America is in the midst of a national tragedy as we speak: the death of Robin Williams. Judging by the reactions of millions of Americans, you would think that 9/11 the sequel just happened. While the death of Robin Williams is undoubtedly a sad event, the greater tragedy is how much attention his suicide gets in comparison to “real” news. As I write this, millions of veterans are struggling to live in the country that they fought so dearly to protect. Yesterday, Robin Williams was not the only person who committed suicide. An estimated 22 veterans also killed themselves, but while the country has shut down for a comedian, no one has paid any attention to those brave souls who were willing to fight and die for us. When Williams died, President Obama was one of the first people to release a statement offering a tribute to the Hollywood star, but where is the president when veterans kill themselves? Why does Obama and the rest of the country take notice only when a celebrity kills himself, but turn a blind eye when a veteran does the same? If you’re taking some time out of your day to think about Robin Williams and suicide in general, please don’t just be another sheep mourning a Hollywood star that you will never really know. Instead, take a moment to think about everyone who struggles with mental illness, especially the veterans who have been through worse things than any of us, including Robin Williams, ever will. Williams was known for his passion for veterans, so we are sure that even he would agree with the sentiment that there needs to be more awareness of veteran suicide. According to USA Today, an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. If we spent more time worrying about them, and less time worrying about the Kardashians, maybe we could get that number down.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 21:39:28 +0000
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