To our fellow veterans, friends and supports, we ask that you share the following letter with your local politicians. The purpose of this letter is to advocate to mandatory counseling for US military personnel before they return to the civilian life. We have seen far too often how neglecting our country’s veterans can lead to suicide, violence, and the destruction of families.
Here is the letter:
“I, [YOUR NAME], believe that if we can take a person under the age of 26 (whose brain isn’t fully formed yet) who we have taught their whole life to be a good and loving person and train them for 12 weeks to kill then put them in a life and death situation where many of them kill, then bring them home out of that environment leaving their weapons behind for the enemy and abandon those who protected them that we said we would protect to be killed. Upon arriving home we tell them it was about money and politics, get over it. How do you expect them to feel as they went against everything they were taught and believed, now believing they are a monster.
I believe that all military personnel should get mandatory counseling lead by professionals (who have been in the military) whose only goal is to help them make that transition for 3 weeks before coming home so that they can shift their perception from warrior to leader, develop a new mission and do role playing on how to deal with anger; to switch from extreme prejudice to mindfulness. The Long Walk Home has one of the components of such a program and would like to be in on the development of a 3 week mandatory program.”
Thank you. Just saw the Newsday article. I’m not a veteran but I have many in my family. I’ve often said its wrong to take our nation’s BEST asset, our youth, and send them off in the name of patriotism to be used up, ruined, or worse, never to return. I hope your message reaches millions! I’m sending the letter!
C A Taylor