From an American Veteran
Brodhead
To the Editor:
As a veteran who served his country during war time, I have seen my fair share of combat and unsavory events. As a participant and witness to these traumatic events, my life has been altered forever in ways that the average civilian simply cannot understand. As I reentered civilian life, I found that this country, although grateful for my service, has not been equipped to help me in my struggles.
As you probably already know, PTSD and anxiety go hand-in-hand, affecting the daily lives of many veterans. What may seem like a simple task for the average person can be very difficult for someone dealing with these issues. Sometimes the struggle is too much to bear. According to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report from September 2021, in 2019 there was an average of 17.2 veteran suicides per day. I can’t help but wonder how many of these suicides could have been prevented if these men and women had been given the mental health help that they needed when they returned to this country after serving in the military. How many of these people have ended up with consequences within the judicial system due to events resulting from their untreated trauma?
I passionately believe that each veteran should be entitled to the mental health help that they need and should have special accommodations within the judicial system based upon their unique circumstances. I would like to see programs in place that address the needs of our suffering veterans. We should not simply be put in jail without treating the underlying causes of our situation, which is the trauma we experienced while serving this nation.
In an August 15, 2017 article by the American Bar Association regarding Veterans Treatment Courts, the origins of VTCs were described as having occurred because judges “noticed an increase in veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and meeting at the crossroads of the criminal justice system, due to alcohol abuse, drug abuse, PTSD and traumatic brain injury.” Judge John Toomey became an advocate for VTCs that address the unique needs of veterans. He said that “running the VTC is the greatest thing I’ve ever done as a judge and lawyer.” He stated that his court has a 95% success rate. I would like to see Wisconsin implement more of this type of court to help our veterans. No man or woman who has served this country should sit in jail due to actions that occurred resulting from the trauma they experienced while serving.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines a disability as “A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.” It further reminds us all that a reasonable accommodation is not a special favor or sign of weakness, but a legally protected right. The Wisconsin Court System had begun to set up some services for veterans. However, Green County does not seem to have a Veterans Treatment Court. The website https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/resources/docs/veterans.pdf refers Green County veterans to Dane County. My proposal is that Green County set up programs of its own to aid struggling veterans with legal issues, mental health issues and other things with which we struggle. Veterans serve our country be writing a blank check with our lives. We deal with the impact of the events we experience during war for the rest of our lives. Please consider taking action to address this overwhelming need. Our country needed us veterans to keep them safe and now we need you to keep us safe.
Editor’s note: The Monroe Times approved the letter writer’s request for anonymity, as well as to go beyond the 400-word limit.
