Posted on Apr 27, 2015
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This past weekend, I was catching up on my favorite TV shows and an ad for an episode of "NCIS: Los Angeles" came on. What I saw really made me upset. The preview of the upcoming episode was that there was a Veteran who returned home from war only to pick up a rifle and target civilians in and around the city.
While I understand that TV needs to sell and all that. But what is making me upset is the number of TV shows going to this plot over and over again. All these do is set back all our efforts to show Veterans as the strong and driven future leaders that we are.
What is the point of continuously showing Veterans as these crazed, gun carrying crazy people unable to transition into the community? Why not show some of our battles but in a way that let's Veterans and the general community know that what we are going through, the battles within, are happening to others. That you aren't alone. That there are people out here willing and able to help.
The idea of us all being a crazy, gun carrying, crazy person has passed it's prime. I feel that if we come together on one united front as brothers and sisters-in-arms, we can help show people what Veterans are really made of. And hopefully, we impact Veterans directly.
TV Show, Transition,
While I understand that TV needs to sell and all that. But what is making me upset is the number of TV shows going to this plot over and over again. All these do is set back all our efforts to show Veterans as the strong and driven future leaders that we are.
What is the point of continuously showing Veterans as these crazed, gun carrying crazy people unable to transition into the community? Why not show some of our battles but in a way that let's Veterans and the general community know that what we are going through, the battles within, are happening to others. That you aren't alone. That there are people out here willing and able to help.
The idea of us all being a crazy, gun carrying, crazy person has passed it's prime. I feel that if we come together on one united front as brothers and sisters-in-arms, we can help show people what Veterans are really made of. And hopefully, we impact Veterans directly.
TV Show, Transition,
TV
Transition
PTSD
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 36
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15
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They don't know us. That's what happens when .45 % of the population has served in combat.
http://www.rangerup.com/the45.html
http://www.rangerup.com/the45.html
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Capt Richard I P.
PO3 Steven Sherrill You're right of course. But the fact that .45% of the population or a cumulative 12 % has had one of the most profound life altering experiences and the other 99.55-88% have not is going to create an inherent perception gap.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
Capt Richard I P. I agree with that. What compounds that is this 24/7 news cycle, talking point news, and no real in depth information being widely circulated. Perception is altered by a lack of information. The assumptions and stereotypes are based on a thirty second {insert news source here} blurb with a truncated video (maybe) and a couple of photos. The majority is a snipet taken out of the context of a bigger picture. They will then follow it up with an opinion piece that lasts five to seven minutes. This leads people to the conclusion that they want the people to make rather than forcing people to think. Leading to your perception gap.
From a personal perspective, I do not know what it is like to be under fire, but I have a great respect for those who go in harms way in defense of our nation.
From a personal perspective, I do not know what it is like to be under fire, but I have a great respect for those who go in harms way in defense of our nation.
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SFC Mark Merino
No wonder we all gravitate to each other. I met a medic yesterday at AAMCO who got out this JAN. I asked how the transition is going and he just looked at me and shook his head. "I don't speak civilian."
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PO1 Donald Hammond
* snicker *
I actually had this poster on my wall in the 70s.
Thus showing how messed up us military people are!
I actually had this poster on my wall in the 70s.
Thus showing how messed up us military people are!
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All the PTSD soldiers and vets I knew were fighting ghosts and demons inside them, not fighting society.
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SFC Mark Merino
Excellent point. There are mentally damaged people in the world. That will never change. They may have also gone to war, but they were still broken to begin with.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
I have ambivalent feelings about that episode. It does tell the tale of a veteran but portrays him as a monster, and how does that stimulate an apathetic nation, if it does at all?
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It's not only TV shows, but also movies.
Non-Stop: "The twist, which is revealed in the trailer, is that the terrorist mastermind (a veteran) behind this stunt has figured out a way to manipulate matters so that Neeson's disgruntled marshal appears to be a hijacker holding everyone hostage. It doesn't help that he keeps waving his gun and roughing up the passengers while increasing the ever-present post-9/11 levels of paranoia."
It drives me insane. I won't watch this movie. I'm gonna have to search statistics in this matter. I mean when you have people like this: "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she was briefed before the release of a controversial intelligence assessment and that she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S." labeling Veterans, it's easy for those to JUMP to conclusions.
Non-Stop: "The twist, which is revealed in the trailer, is that the terrorist mastermind (a veteran) behind this stunt has figured out a way to manipulate matters so that Neeson's disgruntled marshal appears to be a hijacker holding everyone hostage. It doesn't help that he keeps waving his gun and roughing up the passengers while increasing the ever-present post-9/11 levels of paranoia."
It drives me insane. I won't watch this movie. I'm gonna have to search statistics in this matter. I mean when you have people like this: "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she was briefed before the release of a controversial intelligence assessment and that she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S." labeling Veterans, it's easy for those to JUMP to conclusions.
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PO1 Aaron Baltosser
I've seen that claim. It sounds like complete bullshit. No returning Veteran I know has ever caused any negative contact with law enforcement, or endangered anyone around them, much less masterminded any terrorist events. I hope the public can see through that manufactured smoke screen and realize the 'terrorists' in this case are members of our own government who refuse to do a real security risk assessment in the country.
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SGT (Join to see)
Manufactured smoke liberal screen. I hate to put the blame on someone, but it is the truth. Some people will actually believe that bullshit.
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