Blog Nr. 12

It 2213 now (ooops, for civilians that is 10:13 Pm MST (for Army and Air Force that Mickey's big hand on the 13 and the little hand on the 10) and I should really be in bed. (Old people need lots of rest). Instead, I am going to blog about a subject that raises hackles in me. The subject:
domestic violence.

Violence comes in many forms: verbal, physical, physcological, sexual. Violence of these types are mostly commited by males, but some females also. Men are (in most cases) larger and stronger than women.

Is there an excuse for this domestic violence???? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!! I have heard about cases where "alcohol made me do it", "it was the drugs I was on that made me do it", "she made me angry", "the baby wouldn't stop crying" and my favorite "I have PTSD, and that made me do it."

I want to address the latter excuse: PTSD. A few years ago, I noticed a police car with it's lights flashing sitting outside my front window. When I went out to investigate, a policeman was putting yellow tape that stretched from my next door neighbors front yard down to the nearest corner about 70 yards away. The tape stretched across the road and up the other side to the corner opposite. I couldn't figure what had happened. There were 3-4 squad cars, the CSI truck and a lot of police dept personnel gathered at a house across the street from me and about 40 yards down. I live in almost a "no-crime" area: mostly elderly folks like me, with some working stiffs sprinkled in.

I went outside to find out what in the h--- was going on. A young policeman took the time to tell a few of us that were gathered there.

In the front yard , I could see two bundles with tarps covering them. It seems their was a domestic dispute with the couple that were renting that house. It seems the wife had left, taken their two small children and moved in with another man. The husband had remained in the house. That day she brought the children to see their father; small children, I think 2 and 4 years old. While the children were in the house, the husband-wife got into an argument. It became extremely violent. The wife ran out of the house and into the street. The husband caught up to her and shot and killed her. He then went up to his front porch and put the gun to his own head and committed suicide.

I had not heard a thing------I can't hear for s--- anyway. What was really disgusting was the bodies were found lying in the street and the yard by a 12-13 year old schoolboy on his walk home after classes. What a sight for anyone, much less a child, to see!!!

Local newspapers trolled the neighborhood, interviewing neighbors. They stopped at my house and started asking me questions. They asked if I had known the couple (I did not--they had moved in only a month or so earlier). She mentioned to me that one of my neighbors that she had interviewed had told him what a "great" guy this killer was, and that he was retired military and sufferred from PTSD and that was why the killer did what he did. This "clown" of a neighbor even posted a homemade sign saying how great this killer was and how the killer was going to be missed!!! Can you believe that????

PTSD is real. There are a lot of men and women (your US military) that are exposed to unspeakable horrors in this violent world. How each and every one of them cope with this problem differs from each person involved. But to have this "clown" (who is a civilian, by the way) try to excuse this killer with that excuse sickens me to no end. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE.

This killer destroyed the life of his childrens mother. The children are the ones that will hurt for their entire lives. I pray for them, and so should you.

Just a little background: I am a military man. I did my time in combat areas. So did my brother, so did my son. I am "Pro-military" all the way. I know men who have suffered this terrible horror called PTSD. It has been hard, but they have survived. They did not draw a gun and murder.
I have also commited verbal abuse, directed mostly to my wife and children. I am totally ashamed of those actions. I know I have hurt them all deeply. But I have changed my ways. How did I change? I prayed - and I begged forgiveness, both from my family and from my GOD. I feel good about myself now. I may get angry but I have learned to control that anger/frustration/impatience that made me verbally abusive.

Enough said.