Ignorant, petty, sarcastic, and condescending are the words some use to describe Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Not all of us feel that way about Senator Harris, but some of us do. Some of us in the veteran community certainly feel that way about candidate Harris after her remarks in Michigan over the weekend, where she said, “We all have PTSD from 2016.” Harris was referring to Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump.
Yes, this is what Kamala Harris thinks creates PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
According to the Veterans Administration, 20 veterans per day die by suicide. PTSD is most always associated with a veteran suicide. It’s also estimated that 30% of all veterans experience PTSD in their lifetime. Post traumatic stress disorder in veterans, occurs when the veteran experiences severe trauma or a life-threatening event. In addition to veterans, our first responder community experiences a high percentage of PTSD, as do abused children.
According to the Disabled American Veterans Organization symptoms of PTSD are of reliving the event – awake or asleep, a trigger can cause painful memories to surface and make the sufferer feel as though they are experiencing the event all over again. It can trigger avoidance and persistent negative emotions, such as being overwhelmed by negative feelings. A veteran may also feel difficulty establishing trust, experience feelings of guilt, shame, remorse, disinterest in previously enjoyable activities, or genuinely find it hard to feel happy.
PTSD is a serious condition. It is not something that should be used as a punch line or downplayed for political gain. Kamala Harris showed yet another weakness in her character and political acumen when she used PTSD in her speech to Michigan voters. Further, it illustrates how disconnected she is to the veteran and first responder community. A disconnect that should concern veterans, first responders and their families.
It’s no secret that Senator Harris has not been a proponent of the police. She wholeheartedly supports the Black Lives Matter organization. On several occasions, she alluded to “reimagining” law enforcement and “reallocating” funding for police departments across the country. Kamala Harris has shown her deep lack of appreciation for law enforcement and it’s a disconnect they can ill afford in order to do their jobs and to protect our communities. The effect PTSD has on the law enforcement community is something that will require more research, support, and funding – not less. It’s frightening to think a potential vice president of the United States would be so purposely ignorant.
Can you imagine if Kamala Harris had used “cancer” to make her point in the same way she used PTSD? Can you imagine if she said, “We all experienced a bad case of Alzheimer’s in 2016”?
Regardless of Harris’ intent, she has shown a pattern of division and expressed an us-versus-them type of rhetoric that could drastically transform the way we are governed, if she is elected. Her inexperience coupled with her insensitive remarks will only hurt those suffering from PTSD. She made PTSD a punchline about a losing candidate versus a serious concern for encouraging those to get the help they need by way of research, effective treatments and hopefully a cure someday.
All of those suffering with PTSD and managing their daily lives with the effects of PTSD should express their voices at the ballot box. Veterans, first responders and their families need to decide which ticket has their best interests in mind. Which is more plugged in to the seriousness of their plight? Which ticket will work towards finding effective treatments for PTSD?
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