The only suicide awareness events that should matter

Veterans commit suicide in public for reasons we cannot ignore

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 2, 2019

Meghan Mobbs wrote on Psychology Today "Why We Must Be Careful in How We Talk About Veteran Suicide Talking carelessly about death by suicide can make the problem worse."

This got my blood pressure up.

"We can be sensitive to the loss, venerate their service, and honor their lives without conflating their actions with martyrdom. Spreading the notion that death by suicide is an effective way to deal with our problems or a laudable form of protest may place people at greater risk for suicide."

Does it matter where they do it or does it matter more they are brought to that time in their lives when they think that is the only power they have left?

I had to reply.

Posted May 02, 2019

Public suicides
Submitted by Kathie Costos on May 2, 2019
Normally I agree with you. This time I see this a different way. We accept far too much and expect far too little.

It is acceptable for groups to run around the country pulling stunts, and having fun while raising awareness that veterans are killing themselves.

It is acceptable for members of Congress and the DOD to get away with just saying they will do something, when all they do is repeat what did not work before.

It is acceptable to write checks, send out thoughts and prayers, while we count the dead who did not need to leave.

When I got into all of this over 3 decades ago, I expected that all we had to do was break the silence and show the way other veterans and families like mine could live better lives. Now we're fighting against everyone accepting "what is" instead of paying attention to the veterans who are actually suffering.

According to the VA, we actually had better results back in 1999. Their report had the number of suicides at 20 a day and there were over 5 million more veterans living in the country at the time. The "known" number is the same but that is after over a decade of "awareness" that it was happening all along.

They need hope tomorrow can be better and information on how they can make that happen. Families need to know that they are not alone. Friends need to know what to do. All they get are slogans and stunts with no one thinking it puts the focus on suicide and not healing.

Too many people out there who know how to help, but veterans cannot find us because it is easier to share pictures of Marines running around in their underwear, push-ups and folks getting a tattoo with 22.

So, yes, they end up committing suicide because of the lack of hope that people will demand change after that "one too many" died and they hope they will be the last to go.

The question is, when exactly do we find it unacceptable they had to resort to this end, and actually do something about it?

This part also jumped out at me.

"As unpalatable as it is to admit, the war to better understand and decrease veteran suicide is just beginning."

Just beginning? Seriously? Then who the hell was I learning from at the library in 1982? Who was writing about veterans committing suicide throughout the 80's and 90's and well into the previous decade? Is that supposed to be some sort of excuse?

What about all the money that went into "awareness" and "prevention" as the numbers went up all this time? 

I wrote about them in 2007 when researching this video and found over 400 of their stories.

I also tracked countless news reports for The Warrior SAW, Suicides After War and managed to make myself so sick to my stomach, I wanted to just delete the file instead of publishing it. 

To see the numbers, read their stories and then be reminded of how many years of this being and OK result from a billion dollar a year industry, is too pathetic to tolerate.


Veterans should never have to think about killing themselves, and even less about where to do it. If we were still putting them first, they'd know we had their backs. When we find it acceptable to settle for the BS coming out of Washington, it only reinforces the fact we will settle for them suffering.

Why are reporters still sucking the life out of suicide prevention? Can anyone explain the total disregard they have for facts when they report on "suicide awareness" stunts instead of the truth?

The truth is, the "22" a day has never been true. Just read the report yourself and see what the VA said about their own report.

The truth is, even the VA does not know how many because of how many veterans were left out of the data.

Here is yet one more truth about veterans committing suicide. They already know how to die...but no one is making them aware of how to heal!

When you hear "suicide awareness event" you may think about stuff like this.

Throughout the day, theVeteran Suicide Awareness March will be going on as well. People are marching 22 miles from Richmond to Winchester with a 22 pound ruck sack. They’re on a mission to bring awareness to the issue of veteran suicide. The walk started at 6 a.m. White Hall Park and will end at VFW Post 2728 in Winchester.

Sgt Strother Memorial Ruck March and Memorial Ride This is a 22 Mile Ruck March to raise awareness for the 22 a day that we lose to veteran suicide. We have also added a motorcycle ride to the event at the request of those who can not ruck but still want to show their support and raise awareness with us.

But because those stunts have failed, veterans decided that they would do their own awareness events by committing suicide in public. 

Next time you hear about a fundraiser in your area, remember these events where the veteran gave the last thing he could...his life to try to help others like him before it was too late for them too!


Here are just some of the veterans we are supposed to just forget about?

March
⇒St. Louis VA waiting room


June Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Fort Knox soldier committed suicide at Clarksville High School
⇒Kansas VA emergency room parking lot
⇒Colorado Springs veteran with cellphone for suicide "note"
⇒Georgia veteran set himself on fire at the State Capital
⇒Virginia Norfolk Navy Yard sailor walked into helicopter blade

July Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Chicago police officer and veteran in station parking lot
⇒Florida Lecanto Community Out Patient
⇒Arizona VA hospital chapel

August Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Kansas VA employee 
⇒Indiana VA parking lot

September Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Minneapolis VA Hospital parking lot

October Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Greenville veteran recorded video that was over 4 hours long for his family.

November Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Nashville VA

December Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Florida Bay Pines
⇒US Navy Commander Vice Adm. Scott Stearney

February Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Columbus Community Hospital
⇒Ohio veteran murder-suicide live on Facebook

March Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Florida VA Riviera Beach

April Suicide Awareness Events

⇒Georgia VA 2 suicides
⇒Texas VA, 
⇒Cleveland VA 

May Suicide Awareness Events
⇒Michigan veteran committed suicide during standoff with police...