There are two causes that I support wholeheartedly. Protection of the unborn and stopping the epidemic of suicides in the law enforcement and military communities from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Saving just one from suicide or abortion would give meaning to all the blessings I have received.
Several years ago it was the almost unbelievable number of aborted babies since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that got my attention. At the time the number was 57 Million abortions. Today it is north of 60 Million. Just stop and think of that for a moment. 60Million babies tossed on the trash heap. A mountain of discarded souls that never had a chance at seeing the sun, or hear a soft melody or whispers of love in their little ears. It is a monumental tragedy on so many levels. It is a national disgrace, a human failing, a moral breakdown of society and the acceptance of a culture of death resulting from false claims. More about this a little later on.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is invisible and a potential killer. Continued stressful situations like military, law enforcement or even many of the other first responder lines of duty create a potentially lethal cocktail of sights, sounds and images that haunt. Clearly not everyone faced with those situations is affected, but for the ones that are it can lead to a very dark deep place. The suicide rates are going through the roof. One in five veteran’s returning from war will develop PTSD and 36% of them will be classified as at risk for suicide. Veterans PTSD suicides account for over 5,000 deaths per year. 5 million Americans suffer from some form of PTSD. Without treatment PTSD’s negative affects are sleeplessness, extreme anxiety, depression, self-loathing and too often suicidal thoughts or actions.
Daily, one encounters the sad news that a former military warrior or police officer has taken his or her own life. Each of those tears a small piece of my heart. You see I am one of the lucky ones. I was diagnosed with PTSD from a violent shooting incident in New York City in which a uniform police officer died and I was severely wounded.
However, the diagnosis didn’t come for months after the event. The beginning of symptoms and multiple trips to the hospital set the stage for my being sent to see a professional. It was humiliating to sit in a gloomy office and be told that I was damaged in a different way from my physical injury. It was confusing to me because I saw myself as the viral, front of the line, go-getter Detective. Here I was being told that I had PTSD and would need not only therapy but also medication in the form of tranquilizers and anti-depressives. For over ten years I never left home without my pills in fear of another attack. I can tell you that this existence and resulting inability to think in a straight line wrecked havoc on my life. I looked perfectly healthy, no scars, limp or any outward sign that I was broken inside. I used to wish that I had some outward indication because than maybe people would understand. That was not the case. It was a lonely internal battle many times. I never quite went down the dark and deep hole nor did I have suicidal thoughts, but I do understand that that line could be easy to cross.
My fight for the unborn is a gift from the Almighty. I am neither an evangelist nor a preacher but I am a fighter. I was spared on that long ago day and have found some purpose in my life. As America has descended into a moral abyss and now speaks of the unborn without regard to their humanness or right to experience life the voices of the righteous are aligning across the country to push back on 50 years of killing babies. I am blessed to have a small part in speaking up for them. What little efforts I can make are added to the hundreds of thousands out there crying out to protect the little ones. The barbarity of society in allowing such a downright awful process to exist will ultimately be defeated if good people step up and speak up.
I was told by a very wise man that I was a general of an army of 60 Million who would support my efforts on their behalf. I often count on that army for courage, strength and the words to say.
In both cases, PTSD and speaking up for the unborn, with God’s help, I may save just one.