Reader insults PTSD troops and veterans

This is what I deal with all the time. People want to act as if there is something disgraceful in having been wounded by PTSD. This is the kind of attitude people still have. They will never give the honor to all the wounded or come close to the gratitude they should to all of them. The only disgrace is on this nation because so many have committed suicide because of PTSD and the failure of this nation to take care of the wounded. They have their families fall apart. They end up tortured instead of being treated. They end up jobless because they can no longer work. They end up homeless and abandoned. With all of that, with all that can be done for them, people like this poster would rather insult every veteran with PTSD by suggesting they are less than honorable, less than good, less than someone they claim to know.

NB has left a new comment on your post "Another non-combat death in Iraq": Sgt. Peter C. Neesley was an amazing man. I cannot even begin to believe that I came across his name on a website that would even SUGGEST that his death may have been a suicide. He died not even 5 days ago and already you're speaking about it as if his family and friends feelings mean absolutely nothing. You say that you wont know until 'his family speaks,' and you say it like they are hiding some deep dark secret about their fallen hero. He was an honorable, caring man who lost his life fighting for his country. If only you could give him and his family the respect they he gave all of us. Posted by NB to Wounded Times at December 30, 2007 12:03 AM

My reply

Kathie Costos has left a new comment on your post "Another non-combat death in Iraq": There are too many non-combat deaths not counted and you should want to make sure all of them are counted. There are too many families who do not know how their family member died and you should want all of them to have closure. Some have died by suicide, some by being murdered, some by health problems associated with their service with vaccines. If you cared about all of them then you would want them all treated as worthy of attention. I said absolutely nothing about the cause of his death. I reminded readers that we cannot assume anything because most non-combat deaths are in fact suicide. If you cannot understand this, then you have a real problem. The families deserve to know how their family member died as soon as possible and there are too many who still don't know years later. Why? Because they fell through the cracks and the military was allowed to drop the investigations.In the cases of non-combat, either the family speaks out or the media files Freedom Of Information to find out what happened. This is the only way we come close to knowing how they died. Deal with it. Too many families are suffering because they don't know what happened.As for your comment about him. I have no doubt he was an honorable caring man. You just suggested that if they develop PTSD and commit suicide they are not honorable caring people. That means you just insulted hundreds of thousands of veterans with PTSD and the tens of thousands who have committed suicide.People like you make me sick. You act as if they should be ashamed of being wounded. They are just as patriotic, brave, honorable and all the rest that goes into making them heroes but you want to disgrace all of them as if they are worthless. Find a "right wing" blog to visit because that is the only place where you disgraceful attitude belongs. Posted by Kathie Costos to Wounded Times at December 30, 2007 8:28 AM

It is disgraceful that people like NB are still out there in this country. With all the reports and studies on PTSD, they are deaf, dumb and blind. It is this kind of person who will scream the loudest on "supporting the troops" but when it comes to them needing us, they are nowhere to be found.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington