuries – wandering the corridors without help.
The figure for servicemen age 20-24 in the report was 22 per 100,000. The group of returning vets are overwhelmingly male.
The rate of suicide for the general population in the US for ages 20-24 is 13.9 per 100,000 but this is for both men and women.
Men commit suide at a rate 4x higher than women so they account for 80% of the general population figue on a denominator that is half the size (about half of 20-24 year olds in the US are men, of course). That is .80 x 13.9 x 2 which comes out to......wait for it........22 per 100,000
kay:
Last edited by Cognescenti; 11-20-2007 at 04:41 PM.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by amille40
As an American Muslim, i must say that some of what has been said in this thread horrifies me. I can completely understand hating this war....but to hate the american people and wish, and pray, for death to them?
One of my closest friends came back from Iraq in 2005 and killed himself less than a year later. He was shot and wounded trying to push a group of children inside a building when a skirmish broke out instead of taking cover himself to return fire.
Yes- there are american soldiers and civilians who are so far out of line in Iraq (blackwater comes to mind) But it appalls me to see these people generalized to encompass the entire american people. How do you feel when the uneducated american generalizes all muslims to be violent terrorists?
It saddens me to think that brothers and sisters are praying as I speak for the death of my people...
I do and will continue to pray for the death of any kuffar enemy that is in Muslim lands and murdering and raping my people. Prophet (saws) said your ummah is ONE ummah and your blood is ONE blood. Anyone who spills Muslim blood, spills my blood. Don't worry bro, there are millions of Muslims out there who are also praying for the destruction of the oppressors.
Oh and btw, it is permissible and allowed in islam to pray against your enemy and their destruction. Ask one of the mods to pull out an hadith of a man asking the prophet (saws) about this and he allowed it.
As for hating the american people, yea sure i hate the dumb and narrow minded bigots (we even got one or two on here). But that doesn't mean i pray for their death. I rather pray for their guidance to Islam and to open their eyes against their leaders before their land becomes like Iraq.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
This is a topic that is very personal too me. Going back many years to a far away place called Viet-Nam, I relate very strongly with this thread. If it had not been for the Grace and intervention of Allaah(swt) I could very well have been one of these statistics.
I do suffer from PTSD as a result of some experiences during that time. I am one of the few fortunate ones who had it diagnosed and treated, it has been under control for a good length of time now. However, PTSD will be part of my life struggle up to the day I die.
PTSD is not the result of cowardliness nor of immorality, it is a simple reflection that the average American Soldier is not a killer and is trained more to save rather than take lives. The end result is that when it is necessary to take a life, it is nearly impossible for an American Soldier to cope with the pain of doing so. It is a very expensive price to pay.
Why does any American Choose to become a soldier, knowing the possible out come? The main reason is because he honestly believes that the actions will result in saving lives, not destroying them. He believes that his duties would result in minimum deaths and if not taken more innocent people would die.
The American Soldier is not a killer, he has no desire to harm others. Sadly, at times people in power take advantage of this trait and use it as a tool for personal gain.
An analogy would be to picture your self in this fictitious scenario: "A man murdered and raped your mother. He is a psychopath and you know he is going to return for your wife and daughter. Your next door neighbor presents you with evidence that he knows who the man is. He also shows you "proof" that nobody except you is capable of stopping this man. You go out and stop him. Later you find out the man was innocent and your neighbor gave you false information, so that he could collect on a large insurance policy the man had."
sadly, that is similar to what has happened to many American soldiers. The result is often PTSD.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
PTSD is real.
The title of this thread is maliciously deceptive. The thread is populated with a chap who prays that American Vets blow their brains out. But, Islam is all about peace, you understand.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
She's laughing cause these so called macho soldier boys can't handle the pressure and tension of the war and the barbaric war crimes they committed so they go back home and kill their own families and commit suicide. That is their sad state and one they deserve for being where they are not wanted and oppressing a nation of people in order to steal their oil.
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
And what is wrong in praying against your enemy? don't tell me you'll be praising the army that invades your land and murders and rapes your people?
hola,
the part in bold is insane, and really offensive for those of us with husbands in the military...
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by Woodrow
This is a topic that is very personal too me. Going back many years to a far away place called Viet-Nam, I relate very strongly with this thread. If it had not been for the Grace and intervention of Allaah(swt) I could very well have been one of these statistics.
I do suffer from PTSD as a result of some experiences during that time. I am one of the few fortunate ones who had it diagnosed and treated, it has been under control for a good length of time now. However, PTSD will be part of my life struggle up to the day I die.
PTSD is not the result of cowardliness nor of immorality, it is a simple reflection that the average American Soldier is not a killer and is trained more to save rather than take lives. The end result is that when it is necessary to take a life, it is nearly impossible for an American Soldier to cope with the pain of doing so. It is a very expensive price to pay.
Why does any American Choose to become a soldier, knowing the possible out come? The main reason is because he honestly believes that the actions will result in saving lives, not destroying them. He believes that his duties would result in minimum deaths and if not taken more innocent people would die.
The American Soldier is not a killer, he has no desire to harm others. Sadly, at times people in power take advantage of this trait and use it as a tool for personal gain.
An analogy would be to picture your self in this fictitious scenario: "A man murdered and raped your mother. He is a psychopath and you know he is going to return for your wife and daughter. Your next door neighbor presents you with evidence that he knows who the man is. He also shows you "proof" that nobody except you is capable of stopping this man. You go out and stop him. Later you find out the man was innocent and your neighbor gave you false information, so that he could collect on a large insurance policy the man had."
sadly, that is similar to what has happened to many American soldiers. The result is often PTSD.
No offense bro but i disagree with "american solder is meant to save lives and is not a killer"
There's a handful good boys out there but most let loose their evil from within knowing well they don't have to be held accountable, esp. when their commanders encourage it.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by Jayda
how is it peaceful for you to have my husband come back home and kill me and our daughters?
Think of it as God's punishment for what he did to someone's husband, wife,daughter,son, mother, father. That be one less killing machine to get rest and go back out to murder again.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
Think of it as God's punishment for what he did to someone's husband, wife,daughter,son, mother, father. That be one less killing machine to get rest and go back out to murder again.
hola,
so why don't you kill me? he is gone most of the year, it wouldn't be difficult.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by Jayda
hola,
so why don't you kill me? he is gone most of the year, it wouldn't be difficult.
que Dios te bendiga
what he does over there (help vs oppress) will show how he will behave when he comes home (be happy or kill his family). My job is to pray for my brothers and sisters that are being oppressed and occupied and Allah take care of those who have done injustice there. Whether your husband is one of them or not depends on him and his actions there.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
what he does over there (help vs oppress) will show how he will behave when he comes home (be happy or kill his family). My job is to pray for my brothers and sisters that are being oppressed and occupied and do justice against those that have done injustice there. Whether your husband is one of them or not depends on him and his actions there.
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by Jayda
are you aware you are really upsetting me?
Is your upsetting worth more than the lives of the iraqi? I don't see why you would get upset. Don't you have faith in your husband? If he's a good guy and is actually there to help then you have nothing to worry about. If he is one of those guys (see links posted for woodrow) then you pray that Allah guide him before Allah accepts somebody's dua.
Prophet said, Three Duas are such in which there is no doubt of their acceptance:
1) Parent’s Dua
2) Traveler’s Dua
3) Dua of the oppressed”.
(Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Abu Hurairah narrates from the Prophet (saw), “In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than Duaa” (Ibn Majah)
hadith, “Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi).
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
Is your upsetting worth more than the lives of the iraqi? I don't see why you would get upset. Don't you have faith in your husband? If he's a good guy and is actually there to help then you have nothing to worry about. If he is one of those guys (see links posted for woodrow) then you pray that Allah guide him before Allah accepts somebody's dua.
Prophet said, Three Duas are such in which there is no doubt of their acceptance:
1) Parent’s Dua
2) Traveler’s Dua
3) Dua of the oppressed”.
(Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Abu Hurairah narrates from the Prophet (saw), “In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than Duaa” (Ibn Majah)
hadith, “Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi).
is there anything (action, idea, belief) in your mind which your perspective on the iraq war would not justify?
Re: More American veterans committing suicide than dieing in Iraq
format_quote Originally Posted by Jayda
how is it peaceful for you to have my husband come back home and kill me and our daughters?
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
Think of it as God's punishment for what he did to someone's husband, wife,daughter,son, mother, father. That be one less killing machine to get rest and go back out to murder again.
i doubt it would mean more peace for us if Jayda and her daughters were killed by ''anyone'', two wrongs don't make a right brother.
Still this war on Terror is 'illegal' and is actually terrorizing innocent civilians as we speak, basically the term is an 'oxymoron'
Last edited by AHMED_GUREY; 11-20-2007 at 06:53 PM.
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kay:
Another "Reality" post by Woodrow.
Subhanallah 
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