On a More Serious Note

You know, I may get loud and sarcastic, but I'm generally an easy-going sort of guy. I have beliefs that are sometimes unpopular with the mainstream, and that are mocked by celebrities and media figures. I can deal with that. Shrug my shoulders, and like Hyde, respond with a Zen-like "whatever."

But sometimes, there are issues or events that make my guts churn with rage. I get upset with things that I find unjust. Two small examples: while four American contractors were killed, burned, mutilated, and hung from a bridge, as the wolves from Iraq danced around them, the main focus of American news media was on that stupid college girl who faked her own kidnapping. We gave hours, literally hours of coverage to this alleged kidnapping case, and only a few minutes to the death and desecration of four people in Iraq, trying to make the place better. And nobody thought anything of it. Probably because "American Idol" was on TV that night. Second example: there was an investigative report about the appalling mistreatment of our elderly vets at VA hospitals. The mistreatment and lack of care of the elderly is a shameful thing; their being our ancient warriors only adds to that shame. I was literally sick to my stomach from the intro the the program, and couldn't watch the rest of it.

But neither of these recent events sent my ulcers into overdrive like yesterday's outrage. But then again, you probably haven't heard about it either. The media by-and-large isn't interested. Especially when it concerns the appalling ramblings of one of its darlings.

In a time of war, when our soldiers are getting killed defending the peace in foreign countries, how can any American in good conscience say that these soldiers are not heroic, for the risks they face willingly every day?

I'm not sure, but Andy Rooney of CBS' "60 Minutes" found a way.

This...person (can we call such vileness a man?) claims that our soldiers aren't heroes. He instead claims that they are victims. That we are responsible for their undeserved and unwilling deaths.

...Let that sink in. Our soldiers are victims, not heroes.

When, O God, will this attitude of victimization be put to rest?

Rooney paints the portrait of poor, uninformed, uneducated young people who bumbled into the military like Pauly Shore in "In the Army Now", hoping to get some cash for college, or some job training. They didn't think that they'd actually have to fight, says Rooney.

What foolishness. In a post-9/11 world, when our country is pursuing military action against terrorists and their cohorts, there is no such thing as military service without the risk of combat involvement, in some capacity. And certainly not for new recruits.

Rooney seems to have gotten his timeframes mixed up. See, it's not the 1960's. It's not the 70's. The soldiers in Iraq weren't drafted. They volunteered. And when they did, they were told EXACTLY what they might have to face.

You aren't a victim if you accept the possibility of hardship, and still choose to pursue that course of action.

Rooney writes that 40% are National Guardsmen or Army reservists who "never thought they'd be called upon to fight. They want to come home."

Of course they want to go home. They're away from their family. Furthermore, you don't have to have a dangerous job to want to go home. I want to go home right now, but I stay, because this is the job I've committed to do.

And as to the first statement, this is another example of insulting the so-called "weekend warriors" who have been unfairly given this kind of "second-class soldier" distinction.

The other argument Rooney makes is the fact that 23 soldiers have committed suicide since the war began. And yes, Andy, that is sad. Tragic for the families. But let's look at this in terms of American population statistics. This is what I found after about two minutes of research.

According to the Center for Disease Control's 2001 National Vital Statistics Report listing the Final Data for all deaths in 2001, 30,622 people died from suicide. That's an average of 10.8 out of every 100,000 people in America that year (age-adjusted average: 10.7).

According to this AP article dated March 25, the rate of soldiers in the Army alone is 17.3, compared to 12.8 for the entire Army in 2003, and an average of 11.9 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in the eight years prior to that. Yes, Andy, more soldiers are cracking under the stress of combat.

But what Andy doesn't tell you is what the Army is doing in response. The above-linked article goes on to explain how the Army is working to provide more counselling and resources for the soldiers. How of the 2008 soldiers treated by the Army's 2nd Medical Brigade, 1,919 soldiers were able to return to active duty. (And I can hear the great inhale of breath as you all start saying that it doesn't mean they were psychologically ready to return. All I can say is that if they all were not, we'd have 1,942 suicides instead of 23. Hmmm...)

The article goes on to discuss that the common element in each of these suicides could have been the soldier's "personal financial problems, failed personal relationships and legal problems." The stress of war just widened the cracks that were already present.

Rooney melodramatically writes, "If 22 young men and one woman killed themselves because they couldn't take it, think how many more are desperately unhappy but unwilling to die." Andy, that's called life. As someone who has dealt with serious depression, I can testify that, yes, it happens. If 30,622 people in the United States killed themselves in 2001, think of how many more thought about it, and didn't go through with it. What will we do to help them, Andy?

I don't mean to downgrade the seriousness of depression and suicide, please don't misunderstand, readers. But it happens. We need to accept this. Being happy all the time isn't average. Struggling to be happy some of the time is average. But as a people, we've bought into this deceitful mindset that if we're not happy every waking hour, there's something unnatural at work, and we need to rectify it, like a medical disorder. This mindset is why we are on our way to becoming one of the most medicated nations in the world.

The old addage, "war is hell", is no exaggeration. But steps are being taken to make sure our brave soldiers don't lose hope. But Andy doesn't tell you any of this, because it doesn't play well. See, it's an easy story to say that the soldiers are victims who are being forced against their will to fight. He doesn't believe that every soldier who puts his or her life on the line is being heroic. Should this suprise us? Not really. He doesn't believe that our grandparents were the "Greatest Generation" either.

I'm not surprised. But I am angry. Because Rooney's article attempts to hurl shame on every soldier coming home with scars and memories they'd rather forget. To every soldier stepping off the plane, Rooney whispers, "You're not special. You're not appreciated. You're just some stupid kid who got involved with a business that we all despise. You should be ashamed of yourself."

There is a lot of shame to be placed, in this world. Andy Rooney just earned some.