Homeless Man and Dancer Charged For Stealing PTSD Service Dog

Homeless man and exotic dancer accused of stealing service dog valued at $4,500
Ledger Enquirer
Benn Wright
September 8, 2016

Police were still searching for Whiz early Friday.

A homeless man and an exotic dancer are accused of stealing a $4,500 PTSD service dog and leaving his two young children at a Winifred Lane home Wednesday for hours, Columbus police said.

Jimmy Lee Gonzales, 39, and Kimberly Jordan, 24, face one count each of felony theft by taking, misdemeanor obstruction of law enforcement and two counts of cruelty to children. Both were taken to the Muscogee County Jail and later freed on bond.
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Why Is Australia Repeating US Failure of Awareness On PTSD?

Does it feel good to think they are doing good? Sure but it feels really lousy when you understand this stunt achieves nothing. How does raising awareness about the fact troops and veterans have PTSD when they already know they do? If this is about reaching civilians, forget about it because if they have not received the news by now, they never well.  

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was part of the dialog in the 70's yet somehow the stigma was allowed to latch its teeth onto those who survived combat itself but not the residual of it.

Roger Cook: How 22 pushups can help raise awareness of PTSD
Perth Now
ROGER COOK, PerthNow
September 9, 2016 11:08pm

The aim of the movement is to record people doing 22 push ups around the world until a total of 22 million push ups is reached to raise awareness to the suicide epidemic and educate the public on mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The total is currently just under 15 Million.

Wednesday’s commemoration draws public attention to these conflicts and the sacrifice of Australian civil and military lives in a crucial point in our history.
Picture Gary Ramage

WREATHES were laid this week in a new service to recognise Australians lost at war.

The Battle for Australia has been celebrated for the first time in WA to acknowledge the lives of Australians lost in homeland defence during World War II.

In 1942, Labor Prime Minister, John Curtin made a decision that was to be a defining moment in the War and Australia’s history.

Contrary to the long term practice of providing unquestioning military support to our colonial masters in England, John Curtin recalled troops from the European conflicts to reinforce our defences around Australia, which was under threat from advancing Japanese Forces.

This must have taken great courage and leadership and was the pivotal moment in our history when Australia stood for itself and was the crucible for our long and abiding alliance with the US.

What followed was a series of desperate battles in Southern Asia including the famous Kokoda Trail conflict in New Guinea, and the bombings of Darwin, Broome and other towns along the WA coast line. Overall 1200 people lost their lives during these bombings.

Wednesday’s commemoration draws public attention to these conflicts and the sacrifice of Australian civil and military lives in a crucial point in our history.
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Members of our Congress have made speeches over and over again repeating the same worn out words of concern pretending to take action while veterans wait for something to change, something to happen to make them want to live after surviving combat.  More and more charities pop up all over the country claiming the have the ability to raise awareness but all they need is your money. Most have never proven they deserve any of it or the publicity that comes along with raising awareness over something they do not even understand.

We've been arguing with them for years as they repeat a number that has been relatively unchanged for 17 years. With the release of the latest report from the VA, it shows on average 20 veterans a day commit suicide. Look at the chart that came out with the earlier report showing it was 22.

If Australia really wants to make a difference in the lives of their veterans they should try raising awareness on what will actually make a difference in getting veterans to want to live instead of talking about how many they think stopped wanting to live.

Workers In Twin Towers 30 Percent More Likely to Have PTSD

Health Dept. Report Says 9/11 Survivors More at Risk for Serious Health Problems Than Initially Expected

By NY1 News
Friday, September 9, 2016

A new report from the city's Health Department finds that September 11th survivors are more at risk for serious health problems than initially expected.

The report says September 11th first responders are 11 percent more likely to have cancer than the average New York State resident.

Civilians who were near the World Trade Center that day are 8 percent more likely to have cancer.

Workers who were evacuated from the towers are 30 percent more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder, and workers with September 11th health-related issues are more inclined to retire early or lose their jobs.

The Health Department conducted the study between 2007 and 2011.
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Man Arrested For Beating Veteran With His Own Walker!

Arrest Made in Elderly Veteran's Beating
Breaking: Police say a man was arrested in Tampa on charges related to the beating of a St. Pete man with his own walker.
St. Pete Patch
By Sherri Lonon (Patch Staff)
September 8, 2016

St. Petersburg Police received two separate donations of $600 to help Hardeman during recovery. An anonymous donor also reportedly provided Hardeman with a new walker to replace the one involved in the attack.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The search for a man accused of beating an elderly St. Petersburg veteran with his own walker ended in Tampa Thursday.

According to St. Petersburg Police, officers brought Harold Stewart, 37, into custody and also located the Dodge Durango connected to a Sept. 2 attack.

During that attack, Stewart is accused of approaching Jeffery Hardeman, 66, as he neared the entrance to the 201 34th St. N. Walmart in St. Petersburg around 1 p.m. Police say Hardeman, a disabled Army veteran, was using a walker at the time.

According to authorities, Stewart asked Hardeman for the time. “The younger man then put the elderly man in a choke hold, threw the elderly man to the ground and began punching him,” an earlier email from the police department said. “The younger man also used the elderly man's walker to proceed to beat the elderly man.”
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Florida Fights To Keep Military Bases and Gain Some

Plans To Save, Expand Florida's Military Bases
WGCU
By BOBBIE O'BRIEN
September 9, 2016

Florida already promotes itself as the “number one veteran friendly state” and “number one in military readiness”. While those “number one” claims aren’t easily measured, the state has been proactive on measures to hang onto its 20 military installations.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam speaking

at the Military, Defense and Veterans Opportunities Summit.

BOBBIE O'BRIEN / WUSF PUBLIC MEDIA

The two main economic drivers in Florida are tourism and agriculture, but you can’t ignore the military. From military bases and defense contractors to 1.6 million veterans living in the state, the military contributes nearly 10 percent to the Florida economy.

That’s why protecting those military assets has become the mission of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation, business leaders and elected officials.

They gathered recently for a Military, Defense and Veterans Opportunity Summit in Clearwater to prepare for a new round of base closures.

Although Congress has yet to agree to a new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round, experts say it’s just a matter of time. And Florida wants to be prepared.

“Unfortunately, people are not fully aware of what’s going on with base realignments because a lot of it is happening in D.C. behind closed doors,” said Tony Carvajal, executive vice president with the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “What is already happening is what we call the invisible BRAC, changes reassignments, relocations across the state.”
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