Typically for my final blog, I would analyze the blog, tell what I have learned, say why I enjoyed writing this blog, and end on a happy note. However, I find this to be impossible with the tragic event that occurred today at Fort Hood in Texas. Thirteen people have been killed today by a member of the U.S. armed forces.
Throughout my entire blog, I have emphasized just how detrimental to military communities and how dangerous these soldiers can be because of their mental state coming back from war. What I feared that would happen occurred today. Soldiers are humans too and they can only take so much before things get out of control. Unfortunately in Killeen, Texas, things got way out of control.
If this is not proof enough that we need to get out of these wars because of the effects that they are having on military families and communities back in the United States, then I don’t know what to do. Tragic events like these will continue to occur if we do not do something about these wars soon. We need something to happen. We, the United States of America, need to see change.
Thirteen people have lost their life today. Thirteen people we will never get back. Thirteen people who could have been saved…
My prayers go to families who have lost loved ones and to the community dealing with this tragedy.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Implications Post
After partaking in this blogging project about the effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities and after an intense analysis of the problem, I can foresee many negative problems to arise if we leave this issue unresolved.
The basic issue at hand is exactly what will happen to military families and communities if we allow our soldiers to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore the issues that have arisen at home.
The biggest question that has arisen is whether we are we supposed to focus on the wars overseas and ignore our citizen’s cry for help back on the home front? We have to analyze whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the destruction that is present back on the home front. There are so many side effects, not just death that has arisen due to the wars overseas. When I first began to write my blog project, I thought that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were stimulated our economy; however, my assumption was incorrect. World War II brought our nation out of the Great Depression; however, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually pulling our nation into a “great” recession. The only economical benefit found is for military families because each soldier receives a certain amount of extra pay while being deployed.
Within a military town, when the soldiers are away, the town’s economy begins to go down, too. Yes, the families remain behind, but the greater number of the population who actually has to the ability to spend money and invest in products is overseas.
If the issues of whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental or fundamental for the survival of military families remains to be unresolved, then ultimately, the negatives that have been found will begin to grow, and I fear it will grow exponentially. Typically, something gets a lot worse before any type of change for the better begins.
The year 1945 was the deadliest year in American history. This was the year that World War II officially ceased fire. http://germanyinworldwar2.com/IraqWar.htm There are so many similarities between this War on terrorism and the World War II; and World War II got a lot worse before it got better.
If the issue remains unresolved there will be an extremely detrimental effect on military families and communities within our nation. If we continue to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, ultimately, the negative effects will continue to increase. More children will need psychological help on a range of scales from the dissolution of their family, abuse from their mother or father, or having to cope with the loss of their mother, father, sister, brother, or other family member. The divorce rate within our nation will continue to steadily rise. More deaths from soldiers who “snap” will occur. The economic situation within our nation will surely begin to fail because there is only so much money that we have to spend. http://www.populistamerica.com/top_ten_reasons_to_get_out_of_iraq_now
If we leave this issue unresolved, our nation is going to deal with some extremely traumatic events and they will not cease to end until this issue is resolved. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html I understand that there is no safe way to leave Iraq, but we need to figure out who is more important; our American citizens or this pointless war.
The basic issue at hand is exactly what will happen to military families and communities if we allow our soldiers to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore the issues that have arisen at home.
The biggest question that has arisen is whether we are we supposed to focus on the wars overseas and ignore our citizen’s cry for help back on the home front? We have to analyze whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the destruction that is present back on the home front. There are so many side effects, not just death that has arisen due to the wars overseas. When I first began to write my blog project, I thought that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were stimulated our economy; however, my assumption was incorrect. World War II brought our nation out of the Great Depression; however, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually pulling our nation into a “great” recession. The only economical benefit found is for military families because each soldier receives a certain amount of extra pay while being deployed.
Within a military town, when the soldiers are away, the town’s economy begins to go down, too. Yes, the families remain behind, but the greater number of the population who actually has to the ability to spend money and invest in products is overseas.
If the issues of whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental or fundamental for the survival of military families remains to be unresolved, then ultimately, the negatives that have been found will begin to grow, and I fear it will grow exponentially. Typically, something gets a lot worse before any type of change for the better begins.
The year 1945 was the deadliest year in American history. This was the year that World War II officially ceased fire. http://germanyinworldwar2.com/IraqWar.htm There are so many similarities between this War on terrorism and the World War II; and World War II got a lot worse before it got better.
If the issue remains unresolved there will be an extremely detrimental effect on military families and communities within our nation. If we continue to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, ultimately, the negative effects will continue to increase. More children will need psychological help on a range of scales from the dissolution of their family, abuse from their mother or father, or having to cope with the loss of their mother, father, sister, brother, or other family member. The divorce rate within our nation will continue to steadily rise. More deaths from soldiers who “snap” will occur. The economic situation within our nation will surely begin to fail because there is only so much money that we have to spend. http://www.populistamerica.com/top_ten_reasons_to_get_out_of_iraq_now
If we leave this issue unresolved, our nation is going to deal with some extremely traumatic events and they will not cease to end until this issue is resolved. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html I understand that there is no safe way to leave Iraq, but we need to figure out who is more important; our American citizens or this pointless war.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Annotated Links Post
Throughout this project, I have found some very interesting sources; however, I have chosen five at which I deem to be the most interesting and enlightening.
http://costofwar.com/ - This link is one that says little with words, but makes a HUGE impact with numbers. This site provides a ticking count-up on just how much money we are spending on the war every single second of the day. The site also allows you to get more specific and even analyze how much a household in North Carolina is contributing to the war effort.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931 – This link is to a video on ABC 11 Eyewitness News’ website that describes just how painful it is for military families to have to say goodbye to their father, mother, sister, brother, or other family member. It shows how the community tries to make this effort easier on military families, but the emotional aspect of it is still present.
http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/ - This link is to a blog of a military spouse. I think it is very important for my followers to see first hand what a spouse of a deployed soldier has to say and how they are living during their spouse’s deployment. This blog gives an interesting perspective of just how it is to be a military spouse.
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164 – This link describes the psychological effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families. It not only elaborates on the effect that it has on soldiers, but the effect on their families, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html - This link is to an article in the New York Times that elaborates on just how deadly the war can get, and they’re not just talking about overseas. This link elaborates on how domestic issues in military homes are leading to tons of deaths and murders.
The reason why I chose these links above is because they show a particular aspect to each of the central topics located within the debate about the wars and the effects that they have on military families. One link focuses on the economic aspect, another focuses on the positive aspects, one link focuses on the psychological aspects, and the others focus on the detrimental aspects to the wars in Iraq and Afg
http://costofwar.com/ - This link is one that says little with words, but makes a HUGE impact with numbers. This site provides a ticking count-up on just how much money we are spending on the war every single second of the day. The site also allows you to get more specific and even analyze how much a household in North Carolina is contributing to the war effort.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931 – This link is to a video on ABC 11 Eyewitness News’ website that describes just how painful it is for military families to have to say goodbye to their father, mother, sister, brother, or other family member. It shows how the community tries to make this effort easier on military families, but the emotional aspect of it is still present.
http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/ - This link is to a blog of a military spouse. I think it is very important for my followers to see first hand what a spouse of a deployed soldier has to say and how they are living during their spouse’s deployment. This blog gives an interesting perspective of just how it is to be a military spouse.
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164 – This link describes the psychological effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families. It not only elaborates on the effect that it has on soldiers, but the effect on their families, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html - This link is to an article in the New York Times that elaborates on just how deadly the war can get, and they’re not just talking about overseas. This link elaborates on how domestic issues in military homes are leading to tons of deaths and murders.
The reason why I chose these links above is because they show a particular aspect to each of the central topics located within the debate about the wars and the effects that they have on military families. One link focuses on the economic aspect, another focuses on the positive aspects, one link focuses on the psychological aspects, and the others focus on the detrimental aspects to the wars in Iraq and Afg
Alcohol and War
When soldiers return back from Iraq and Afghanistan, as I have stated before, many domestic issues begin to arise. When analyzing the many reasons these issues occur, of course Post-Traumatic Stress disorders ranks first. If given the appropriate treatment, a soldier can beat this disorder. However, many refuse to receive this treatment and begin to take matters into their own hands. One way that soldiers drown out their depressions and the violent memories is through alcohol. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the cause of a lot of the alcoholism that is present within military communities and families. Alcohol is their vehicle to tune out the pain that the soldiers are having.
Whenever alcohol is involved and dependence is developed, many negative effects begin to be seen. Domestic abuse typically begins to happen because of alcoholism. The death toll on the road because of drunk driving begins to rise within military communities. Accidental murders, fights, and other traumatic events, such as rape, occur because of alcohol.
After going through such a tragic event as war, soldiers are looking for anyway to get rid of the violent images that the have seen. It is just sad that some have to turn to the bottle in order to rid themselves of the pain. While they are ridding themselves of pain, they ultimately inflict pain on the ones the love the most.
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2197
Whenever alcohol is involved and dependence is developed, many negative effects begin to be seen. Domestic abuse typically begins to happen because of alcoholism. The death toll on the road because of drunk driving begins to rise within military communities. Accidental murders, fights, and other traumatic events, such as rape, occur because of alcohol.
After going through such a tragic event as war, soldiers are looking for anyway to get rid of the violent images that the have seen. It is just sad that some have to turn to the bottle in order to rid themselves of the pain. While they are ridding themselves of pain, they ultimately inflict pain on the ones the love the most.
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2197
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
