‘American Sniper’ Trial proves that even the Experts have no Idea about PTSD

Before I began, please know that I am about to rant and rave, I am about to hurt someone’s feelings and I am about to try again to teach your so-called experts about a disorder that they are being paid good money to know more about than even those suffering.  I am tired of hearing people called experts step in front of a microphone and tell America who suffers from what based on how some text in some book instructed them on what to look for.  I say this at the beginning to give all you who have a sensitive nature to stop reading now.

I’m reading the article titled ‘American Sniper’ Jury Finds Ex-Marine Guilty of Murder

Written by Manny Fernandez and Kathryn Jones for The New York Times in which they report the following; “Eddie Ray Routh, the mentally disturbed veteran who killed Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL marksman who inspired the movie “American Sniper,” was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison after a jury here found him guilty of murder, rejecting his claims that he was legally insane at the time. Mr. Routh and his lawyers had argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity and that he belonged not in prison but at a state mental hospital. His two-week trial for the killings of Mr. Kyle and Mr. Kyle’s friend Chad Littlefield in 2013 centered on Mr. Routh’s state of mind. Jurors had to decide whether Mr. Routh’s erratic behavior, his delusions about hybrid pig people and his heavy drug use were proof of insanity or evidence that he was troubled but criminally responsible.  The jury deliberated for less than two and a half hours.  Mr. Routh gave at times puzzling explanations about why he shot Mr. Kyle, 38, and Mr. Littlefield, 35. He spoke of fearing for his life and believing that they were going to kill him or take his soul. He said that Mr. Littlefield was not shooting at the range and that “that’s what got me riled up.” He said he was offended that Mr. Kyle had not shaken his hand when they met, was bothered by the smell of cologne in Mr. Kyle’s truck, and was annoyed that the two men did not talk to him on the drive to the range.”

This is the basis of what the trial was all about the most enraging thing about the entire trial was not about Mr. Routh, Mr. Kyle or Mr. Littlefield, it was all about those experts called by the competing entities in the courtroom, their reputations and PTSD.  Mr. Routh may have been the human on trial but it was PTSD that was being tested in this courtroom and nothing more than that.  You see each of those called were only called because they would say whatever the ones paying them wanted them to say.  They were never there to give society a clearer understanding of PTSD nor even a slight suggestion on how it should be dealt with or some keys to diagnosing it.  It was all about them, their thoughts, opinions and beliefs.  PTSD does not conform to anyone’s thoughts or ideas, it is shaped simply by the suffer and can present in all types of ways.  Because of this, no one who has or is suffering from PTSD can give you a detailed analysis of this condition.  All they can do is tell you what it is they are seeing and even though it may fall under one category or another; it does not mean that one size fits all.

Knowing that these experts are only there to collect a paycheck and are willing to say whatever those paying them wishes to hear, enrages me to no end.  Knowing that they have assumed that since it was not written in some book or the fact that they have a piece of paper in a frame on their wall means that they are all-knowing about a disorder that attacks and remain with millions of people each and every day.  I take also into consideration that they have been working with patients with PTSD all these years and could never saw it until PTSD became the tag word for excuses of those serving in the military to escape justice.

There are three things which should clue everyone in on the fact that Mr. Routh was indeed clear in his thinking and one of the major ones is the fact that both men were shot in the back which would mean direct threat was not imminent.  Mr. Routh was accompanied by two men who suffer as he does and that alone should have bonded him to them.  They were all Marines which should have over-shadowed everything else and made their friendship a long and lasting thing.   Watch any Marine light up when he/she ever come in contact with another Marine and see just how they instantly bond; because none of these were the case, Mr. Routh knew exactly what he was doing.  Let me see if I can better explain.  Marines learn one vital lesson when graduating basic training and that is the most trustworthy people you can ever come across is a fellow Marine.  Yes, we are all individuals and we have our own likes and dislikes but deep within all Marines is a phrase we live by called “Esprit de Corp”.  That is something that none of us can erase once we receive it and none of us can truly explain for those who never felt it could understand.

None of those so-called experts got it and the fact that they attempted to justify their findings by using average reasoning makes this clear.  PTSD strikes based on past events not television show episodes as spoken about by one of these experts.  PTSD is not exclusive to combat veterans like another one stated.  PTSD does not require content as stated by the expert nor does it cater to specifics.  If you are looking for that one instance where PTSD can be found look for any instance as described by the Mayo Clinic staff in their definition of it being a mental conditions caused by a traumatic event.  This traumatic event could be anything from a minor car wreck to witnessing abuse in the home.  It could be as simple as being bitten by a dog at a young age which makes you leery of dogs as you grow older.  It could be seeing someone’s spirit escaping their bodies and reliving it over and over again even though it had nothing to directly do with you.  These experts set the stage for PTSD to be marginalized and no real answer will be found because they turned it from a disorder of enormous proposition to a dueling court battle of experts.  PTSD and no other mental condition should ever be on trial because these disorders did not commit the crime.  Regardless of why you did it the fact is that you did and the answer should be treatment of the cause not of the result. In regards to the connection that many veterans have with each other and especially those who served in the same branch even more those who served right beside them is the connection where if something happens to one, it happens to us all.  That is one concept that escapes those experts and further undermines suffers ability to get and maintain a handle on PTSD.