News The Mistreatment Of Sufferer Sgt. Tahmooressi

[R.Quartz]

Hey all,

I have recently been following the Sgt. Tahmooressi case and didn't see any other threads on it (my apologies if there is a duplicate). A quick brief -- he was discharged after his PTSD diagnosis and was relocating from his residence in Florida to seek treatment in San Diego, CA. A wrong turn took him over the border, and due to carrying several weapons which he has legally registered in the US, he was detained in Mexico without access to the proper health care that a PTSD sufferer should have.

I am very moved by Montel Williams (himself a retired Lt. Cmdr of the USN) passionate outcry over this issue over the past few months, and hope that he's able to reach people who may not be aware how much the system fails those who are suffering from this terrible illness.

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to post links, but they are pretty easy to find, specifically the video of Montel testifying on Tahmooressi's behalf before Congress, and various debates he's had on news channels.

Just wanted to know how others felt about this.

 

[Friday]

I probably feel a lot more ambivalent than I should. The ongoing CF in Mexico (kidnapping & ransom, cartels v policia, policia v army, policia v policia, plus all the individual groups: various resistance groups, coyotes, etc.), and to greater or lesser extent much of Central America, makes it a popular "Eff it" location for certain kinds of soldiers with PTSD. IE some of those who want to keep fighting on their own terms. As well as those who just want off the grid, and countries in chaos sound like the best place to do that.

I did that. I know hundreds of Marines who have done that. Most of us used safety in numbers (IE private companies we hooked up with up here before heading down). Some don't. Also, one generally returns to the states solo.

So I feel as if I should have a lot more compassion for someone who either was legitimately in the wrong place at the wrong time, or who was doing what I was doing, ya know? The most I can drag out is "You stupid SOB." It's not fair of me, and I know that. But either he was a knucklehead & refused to pay the fine & proper respect to the people who pinched him, or he got scooped up by some of the good guys down across the border who are sick to death of American soldiers coming down and casting their lots with "pick your armed group of crazies" and adding to the chaos. Now that the media has picked him up? It's a coin toss. Either his ransom just skyrocketed (and ransoms are dirt cheap in Mexico, rarely over 10k), or he'll be made an example of depending on which group has him (the police & courts are in dozens of groups). Either way, far worse position than he was in earlier, whether he was coming down to play or not. So, like I said, I should feel more for him. Not sure why I don't.