Don't let a politician turn your faith into their business!

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 28, 2023

What you believe on a religious basis, is what you were free to choose. Would you want someone else passing laws based on what they believe if it went against your own?

Which church do you belong to among the Christian houses on this list? If you chose to be Catholic, which of the 24 different ones did you choose? If you chose to be Protestant, which one of these did you choose? If you chose to be Orthodox, which one did you become? Do you think that everyone else has chosen the wrong one because you are so sure your choice was the only right one? Would you want someone else to be able to take away what you chose was right for you? Then why would you, or anyone else be allowed to do it to others? Should you have the right to take away the choices of non-denominationalism? Should you have the right to force spiritual but not religious believers to pick something you find acceptable? What about the other faiths in the country, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and others among the people of this country? What about atheist people? Shouldn't they also have the same right to know they are protected as well as everyone else?

That is what people get wrong all the time. Sure, when a politician agrees with what you believe it can make you feel as if you won something. It also means someone else lost their ability to believe something else. You may not have noticed that your approval of this step gave politicians the authority to go against what you believe, because they believe otherwise. That's how all this works. If you call yourself pro-life, you may feel empowered to seek to control all other matters of faith, but the thought you should invalidate the free will choices of others has just invalidated your own. It puts you on the wrong side of the tomb and the womb, along with the Constitution.

Why? I was listening to a man this morning, claiming he was evangelical and pro-life. He also talked about Catholics. Nowhere in his words did he express the fact that everyone else in this country, and frankly, the entire world, are free to believe as they choose. It doesn't matter how their government operates or what laws they pass to control others. No one can ever take away what people believe. That is why matters of faith have always, and will always be used as a weapon to control the people.

If you live in America, your faith, no matter what it is, is protected under the law. At least it used to be. If you are Christian, then your choice of where to worship is supposed to be equally protected as all other houses of worship, including non-Christian ones. Trying to take control over them is claiming your faith is the only right one and everyone else must abide by what you believe.

I find many claims from other Christians appalling but I believe they have the right to believe what they want even though many of them think they have the right to take mine away from me. Scriptures in the New Testament support the God-given right to free will, just as the Old Testament does.

Decide if You Can Follow Me
25 Many people were traveling with Jesus. He said to them, 26 “If you come to me but will not leave your family, you cannot be my follower. You must love me more than your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—even more than your own life! 27 Whoever will not carry the cross that is given to them when they follow me cannot be my follower.

Jesus reminded them they are free to make the choice to do or not do and what the outcome would be based on the choices they made of their own free will. Yet somehow we arrived yet again with a group of people trying to take away the free will choice of others, much like during the Salem Witchcraft Trials when faith was used to control others, seek revenge and intimidate others into conforming or find themselves accused of witchcraft facing torture, loss of all they had and death.

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution protects matters of faith/religion because of what happened in Salem. Why can't people see what is going on is putting them on the wrong side of what this country was built on? We are all free to make our own choices or none of us are.

If you claim to follow Jesus as a Christian, trying to force someone else, goes against what He taught as well as what He sacrificed His life for. It goes against God after He gave Adam and Eve the free will to listen to His warning or not in the Garden of Eden. It puts you on the wrong side of His Son's tomb.

If you call yourself pro-life because of your religious beliefs, you are on the wrong side of the womb as well. Scriptures tell us that God is God on the living and Jesus taught everyone claiming to follow Him how they should treat others living in the world. If you only care about the unborn, and what others do then, while you have the right to decide for your own house, you are trying to usurp the rights of others. Passing judgment on others grants the authority of others to pass judgment on you. Should you be forced to do what Jesus said and feed the poor, give them clothes, and housing, visit the prisoners, or do anything else He said you should do because you claim to value and follow Him? Or should it be left up to what you choose to do and can afford to do?

Your rights begin and end with what you choose for yourself and if you seek to control others, remove their right because you think your faith and what you believe is the only right way, you have opened the door for your own rights to be taken from you. Don't let a politician turn your faith into their business!

UPDATE:
It is stories like the following that should cause all of us to question these self-appointed-anointed demigods the idea they should control everyone else. To this "lawmaker" if you did not give birth to chichildren, you are not a mother!
Marjorie Taylor Greene faces criticism after saying a stepmother is 'not a mother' USA Today

Greene asked her during the hearing whether she is a mother, and Weingarten replied that she’s a “mother by marriage.”

The Georgia lawmaker called her “not a biological mother” and later told the union leader, “The problem is, people like you need to admit that you’re just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother and not a medical doctor.”

And then there is this one.
A Montana lawmaker suggested she’d rather risk her child’s suicide than let her transition NBC News

State Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe said in a floor debate in March that her daughter "was suicidal for three years" and when asked if she'd do anything to save her, her answer was "no."

A recent comment by a Montana state lawmaker who sponsored legislation to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors has gone viral and drawn backlash online.

State Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, a Republican, suggested during a floor debate that she would rather risk her daughter dying by suicide than allow her to transition. Seekins-Crowe did not say that her daughter identified as transgender, but said she was “one of those parents who lived with a daughter who was suicidal for three years.”

She is in the same state where this is what lawmakers have focused on. Bills Dictating Religion, Prayer and Sex Ed in Schools Advance Ahead of Key Deadline

Seniors, veterans and troops, games and empty words to GOP House Members

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 27, 2023

"This is what gets us in the game" is what North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong had to say about the House Debt Ceiling budget they just passed with 217 Republicans approving of it.

“This is what gets us in the game,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota. “This is the first conversation. The next conversation is what comes next and we know that and this is part of negotiation. We know we don’t control all three. We don’t control the White House and the Senate but this gets us where we need to start.” (CNN)

According to his website Veterans, military and seniors are not even worth mentioning on his priorities but abortion tops the to-do list for him.

The fact that the debt was the result of what has already been spent. You may have heard that no matter how appalling the Democrats found the GOP priorities, like tax cuts for the rich, they passed a clean bill to raise the Debt Ceiling. The GOP has decided to treat it like a game. They want to make all the rules the rest of the country has to live with, or they are willing to crash the country.

Can this be the worst example of their depravity? It is not just the view this is all some sort of game. It is in the details of what all this includes.

In short, Speaker McCarthy’s plan to raise the debt ceiling would cut the VA’s budget by 22% next fiscal year, Young said. That would force the Veterans Health Administration to eliminate 81,000 jobs, meaning that veterans would be unable to make appointments for wellness visits, cancer screenings, mental health services, substance abuse disorder treatment, and other healthcare services, according to Young. These cuts would translate into 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits.

The VA would face major budget cuts under the GOP’s debt ceiling plan (Task and Purpose) The VA has also issued a statement saying that cutting the department’s budget by 22% would limit the VA’s ability to provide telehealth services by reducing funding for the necessary information technology and support.

Speaker McCarthy’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling would also force the Veterans Benefits Administration to cut its staff by more than 6,000 people, and that would worsen the wait time for benefits by adding an estimated 134,000 claims to the disability claims backlog, the VA’s statement says.

These cuts to the Veterans Benefits Administration would come at a time when the VA is already seeing an increase in disability claims filed due to the passage of the PACT Act, which expands healthcare to veterans suffering from cancer and other ailments as a result of being exposed to toxic substances from burn pits and other sources along with Vietnam Veterans who are sick because they were exposed to Agent Orange, said Carrie Farmer, of the RAND Corporation.

Social Security and Medicare had been targeted along with everything else in this "game" but have been spared.

Discretionary spending includes things like weapons programs, servicemember pay, grants for schools that serve large shares of low-income students, rental assistance to house millions of poor and disabled, and money to fund research on cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It’s the spending that Congress approves through appropriations bills.

The House GOP bill doesn’t affect spending on Social Security and Medicare. Such spending, referred to as mandatory, accounts for about two-thirds of all federal spending. (AP)

Can you imagine any politician proud of the fact they wanted to cut them? They were! Just as they are proud of cutting the military spending for the sake of the troops right after they heard the troops with families cannot afford to pay rent!

"We have to use a moment like that to do things that the administration wouldn't otherwise do, the Democrats don't support," Banks said. He said spending caps, balanced budgets and cutting wasteful discretionary spending have to be on the table. (CBS News)

This is from Rep. Jim Banks during a sub-committee meeting and what he had to say when the cameras were focused on him, yet, he voted for the cuts!

You have reduced your end strength requests below the 2023 authorized numbers. So, you must ask yourselves why, and I ask what are you doing about it. What are you doing to ensure that you have the required end strength to fulfill this mission -- the mission requirements around the world, let alone issues like service members' food insecurity, identified by you to affect 25 percent of the force.

That is unacceptable. So, what are you doing about it? So, today we want to focus on what concrete actions are you taking to address all the problems that you face, whether it's recruiting, pay and benefits, food security, retaining talent, family issues, or the elimination of unnecessary bureaucracy. And we don't want more of the same.

Back to Kelly Armstrong and what he said when veterans were paying attention to what he said, his words are nothing but a bunch of words with no deeds to prove he values them!

Armstrong Presents Vietnam Veteran with Long Overdue Military Awards (Press Release)
November 10, 2021

Wahpeton, N.D. – Today, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) presented Vietnam Veteran Al Collins of Wahpeton with nine military awards he earned while serving in the U.S. Navy. Collins was honorably discharged in 1971, but he did not receive the awards due to him until 50 years later.

"As a nation, we owe an immense amount of gratitude to the men and women who have served in our armed forces," said Congressman Armstrong. "Al Collins is an American hero who enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 19 and was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War. I am honored to finally present these awards to him that he earned more than 50 years ago while defending the freedoms and liberties we enjoy in the United States."

"I was surprised to hear that I would receive these awards. It feels really good, and I am honored to receive this recognition. I appreciate Congressman Armstrong and North Dakota Veterans Affairs helping me finally receive them," said Vietnam Veteran Al Collins.

"North Dakota is lucky to be home to great veterans like Alfred Collins. It is humbling to know the great sacrifices he has made for his country although it is unfortunate they have gone unrecognized for so long it is great that his family is able to share this moment with him. Thank you to Mary Vetter and Congressman Armstrong for all their efforts to make this happen," said ND Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Lonnie Wangen.

Why is Congress willing to sacrifice kids for the NRA?

Can someone please inform Congress that when kids fill school bags in the morning, they shouldn't leave school in a body bag?

You would think they'd already understand this, but they don't. 

They focus on books they do not want kids to read, but not on the bullets that end their lives.

They focus on drag shows because they think it is morally wrong, but not the weapons of mass murder.

They focus on the unborn because they are pro-life, but do not want to protect the lives of kids already here.

This is Easter Sunday and we are supposed to appreciate the life of Jesus willing to sacrifice His life for the sake of everyone. Why are members of Congress willing to sacrifice the lives of kids for the sake of the NRA?

They keep offering "thoughts and prayers" and some say taking God and prayer out of school is the problem. What is their excuse when a Christian school was the latest place where three adults and three children didn't make it home?

GOP Rep. Burchett said, "You can't legislate evil," with serious face?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 29, 2023

Tennessee congressman says Washington is ‘not going to fix’ school shootings NBC News 

A politician said, "You can't legislate evil." Apparently, he does not understand that is exactly what people are elected to do. If it was not their job, then they wouldn't have a job.

"As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states."

The fact that there are courts to hold people accountable under the laws they have legislated and punishment under the laws they legislated, seems to have evaporated when they are asked to do something to stop schools from being turned into slaughterhouses. Parents shouldn't have to worry about their kids coming home alive at the end of their classes. Their classes shouldn't have to include active shooter training because legislators refuse to do a damn thing to protect children!

They want to claim that evil people do the shootings. That mentally ill people are the ones using the weapons created to slaughter as many as they can as fast as they can. Why is no one asking them why they feel the need to legislate the ability of the evil and mentally ill to get more guns then? Why would it make sense to them to arm those they point their fingers at?

There would be no prisons if they couldn't legislate evil. There would be no need for law enforcement if the legislators did not legislate and fund them. There would be no lawyers holding the accused people accountable and defending those charged with the crimes that were legislated.

These same people claim to be religious, however, their actions cause them to fail the bite test.

Unraveling the Forbidden Fruit Apple Motif In the next chapter of Genesis in the Old Testament, this stanza describes the temptation of Adam and Eve: "When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” These two sentences have been used since they were first written down as a metaphorical reference to any indulgence or pleasure that the dogmas of religion deem illegal or immoral. The Hebrew word used for fruit here is “peri,” a generic term referring to the fruit hanging from the Tree of Knowledge. And they are still heavily referenced today in conversations, novels, and films. Modern scholars and historians believe that a bastardization and possible misinterpretation of Latin might answer the question, “Why the Apple?” The Latin word mălum signifies “ evil,” while the Latin word mālum, from the Greek μῆλον, means “apple.”

Watch the video for yourself and hear what Rep. Burchett said about not being able to legislate guns. He said, "You can't legislate evil." They seem to act that way when it comes to guns but not when it comes to everything else, like the personal freedom of parents to raise their kids as they see fit. The personal freedom to decide the moral code they want to live by. They seek to legislate every day on what matters to them, what will give them the most support/donations from their supporters, but not when it comes to doing anything for the sake of what this country was supposed to stand for.

Will GOP crash debt ceiling on our heads?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 17, 2023

So, once again the folks that were elected, don't seem to remember the people that voted for them. If they did, if they really cared, they wouldn't be focusing on everything we don't want and threatening what we need.

They are ready to crash the country because they are acting as if they have no obligation to us at all! Do you know what happens if they play games and refuse to pay the bills they already committed to? Well, if you don't, I remember it and it was torture. Veterans were not being able to get into the VA for appointments and worried about their disability checks not coming, along with medicine. Seniors were worried about everything!

This happened before.

The government also shut down for four days in January 2018, and the US experienced the longest-ever shutdown of 35 days between December 22nd, 2018 to January 25th, 2019. This came as a result of an impasse over President Donald Trump’s proposed spending package for the US-Mexico border wall. Forbes

I don't know who you voted for or why. What I do know is that the GOP members of the House don't seem to remember all the things they promised you they would focus on. You know, the things you need as they reminded you of how terrible your life was. I don't recall them warning you they were willing to make it a lot worse. If they cannot come up with a bill to raise the debt ceiling to cover the money they already spent, your life and mine are going to suck big time!

It isn't bad enough they've already said they plan on cutting social security and medicare. They forgot that we paid for the benefits we are getting but they want to play games, not just with the money they owe us, but with our lives.

Read this from CBS News

What is the debt limit?

The debt limit, which is set by Congress, represents the maximum amount the federal government is allowed to borrow to pay its debts.

If the amount of government debt reaches that threshold and doesn't lift the ceiling, the U.S. would be unable to pay what it owes and could default.

It's important to note that when Congress raises or suspends the debt ceiling, it isn't greenlighting new spending. Instead, it is giving the go-ahead for the Treasury to pay for spending that has already been approved.

Has the debt limit been raised before?

Yes. Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 times to raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit, according to Treasury.

Of those, the debt limit was tweaked 49 times under Republican presidents and 29 times under Democratic administrations, Treasury said.

The last time the debt ceiling was lifted was in December 2021, when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate.

Are you willing to let them keep playing games with us? Are you willing to let them get away with treating all of us as if we don't matter now they have the power their voters gave them? Are you willing to suffer for their sake? This is what their plans are.

What can you do about it? Let them know exactly what you think. Call your GOP member and let them know that you are holding them accountable for what they refuse to do. If you are in a swing district and you have a level-headed congressman, tell them you'd support them becoming an Independent until the rest of their party comes to their senses. That way, McCarthy and his henchmen won't be able to get away with what they are trying to pull off. They won't have the majority anymore because they proved they don't deserve to have it. They owe us, not the other way around.

War of Powers in Washington DC

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 6, 2023

While the American people are accustomed to the simple fact that all politicians have an ego, we should never be willing to accept them putting their own self-interests ahead of the people and the country they take an oath to serve. We have seen a war of powers being waged beyond comprehension for the last two years that has resulted in the chaos in Washington DC. 

Some of them use their claims of "faith" to justify lying and hating, seeking revenge against anyone seeking to hold them accountable for their actions. Others, also people of faith, hold to the truth and are willing to fight for what is right against those only claiming what they want people to believe they are.

To believe an entire body of those elected to serve as Republicans is all contemptible will surrender all hope for this nation. There has to be some among them still willing to do what is right for the sake of the country and put the country first. It is ever more apparent the majority of members of the GOP side of the house would rather have a divided party, as well as a divided House. As President Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Two years ago, we were warned about people claiming to be "loyal" to the country, while they were only loyal to those only loyal to themselves. Selfish people always existed, and sadly, always will. The thing is, the American people used to be able to discern which selfish people were able to at least serve the country with equal measure toward themselves. That became frighteningly apparent two years ago this day.

We were warned about giving those selfish people power with no limits would cause great harm to this nation they claimed to love. We saw that on display over and over again leading up to the inability of GOP members of the House to elect a Speaker of the House, third in line to the President. They put their self-serving interests ahead of the good of the country. The fringe wants to have everything their way and McCarthy is willing to give them whatever they want so he can have the power he craves. Nothing else matters to Kevin McCarthy more than Kevin McCarthy. It doesn't matter what the country will pay in the end as long as he gets what he wants, and the rest of them are following the same goals based on their own self-interest.

McCarthy fights to lock down a deal in longest speaker contest in 164 years

CNN

Kevin McCarthy is locked in a fight for his political future as the California Republican attempts to win the votes he needs to become speaker of the US House of Representatives in what has now become the longest contest in 164 years.

McCarthy suffered a string of defeats on Thursday as the House took round after round of failed votes. The longer the fight drags on, the more dire it becomes for McCarthy as it risks further defections and a loss of confidence in the GOP leader. House Republicans are scheduled to hold a conference call Friday morning, a source familiar told CNN, and the House is set to reconvene at noon ET.
read more here

Read the article on NPR as a reminder

And this is why those who sided with evil, should not be in charge of the House they were willing to allow to fall for the sake of what they wanted for themselves. The question is, who among them is willing to put the country first and serve her, instead of themselves in that party? Who among them is willing to renounce the R after their name and declare independence from them to caucus with the Democrats when they can agree on Bills and Laws instead of serving vindictiveness and hatred? 

This is Kevin McCarthy on video addressing what happened two years ago today.

If you are wondering what this has to do with #PTSD then you haven't been paying attention since many of those serving in the House on that day, have been fighting it ever since. The only way we know to begin to heal when someone harmed us is for them to be held accountable.

"Ain't this a bitch!" Jon Stewart fights for veterans

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 29, 2022

UPDATE

Worse than we thought as GOP members of the Senate celebrated blocking this bill!

The bill that would finally provide some justice to the men and women we sent to Afghanistan and Iraq, was stopped from passing yesterday by the same people that voted for it weeks ago, GOP members of the Senate!

I've seen a lot of crap in my day and that was over a lifetime. My Dad was 100% Korean War veteran and my husband is 100% disabled Vietnam veteran. I remember what it was like to fight the VA for what their service cost then and our families. I also remember the 40 years of fighting so that veterans and families could finally see their service honored.

I've seen political games played by both parties on all sorts of issues. I have never seen a good bill being blocked to take care of veterans. Surely, politicians prolonged the passage so they could get attention for themselves, whine, moan and complain like a toddler, but in the end, there were enough votes to pass it.

This time, They needed just 10 Republicans to step up so the bill could be voted on. Only five showed up to do the right thing for veterans. So what happened to the other 55 Republicans that voted on it before passing it?

The House passed the PACT Act by a 342-88 vote on July 13, about a month after the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 84-14.

They claim it was because the House tweaked it and they couldn't stand that. I mean, the same crowd that kept repeating they support veterans and their care should never be subjected to budget cuts, is now something they want to use to take a temper tantrum!

Ever since the beginning of this nation, the leaders asked men and women to risk their lives for the sake of this nation. And ever since they returned back to this nation and home and families, they were forced to fight the same leaders to be compensated for what their service did to them. What is the most reprehensible thing of all is when they were forced to fight for what the nation did to them while they were serving and risking their lives.

Vietnam veterans fought for PTSD to be covered and treated, and that was a little easier to take on since it was due to combat. They also had to fight for being treated and compensated for what Agent Orange, sent by the government did to them and their families. Gulf War veterans were forced to fight for care after whatever the cause was for Gulf War Syndrome. And now this! Yet another thing the nation they served did to them with burn pits!

AND NOW THEY HAVE TO HEAR THIS BULLSHIT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

This post went up in 2008!

Troops sick from burn pits urged to contact DAV

“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.

Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”

When will they do the right thing? When the American people demand it!

Watch the video and if you are not as angry as all these speakers are, don't ever say you support the troops or veterans with a straight face because the members of the GOP couldn't do the right thing when they had the chance, have been now seen for what they truly are and they are disgusting!

WATCH: Jon Stewart criticizes Republicans for voting down bill to increase care for veterans exposed to burn pits

PBS
Jul 28, 2022

“I’m used to the hypocrisy … but I’m not used to the cruelty,” Stewart said.

Former Talk show host turned veterans advocate, John Stewart joined a bicameral group of Democrats to call out Senate Republicans for failing to pass the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022.

In a speech riddled with strong language, Stewart criticized Republican senators for speaking in support of veterans, but then voting against the bill that would increase spending by more than $300 billion over the next decade and dramatically boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I’m used to the hypocrisy … but I’m not used to the cruelty,” Stewart said.

The bill would open up Department of Veterans Affairs health care to millions of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service even if they don’t have a service-connected disability. The bill also would provide new or increased disability benefits to thousands of veterans who have become ill with cancer or respiratory conditions such as bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The measure has the backing of the nation’s major veterans groups and underscores the continued cost of war years after the fighting has stopped.
read more here 

Warning: This video contains strong language.

88 GOP Members of House Voted Against Veterans Burn Pit Bill

U.S. House passes bill expanding health care, benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits

IOWA Dispatch

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Wednesday to expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits overseas, sending the package back to the U.S. Senate after making a minor change.

Senators, who broadly support the landmark package, are expected to quickly clear the measure for President Joe Biden’s signature. The House vote was 342-88. (updated)

Biden, who has linked his son Beau’s death from a brain tumor in 2015 to exposure to burn pits, has repeatedly called on Congress to address the illnesses and deaths linked to toxic exposure. 

“What I found with my son, what I found with my friends, what I found with the generation of Vietnam: There’s this notion that you shouldn’t ask for anything,” Biden said in March while at a resource center in Fort Worth, Texas.

“You should be asking. You should be letting us know. You should let us know what is bothering you, what is the problem because we owe it to you,” Biden continued.

(read it here)

There were 12 Senators that voted against the Senate version sent to the House.

The American Independent

Despite the Senate's broad bipartisan support for the bill, 12 Republicans voted against advancing it:
Sens. Richard Burr (NC),
Bill Cassidy (LA),
John Kennedy (LA),
James Lankford (OK),
Mike Lee (UT),
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Rand Paul (KY),
Mitt Romney (UT),
Dan Sullivan (AK),
Thom Tillis (NC),
Pat Toomey (PA),
and Todd Young (IN).

Wandrea "Shaye" Moss could have been you

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 22, 2022

 The January 6th committee has provided this country with a wake-up call to the truth.

The entire series thus far has proven that Donald Trump knew he lost the election. They proved he was told over and over again what he was doing was illegal. As for what legal punishment he and his coconspirators will receive, the question believers in the lie need to be asking themselves is, "Can we be forgiven?"

They didn't just protest in the streets. They marched armed to the homes of election officials. They marched to the homes of average people like Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, an election worker, along with the home of her Mother and Grandmother.

This is from CNN

The single most compelling witness of the January 6 committee hearings so far

Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, had been working in relative anonymity in Fulton County until, without warning, Giuliani and Trump fixated on the notion that they had somehow committed actions that were proof positive of votes being stolen for Democrats in the 2020 election. Trump called Freeman a "professional vote scammer" and a "hustler." Giuliani said that Moss and Freeman had been passing around USB ports like "vials of cocaine or heroin." (Moss said at Tuesday's hearing that her mother had been handing her a "ginger mint," not a USB drive.) In the wake of those false and racist allegations, Moss detailed how people had tried to barge into her grandmother's home and how Trump supporters had villainized her and her mother. (Her mother, who was known as "Lady Ruby," said she no longer liked being called that.) Moss said of the threats she had received: "A lot of them were racist. A lot of them were just hateful." "I haven't been anywhere at all," she said through tears.

How many of us watched Moss testify, listened to what happened to her, fully aware that it could have been any one of us, standing up for the truth only to end up threatened by liars?

Most of us had friends we cared about and thought they cared about us until they turned against us for simply telling them the truth and refusing to allow their lies to go on unchallenged. I lost more than I can count and most of them, I helped through very difficult times. None of that mattered, because the lies they wanted to share, mattered more.

Arizona Speaker of the House, Russell Bowers had the same thing happen to him.

Within state after state, anger and rage took over as the lie was pushed. People honoring the rule of law, loyalty to the country, and to the truth, were accused of being liars. because they dared to not only speak the truth, they dared to fight for it, despite threats from those trying to force their will onto everyone else.

How many of us watched the videos of the day these people were unleashed to invade the US Capitol ranting and raving about how everyone else was betraying our country when they in fact had been the only ones committing the crimes against what this country stood for?

I don't know about you, but if one of my ex-friends had a "come to Jesus moment" and apologized, I'd forgive them, but the damage is already done to the trust friends are supposed to have. The relationship we had would be over and a new one would have to begin. Trust would have to be earned back and not just handed over to them.

The other thing we all have to acknowledge is the lives of all the people. like Moss and her family, will never be the same again. What does justice look like for them? Who can pay them back for the lost months and endless nightmare caused by those who inflicted it as well as those who incited it?

If you want to see what the cause of PTSD looks like, you have been seeing it unfold during these hearings and the basis of these was brought on by pure evil!

2 Thessalonians 2
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jan. 6th Committee proved Trump lied, but veterans paid the price

While Trump was saying he knew he won, the truth is, he lied because everyone around him told him he lost. Learning the truth now, it is too late for far too many veterans who had to pay the price for his lies!

NBC News WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Marine who also worked as a police officer in Florida pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of unlawfully entering and remaining in a restricted building in connection with the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.

Nicholes Lentz, who was previously employed as an officer in North Miami Beach, was charged a year ago.

The FBI has arrested more than 740 people in Jan. 6-related cases, and more than 200 have pleaded guilty. There are hundreds more cases in the pipeline. More than 2,500 people either entered the Capitol building or engaged in chargeable unlawful conduct outside the building.

Earlier on Tuesday, a judge said that Capitol defendant Jeffrey Alexander Smith should spend 90 days in prison. The government had argued for Smith to be sentenced to five months incarceration. Smith helped re-open the east side doors to the Capitol, allowing the mob to flood into the building.

Smith, echoing the words of many other Trump supporters, told Judge Reggie B. Walton on Tuesday that he "just got caught up in the moment" on Jan. 6. “I don’t consider myself a patriot at that moment at all, I consider myself a fool,” Smith told the judge.

The thing is, there were a lot of veterans Trump lied to and ended up paying the price.

NBC News WASHINGTON — A military veteran from Georgia who attacked police officers at the U.S. Capitol as part of a pro-Trump mob trying to overturn the 2020 election results was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison Monday. Kevin Creek, 47, a former Marine, was sentenced to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich for assaulting officers on Jan. 6.

This veteran,

McKellop served more than 20 years in the Army, including nine years with Special Forces and served with Fort Bragg's 3rd Special Forces Group, his military records show.

(CNN)One of the veterans charged in the Capitol insurrection worked in the Marine Corps unit responsible for transporting the president and operating his helicopter, Marine One, according to Pentagon records.

Military records obtained by CNN show that John Andries served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2009 and was assigned to the Marine Helicopter Squadron One, the unit responsible for transporting the president, also known as HMX-1. Andries was not a pilot, but his records indicate he was a Helicopter Crew Chief.

You can find more on your own, beause there are a lot more to find. Keep this in mind,

Disproportionate number of current and former military personnel arrested in Capitol attack, CNN analysis shows
By Sara Sidner, Anna-Maja Rappard and Marshall Cohen, CNN
February 4, 2021

Ormond Beach, Florida (CNN)Active military personnel and veterans are over-represented among the first 150 people to be arrested and have records released for federal offenses in the violence and insurrection at the US Capitol.

Analysis by CNN of Pentagon records and court proceedings show 21 of the 150, or 14%, are current or former members of the US military. That is more than double the proportion of servicemen and women and veterans in the adult US population, calculated from Census Bureau and Department of Defense statistics. In 2018, there were 1.3 million active-duty members of the services and 18 million veterans. Together, they comprised just 5.9% of the overall 327 million US population at the end of 2018.

Two of the people arrested are in the Army Reserve, and one is an Army National Guardsman. Of the 19 veterans, seven are former Army, eight are former Marines, two served in the Navy, one was in the Air Force, and one served in the Army National Guard. Their service records show at least one served in Vietnam; others were deployed in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. At least one earned a Purple Heart. They were discharged with a variety of ranks and included officers -- a captain and a lieutenant colonel.

Watch this video and then wonder how the veterans above feel about being lied to all along and the price they are paying for Trump lying to them all along when he knew he lost the election. Did he put them through all this to just raise money off them afterwards?

And you can read about today's hearing here.

45 rounds a minute hitting kids is something to debate? Seriously?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 8, 2022

This is from The Guardian

Miah was joined by other families affected by gun violence, including Felix and Kimberly Rubio, whose daughter Lexi died in Uvalde, and Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire Goodman was injured in Buffalo. Ten people were killed there, in a supermarket by another gunman with an AR-15-style rifle.

“We don’t want you to think of Lexi as just a number,” Rubio told the committee. “She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. So today we stand for Lexi, and as her voice we demand action.”

But the emotional and searing testimony did not stop Republicans on the committee rehashing talking points about why they oppose gun restrictions.

“Kneejerk reactions to impose gun control policies that seek to curtail our constitutional right to bear arms are not the answer,” said James Comer, the Republican ranking member.

A "kneejerk reaction? Well, he got the "jerk" part right. Who could listen to testimony after testimony from survivors and families of kids slaughtered and come out with something like that? How many more kids have to die just because they went to school on the day a murderer decided to load AR15s and use them as target practice? How many more people have to die while going food shopping in the wrong store at the wrong time? How many have to die for going to a concert to enjoy some great music and be laid to rest with sad songs because someone decided they were going to make sure a lot of people didn't go back home? How many have to die because someone doesn't like their choice of lifestyle and obliterates as many as possible at a nightclub? While all of the weapons used were not all AR15s, not all of the shooters were younger than 21, but they were armed with weapons intended to kill as many people as possible. 

How many more times will we have to tolerate the sound of elected officials' voices showing more contempt toward people trying to stop the slaughtering of more people, than they show to those who committed the crimes? How many more times will we have to hear them defend these guns being allowed to be purchased by anyone who wants them, because, they like to shoot critters with them?

This is from TIME when they had a chance to do something about all this and used that same excuse for allowing them to get into the hands of anyone. It was after the PULSE massacre!

In interviews with TIME, leaders of 15 state shooting groups said semiautomatic rifles are popular with hunters in their states. Hunters say they favor the gun for its versatility, accuracy and customizable features for shooting animals. The semiautomatic feature, which allows these guns to shoot up to 45 rounds a minute, is not always necessary, but useful in some situations, hunters say.

“It’s the most capable tool for the job at this time,” said Eric Mayer, who runs AR15hunter.com. “Bar none. Period. It is.”

The thing is, it is a capable tool for killing. So why would anyone want everyone to be able to get as many of them as they wanted? When will they ever learn?

The kids and families will be suffering for the rest of their lives, just like all the others who were in the wrong place at the right time to be murdered! If you think #PTSD is an epidemic already, wait until it happens again if nothing is done again and members of the GOP in Congress defend the means of mass murder, instead of the life they claim to be so "pro" for!

They drove "a stake in the heart of the federal republic"

Now we know why only a few Republicans wanted to learn the truth about January 6th and hold people accountable. This is our country. This is our future. We're sadly accustomed to politicans lying to get our votes. We're not now, nor should we ever become accustomed them trying to nullify our votes because they didn't like the way we used our right to vote. 

Everything that has happened in our lives since then has been tied to them participating in it and blocking any attempt fix what we need done. Taking down the party that actually won is more important than taking care of us. They believe we have short memories and attention spans. They want us to forget what they did to us, and worse, what they tried to do to us. It is time to hold them all accountable and for truth to matter.  

CNN Exclusive: 'We need ammo. We need fraud examples. We need it this weekend.' What the Meadows texts reveal about how two Trump congressional allies lobbied the White House to overturn the election.

CNN
By Ryan Nobles, Annie Grayer, Zachary Cohen and Jamie Gangel
April 15, 2022

"We're driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic," Roy texted Meadows on January 1.

Washington (CNN) In the weeks between the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, almost 100 text messages from two staunch GOP allies of then-President Donald Trump reveal an aggressive attempt to lobby, encourage and eventually warn the White House over its efforts to overturn the election, according to messages obtained by the House select committee and reviewed by CNN.

In a January 3 text to Meadows, Lee argued that Trump's effort to have states send alternate slates of electors to Congress was not legitimate.

"I only know that this will end badly for the President unless we have the Constitution on our side," Lee texted in a note to Meadows. "And unless these states submit new slates of Trump electors pursuant to state law, we do not," Lee wrote to Meadows.

As CNN has previously reported, the plan to replace authentic electors with fake ones in a handful of swing states was orchestrated by allies of the former President and overseen by his then-attorney Giuliani.
read more here

Level headed Republicans do exist

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 14, 2022

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is the day when most people think about the people the love. So do I, but I am also thinking about the people I once loved because I thought they truly love God and the truth. They replaced both with Trump and lies. Sure they think they are telling the truth and everyone else is lying because they believed the liar was telling them the truth. Fascinating when you know the truth is all over the place, but they won't even look for it. Safe to assume they heard what they wanted to and didn't need to know more. 

I tried to tell them the truth, but they wouldn't listen. They turned around, attacked me and called me stuff like "libtard." They forgot I have been a registered Independent for twenty years. Like most Americans, neither party represented everything I thought. I miss my Republican friends. Not the way they became, but they way they always were before Trump.

Some of them were actually happy he was tied to Putin and Russia. No matter how many times he lied, they not only approved of the lie, they spread it. I could no longer tolerate having them in my life after decades when they supported the attack on the Capitol because their choice didn't win re-election.

Now, I am happy that level headed Republicans do still exist and have the strength and courage to tell the truth against what their own party is doing. 

 

The Republican Accountability Project
179K subscribers

In the days after January 6, Republicans Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Gallagher all knew Trump was responsible. A year later, don’t let them forget what they said.

This ad will run nationally and in target cities across cable networks on January 6, including Fox and Friends, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Sean Hannity, CNN, The Rachel Maddow Show, All In With Chris Hayes, and Morning Joe.

It is no secret I love God and this country. That love requires me to not just tell the truth, but to speak boldly about it. The number of those still supporting the lies are far less than than the rest of the country. 

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1)

If you believe in God and His Son, then that sickening feeling you've been having is Them trying to tell you that you are infecting the soul within you. Open your eyes to what the truth actually is, and ask for forgiveness. It is time for this country to go back to the usual disagreements we have and end this war between what are lies and what are truths.

Besides, I miss my Republican friends who used to call me friend instead of attacking me for speaking the truth.

Reporters talk about PTSD year after attack on Capitol

One year later, reporters are still processing what happened on Jan. 6

CNN Business
By Ramishah Maruf
January 2, 2022

Some journalists have been candid about post traumatic stress disorder following the insurrection. Walker said one hallmark of PTSD is to have eerily clear flashbacks -- something he has experienced when reflecting on Jan. 6.

One of the defining stories of this year was the Jan. 6 insurrection, and its significance is only growing from here, CNN's chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said on "Reliable Sources" Sunday.

Approaching the one year anniversary, journalists are continuing to report on the attack and its aftermath, and many are still reeling from their own experiences covering the insurrection on the ground.

"We're all kind of feeling the same thing right now, this sort of disbelief that already a year has gone by and here we are," Grace Segers, a staff writer at the New Republic, said.

Hunter Walker, author of the newsletter "The Uprising" and a contributor to Rolling Stone, said that many Americans are still not truly aware of the extent of what happened that day, and not just due to active attempts to deny the seriousness of the event. Many journalists were working from home due to Covid, and jammed cell signals delayed the release of videos from the Capitol.

"There's a bit of an informal network of reporters who've been through it that day, and are still coping with that, who are leaning on each other and talking to each other," Walker said.
read more here

Will some please explain this?

How does someone decide to serve this nation, risking their lives for a noble cause, turn around and attack it for a lie?

Will someone please explain this to me. These are just a few of the headlines that have me very confused.

DOJ recommends four-month jail term for Air Force veteran who joined Jan. 6 riot

Politico
Kyle Cheney
09/24/2021

In the case of Jancart and Rau, however, prosecutors say they came to Washington prepared for potential violence — Jancart brought a gas mask and Rau brought kevlar-lined gloves — and were among the first to breach the building, emboldening others to follow suit. They delved deeper into the building, stepping past broken glass, and ignoring alarms and tear gas. In addition, after the riot, the pair celebrated their actions on social media.

Prosecutors are recommending a four-month jail term for the first military veteran set to be sentenced for participating in the Capitol riot, citing his service as a factor warranting stiffer punishment.

In this image taken from Capitol building security camera footage and released in a criminal complaint by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Derek Jancart, circled in red by the source, joins other rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia via AP

Derek Jancart, an Air Force veteran, breached the Capitol in the early wave of the riot and meandered for 40 minutes — alongside friend and fellow defendant Erik Rau — to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. Jancart remained outside while Rau, also facing a four-month sentence, briefly stepped into Pelosi's suite. The pair is due to be sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to misdemeanor offenses.
read more here 

Marine veteran, an Oath Keepers member, pleads guilty in Jan. 6 riot

Assocciated Press
Alanna Durkin Richer
September 16, 2021

Marine veteran Jason Dolan, front left center, is seen holding a phone above his head inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors say Dolan was one of 16 members of the Oath Keepers who traveled to Washington D.C. by rental car in order to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election. (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida via cbs12.com)

A member of the Oath Keepers militia group that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has pleaded guilty and will cooperate with investigators against his fellow militia members, marking another win for the Justice Department in its major conspiracy case stemming from the attack.

Jason Dolan, 45, is the fourth person associated with the group that recruits current and former military, police and first responders to plead guilty to conspiracy charges for their roles in Capitol riot. The former Marine from Wellington, Florida has also agreed to cooperate and testify for the government before any grand juries and trials.
read more here

Yesterday Trump continued to lie saying the audit in Arizona proved he won, when it proved he not only lost Arizona, but lost by more votes. The crowd cheered as if they were not able to discover facts. 

At Georgia Rally, Trump Falsely Claims Arizona Audit Found He Won in Maricopa County

Newsweek
Christina Zhao
9/25/21

Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed during a rally in Georgia on Saturday night that the results of the Arizona election "forensic audit" concluded that President Joe Biden lost in Maricopa County, despite the report stating that Biden won with 1,040,873 votes—99 more votes than shown in the certified ballots.

"We won at the Arizona forensic audit yesterday at a level that you wouldn't believe," Trump told the crowd in Perry, Georgia. "They had headlines that Biden wins in Arizona, when they know it's not true. He didn't win in Arizona. He lost in Arizona based on the forensic audit."
read more here

Questions

Is it because some veterans want to belong to a group and feel they must surrender common sense to remain one of their members? 

Is it because they want to believe what they are told? 

Some people say that they are just so filled with hatred, that is all that matters to them. Yet none of them can explain how people serve in the military among all others with different political beliefs, but remain loyal to all those they serve with, yet cannot tolerate different beliefs as veterans. How does this happen?

Why would they break the law and risk everything for a man who continued to lie to them even after he caused everything that happened on January 6th?

Why would they believe a single word he and his supports say even after the evidence shows his campaign knew it was all a lie?

Read this and then consider if they are not getting the facts, who are they getting their information from?

Trump campaign knew soon after election that voting machine claims were false: report

The Hill
Monique Beals
09/21/21

Court documents released Monday show that by the time a campaign news conference on the issue took place, an internal memo had already been circulated confirming that the claims about Dominion Voting Systems and software company Smartmatic were false, according to The New York Times.

At the Nov. 19 news conference, the team of the former president's attorneys claimed Dominion was in cahoots with financier George Soros and Venezuela in an effort to steal the election from Trump.
read more here

hiding behind pro-life?

It is time to state the obvious. When people claim to be "pro-life" they are actually saying they are pro-birth only. Why? because while they hide behind the claim they want to "protect the life of the unborn" they do not do anything for those already born.

ABC News

Remember all the debates about weapons that are designed for mass murder? Those children were wanted by their parents and born. All they did was show up for school. What does that say about the lives of the innocent living those weapons kill? 

Sure they may want those weapons, but none of them can say why they need them. The living can say plenty about why they should not be allowed anywhere other than in the hands of our military men and women defending this country. After all, that is what they were designed for.

What about all the children going to school and being exposed to the pandemic putting them in the hospitals at higher numbers? What about the adults who are supposed to be protecting them? 

What about all the babies being left in cars because they were forgotten about and baked to death? They were born and were innocent? What does that say about the people who were supposed to be protecting them?

For all the folks out there claiming that they are defending the lives of the unborn, we need to call them out and correct them. They are not pro-life. They proved they do not care about the living. They only care about the unborn...that makes them pro-unborn instead of pro-living! To be pro-living, you need to care about those who have the living soul from God within them!

When we talk about trauma, we need to face the fact that rape and incest are traumatic. It is traumatic seeking justice. It is more traumatic when a female discovers the crime did not end with the act itself. It caused a pregnancy. As bad as it is for anyone to have to face the "choice" it is worse when a lot of the states give parental rights to the criminal and take rights away from their victims.

Time to let your voice be heard by the Senate to show what they actually do value!

House Democrats on Friday approved wide-ranging legislation to protect abortion rights, a swift but mostly symbolic response to the Supreme Court’s refusal to block a Texas law banning most abortions. The bill, which passed 218-211, is principally a show of solidarity, given that the bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, will face steep opposition from Senate Republicans and is not expected to advance through the chamber. read more on CNBC

On the Trail: Sununu targeted on abortion

The Concord Monitor
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
For the Monitor
Published: 9/24/2021

While Sununu brought up the contracts in hopes of council approval and was critical of the votes of the GOP councilors, Democrats took aim at the governor, charging that his longstanding emphasis that he’s a pro-choice is a falsehood.

Governor Chris Sununu visited Peterborough on Friday to discuss Peterborough and Jaffrey's joint water project and tour the Main Street Bridge construction site. Staff photo by Ben Conant

As the calendar turns from summer to autumn and 2022 campaign politics starts to heat up in New Hampshire, the always combustible issue of abortion is front and center.

New Hampshire Democrats are following through on their vows to make Republican Gov. Chris Sununu pay a political price for signing a state budget – one that Republicans showcased as the most conservative in decades – that includes a ban on abortions after 24 weeks of gestation and mandatory ultrasounds for all women before a pregnancy is terminated.
read more here

Is Congress finally getting it right on suicide prevention?

Among the many things I had to get certification on, was Military Cultural Compentence. Working with veterans for all these years was a little easier for me, because I grew up with veterans. I was actually an Army brat! My Dad was a Korean War veteran and my uncles were WWII veterans. I understood the difference between veterans and civilans early on.

I also married a Vietnam veteran, spending most of my time surrounded by more of them.

All these years, veterans have been saying that sending them to a civilian therapist for help with PTSD was not working, Congress failed to listen. It looks like they are finally ready to, not just hear them, but act on it.

“Veterans’ Culturally Competent Care Act” which “will require that veterans receive culturally competent, evidence-based mental health treatment from private providers, as is already required of VA mental health providers.” 

Veterans belong with veterans. Police Officers belong with Police Officers and Firefighters belong with Firefighters. Why? Because there is a cultural difference. They already feel out of place when they have PTSD, so putting them in with civilians only adds to their level of feeling like an outcast. 

There is one more huge reason for this. The civilian world has a track record of not even being able to serve civilians! The rate of suicides in each group has grown despite all the years of "efforts" to reduce suicide and change the conversation from suffering to healing.

"Suicide rates increased 33% between 1999 and 2019, with a small decline in 2019. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.3 It was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019, which is about one death every 11 minutes.3 The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2019, 12 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.4 million attempted suicide." CDC

The numbers of members of the military committing suicide have gone up as well over the years. 

The first Bill Congress passed to "reduce" suicides was back in 2007 and ever since then, they have been repeating the same things that failed. I just got hopeful reading about this effort this time and thinking IT'S ABOUT TIME~

Gus Bilirakis: Veterans’ Culturally Competent Care Act Will Help Reduce Veteran Suicides

Florida Daily
Kevin Derby
July 27, 2021

Last week, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., a member of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, championed a proposal to “ensure veterans receive the highest quality care possible from private providers.”

Bilirakis is the main co-sponsor of U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester’s, D-Del., “Veterans’ Culturally Competent Care Act” which “will require that veterans receive culturally competent, evidence-based mental health treatment from private providers, as is already required of VA mental health providers.”

Backers of the proposal, which also include U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., insist the bill will help reduce the number of veterans committing suicide.

“As the suicide rate of our nation’s veterans continues to worsen, more must be done to provide them with quality mental health care. The need for quality care is most acute with private providers in two key areas: cultural competency and evidence-based treatment,” Bilirakis’ office noted.
read more here

“Too many are now telling me that hell doesn’t exist..."

Today on PTSD Patrol I posted about the officers who testified today at the House hearing over the Capitol being attacked. 

Listen to the members of the committee recount what it was like for them that day when they feared for their lives.

The officers detailed the horror of their experiences, their injuries and the lasting trauma as they begged the lawmakers to investigate the attack.

“I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them and the people in this room,” (Michael) Fanone testified.

Pounding his fist on the table in front of him, he said, “Too many are now telling me that hell doesn’t exist or that hell actually wasn’t that bad. The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful.”

AP “This is how I’m going to die.”

I will let the officers speak for themselves. When you listen, you don't have to imagine what that day did to them, or what it is like to have that day in their mind. You don't have to image what it has been like to hear people say it didn't happen, the way it happened. What you should do, is imagine a way to take a stand for them!