When this first happened, I wanted to write something immediately.  I felt compelled to write from the heart on this, but I waited.  This incident devastated too many lives to be written off the cuff.  I decided to look into some background information so substantiate my views and in the course of doing that research became more and more disturbed, more and more concerned for the direction our country is headed. So, here goes.

Disturbing Stats:

• Firearm Deaths in the US in 2003: 30,136 /// Total US Military Casualties in Iraq in 2003: 486  That's more than 70x the number of total US Military deaths in a WARZONE over the same period.

• The overall firearm-related death rate among US children younger than 15 years of age us nearly 12 times higher than among children in 25 other industrialized nations COMBINED.
• For more stats, go here.

The proliferation of firearms in the United States has reached critical mass.  Industry lobbyists in Washington have worked tirelessly to pave the way for almost anyone to be able to purchase and own firearms.  While I believe in the Second Amendment, I think it's time we actually looked at what the Second Amendment actually says.

Well, this seems pretty damn black and white to me.  'If this criteria is met, then this holds true'.  Is the United States general public now considered a 'well regulated militia'?  Is owning an automatic rifle 'necessary to the security of a free state'?  Unequivocally, NO.  We have local police, state police, the National Guard, and more.  There is absolutely no reason for assault rifles to be available to the general public.

Before any NRA sycophants get on here and rant, you better think carefully about what you say.  I fought to protect the ideals of this country, so don't you dare impugn my intentions.  You want to argue your 'right to bear arms'?  Last time I checked, this right is an AMENDMENT.  First and foremost we have a duty to uphold the core tenants of the Constitution.  Let's visit the core tenant of that wonderful document:

It is not a coincidence that Life takes the spot as highest in precedence.  When others' rights to bear arms encroaches on another citizen's right to live a life in pursuit of these three basic tenants, I draw the line.  No parents should have to live in fear of sending their children to school.  They shouldn't have to fear a phone call telling them that their six year old was murdered in cold blood by an assault rifle toting psychopath.

I thought deeply about the philosophy that 'guns don't kill people, people kill people.'  While semantically true, this is a delusional rationalization.  Yes, guns don't kill people.  Someone has to pull the trigger and we, as a society, have made that insanely easy to accomplish.  It's time that we held ourselves to a higher standard.


Special Interests and Politics:

While the above incident is horrible, it is a symptom of a deeper malady - a cancer that has spread insidiously into every facet of National Governance.  Special Interests, working to promote specific agendas have taken our political system hostage.  Special interest groups have taken over policy making so completely in Washington that the average politician can't get elected without taking money from these groups and offering policy reciprocity in return.  We supposedly elect these politicians to office out of a belief that they will do what is best for their constituencies.  Now, campaign platforms are empty words designed to keep power-hungry 'public servants' in office.  Special interest groups are the ones that facilitate this.  Their money buys influence and power in Washington, drowning out the voices of the average American who doesn't have millions of dollars to throw at corrupt politicians.  The firearm special interests and the NRA both tout deep and abiding beliefs in God.  Unless God is now synonymous the almighty dollar, these folks and the politicians that support them are the most profound of hypocrites.  Last time I checked, avarice was one of the seven deadly sins.  The firearm industry and their cadre of bought policy-makers have sold the lives of our children out of a desire for more money and more power.  So I say this to those policy-makers and lobbyists - HOW DARE YOU.

It's time that we take back our power from these elitists.  I didn't go to war to protect and uphold the Constitution of the Unites States just to watch it be slowly subverted to fit the greed and need of a select few. 

Ultimately, it is these lobbyists and policy-makers that have supported lax firearms policies that I hold accountable for what happened in Connecticut.  If I had my way, they'd all be brought up on charges of  Negligent Homicide.  Take what you will from this, but my stance will never change.  Policy-makers are given their power by us.  We can just as easily take it away.  It's time they start advocating for us and not the special interests.


Mental Health Care in the United States:

Since I was diagnosed with PTSD, I have taken a keen interest in the state of the mental health care system in our country.  Bluntly, it's embarrassing.  So little education is out there about mental illness, mental disorders that those with these issues are viewed by many as second-class citizens at best and a danger to the general public at worst.

News Flash:  My name isn't Rambo.  I will not go on a murderous killing spree because of the horrific things I witnessed in a Combat Zone.

PTSD, Depression, Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia.  People hear these words and become fearful.  Thousands and thousands of people never come forward for treatment out of fear of being shunned by a society that holds no place for them.  Whatever happened to compassion for our fellow man?  Not surprisingly, those sufferers with the most understanding families that actively support their treatment, that show them unconditional love are substantially more successful in mitigating the effects of their illness/disorder on their lives.  It's time that we, as a nation, worry more about others again.  Where is our heart?  Our nationalism?  Our pride in what it means to be truly American?  Since when did ignoring or marginalizing a portion of our population become acceptable?

The only way to fix this is to get rid of the vast bureaucracy that overshadows our efforts to provide for our citizens with mental illnesses and disorders.  In the case of Veterans, the system is so cumbersome that they have to file with one organization (the VBA) in order to be provided with free health care from the other (VA Medical).  It takes days, months, and sometimes years to get the help we need.  And the first solution given by most psychiatrists?  Medication.

There's another special interest that disgusts me.  Pharmaceutical Companies.  The FDA approves these drugs when the side-effects are worse than the malady they are addressing.  I saw an add for Cymbalta on the TV in the work break room the other day.  The first 15 seconds were about what it addressed:  Depression.  The last 45 seconds addressed all of the possible side-effects.  By the end of the ad, I couldn't even remember what the hell the drug was for until they flashed the name back up on the screen.

Do you know what has been most helpful to me in coping with my PTSD?  The compassion of others and finding therapists that help me learn to identify and cope with my symptoms.  It took me EIGHT YEARS to finally find this kind of help.  And I'm one of the lucky ones with a supportive and loving family.

So, have I gotten your attention yet?  Please don't let this issue pass you by.  I hope to hear from everyone on this issue, for and against the view I have presented.  Discourse is the only way we can get to where we need to be.  It's a topic of discussion that hasn't been addressed in way too long.  Let's find our hearts again.  Let's work to hold our public officials to a higher standard.  And for Pete's Sake, get these weapons out of the hands of the general public.

A friend of mine contacted me recently and he was in distress.  During a heated discussion with his ex, he got so angry that he swung at her shoulder.  Unfortunately, she turned into it and the punch glanced off her shoulder and he clocked her in the face.  When I read what he wrote me, I was shocked and initially stunned.  I didn't know what to think.  After carefully considering his act of domestic violence, I decided to withhold judgement of his actions until I finished reading what he had written me.

After reading his note in entirely, I was angered that he was put in the situation and frustrated that it happened at all.  I need to make this clear:  I do not condone his behavior in this matter - violence is unacceptable.  That being said, there was more than enough blame to go around.  He explained to me that part of the reason that his ex was his ex was because of her cruel enjoyment of pushing his buttons - buttons she knew would get the desired reaction from him.  He allowed her back into his life out of a desire to repair damaged relationships and his generosity of spirit.  His reward was being pushed to violence.

Enter the Concept of Toxic People:

The basic idea behind this concept is that we, as veterans with PTSD, need to identify these toxic personalities present in our lives and excise them like they are a metastatic cancer.  For every veteran, this personality is different.  It could be someone in your family, it could be a 'friend'.  It could be lazy people who don't give a shit about others.  It could be people who try to shove their religion down your throat.  It could be anything.  The hard part is knowing what to do about it.  If you know that someone can get you to redline, find a way to avoid this situation at all costs.  Spouses and loved ones, you are also needed in this process.  You can sometimes recognize when someone is goading your loved one with their behavior.  If you see this happening, play interference or extricate your veteran from that situation.

My friend wanted me to out him in this post.  He felt so badly about what happened that he was willing to take the heat when I dropped his name on here.  I told him I would never do that, even if he begged.  His right to privacy and all of yours hangs in the balance.  You need to be able to trust that I would keep your privacy in mind when I write these posts.

I hope this makes you all think about this issue, veterans and spouses.  What happens when you stick a sleeping bear with a red-hot poker?  You get mauled.  If you know someone is wielding a poker and is trying to wake the 'bear', remove them from your life.  As I have heard many times in my life: 'People Teach You How To Treat Them'.  Act accordingly.

This past week, I have done a lot of thinking about why my anger is getting harder and harder to control.  After a lot of deep thought and talking to my individual therapist, I have examined my life at home and at work to try to narrow down where the increasing stress is coming from.  This past Monday, I got pulled aside at work and was talked to by the management trainee in our department.  While I don't recall exactly what it was that I did (which is problematic as well), it suddenly became crystal clear that the vast majority of my stress stemmed from stressors at work.  I realized that the more stressed I became, the more forgetful I became, the more distracted I was, and I was substantially easier to anger.

With this in mind, I evaluated what about my job was making me so stressed, so miserable and I realized it was all of the management tasks.  I was stressing about finding the time to write reviews, talk to employees, train and develop subordinates, improve merchandizing, writing accurate orders, maintaining maximum product freshness, product rotation issues, etc.  The list went on and on and the more I thought about those tasks, the more worked up I got.

It couldn't be that simple, could it?  I had promised almost a year ago that I would do everything in my power to maintain a healthy work-life balance.  Could stepping down from the management team and assuming a role of less responsibility and accountability really be the answer?  I talked to my wife about it and she agreed that the stress that work was causing me in my current position was not worth the bump in pay.  So, I approached my boss and his boss and asked to sit down and talk.  I let them know that I was stepping down and had a desire to be a plain old full-time employee with no management responsibilities.

Neither one was surprised and both were relieved.  They told me that they had talked about offering to let me step down as an option.  They noticed that I had become more and more distracted and much more irritable at work.  They knew that with my current levels of stress, that I wan't happy.  The were concerned about my welfare.  They knew what I was capable of.  They also knew what a toll my PTSD and events over the last two years have taken on me.  They understood why I was stepping down and understood my reasons for doing so.  They approved it and a great weight was instantly lifted from my shoulders.  For the first time in a long time, I felt a moment of peace.  While I took a pay cut, it is more than worth it to come home from work without the stress that had been weighing me down.  I swore I would never put work before family ever again and I knew I was getting close to breaking that promise to fulfill duties at work.

So there you have it.  I wanted to share that because it's food for thought.  Many of us take on more than we can handle.  The more stressed we are, the harder it is to cope with our PTSD.  If things start getting away from you, try to identify why.  It was one hell of a relief for me.

My wife and I were talking yesterday about how we both tended to respond to situations out of habits formed over the past two years.  I didn't to do something, my wife gets frustrated and mad, I feel guilty and withdraw. For any other vets and spouses, does this sound familiar?  I am sure we are not the only ones who have fallen victim to habit. 

When I realized what was going on, my wife and I talked about it and we came to an agreement, a compromise that will hopefully help us from falling into those habits.  Here's what we agreed on:

• If I don't to do something, my wife will not do it for me, making the assumption that I didn't care enough to do it.
• If I didn't to do something, my wife tells me and affords me the opportunity to do it.
• If the next day dawns and I still haven't done it, then she can get mad.

What's the reasoning?  I have a tendency to fall asleep for a nap after work because work is very energy consuming.  The end result:  There are a list of tasks that I would normally do that didn't get done that, over the course of time, made my wife resent me for not doing.   My wife and I talked about this and she agreed to afford me the opportunity to show her that I DO CARE.  So after coming to this agreement, I thought a lot about the stress my wife was under.  My wife did all of the work around the house.  This was because she either didn't think I would remember to do my tasks or she thought that I didn't care.  This led to an enormous amount of Caregiver Stress and eventually, Burnout.

So today we tried an experiment.  I had a day off today.  Last night I talked with my wife about going out somewhere and doing something.  While she was gone I would do chores around the house and afford her the opportunity to decompress and unwind.  She said, "Well, some of the folks from the gym are going out for breakfast tomorrow..."

So this morning we woke up, and my wife went out to breakfast with friends, leaving our daughter with me.  After breakfast, she went out to the mall.  While she was gone, I vacuumed, cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floors, and folded my laundry - all while trying to keep my daughter entertained.  When my wife came home in the early afternoon, she said she felt stoned.  I jokingly told her, "This is what feeling relaxed feels like."  Later in the afternoon, my wife got ready and left for work.  I prepared dinner for Caley and me and then cleaned up the kitchen.  My wife came home from work relaxed, happy, and grateful - three things I haven't allowed her to feel in way too long.

Now the evening is mine.  I get the rest of the night to relax.  So it works out well for everyone.  It also helps me feel better because I don't feel like a burden rather than a husband.

I would really love to hear from Veterans and their spouses on this issue.  It's too important to ignore.