----- Original Message -----
From: Joseph L
To: Editor
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Subject: to mr. ken adachi
hello ken,
my name is joe. i repect you very much.
due to the astounding/alarming information i have been subjected to recently, i am afraid for the well being of myself and my loved ones.... i have come to the conclusion that joining the army would be a smart move in order to guarantee financial security for myself and my loved ones. i also deeply want to protect america and the principles upon which this great country was founded.... any thoughts???
----- Original Message -----
From: Joseph L
To: Editor
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008
Subject: Re: to mr. ken adachi
well i need a job and i lack "credible" skills..... do you have a job for me???
Joe
***
Hi Joe,
You need to understand that your life is your business, not mine. You asked for my opinion and I gave you my thoughts. I'm convinced that you can find other ways to earn a living without joining the Army, but if that's what you want to do, then you do what you think is best.
However, if you wind up being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (or later to Iran or Syria, etc, ) you might not survive at all. How much value are you going to be to your 'loved ones' then?
And if you do survive (and you're lucky enough to still have all your appendages in good working order), what kind of life are you going to "enjoy" after you get home (presuming that they let you go home when your contract is up, and don't keep you in rotation for an additional year or two under Stop Loss) ?
Ever hear of "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome"? How about an unprecedented rise in suicide rates among returning vets that the Pentagon won't acknowledge and their military recruiters don't want you to know about or hear about or read about?
Is the money worth it if you have a lifetime of nightmares to contend with? Do you know how many returning Iraq/Afghanistan vets wake up in the middle of the night sweating bullets and keep a loaded gun under their bed?
Do you enjoy drinking lots of alcohol and/or taking drugs to numb you out? I hope so, because you'll probably be doing a whole lot more of that after you return from your combat tour(s).
And how many returning vets wind up hurting their wives or children or friends for "inexplicable reasons" that no one can understand?
The post traumatic "inexplicable" behavior is a result of joining the US military, especially the Army or Marines, and allowing yourself to be put into a position where you are transformed from a human being into a bona fide, ID-carrying, uniform-wearing, U.S. certified Militarized Killer of other human beings-- mostly unarmed civilians who never did you any harm in the first place. And when you murder people-and that's what killing unarmed civilians is-it does something to you deep inside your soul.
You are tormented for the rest of your life because you knew that you did something very evil and very wrong. And all the pats on the back, and all the medals, and the all the "It's OK, you were only doing your job." nonsense that you will hear from your military superiors isn't going to make the guilt or the torment go away. You're going to live with it for the rest of your life.
After listening to what these returning vets experienced, ask yourself: "Do I really want to go through the same thing and live with the same memories"?
And then finally ask yourself if earning a living, outside of joining the Army, is really such an impossible task?
All information posted on this web site is
the opinion of the author and is provided for educational purposes only.
It is not to be construed as medical advice. Only a licensed medical doctor
can legally offer medical advice in the United States. Consult the healer
of your choice for medical care and advice.