Ok, a little silly. But then maybe you can tell me how Jesus would return? Surely he will wait until after the elections! Especially since I heard he is rather liberal with his love for ALL.
http://www.arrowheadfilms.com/documentary/in-the-shadow-of-the-blade
This icon was most likely commissioned during the Crusades in the State of Syria or Palestine. I am always reminded of the fact that my role model, St.Francis of Assisi was first a warrior. He was very likely one of the first PTSD sufferers. The biographical movie, “Brother Sun Sister Moon,” the 1973, Zefferelli award winner, depicts the aftermath of war well in the first five minutes of the film. Sacred events and lives are often preceded by trauma.
The sacred event is shown in God’s view, with a solid gold background of uncreated light. Jesus exists in the light of God. The icon shows no time or place and like the Gospel itself is for all people everywhere in all times. Humankind is depicted as a circular ball of dramatic tension. They are dancing in a mass of energy as our earth swirls in waves of violence and betrayals—just as we are now in the 21st Century! The feet are shown in arrested movement–all them caught in mid-stride–as they may if Jesus were to appear to us this Easter–or this day. Jesus robes billow out from his body as if he were running to meet His destiny. Judas Iscariot is reaching forward to kiss Jesus and betray Him to the authorities. The tension is accentuated by all facing forward except Judas. The absence of eye contact is considered the realm of the Devil.
Behind are all of the instruments of betrayal and destruction. The wooden cudgel used by the commoner. The fire-brand wood common to Romans and Jews. Metal tipped staff used by soldiers. The Labarum, a imperial insignia symbolizing the power of Rome. The spear, the weapon of occupying forces. The sentry speared Jesus! A battle ax used by Romans. And the regimental labarum topped with titles and ribbons of officers on missions.
The only person who is grounded in the world is Malchus, the high priest’s slave, who has feet knocked out from under him. (today’s unemployed). He is responding to the bleeding wound of his right ear and earlobe. As an unnamed disciple comforts Malchus, we see Simon Peter standing over them with his sword extended and ready to defend.
A secret teaching embedded in this icon was the belief that the three torches were symbolic of the Triune God. The common mans wooden cudgel was left outside the domination of the triune God, along with his free will, so men and women could decide to follow Jesus Christ and believe or be lost in the world of violence. This icon was meant to be used during Lent as one would sit in front of it an examine where his/her soul has betrayed or gone astray from Gods Commandments.
Whom have we betrayed or furthered acts of violence?
Let this Easter be the announcement of a new world order–one without violence.
In the next 18 months we will be welcoming home a substantial number of men and women who have been in combat zones in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of them for multiple tours of duty. They are entering a climate of anger and political travail. The behavior of a large segment of our citizenry would not be considered Sunday school worthy. How is the meshing of minds going to play out in the midst of one of the most polarized political climates since the days of Civil Rights?
How do we prepare? How do we show these sailors, soldiers and Marines that we as a nation are mature enough to not rangle them beyond tolerable limits?
If these presidential candidates are truly about Country first and submerging political gain, how will they show it?
When I worked on the Old Pueblo Trolley, we had many riders who were soldiers on liberty and between deployments. Some were a tad touchy, and not much interested in adolescent political theatrics.
Ironically, the door men at some of the local taverns were more attuned and prepared than the rest of civil society.
I pray that we can find a level of equanimity and class amongst our leaders for fear that we will see a level of enmity reminiscent of the Vietnam War.
Jesus, any chance of coming too see us at your earliest convenience?
“In a San Diego, California neighborhood, debate is raging: The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to establish a residential treatment program for Veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injuries. On its face, the idea doesn’t seem controversial. After all, given two wars in the past decade, the U.S. government is doing what it can to provide Vets with the best care possible. But that’s not how some San Diegans view the situation. They say the facility will be too close to a school. They say it’s “just the wrong place.” Without saying as much, this is an example where some in a community are simply not comfortable with what they view as damaged and potentially unstable Veterans being near a school. Of course, this attitude doesn’t take place in a vacuum, and it wasn’t formed recently. There is a reason people have such views of those who once protected them. If you’ve read the news lately, you may have seen one of several stories describing recent Veterans as “ticking time bombs” or as “dangerous” on account of post-traumatic stress. It’s a narrative that has persisted for decades, but a handful of recent high-profile incidents have resulted in headlines like these:
Police get help with vets who are ticking bombs (USA TODAY) http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-01-24/police-training-combative-veterans/52794974/1
Experts: Vets’ PTSD, violence a growing problem (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/us/veterans-violence/index.html
Veteran charged with homeless murders: Hint of larger problem for US military? (Christian Science Monitor) http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2012/0117/Veteran-charged-with-homeless-murders-Hint-of-larger-problem-for-US-military
While these stories highlight horrific killings, the connection between disturbed murderers like Benjamin Barnes and Itzcoatl Ocampo and their service in combat is weak—despite what media reports and popular culture would have many believe. And such rhetoric, when solidified in the public consciousness, can have negative consequences for both Veterans and society—like causing Veterans to avoid seeking help or employers to avoid hiring them. “This is a huge misrepresentation of Veterans,” said Rich Blake, an Iraq War Veteran and psychology doctoral student at Loyola University Maryland. “Crazed? That’s even more extreme.” For the past two years, Blake has worked with Veterans who have PTSD in the residential trauma recovery program and the women’s mental health clinic at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. He doesn’t shy away from the obvious—that combat and wartime experience can have mental health consequences—which can contribute to some Vets acting out. But he throws caution to the idea that this is an epidemic. “[These incidents] are like shark attack stories,” said Blake. “People are scared of shark attacks but they don’t happen that often.”
In a 2007 report on Veterans in state and federal prison—the most current report of its kind—researchers at the Bureau of Justice Statistics worked to demystify the vagaries surrounding Veterans and crime. As it turned out, during the past three decades, the number of Veterans in state and federal prison had actually declined. And when the mental health of Veterans in prison was compared to that of their civilian counterparts, there seemed to be a trend: Civilians reported a higher rate of “any mental health problems” than Veterans—both in state and federal prison. When it came to psychotic disorder, which represents the more extreme end of the spectrum of mental health problems, the rates remained higher among civilians as well. When the survey was conducted in 2004, the Veteran population in the U.S. was 24 million. America’s prisons were home to 140,000 Vets—of which 21,000 had been convicted of murder. And while those numbers seem large, this accounts for less than 1/10 of one percent of the entire Veteran population. A far cry from what some in the media would lead us to believe.
While a small fraction of Veterans have been convicted of murder, it often matters little in a media atmosphere which can place a premium on sensational headlines. In such an environment, Veterans are often stereotyped by those with an unclear understanding of what it means to live with PTSD. And the fact is, there is no limit to the number of reasons why a person might choose to become violent. “The headlines are irresponsible,” said Brian Hawthorne, an Iraq War Veteran and board member of Student Veterans of America. “Murder should be talked about but shouldn’t be centered on the instability of a few in our military population.” According to Gerhard Falk’s Murder: An Analysis of Its Forms, Conditions, and Causes, the occupations most likely to include murderers are laborers, service workers, and students. A comparison of those findings with the FBI’s Most Wanted list for violent crimes in 2012 shows a similar occurrence of occupations. Overwhelmingly, the top three offenders by occupation are general laborers, construction workers, and gang members. Of course, we rarely—if ever—see articles hinting at a larger problem within the laborer field or the construction field. Likely, this is because we inherently understand that occupation or work experience doesn’t typically factor into a propensity for murder. Then again, headlines that scream, “Man Yielding Concrete Mix Charged with Murder: Hint of a Larger Problem?” are likely not as profitable.
Unfortunately, this rehashed portrayal of PTSD, reminiscent of the Vietnam era, has the power to deter Veterans from openly speaking about their service—especially in today’s economic climate—when unemployment among younger Vets hovers between 20 and 30 percent. That concerns Iraq Veteran Ryan Gallucci, now with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. “Vietnam Veterans were stereotyped as the crazy Veteran, but over the years we’ve proven that isn’t the case,” said Gallucci, the VFW’s National Legislative Service Deputy Director. “What concerns us are today’s Veterans sitting down for a job interview and once they mention their military service, the tone of the conversation changes.” While most can discern between sensationalized news stories, the reality is that less than one percent of the population serves in uniform—leaving many with a slim exposure to today’s Vets. And this is the image they are fed—as seen in a January issue of The Week: Blackouts, flashbacks, night terrors, and sudden rages are common among veterans; suicide, alcoholism, and drug use have surged. PTSD has been cited as a factor in many acts of vets running amok. . .
As long as such language remains prevalent and acceptable, college admission offices, future employers, and those alike can peg today’s Veterans as “running amok” with the tendency to burst into “sudden rages”—quietly 16
widening the divide further between Veterans and civilians. “Overall this creates at most a hostile and at least uncomfortable situation for Veterans in school or the workplace,” said Hawthorne. “Teachers may not encourage Vets to share their opinions in the classroom out of fear of creating a negative environment.” Dr. Sonja Batten, the Deputy Chief Consultant for Specialty Mental Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs added, “The truth is, PTSD doesn’t have to and shouldn’t impede success in everyday life for Veterans. Years of research have demonstrated again and again that most people recover naturally after experiencing potentially traumatic events, and we have effective treatments for those who develop more significant problems with PTSD. I think what gets lost in these stories are the amazing strengths that our nation’s Veterans have.”
In fiscal year 2011, over 476,000 Veterans received treatment at VA medical centers and clinics across the country for PTSD. Of those, 99,000 were Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. Dr. Batten expects more Vets to seek treatment in the coming years. “We have made progress in the fight against PTSD stigma,” she said. “Veterans are now more likely to recognize if something is wrong and come forward so that they can move on with their lives.” While the country has slowly begun to recognize post-traumatic stress—from “soldier’s heart” to “shell shock” to “combat fatigue”—there are still barriers preventing Veterans from seeking help. According to one survey of OEF/OIF Veterans, there is still legitimate concern over asking for care. With imbalanced portrayals of PTSD, these ideas will continue to fuel misunderstandings like the type seen in San Diego. But we have the leverage to change this—to make a conscious decision to understand what it means to live with PTSD. And to give those who have served a fair shot by stripping away those unwarranted stereotypes and seeing Veterans for who they really are.”
Source: VAntage Point Kate Hoit article 6 Mar 2012
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Of all the therapeutic regimens and modalities I have experienced including TM, Gestalt Therapy, Biofeedback, Encounter Groups, Immersion Therapy, EST, Spiritual Retreats, VA sponsored PTSD programs; Mindfullness training and the consequent skill that is developed with daily practice, has more utilitarian impact on daily living than all the others. Given that conscious living is a soup dished up hourly, all the other philosophies and interventions are certainly of value, yet it seems as if Mindfullness just pulls them all together and adds to an equanimity that would otherwise not be accessible to the waking mind and all its friendly monkeys.
The teachers of this course are par excellance!
Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Developed in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn
at the University of Massachusetts
medical school, this is a manualized,
evidence-based, 8-week program.
MBSR is highly participatory and
deeply engaging experiential learning.
Explore the interplay of mind and body
to mobilize inner resources for
learning, growing, and healing.
MBSR Info & Registration
Wednesday • May 2 or May 9 • 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Library, Ada McCormick Building
1401 E. First St. (at Highland Ave.)
MBSR 8-Week Program
Wednesdays • May 16 – July 4 • 6-8:30 pm
Library, Ada McCormick Building
1401 E. First S t . (a t Highland Ave.) Registration required
SPRING 2012 • MBSR PROGRAM
Facilitators
Drs. Teri Davis and Dana Ferris have participated in professional
training with Drs. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, and have
completed training programs at the Center for Mindfulness at
UMass Medical School. Dana is a clinical psychologist.
Teri is a naturopathic physician and founder of
Purple Mountain Institute and the Mindful Veterans Project.
To Register:
Attend one of the introductory
classes on May 2 or 9
to pick up registration packet.
Bring completed packet to Class #1.
Suggested Donation for Registration: $300 (MBSR)
No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Free to veterans thanks to donations to the Mindful Veterans Project.
Purple Mountain Institute*
120 S. Houghton Road
Suite 138 PMB 174
Tucson, AZ 85748
Teri Davis, ND • Executive Director
teri@welcomehomefreeclinic.org
520/624-7183
“It’s like the thoughts lost their hook,” says an OIF/OEF
veteran graduate of an MBSR class. “Before, they were just
ripping me. With mindfulness, it opens up the blinders,
and you realize (those thoughts) are
not the totality of your existence forever.”
*Purple Mountain Institute is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, EID# 31-1733820.
www.purple-mountain-institute.org
FREE
TO
VETERANS
And to think that there was a controversy about having these parades across the nation. God forbid we would stop for a moment and think about war and its human toll. One might even think that Presidential Campaigns are of more importance. They would be if all that campaign money were turned over the VA to care for these men and women.
I hope this parade draws record crowds.
I know Abel Moreno and the founders of Vets4Vets. I had the honor to be a participant in six of their Retreat/Workshops around the southwest.
I sing songs of praise for their tenacity in caring for the men and women of war.
See the link below for more detail.
Copyright 2012, David Lynch Foundation. All rights reserved. |
 |
| Senator Burr of North Carolina, ranking member Senate Veterans Committee |
We flew to DC to have our meeting with VA’s Health Benefits Administration in the Hart Senate Office Building, hosted by Sen. Burr’s staff, with the following results:
1. the C-123 aircrew/maintainers dioxin exposure issue will bereferred to the Institute of Medicine for a special report,hopefully ready by the end of 2012. VA will prepare a Statement of Work (SOW) without outside input, but IOM will conduct public meetings soliciting comment
2. VA reassured C-123 veterans our herbicide exposure poses no risk to health
3. VA stated no medical care will be allowed even on a presumptive eligibility basis for AO-presumtive illnesses (unless the veteran is otherwise eligible)
4. benefits claims now in for C-123 aircrews and maintainers will most likely be denied
5. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry letter of 26 Jan 2012 hasno particular relevance to benefits eligibility of veterans as it was provided outside the realm of the VA itself; apparently, “its the VA’s ball”
6. VA defends their apparent “not enough dioxin to harm” newly created threshold, never before established by any US government agency
7. VA didn’t realize only about 1500 aircrew and maintenance personnel are involved in this issue, expecting the numbers to be higher
8. VA defended their earlier challenges to and dismissal of the 1979 Conway survey of Patches and the 1994 Weisman/Porter survey of Patches, saying use of standard swipe protocol resulted in inaccurate findings and thus no veterans were affected by either inhalation, ingestion or dermal routes of exposure
 |
| 74AES Flight Nurses: “not enough dioxin” to hurt them or their children–VA |
12. VA likened the requirement for employees at Davis-Monthan AFB to wear HAZMAT protection around the quarantined C-123K fleet to the “hysteria” of recent civilian water contamination
—
Gung HO is derived from the name of a Chinese industrial co-operative, “Gingye Hezuoshe.” The two characters forming the words meaning, “work and “together.”
This term was adopted by Marine Major Evans Carlson who explained, ” I was trying to build up the same working spirit I had seen in China where all the soldiers dedicated themselves to the one idea and worked together to put that idea over. It means work together–working in harmony. Carlson became Commander of the famed 2nd Marine Raider Batallion and from there the term Gung Ho spread throughout the Corps where it became an expression for strong Marine espirit de corps, zealousnous and eagerness to work together. Enthusiastic and dedicated Marines were called, “Gung Ho.”
So with that as a premise, does it follow that the Congress and the Senate should complete Marine Boot Camp prior to taking the Oath of Office!
Source material from a fellow Marine Retired Sgt Major Robin Jackson.
2349 Nut Tree Lane
McMinnville Oregon 97128
February 27 2012
The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20420
Dear Secretary Shinseki:
I chair our small group of veterans who flew and maintained the Fairchild C-123K “Provider” for ten years following the Vietnam War. These aircraft remained poisoned from the war, with dioxin intense enough to be labeled by Air Force scientists as “heavily contaminated” and “a danger to public health.”
When we asked the Air Force and VA to investigate, we were instead given two press releases explaining that, while the aircraft “may” have been contaminated, there wasn’t enough TCDD left to likely cause long-term health problems for our veterans.
VA’s position was quickly challenged, in particular by the Toxicology Department of Oregon Health Sciences University and the School of Public Health at Columbia. Further, on 26 January 2011, the deputy director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry stated that our veterans were most likely exposed, and over a long time, and at a level about 200 times more likely to cause cancer. He also said our exposure was probably even more intense in the decade we flew, which was as much as 22 years before that first scientific testing.
General, any observer would conclude that the VA’s threshold of probably has been well-met in our case. Our aircrews, maintenance personnel, flight nurses and medics have been exposed to dioxin, our parent service has confirmed this contamination and its danger, and the federal agency responsible for reaching the definitive conclusion about that has voiced their finding quite clearly. Any benefit of the doubt must rest in our favor, but there is little doubt about this issue.
We must ask that the Department withdraw its statements concerning the lack of TCDD contamination and the unlikelihood of personnel exposure. Outside scientists have called the VA’s preparation of their C-123 position “unscientific.” Some of the authors cited have specifically asked that their works have no relation to aircrew exposure. Several of the authors cited insist aircrews have been exposed, and yet the inference of the VA reports is that the sum of evidence available speaks against a reasonable possibility of aircrew exposure.
That simply is not so. Yet, these statements discourage veterans from considering Agent Orange claims. The statements discourage VSOs from working on our claims, regardless of our proven legitimate eligibility for claiming TCDD exposure.
Benefit of the doubt is supposed to fall on the veteran’s side. We have exceeded the threshold of any reasonable benefit of the doubt, and indeed quite the opposite – there is very little doubt that we weren’t exposed.
As we understand it, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs can designate our aircraft (since destroyed by the USAF because of their contamination) as Agent Orange exposure sites. Please do so. If instead, some other action on your part leads to our veterans receiving medical care for their Agent Orange-presumptive illnesses, please bring us relief via that path instead.
As volunteer aircrews we willingly flew these older airplanes and accepted the extra hazards of flight inherent in them. The Army really needed these aircraft and their unique short-field capabilities, as we proved in several REFORGER exercises. Nobody knew about the contamination during the years we flew but certainly everyone knows now! Our duty was to fly, and now the VA’s duty is to address our medical concerns resulting from exposure to dioxin.
We’d be grateful for an opportunity to discuss this with you or a representative, but we’d be better served by your executive action in designating our old airplanes as Agent Orange hotspots so that we can proceed with fair evaluation of our claims.
And our claim, sir, is “Boots on the Airplane.”
Sincerely,
For the C-123 Veterans:
Wesley T. Carter, Major, USAF Retired
Chair
—
Wes Carter
Support the troops in Welcome Home parade March 31 Tucson, Ariz., February 27, 2012 — Arizonans from all walks of life will cheer the troops and wave American flags at a long overdue parade to welcome home returning servicemen and women from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Saturday parade on March 31 begins at 10:30 a.m. in downtown Tucson. Parade viewers are encouraged to bring small American flags to wave. The parade salutes veterans and active-duty personnel in the U.S. armed services who fought in the Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom–Afghanistan wars. All other veterans are invited to participate. The parade’s organizer, Alan Toppel, said, “Our valiant warriors need to be honored for their service to our country and the brave sacrifices they have made for the cause of freedom.” The City of Tucson Veterans’ Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed the parade. Committee Chair Vern Pall said, “This will be a memorable parade and a proud day for our community. The Committee appreciates the chance to say welcome home and thank you to these troops.” The parade will progress north on Stone Avenue from Pennington Street, move west on Franklin Street, then turn south on Main Avenue, east on Alameda Street, south on Church Avenue, and then head east on Pennington. The parade will end where it began at Stone and Pennington. The parade organizing committee welcomes parade entries, sponsorships, volunteers, and donations. Forms are available on the Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/TWHVP. For more information, please contact Alan Toppel at (520) 495-7064 or email tucsonswelcomehome@gmail.com.
Major General
Bill Walton
Colonel Brian M.
Stephen Collins
Daniel Rodriguez
