Why Some Veterans Commit Suicide

You know I used to think that the reason why many of my fellow veterans commit suicide was due to their inability to find jobs, feed their families and keep a roof over their heads.  I used to think that it had quite a bit to do with not finding the same type of cohesiveness that they found in the military and it was because they just can’t seem to catch a break and all these so-called programs established to help them are nothing more than a smoke screen and some wealthy person looking for a tax write off of some organization making a name for themselves at the expense of those who suffer.  I used to think that this was the entire case but events of today have led me to believe there is one other thing.

Today I was trying to speak to landlords about property that they advertised as empty and what I discovered paled in comparison to any of those reasons listed above.  I ran into people who appeared to be far too busy to speak even after leaving their number on the ad or having more important things to do that they didn’t even remember the houses that they listed and finally the arrogance and ignorance displayed on the phone to a complete stranger that they do not know nor seem to have a desire to learn about.

These individuals appeared to be people who already had preconceived notions about those who will call.  They hold themselves out as sages with the talent of being able to assess people just by them saying hello.  They appear to have this air about them that if you sound a particular way or word sentences in a particular fashion, you are now a waste of their time.  The truly sad part is, if you ask any of these real estate professionals or blessed residential experts if they believe in God and claim the title Christian, they all would say yes.  It’s sad because this is not anything close to the path Jesus carved out for us, not according to the Bible I read.  To give you an example of what I am talking about today I encountered.

One property manager who didn’t seem to know anything about the property that was listed with her phone number attached, she informed me that the property was rented which I know is a lie because of the talent I claim which is to be able to tell when a lie is spoken.  I ran into one real estate professional that appeared to only be interested in property that was listed for sale and attempting to extend his mailing list through these ads instead of doing anything else.  I ran into a lady whose idea of renting an almost empty apartment building was to require me to pay them thirty dollars per adult before I would be allowed to even fill out an application, not knowing that the person to whom she was speaking knew the laws much better than that and was not about to pay for services not yet rendered.

This is what I am talking about when I say another major reason why veterans commit suicide.  They come back home after putting their lives on the line and watching very close friends making the ultimate sacrifice only to see how those that they did this for to be treated like they are.  They see the work they did to bring a better life to all Americans casted aside by those who were well-off before they left and now are wealthier because of the job that they did.  They see those who already have plenty still refusing to allow those who have little get even the table scraps.  These actions demeans their sacrifice more than a lack of employment.

They see the ignorance by those who think that just because people do not live as they live or have what they have and even think as they think are lesser than they are.  They envision getting physically hold of these people and shaking them till an apple fall, telling them that those who they encounter are people and do not deserve to be treated like they are less important because they do not own properties were blessed with well-off parents or have an accent that does not allow them to have to experience scrutiny of any kind.  These people make some veterans feel like they would have been much better off dying on the battlefield or staying in the country where they fought instead of coming back here to see how this country and its people are being treated.  It bothers us quite a bit because we all know in our hearts of hearts this is not what we fought for.

The truly aggravating ones are those who treat others as the stuff found under their shoes but head to that building every Sunday to lie claim to the title of Christian.  Evil rules this land not because Satan owns it but because we allow Satan to own it.  If you are fortunate enough to have food on your table, why would you enjoy making sure that your neighbor did not?  How many houses must you own before allowing someone else a little less fortunate than you to enjoy owning their own?  How many cars must you own before allowing your neighbor to have just one?  How much money is enough or is it all about following that fallen angel, Satan, who says that you can never have enough money?

Veterans answered the call when a cry went out over the nation as the British attempted to lay claim to their New World.  Veterans answered the call when our very own citizens looked to rip this country in half and veterans answered the call when Germany and later Japan elected to make major changes.  Veterans have been answering the call when America is threatened by foreign enemies and we did and do it well but no one taught us how to fight our very own people.  We know war, we know battles and we know campaigns but when it comes to fixing how those we sacrifice for are being treated by the like of our fellow Americans, this is something we do not know and in that frame, we feel like all hope is lost.  Take a person who survived on nothing but hope during any war, battle or campaign and remove hope, all you have left is a shell, a shell that is worthless and do not deserve to remain alive.  Want to know what you can do to help a veteran, remove your head from your butt and treat people as you wish to be treated because I can guarantee that if it was you on the other end of that phone, you would enjoy just a little bit of compassion and respect.