Ninety-three active-duty soldiers had killed themselves through the end of August, the latest data show. A third of those cases are under investigation by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner's Office. In 2007, 115 soldiers committed suicide.
Failed relationships, legal and financial troubles, and the high stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are the leading factors linked to the suicides, Army officials said.
The above is from Ann Scott Tyson's "Soldiers' Suicide Rate On Pace to Set Record" (Washington Post) and Pauline Jelinek covers the topic for the AP here. From that article:
As officials have said before, [Brig. Gen. Rhonda L.] Cornum said the main factors in soldier suicides continues to be problems with their personal relationships, legal and financial issues, work problems and the repeated deployments and longer tour lengths prompted by an Afghan war entering its eighth year and Iraq campaign in its sixth.
Yeah, the military does keep saying the same thing over and over. Whether it makes any sense or not. Their claims make little sense when it comes to Dustin Mark Tucker. From Mary Callahan's "Family, doctors mystified by Kenwood soldier's death" (The Press Democrat):
"He has no family history or personal history of any kind of medical issues," said his mother, Cindy Tucker. "He didn't complain of not feeling well . . . He was happy. He was busy. He was excited for his vacation. He was on top of the world."
Tucker, 22, was home for an 18-day leave, his first since his March deployment as a gunner with the Army's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.
He was thrilled to be home, where his family had planned plenty of free time for golf, fishing and other activities.
He was fatigued and jet-lagged after days of traveling from Baghdad to Kuwait, then Ireland, Atlanta and Los Angeles before finally flying into San Francisco and the embrace of his family. Despite the lengthy trip, he seemed ready for some fun, they said.
Since arriving home Aug. 25, he had visited family and friends, played golf, bought a motorcycle and was looking forward to a family fishing trip at Clear Lake this week.
He complained of no pain, discomfort or illness, but did mention being tired Aug. 27 when he decided to hang out with his two brothers rather than go out with friends, Cindy Tucker said.
The US military is not the only one attempting to spin another wave of Operation Happy Talk. AP wants the world to know, got to let it show, 520 Iraqis are coming, are coming, are coming BACK! From Jordan. And that number might mean something if it were even 10% of the number of Iraqi refugees in Jordan. 700,000 was the number the International Red Cross utilized in 2007. The Jordanian government sometimes uses the number one million. Meanwhile China's Xinhau reports that the US goal of 12,000 Iraqi refugees accepted in the US will only be met if 1,002 refugees are accepted between now and September 30th (end of the fiscal year). The US has never met its goal. 12,000 is an embarrassing number to begin with and, obviously, the US State Dept isn't interested in exceeding the goal.
Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate and he and his running mate Matt Gonzalez have two scheduled news conferences today. The first we noted in the previous entry (Eau Claire) and the second is in Madison:
Nader and Gonzalez to Hold News Conference and Rally in Madison, Wisconsin, Friday September 5
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 12:00:00 AM
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org (national);
Justin Richardson, 608-215-1342, justin@votenader.org (local)
NADER AND GONZALEZ TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE AND RALLY IN MADISON, WISCONSIN, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
On Friday, September 5, at 7 p.m., Ralph Nader and his VP running mate, Matt Gonzalez, will host a news conference at the Orpheum Theatre in Madison, Wis. Following the news conference, at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Nader and Mr. Gonzalez will hold a rally at the same location. In addition to speeches by Mr. Nader and Mr. Gonzalez, special guest David Rovics, "the musical voice of the progressive movement," will perform at the rally. The theatre is located at: 216 State St., Madison, Wis., 53703. For more information, call Justin Richardson at 608-215-1342, or email: events@votenader.org.
Wisconsin residents confront a growing list of crisis-level difficulties that include a tanking economy, increasing environmental pollution and a health care system broken beyond repair. The latest Census Bureau figures reveal a falling median household income and a rise in the poverty rate from 8.8 to 12 percent between 2000 and 2007--and that does not reflect the impact of the current economic downturn.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, as of 2004, Wisconsin was among the 10 states whose total employment was hardest hit by NAFTA-related job losses, with a net loss of 25,403 jobs. Nader/Gonzalez would withdraw and renegotiate NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
On August 19 the Environmental Protection Agency designated six counties -- Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Dane, Columbia and Brown -- as violating federal standards for fine-particle pollution. Coal-fired power plants (along with automobiles) are a primary source of fine-particle pollution. As of 2005, 54 percent of Wisconsin electric utility power came from coal, according to Wisconsin State Energy Statistics.
"Wisconsin faces a triple crisis in health care: the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, increasing numbers of uninsured, and a severe deficit in the state's Medicaid program," warns the Wisconsin Council of Churches on its health care web page. The council adds that "employers now spend an average of 15 percent of payroll for employees' health care premiums, and health care costs are rising 9 percent per year, which hurts wages, profits, job creation and new investment in Wisconsin. Over a half million Wisconsinites - fully 10 percent of our population have no health insurance coverage at some point during the year. Lack of insurance is a significant factor in premature death and bankruptcy."
While Obama and McCain offer health care plans that would enrich private insurance companies at the expense of tax payers, the Nader/Gonzalez Campaign favors a Canadian-style public health insurance system with private delivery and free choice of hospital and doctor.
The Nader/Gonzalez team would fix Wisconsin's drastic air pollution problem and create many new jobs with its crash program to switch the nation to a non-nuclear, non-fossil-fuel, solar-based economy—which is "off the table" for Obama/McCain. Enormous improvements in proven energy efficiencies from consumer, home and building technologies can become the norm if Washington overcomes the energy companies' lobbies that do not want to see their sales diminish.
Also "off the table" for Obama/McCain but on the table for Nader/Gonzalez is a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild and repair the nation's crumbling schools, clinics, roads, bridges and other vital public infrastructure, with funds coming from cutting the bloated, wasteful military budget that devours 50 percent of the federal government's operating expenditures.
Mr. Nader and Mr. Gonzalez will address these and many other critical issues the major party candidates have taken "off the table" that the Nader/Gonzalez Campaign has put on the table, including:
- a comprehensive, negotiated military and corporate withdrawal date from Iraq;
- a living wage and repeal of the anti-union Taft-Hartley Act;
- a carbon tax to deter global warming;
- an end to the corporate welfare and corporate crime that has resulted in millions losing pensions, savings and jobs and squandered tax dollars; and,
- more direct democracy reflecting the preamble to our constitution which starts with "we the people," and not "we the corporations."
About Ralph Nader
Attorney, author, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader has been named by Time Magazine one of the "100 Most Influential Americans in the 20th Century." For more than four decades he has exposed problems and organized millions of citizens into more than 100 public interest groups advocating solutions. He led the movement to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and was instrumental in enacting the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and countless other pieces of important consumer legislation. Because of Ralph Nader we drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments. Nader graduated from Princeton University and received an LL.B from Harvard Law School.
About Matt Gonzalez
Matt Gonzalez was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2000 representing San Francisco's fifth council district. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Board of Supervisors President. A former public defender, Gonzalez is managing partner of Gonzalez & Leigh, a 7-attorney practice in San Francisco that represents individuals and organizations in mediation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings before state and federal regulatory bodies. Gonzalez graduated from Columbia University and received a JD from Stanford Law School.
About the Nader/Gonzalez Campaign
The Nader/Gonzalez independent presidential candidacy will be on the ballot in 45 states, is polling at 5-6 percent nationally, and a new Time/CNN poll shows Ralph Nader polling 8 percent in New Mexico, 7 percent in Colorado, 7 percent in Pennsylvania, and 6 percent in Nevada -- all key battleground states.
For more information on the Nader/Gonzalez campaign, visit: votenader.org.
Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party presidential nominee. She has numerous events today and tomorrow.
| September 05, 2008 - October 05, 2008 | » | |
|---|---|---|
09 / 5 Start: 10:30 End: 12:00 Cynthia Stumps Wisconsin, including Speaking to Fighting Bob Fest! Cynthia McKinney brings campaign to Wisconsin Sept. 5-6 Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney will bring her Power to the People Campaign to Wisconsin Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, including speaking on the Main Stage at Fighting Bob Fest. Start: 13:00 End: 15:00 Cynthia McKinney brings campaign to Wisconsin Sept. 5-6 Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney will bring her Power to the People Campaign to Wisconsin Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, including speaking on the Main Stage at Fighting Bob Fest. She will be in Milwaukee, Racine, Madison, & Baraboo over the two days. Friday 9/5 - 1 p.m. - Racine, WI - Town Hall Forum at Walden III school Start: 16:30 End: 18:00 Cynthia McKinney brings campaign to Wisconsin Sept. 5-6 Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney will bring her Power to the People Campaign to Wisconsin Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, including speaking on the Main Stage at Fighting Bob Fest. She will be in Milwaukee, Racine, Madison, & Baraboo over the two days. Friday 9/5 - 4:30-6:00 p.m. - Racine, WI - Meet & Greet Fund raiser at Park Six (corner of Park & 6th St.) PUBLIC WELCOME! | ||
09 / 6 Start: 00:00 End: 17:00 Cynthia McKinney brings campaign to Wisconsin Sept. 5-6 Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney will bring her Power to the People Campaign to Wisconsin Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, including speaking on the Main Stage at Fighting Bob Fest. Baraboo, WI - Fighting Bob Fest - Cynthia McKinney is scheduled to take the stage at 10:20 a.m Start: 17:30 End: 20:00 Cynthia McKinney brings campaign to Wisconsin Sept. 5-6 Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney will bring her Power to the People Campaign to Wisconsin Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, including speaking on the Main Stage at Fighting Bob Fest. She will be in Milwaukee, Racine, Madison, & Baraboo over the two days. Saturday 9/6 - 5:30-8:00 p.m. - Madison, WI - Meet & Greet fund raiser at High Noon Saloon, with special guest David Rovics. PUBLIC WELCOME! | ||
NOW on PBS has a web exclusive on the presidential race:
NOW on PBS Host David Brancaccio sits down with RedState's ErickErickson in a web-exclusive interview shown only at NOW Online. The two talk about Obama's bounce, Palin rumors, and whether or not political blogging really counts as journalism. I think you and your audiences will find it very intriguing.
NOW on PBS begins airing tonight in most markets. (Check local listings.) On the program this weekend (the above is a web exclusive and not a part of the show), Brancaccio interviews Christine Todd Whitman (billed as a moderate Republican) about the state of the GOP. Bill Moyers Journal brings back Dr. Kathy -- no doubt because America doesn't have enough worthless gas bagging on TV. The program moves into reality with a look at the National Guard members serving in Iraq. Gwen and the gas bags reteam to scare America on the latest installment of Washington Week. The Washington Post's David Broder and Vanity Fair's Todd S. Purdum are the two names that can be mentioned with minimal shudders. The others would produce screaming. In terms of radio, The Next Hour airs on WBAI Sunday (eleven to noon EST) and this week Janet Coleman and David Dozer "appear with yarrow sticks and The Book of Changes." (To be clear, Coleman and Dozer are not gas bags. The program is listed after Washington Weak because we've move to radio. Coleman and Dozer are public radio's longest running comedy team.)
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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