Equality

Well Deserved Jobs

Do you think that Veterans should have to worry about finding a job when they return from war? An issue that arises in today’s time is that Veterans have trouble finding some way to make money. In May 2013, there were 10,744,000 unemployed veterans. Soldiers put their lives on the line for our country and employment should not be a struggle for them as much as it is. There are many excuses why employers will not hire a veteran, and many reasons why an employer should hire a veteran. Why is it so hard for veterans to maintain a stable job other than military related?

Multiple excuses are brought up when it comes to a veteran from maintaining a job. One excuse for not  hiring a veteran is because of skill translations. Skill translation is what veterans must do to take military terms and make them civilian friendly and understandable. Military jargon is not something that a veteran needs to apply to a resume; if military jargon is added they will most likely not make it past the application process. Another excuse for not hiring a vet is negative stereotypes. Stereotypes of vets are those who are too formal, have anger-management, and post traumatic stress disorder. Before a vet has an interview they need to have people interview them as practice if they become anxious. Third, an excuse that can keep a vet from getting a job is skill mismatch. Soldiers who come back from war have learned great skills, but when coming back to the United States those skills may not help you possess a job. For a lot soldiers they must go to school and learn more skills to be able to uphold a job in their area of interest. Lastly, another excuse is deployment because of military commitment. Companies do not want to give someone a stable job when they are about to leave for their military commitment. When applying for a job make sure that you are honest with the company if you have a commitment to the military, as a result, maybe employers will loosen up about hiring those in the military.

The employers who do not want to hire veterans need to realize there are many reasons why they should hire one. First off, veterans and soldiers possess leadership that can take them far in life. They understand that to be successful they need to be a good example for those to look at. Secondly, those who have been in the military work well with others when given a difficult task. Teamwork is very important when working with any employer. Another reason why a veteran should be hired is that they can get a difficult task done under pressure. Veterans Today reads, “They know the critical importance of staying with a task until it is done right.” Veterans have so many qualities that employers may ignore when having a veteran apply for a job.

Why would a veteran not deserve a job? They have a family and loved ones to support too. They have taken care of America, and now it is time to take care of them.  Is there something that college students can do about this issue to help out our veterans? To show our support of our veterans we can write the local congress representatives to ask them to continue support of tax credits for business’ who hire veterans.

Sugar Coating Situations

While watching a war movie do you ever think that a certain situation is not realistic or that the movie is too sugar coated? When I watch a war movie I judge what happens in war by what happens in a movie.  Some movies do not actually depict the truth of war. However, Restrepo was a movie that was filmed during the war in the Korengal Valley, and everything is completely reliable. Are most war movies 100% reliable like Restrepo?

A couple war movies that are sugar coated are The Hurt Locker, and Black Hawk Down. Black Hawk Down’s director was not interested in politics when directing this movie. When dealing with a war movie it should be common sense that the movie will influence how people view the war. Black Hawk Down does not depict how war really is, which makes you wonder if it is true that no one is left behind when injured. The Hurt Locker is another terrific movie that attempts to depict the life of a bomb squad member. Yes, the movie shows the connection between those in the squad, but the men were just actors. With actors it is harder for the viewer to connect with the soldiers. Sergeant James in the movie was based off a real person, but Sergeant James did not appreciate the way the movie viewed him, which the view was very hard headed. Both of the movies were more interested in making money rather than depicting the truth to America. They might show you the general idea, but the scenes given are not 100% trustworthy.

On the other hand, Restrepo is an amazing movie that explains war very well. Restrepo was filmed by journalists who actually lived with the platoon in the Korengal Valley. All of the scenes are real, reliable, and 100% true.  Restrepo was filmed at war on site with the soldiers and you can totally see what it was like. The movie shows you how close the soldiers really are from fighting to joking around. Also, from losing a leader of their own to just missing their family back home you can see them mourn for each other. When Restrepo was filmed no actors were involved, therefore, you can see  the relationship between soldiers. The goal of the movie was for those who may be curious or even those who just need a reality check to see how things really work in war.

America needs a wake-up call to put us in soldier’s boots to see what war is really like. War is more than just fighting.  War is about someone who is willing to die for the person to their left or right and your country . The article “Restrepo: is this the greatest war film ever?” states, “Society puts these men in a group, makes them bond in a brotherhood, and uses that as mechanism by which men will kill and be killed for each other.” War movies should not consist of how it should be or could be or even what it is almost like. Do you think war movies should be more of a reliable source to how war really is?

Changing Lives Forever

 Have you ever known someone who goes on a trip for a while and comes back as a different person? PTSD is a very vigorous anxiety disorder that takes over a soldier and comes about after witnessing something like war. PTSD is the abbreviation for posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD takes a large toll on soldiers who possess the disorder, therefore they change into another human being who ends up being very timid and anxious.

 

What are the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder? Depression, struggling to relate to and getting along with those who are close to your heart, and having nightmares and flashbacks about those events that caused you to have PTSD are just a few of the signs of PTSD. Depression in war can be the result of losing a close buddy from the same unit or even a job change. Stress and depression can go hand-in-hand in war. When preparing for deployment a soldier has a lot on their shoulders from leaving their family to not knowing if they will survive. When a soldier is depressed they may drink more alcohol than what they used to just because the alcohol relaxes them and gets their minds off of things. When a soldier comes back from war the relationships with their loved ones may be tough. They have problems connecting and communicating with their loved ones, therefore as a result they may isolate themselves. Lastly, some traumatic events are engraved in their heads. Many soldiers cannot even go to bed without having to worry about having a nightmare about something tragic that they witnessed. The effect of having nightmares for one may be a sleeping disorder. These awful events that they witness run through their heads during the night or the day. There is no escape from PTSD.

 

   

When should one get help and treatments for PTSD? If someone has been diagnosed with PTSD and they do not receive treatment for it then the disorder may worsen. According to The Better Health Channel, “If you experience a tragic event and you have the symptoms of PTSD, after two weeks it is important that you get attention to help you cope with the situation.” Many soldiers may threaten to harm someone or themselves. Soldiers are in need of help and direction. Overall if sleeping difficulties, irritability, and trouble performing tasks appear or begin to develop; they need to receive help. What treatments are available to one who has PTSD? When a loved one has PTSD one of the best medicines for them is support. Without support it is hard for anyone to move on from a bad experience. To receive help for PTSD you can get help from the following: psychiatrist, social worker, doctor, psychologist. Psychological treatment is the main treatment used for PTSD. A psychological treatment consist of confronting and talking through the issue. Mood stabilizers may be given to those who struggle with PTSD.

 

Posttraumatic stress disorder is changing the lives of veterans. Those veterans will never be the same when attacked by this disorder. If you know of someone with PTSD let them know that you support them and care about them.

 

America versus Rebels?

Syrian Rebels

   When you were younger did you ever get into something that your parents told you not to, but they weren't paying attention so you did it anyway? War with Syria can make one question America's purpose in war. Did the United States take the right action not proceeding with going to war with Syria?
    America is already in tons of debt. War with Syria could have caused our debt rate to skyrocket even more. America is already involved with many other wars. According to National Priorities Project, “Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying $11.26 million for Total Cost of Wars Since 2001.”  $11.26 million is what American taxpayers pay for war in just Afghanistan and Iraq. To see America’s debt refer to the U.S. Debt Clock. All of the debt that America is in is mind-boggling. With so many citizens being unemployed in the United States along with some being disabled, our citizens should be a priority to this country. Getting involved in something that could be pointless and just a waste of money should not be something that the government focuses on.
    Secondly, America does not need to become involved in someone else’s civil war. According to Robert H. Scales, “As the Israelis learned in 1973, the Syrians are tough and mean-spirited killers with nothing to lose.” Syrian “rebels” are not afraid to fight back and will do whatever it takes to have control of the war. The article With Obama on the War Path  reads, “Another potential consequence of a U.S. attack on Syria would be a broader regional war that could inflame the entire Middle East and possibly the world.” The Christians and Shias do not want the United States to get involved because they say if we were to become more involved a world war may break out.  I believe that as Americans we should respect the fact that the Muslims and Christians in Syria are done with intervention because they say it is causing friendships to be destroyed. If the United States were to bomb Syria, the innocent could end up harmed and hurt which would defeat the purpose. The religious leaders in Syria are for peaceful reforms. The citizens of Syria want to prove a point that they can do it without help and that help from other countries is not always the best alternative.
    Lastly, Obama needs to bring home troops not keep sending them out. Many families have lasted months and years without their loved ones because of war. Yes, they signed up to serve our country but they also have the right see their loved ones. In February 2013 CNN announced, “President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night that some 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have returned home by this time next year.” What is the point of bringing the troops home if he is going to send them back out to another country to fight, almost immediately?
    War with Syria would have caused more trouble for both Syria and the United States and possibly even the world. We need to let Syria try to overcome their issues as they wish. America has no business dealing with Syria.

                  
           

                                                         

Promises During Vietnam

    Have you ever been told something small like, if you bring me a cookie right now I will bring you one later so you bring he or she a cookie? During the Vietnam war you would not have received that cookie most likely. While reading the article Vietnam Veterans Against War Statement, it was brought to my attention that promises were not kept no matter how tragic the situation.

     How would you feel if someone left you lying there dead or severely injured on the ground? Well, personally I would be upset and angered at the fact that my fellow citizens left me. Americans are supposed to have each others back especially in war. Kerry states, "The Army says they never leave their wounded. The marines say they never even leave their dead." Kerry would not have addressed this if it was not an issue. How sad is that, leaving an injured fellow citizen. How would that make you feel, instead of going to help them up or trying to take care of them. Knowing you could have saved someone's life but you let them bleed to death. Yes, it is terrifying watching something like that happen but you signed up for it. Along with commanders leaving the troops. The commanders should have set people straight and told them to show leadership, but while they possess it themselves. The article Vietnam Veterans Against War Statement reads, "We wish that a merciful God could wipe away our own memories of that service as easily as this administration has wiped away their memories of us." After being apart of the war your life is changed for ever. You see stuff you have never seen before and stuff that you don't want to see. Even while reading an article called We made a promise, then broke it Vitnamese commondos being denied their due, the author Jeff Stein interviewed an instructor who pointed out that the worst thing that you can do is abandon someone who put their life on the line for you. If leadership was stronger during the Vietnam war, would these promises have been broken along with all these lives that were lost?
     If promises were upheld just imagine how different that war and many wars to come would be. Yes, it would still be war but you would be more of a family with your fellow Americans. People put their lives on the line for this country, therefore if you can save someone's life do it. Show the leadership you possess and keep those promises.



 Injured soldiers during Vietnam

The Sweet Life

A sweet little girl that I met in Mexico on my mission trip

Hello, my name is Candice Russell. I am currently a freshman at Jacksonville State University. I grew up in Shelby County with my Mom and two little sisters and also in Chilton County, Alabama with my Dad and his family. I graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in 2013. I love the outdoors, animals, and traveling. I was blessed to go on a mission trip to Mexico two summers ago which was very life changing . My friends and family mean the world to me. I am known for laughing at the simple things in life.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13