Donald Trump: Military suicides happen to servicemembers who 'can't handle it'

Depends on what your definition of IT is.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: AngryCymraeg


My dad was in korea and saw plenty of action.
He was very reluctant to talk about his experiences.

Same here. He was wounded also.

It was never brought up.

And PTSD can be experienced by anyone in all types of situations, not only war.

Trump crushes her in Vet support.

The press is practicing journalistic malfeasance in "implying" Trump is dissing vets with PTSD.

Look how hard they are pushing for hillary.

ETA; Biden has a pumpkin for a head.

originally posted by: gunshooter
The media was construing his words, don't you think? What did Trump say that was so wrong?????? In fact he is spot on. Quite a few veterans can't handle the things they've seen, or been through, believe me, I'm a combat vet myself. I took no offense to what he said because he is referring to PTSD. Nobody can really handle (IT) PTSD fully without some sort of help. Lets not all be naïve about what the media is feeding us, and just listen to the guy for a second with out having preconceived notions about what he really means behind it!! He obviously has compassion and conviction in what he is saying.

It's the Clinton News Network and Willie's Post taking it out of context, hoping to upset soldiers and vets.

That's absolutely disgusting to me.

Trump has the military vote, vets included. Hillary is not filling stadiums. She can't even fill a church on a Sunday.

Her desperation is palpable.

Btw, anyone else notice the uptick in the pro-Hillary posters here on ATS in the last couple of weeks and the anti-Trump threads?

originally posted by: projectvxn
The assumption that war is the reason for suicide needs to stop.

His comments are not atypical. This is a regular assumption for people who don't understand the military and have never served.

It's just like the "soldiers are all brainwashed robots" crap. It's a Hollywood version of what we are. To read, most people have NO IDEA what they are talking about.

Trump included.

I strongly disagree with you. I understand the military from my husband's experience and very real PTSD. Soldiers are broken human beings. Boot camp does that deliberately. There are countless volumes about how the military first "breaks" people, then builds them back into killing machines.

I also understand PTSD far better than most soldiers do (because I am a therapist).....my husband is slowly getting better. It has taken 10 solid years...MORE than 10 years, actually.....of pointing out and processing his hypervigilance, hyperreactivity, hyperdefensiveness for him to begin to realize how 'damaged' he was.

You are a soldier. It's natural for you to deny that soldiers are 'brainwashed.' There's no way for you to realize that you have been manipulated. I don't blame you on this one. I just know too many veterans (from every war since Vietnam until today) who are psychological messes.

Please don't try to dismiss the truth of it. There are some people who should NEVER have been accepted into the military. Every individual has their breaking point. MANY THOUSANDS of our service-people have been irrevocably traumatized. SUICIDE is their only option, from their point of view.

This is why we need better support for them.


Trump is absolutely correct on this issue.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Soldiers are broken human beings?

Don't know what your husband went through. But I am not broken.

You are a soldier. It's natural for you to deny that soldiers are 'brainwashed.' There's no way for you to realize that you have been manipulated.

Don't project your husbands issues on me.

a reply to: projectvxn

I'm not trying to project anything.
I just know, from experience, that some people are not able to handle it. And they are the suicidal ones.
People who are too sensitive just get messed up.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Look one page back for my further responses.


Donald Trump is correct on these issues and i agree with you to a degree.

What I'm saying is that not all soldiers commit suicide because they went to combat.

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Look one page back for my further responses.


Donald Trump is correct on these issues and i agree with you to a degree.

What I'm saying is that not all soldiers commit suicide because they went to combat.

My husband never went to combat. He was in the National Guard. He was deployed to the Flood of '93, and to Panama during the whatever canal thing......he lost several of his friends and colleagues who went on to combat roles.

He has nightmares about his training. Some people are just not able to handle the stress and the situations.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

He never made it of training and you expect me, as an actual combat veteran, to accept your "experience"?

Laughable.

a reply to: projectvxn

That's very rude. Some people are more sensitive than others. He made it through training and served for ELEVEN YEARS in the National Guard. He was a border patrol guy, a security force MP in Panama, worked the flood of 93.

You don't know what the hell you're talking about. So stop.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Working a flood and stateside jobs as a part time soldier is not the same thing as active duty with combat tours.

Stop trying to make it the same.

I'm disinclined to care about your sensitivity when you are making such ridiculous comparisons and acting like you know what real deployed life is like for a soldier.

You've been nothing but condescending since your opening post to me in this thread and then you whine about your sensitivity.

If you can't handle the heat for your own comments turn off the Internet and go live in an echo chamber.

You should probably stop while you're behind.

a reply to: projectvxn

I"m not trying to MAKE IT THE SAME! Stop acting so superior! So, you're a successful veteran who's not brainwashed. Congratufreakinglations.

Why are you a combat soldier if you don't give a crap or care about the people who aren't combat soldiers?

Don't answer it. Tough guy. I'm glad for you that you are so pleased with your tough guy self.

Laughable? Behind? You know who is here to HELP PEOPLE like my husband or other soldiers, to keep them from despondency and ease their suffering?

ME. I and every other psychotherapist (yes, i'm a professional, soldier boy. Show some respect. You might need me some day.) who cares about the neglected, wounded veterans. I don't suppose you'd like to share with us what makes you think you're better than the people you're supposed to "protecting." Look smug McSoldier Man, veterans are suiciding (not "committing" suicide. It's a verb. Suiciding) Just because you aren't suicidal doesn't mean that other people who may very well have been horrendously, unspeakably traumatized don't exist.

My husband would support our troops through thick and thin. He always shows respect. He'd like the same respect. But I guess you're too damned special. The thread is about VETERANS WHO SUICIDE. Not how superior you are to all of them.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Why are you a combat soldier if you don't give a crap or care about the people who aren't combat soldiers?

You've got it wrong. I don't have a problem with the honorable service of NG, Reserves, or other services to the country.

I have a problem with your ridiculous assertions and comparisons. Then ascribing whatever issues you and your husband derived from that to every other soldier.

You began by saying soldiers are broken people out of basic(ridiculous), then you tell me I'm somehow brainwashed and don't realize it because your husband has issues.

Then you want to compare stateside service to combat roles(again, ridiculous).

You have zero idea what you're talking about. You are WAY out of your league on this.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Now you're playing the victim after going on the attack.

I've seen you do this in thread after thread. I bet you think you win arguments this way.

a reply to: projectvxn

DUDE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKER. A case manager. A therapist. I know what I'm talking about.

You don't know what I'm talking about. Protesting a bit much aren't you? The thread is about veterans who suicide. It isn't about you, and denying that war is a problem for humans is asinine. You give soldiers a bad name. Does it make you feel strong to bully woman?

laughable indeed.

a reply to: projectvxn

I don't think anything. Except that you are acting like a jackass.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

You don't know what I'm talking about. Protesting a bit much aren't you? The thread is about veterans who suicide. It isn't about you, and denying that war is a problem for humans is asinine. You give soldiers a bad name. Does it make you feel strong to bully woman?

Never denied that PTSD, war, and suicide are connected significantly. All I said was people always assume it's about war when it isn't. As a psychotherapist you should know that suicidal ideation will take many different forms and have many causes, even for deployed combat troops.

Now you pull out the I'm a woman and a victim card. Unbelievable.

laughable indeed.

I agree with Hillary on this topic:

a reply to: WilburnRoach

Doubling down on a lie eh?

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: WilburnRoach

Doubling down on a lie eh?

I agree with what she says.

I don't think your near as strong as you think you are. I have no desire to attack you or even argue with you on this topic. Be safe have a beer, keep those you love close.