An Open Letter to Sarah Palin January 21, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Bristol, charity, Palin, PTSD, Recon, Sarah, sniper, Track, USMC, VA
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Dear Mrs. Palin,
I am a former US Marine and US Navy Officer with a Combat Action Ribbon as well as service connected disabilities. I am also a Republican. I have also served with, and am friends with, dozens of combat veterans who suffer daily from various injuries and wounds to include PTSD. I recently read your comments related to PTSD in which you attempted to excuse your son’s arrest on domestic abuse charges and firearm charges by referencing his supposed PTSD. Based upon your previous comments I am not surprised that you would choose to use this very serious condition as a political football and, once again, attempt to divert blame from your own family’s abhorrent, violent behavior.
In 2014 your entire family was involved in a late night ‘drunken brawl’ at a party in which Track Palin (the accused domestic abuser) was involved in a bloody fight. While you publicly stated how proud you were at your children’s violent actions, maybe this should have been a sign that Track has a problem. It is certainly curious that you did not feel the need to reference his supposed PTSD in this situation and instead stated: “…my kids’ defense of family makes my heart soar!” Maybe, instead of encouraging Track’s violence, you should have taken the opportunity to get him help. Maybe, instead of being the result of PTSD, your son was simply trying to uphold the stated Palin family values and “…make your heart soar” by abusing a woman.
PTSD is stigmatized in the media and not well understood by the general public. An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States. This is nearly 8,000 veterans who take their lives every year. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) stated: “Every day in the United States, 22 veterans succumb to suicide — losing their personal battle to invisible wounds of war.” Veterans who have willingly given so much in service to their country should not have to bear the burden of being further stigmatized by your ignorant and foolish statements.
While I do not propose to speak for all veterans, I am clearly not alone in my views regarding your unfortunate statements. They were unfortunate for the many veterans who face further disdain and discrimination based upon your inaccurate and ignorant portrayal of those who suffer with PTSD as well as the causes of the condition.
While I would personally prefer that you simply avoid public life and simply fade away, if you insist on trying to use your “celebrity status” for a cause, please educate yourself on the facts of PTSD and try to help veterans by using your significant influence in a more productive, and less political manner. There are a number of veteran’s organizations to which you can donate time, money and energy to make a difference. Two organizations you may want to consider is the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation and the Recon & Sniper Foundation.
Regards,
Chris Mark
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 
As the wife of a combat veteran (Viet Nam 1969-71), I salute you soldier! Very well stated and I share your wish that she would just “fade away” but I fear we are not that lucky.
I would like to bring up your awareness: You would do well to call a soldier a soldier, a marine a marine, and a sailor a sailor.
He declared himself a marine and a sailor, not a soldier. I am not reprimanding you, only bringing up your awareness of military protocol and conventions. God bless you and your husband.
Thank you. I am not offended 😉
Fire, police and EMS are offended as well by her statements.
She is lost in life if shes not in the spotlight. She needs to take care of home
As a PTSD sufferer from a traumatic sexual assault, I was doubly wounded by Ms. Palin’s comments. I applaud this veteran for his succinct and brave words. God bless you and all who serve to keep me safe every day.
I feel so sorry for you all yes my husband was in Vietnam,and he got very sick there,but he did make it home as some of his group didn’t.my husband been gone 3 years now due to cancer.and it very sad when our man and woman don’t make it back.but mrs palin did a lot for Alaska,guess a lot of people forgot that.this lady has been tore apart by people mouths,and her kids.is our life so good that we can throw the frist stone.watch Obama get off the plane half the time he pay no att to our guys standing there.does anyone think how depressing this is to mrs palin she not the frist are will she be the last what happen to our guy over there needed help did they get it no ask me let the guys vote that are frighting for us vote and get someone in there to help our veterans.and the old people of America,no the lazy bunch of welfare peoples votes get mad at me if you want I answer to one person above.god bless
I was the product of the ‘welfare system’. I appreciate your comments and your husband’s service but I politely disagree with your position. I am not ‘throwing stones’ rather correcting her ignorant position.
She did nothing for Alaska, except leave her elected position early. She changed her stance on a number of issues when they became unpopular, even though her stance would have helped the state. She had an opportunity to make a difference, but she chose to join the political bandwagon and abandon beliefs that would have been a benefit to Alaska.
Her comments about PTSD are ignorant, but we can expect nothing less from a woman who has been blaming other people for her children’s actions their whole lives.
It amazes me how people “know” what another person has done or not done…you don’t know if her son is getting counseling or not! And she loves the military, her comments were not at you!!
The public has been very cruel to that family…”…judge not, lest you be judged”…..
What I “know” is that Track Palin has been arrested for domestic violence for (according to the arrest record) punching a woman in the face…and holding a gun. I know..that the Palins were involved in a drunken brawl. She is a ‘public person’. She invites commentary on her ignorant comments. Anything else?
Palin is a victim of press and political attacks. She had @95% approval until she joined McCain and became the focus of the left. Some criticized her for giving birth to a Downs syndrome child. She was hit with 18 frivolous ethics violations and @ 118 freedom of information requests. This froze the governor’s office plus cost enormous amount of overtime and lawyers fees. The suits were brought by a woman who was angry Palin didn’t give her a political job! She would continue filing nonsense FOI’s. So Palin resigned and saved the state millions of extra man hours and lawyer fees.
I think the public has also been very cruel to the Obama Family as well. Not only his family but other past presidents also. The stones thrown have nothing to do with our political stance but more to do with our moral character and boy have we got issues there, the way we throw stones at public figures of any kind and make mockery of them is ridiculous and uncalled for. We can all use some redirection in that area.
Sarah Palin is an ignorant shit stirrer
A very thoughtful response..We do not know for sure what is going on in her family. We are just guessing…
She puts herself in public so, she can only expect to be scrutinized by the public. It seems ignorance is bliss for her. Her stupidity never ceases to amaze anyone, only that she continues to put it on public display.
Wow, your vocabulary is just as bad as hers and that indeed is bad!
Is that the best you can do,Sue??????
I have published scores of articles and spoken at hundreds of events. This is the first (my f key is not working 😉 that someone has tried to disparage my vocabulary.
I am a Vietnam Era Veteran. One of many of the “old people ” You’re referring to in your post. My husband served in Vietnam as a Mortar Platoon Leader and died from complications of Agent Orange. Let me be clear by one thing until Sarah Palin takes responsibility and stop blaming the president for her disfunctional family’s action , she should access her priorities as a Parent.
Darnell, please use punctuation and spell check.
Hallie Miller, blessings on you and thank you for your service and for the sacrifice of your husband. I agree with your opinion completely; you’ve hit the nail squarely on the head!
Sarah Palin chooses to take no responsibility for her children’s actions or to have them take responsibility for their own actions.
Sarah instead supports their awful behavior by blaming everybody and everything else.
Her shrill, rambling, nonsensical word salad endorsement speech was a complete embarrassment for our country.
It is no wonder that Darnell supports Palin, they appear to have nearly the same poor education, she with writing properly, Palin with speaking properly, and both with logic and moral decision-making.
Learn to read and write..Maybe that’s why this country is in deep shit trouble
Sarah Pailan had done damages to Alaska beyond repair due to her dislikes towards the Murkwaski’s;
She has stop the gas line in Alaska.
She had paid a Canadian company five million dollars to restudy the gas line, and to shut down the project.
She had stop all the development in Alaska under her governorship.
She quit after she spend all the money that governor Murkwaski had left for the native communities in Alaska.
What “language” are you writing in??
I am sorry for the trauma you have experienced through others, Darnell, but your statements regarding President Obama are based on manipulated images by people who hate him because of, either his political party or his race. There are absolutely ZERO actual incidents showing Obama dis-respecting our military and, if you dug deep enough, you would find testimonials from military people who have been close to him these past seven years who thing quite highly of him. I live in Alaska and don’t know of much that Sarah Palin did that was good for us other than raise taxes on the oil industry. Her chosen Lieutenant Governor, an oil company lobbyist who succeeded her, changed those regulations so that Alaska pays the oil companines more in rebates than they pay in production taxes. Her family has been nothing but a nightmare to law enforcement here and, if you can’t see that she is nothing more than the kind of “crony capitalist” that she has stated she abhors, then you are not paying attention.
And there it is, putting President Obama’s name in this ignorant woman’s situation, which has absolutely nothing to do with nothing. What does her family fights, punching women in the face, or claiming PTSD have to do with Obama….wake up people, Sarah is a dumb B. Her son has been arested for Domestic Violence numerous time, and all of a sudden it PTSD, not Obama.
Thank you and all veterans for your service. Palin should walk off her porch into Russia never to return. She is an embaressment to the US!!!
excellent Brenda and very well said! Does SP ever read any of this? Why doesn’t she stop talking????
Good letter, frank and to the point, I too am a Vietnam disabled Veteran…I do feel the same way as this soldier states.. while I appreciate your son serving in our Armed Forces, I still can not support your endorsement to this Coward Trump, who willingly denied his services to our country when they called him… this is pure cowardliness, deferred 8 times and finally paid to get a medical status, which was later found he faked…that is pathetic, and downright despicable……
Wow..very good response. I agree.
So, help me out here. We are to believe Track Palin’s behaviors are not associated with PTSD, but rather being the product of his upbringing simply because you say so? And how did you evaluate Track? How many conversations have you had with him in order to doubt his condition? Are you a licensed mental health professional? Not likely. You really shouldn’t mock another’s burden, especially when it is a fellow soldier’s. Some brother you are.
Since you struggled to follow the post…I will repeat. My issue is with Sarah Palin trying to make PTSD a political football and excusing her son’s behavior of abusing women by claiming he has PTSD. PTSD is stigmatized already and her ignorant comments have done nothing but further stigmatize those who suffer.
Chris, I love your response to all of these comments. But, I am thoroughly impressed that you are reading and engaged in the comment section.
Thank you for your service to our country, and I wish you well in your future endeavors’.
He was much kinder than I would have been she is undeserving of his words he has my respect and gratitude for the individual he is and the honor courage and service to his countryHe
Chris, thank you for stating what we all should be thinking.
Nam ’67 vet
Bravo Brother …..Thank You For Arriving At The Words Most Of Us Cannot ….My Son Did Three Tours In Iraq and Two In Afghanistan …I Too Am A Veteran …..It Breaks Our Hearts That Something As Serious As This Is Taken So Lightly ….Thank You Sir For Your Service and For This Heartfelt Response To An Obvious State Of Denial The Palin Family Lives In ……
So did you vote for Obama. Sounds like that is your problem. You really must like his rules of engagement. Àlso his distain for you and your military brothers. Using you guys for his social experiments. Sarah Palin has your six. You are feeding off the left wing agenda of hate for her and her family. They aren’t perfect. But then again find out the facts of the situation before you judge. Thanks
Good idea you had about finding out the facts of a situation before judging. This helped me. All the best to you and yours.
Click to access veterans_and_wounded_warriors_record_0.pdf
I appreciate the original poster’s point. Here’s hoping his message — which is being echoed by many other veterans — will get more air time.
Thank you for posting that response, Brian. Anyone who seriously thinks this administration has been unsupportive of veterans or active duty military clearly has not paid attention, or is willfully ignorant.
Joe Biden is one of the few senators who had “skin in the game” as he famously noted when he derided Sec. Rice for her cavalier attitude. The Bidens are not alone on this. The First Lady and Jill Biden have been consistent on promoting this cause every chance they get.
I would also point out, Obama went to Dover. That’s something the previous administration never bothered to do.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/politics-other-controversies/89071-politicians-sons-serving-afghanistan-iraq-wars.html
Let me be clear. I don’t think Obama is ‘evil’ and ‘doesn’t care about veterans’. Of course he does. Of course Joe Biden does. I would bet even Nanci Pelosi, who I disagree with on 99.999% of issues, believes we should support our veterans. Can we do better? Sure…the fact that the Phoenix VA is a mess is NOT President Obama’s fault. Sarah Palin is silly to suggest this. We can all disagree…that doesn’t mean either position is truly wrong. My post was on a specifc point. Sarah Palin stating that her son’s abuse of a woman was a result of his PTSD…that is all. She is wrong and ignorant in her position.
Brian, I can attest to some of those changes because we benefited from it. My husband couldn’t get VA care for his ptsd because it wasn’t documented in his service records, so we were having to get his mental health treatments through a civilian psychiatrist. When the VA included Gulf War 1 vets in their priority for treatment in 2009, we were able to finally get him in to the VA for treatment.
Here is what I learned. Ask your husband to go to the VA regional center PTSD screening. He answers some questions etc. Based upon that he is asked to speak to a ‘specialist’ who can give an initial ‘diagnosis’. Then he gets a formal diagnosis from a MD or PHD. If he has a combat badge (ie. CAR or CIB) it makes it much easier. Service Records are only used for ‘combat’ or what they call a “trigger”. That does not mean he is not or cannot be rated.
Roger, what does Obama have to do with Sara Palin’s misinformed abrogation of responsibility and general ignorance? Since she took the stage eight years ago, it has been a continuous stream of empty platitudes, non-sequiturs, glittering generalities, and incoherent word salad from this woman, not a single meaningful syllable. Half the time I don’t even think _she_ knows what she’s saying. This is a woman with no credible understanding of foreign policy, military theory, economics, political theory, or rhetorical principles. The only thing she has is a particular look, and attitude. Not only did she deflect her son’s behavior onto PTSD, but she blamed the PTSD on Obama. What a joke of a worthless human being she is.
You say “she has your six,” but in truth, she has no other interest but her own narcissistic self-promotion. Take your own advice, find out the facts before you judge.
Well said..We may not agree politically but you make a very valid point and good argument.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT ROGER. EVIDENTLY YOU ONLY SUPPORT THOSE VETERANS THAT AGREE WITH YOU, OTHERWISE YOU BELITTLE AND DENIGRATE THEM. CLEARLY YOUR PROBLEM IS PALINITUS: NEITHER YOU OR SHE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT THE US MILITARY PERSONEL, YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOU YOUR OWN BIGOTED, RIGHT-WING, WARPED, AGENDA. I’M POSITIVE YOU YOURSELF WERE NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE IN THE MILITARY….. YOU JUST DON’T HAVE IT IN YOU. YOU ARE FOR ANYTHING OBAMA IS AGAINST, AND YOU DON’T CARE WHAT IT IS OR IF IT IS GOOD FOR AMERICA AND AMERICANS OR NOT…… IN MY DAY WE WOULD CALL PEOPLE LIKE YOU A DUFASS….A DUMB FUCKING ASS. IF YOU SPENT LESS TIME WITH YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND OUT OF SARAH PALIN’S ASS, AND TRUMPS ASS, YOU MIGHT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE A REAL AMERICAN, ONE WHO STANDS FOR ALL AMERICANS, ONE WHO WANTS THE LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS TO CONTINUE TO BE BETTER. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR VETERANS! YOU SHOULD ONLY BE SENT TO WAR AS A LAST RESORT, AND NOT AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL FOR A BUNCH OF DUMB ASSES WHO HATE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE THAT HAS A DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEM THEN THEM, AND ANYONE WHO TELLS THE TRUTH.
I apologize for being direct but ALL CAPS sound like yelling and …I struggle to follow the argument. Is there a single period (.) in this post?
sarah palin is a worthless pos that needs to crawl back under the rock she crawled out from….thank you for your service and i am so sorry you suffer….
Thank you Chris Mark for speaking out in defense of those that suffer from PTSD. Thank you for your service….for protecting me, my rights and the freedoms I enjoy daily. It’s a heavy burden that our military carry. I will be forever grateful!
Suzanne
So beautifully stated. Thank you for your service to our country.
I read an article that said Track had an agressive personality before he enlisted.
Excellent letter, Chris. Thank you for speaking so eloquently from your own experience to someone who clearly needs to hear a voice other than her own. I appreciate your respectful tone and constructive suggestions for Ms. Palin. And thank you for your service.
Thank you for the kind words!
Chris, First thank you for you service, as all the people have above commended you for THANK YOU! However, I wish you had posed this question in your letter to Sarah: “If you believe Track’s behavior is related to PTSD, then what have SHE done to get help for him, and what are her concerns about the other family members, especially Trigg’s safety? Should Track be allowed to NOT only purchase a gun, but have one in his possession, these things are not in the President’s hand, they are in her hands. Who and what is more important to her Track and Trigg, or Political Money and Guns?”
My post was not intended to start a discussion on gun laws etc. I was simply explaining that I thought Mrs. Palin was wrong in exploiting PTSD for political gain. I have numerous guns and I have been diagnosed with PTSD. Should I NOT be allowed to own a gun? Quite bluntly, this is some of the stigma and misunderstanding associated with PTSD and why we have veterans struggling. PTSD is NOT a disorder that compels one to violence. It is a disorder that manifests itself in many different ways. Mrs. Palin’s comments feed into the perspective that you are perpetuating. That PTSD sufferers are ‘violent’ and should not be allowed to have ‘guns’ as we are ‘unsafe’.
My post was not intended to exploit her PTSD political gain, that would be too many of those to mention. However should her first job as a parent is to keep her children safe, and as it might well be Trigg who need her the most to do that. This should not be a teachable moment, but a take action moment, before something drastic happens, we have children who are in need of therapy after they see something tragic happens, can we say Trigg will be immune to seeing his brother or any relative hurt. I ask you, how do you propose Sarah can keep this from happening? You have stated yourself, PTSD patient commit suicide, and so do people with other mental illnesses, or did I misread your statement?
Forgive me as I am truly not trying to be rude but I am struggling to follow the question. Can you repost with more context? Thanks.
I personally back our military…with all her money I can’t see where she can blame anyone..not even the va she can afford to get him help..where so many others don’t have rich moms to help them..and are at the va mercy..or lack there oof
Actually Chris, because PTSD is a psychological disorder, no matter if it directly leads to violance or not, you should not be allowed to have guns.. The depression, the fear, the anxiety and all other sorts of things might very well lead to a breakdown.. And violence is not necessarily against others, you mentioned about 22 soldiers commiting suicide every day.. Guns are a means to increase that number.. This is not a stigma, psychological illnesses should be treated neutrally like phsiological ones.. If you stomach is upset, you stop eating junk food, if your liver has problems, you stop consuming alcohol until it gets better.. If your mind and soul is hurt, especially due to events involving guns, you should stop your relations with them until necessary.. Take it out of political debate and put it into rational perspective..
That is a facile argument and not based upon reality or facts. There are larger rights underpinning various aspects of this debate but I will not attempt to discuss them in this blog. Infringing upon the Constitutional rights of others because you mistakenly believe the ‘guns’ are the cause of violence is terrifying. Please read Hume, Mezloff et al and we can discuss causality. It is clear you don’t have a solid grasp of PTSD.
Thank you, Mark.
In my work as staff for Veterans For Peace I know personally many traumatized veterans; Ms. Palin’s exploitation of them is inexcusable.
Semper Fi,
Doug Zachary
USMC 2499557
1968-70
And your a Republican that I hope is rethinking his involvement in that party
Not at all. I am a very socially liberal Republican (with some exception) but ffiscally (my computer is meeting up so it is misspelled)…conservative person. I vote on issues but generally agree more with Republicans.
Chris, you had me until you said you support the Republican fiscal conservatism. I would assume, then, that you supported your party’s slashing of the President’s 2016 VA budget by 1.4 BILLION DOLLARS! Not yelling – just trying to point out the hypocrisy of the Republican Party.
This is not a political debate. This is a single post about a single issue.
Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for continuing to serve by speaking up for those who have served and sacrificed.
Thank you for the letter. My husband IS treated for PTSD..from Vietnam, It took him a long to come to grips with the fact he had problems. My diagnosed PTSD is from an abusive ex (now late..and I did not do him in) spouse. I also feel that Ms. Palin is in serious need of treatment, before she does any more damage to her family including her grandchildren. It also would help if she actually learned her history and actually knew dates…
Thank you for your post. Too many people don’t realize that PTSD does not only affect veterans. You clearly know this. It took me 21 years to get treatment…I can thank my wife for pushing me. Thank your husband for his service on my behalf!
thank you for stating that PTSD affects not only veterans but ordinary everyday people. i suffer from it and have since my husband was murdered twenty years ago in my sight. it is an awful thing to have and more people need to understand that
we can’t “just get over it” certainly if we could we would. Palin is an idiot, she and trump make a scary pair.
i know this is also off track but I feel the need to thank-you for mentioning PTSD in others. My dad is 85 now and was one of the first ones to hit the shore in Korea. He was a front line rifleman. Out of his squad he was the only one that returned. he came home with 3 purple hearts and many other medals. It has only been in the last few years that he has opened up and talked about his experiences and all the men he had to kill. I came to realize about 10 years ago that he has suffered with PTSD his whole adult life. Guilt, why am I here and all my friends aren’t etc. Everyday of my life I’ve heard him say he’d be better off dead. it affected not only my mom but my sister, brother and me our whole lives. All 3 of us have mental health diagnosis. We are still trying to survive and heal from all the abuse we took from him. Last year I finally confronted him which you never do with my dad unless you want a nightmarish confrontation, but he just kind of laughed and said: what are you talking about I don’t have that. ” Sorry to bother you but I feel better after having shared that. And, I hate to admit but I have lived in Alaska 26 years and all Sarah did for us was desert us!
I am not a veteran but have many friends that are. Yet I am an Alaskan and am insulted by what this backwater dimwit spouts. This also shows how clueless Trump is. She destroyed McCain as she will destroy Trump, thanks goodness for that!
Well said. Thank you for your service.
Chris, what if you are wrong. Just because Sarah is high profile does not mean her son could not have a legitimate PTSD problem.. Your letter is more political than hers since you have left no doubt that her son could not have PTSD because he’s her son. You are being one sided.
OK..Let’s say her son has PTSD. Does this excuse his beating his girlfriend? I will state, for the purposes of this argument, Track Palin has PTSD. Are you justifying his actions? To suggest what I am doing is ‘wrong’ is incorrect. What I am doing is absolutely ‘right’ in that I am objectively offering an opinion and allowing people to decide. Did you read my last post? I also took Michelle Obama to task.
Thank you for your service sir. Both to this country and brain dead media.
Very well said Chris. She needs to educate on serious issue and maybe hold her accountable for such remarks. why do we even allow her to talk on public like this. I’m sorry for her.
Agreed. 😉
If Track is over 18 or 21 or whatEVER age one is considered an adult, Sarah cannot control his behavior. Don’t judge the entire family or how they were reared by the actions of the adult children. Some of the BEST parents I know have SORRY kids and some of the SORRIEST parents I know have the BEST kids. Even God has trouble with his children………………..
Then why is she advocating on his behalf? If she had said: “My son is an adult and makes his own decision” I would not have written this post. Instead, she has continued to support his behavior then tried to blame is abusive behavior on PTSD. Make sense?
If she did, do you honestly think the press would cover it? LOL. Her point is that the VA is corrupt and men and women are dying because of it. It’s much more than Phoenix. That you state that supports your political leanings plus lack of information, no surprise since the press ignores it.
I apologize but I cannot follow what you are saying.
Spot on. You certainly are speaking for this veteran.
Thank you Mike!
spot on, Chris Mark!
Thank you!
Thank you for writing this letter. I’m sure it will make little impact if any upon Ms. Palin but the rest of us appreciate the effort.
Sergeant – 2nd Mar Div 78-81.
Semper Fi Marine!
Welcome home, Marine, and thanks for the thoughtful and insightful response, not only to Mrs. Palin’s near-incoherent and damaging remarks, but to the variably coherent comments you’ve received as a result. Such clear-headedness and reasoned response are indicative of the best traditions of the American people and the U.S. Naval Service.
Jim Beaver
USMC 1968-1976
Vietnam 1970-1971
Semper Fi Marine!
I promise not to vote for Sarah Palin.
😉
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND TED CRUZ HAS TRIED TO GET HELP FOR VETERANS AND HAS TRIED TO PUSH BILLS IN SENATE BUT DEMOCRATS HAS BLOCK THEM BUT I HAVE SEEN IF ELECTED HE IS GOING TO STOP THE CORRUPTION IN THE VA AND IM GLAD I SUPPORT TED CRUZ HE ONLY CONSERVATIVE IN THIS ELECTION AND HE FOUGHT FOR FREE MILLION OF VET FOR FREE BEFORE HE GOT TO SENATE SO I KNOW HE LOVE OUR VET AND OUR MITARY AND OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE AND HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE YOUR BACK SO I TRUSTTED GO TED CRUZ.ORG FOR ANY INFORMATION AND HIS RECORDS TED CRUZ HAS PROVEN RECORD OF FIGHTING FOR OUR VETS THANKS SIR FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE BE PRAYING FOR YOU
OK..not trying to be a jerk but 1) all caps is YELLING AT ME!!! and 2)…no periods is hard to read. I get you are a Ted Cruz fan…wow…
Thank you for protecting our country and God Bless you. I’m sorry you developed this illness keeping us safe.
I don’t know enough about PTSD but I’m learning more every day. Since she said it stemmed from his service in the military, I thought it involved being in combat; I didn’t know spending less than a year as a chauffeur in the Green Zone would cause Track Palin to have it. Especially since he displayed violent tendencies prior to military service. Take Good Care
The bigger offensive element here is that Track Palin had more than enough of a record to disqualify him from service pre-2008. This is not someone new to substance abuse and violence. Iraq probably made his situation worse, sure, but his high school shenanigans suggested he was not right in the head to start. If he was Track Smith, he’d probably have been rejected from service in the first place. Family got him in – they own him now. His name ain’t Track Obama, that’s for sure.
I applaud you for your service.
You are a liberal who either did not hear or chose not to hear Palin’s comments. You didn’t read the police report in which the girlfriend stated Palin took the gun to threaten suicide. You know suicide is a major threat to the lives of those with PTSD and should not be ignored.
Remember Joe Biden’s son was kicked out of the service because of cocaine use. But Biden is a Democrat and received a free pass from the press. Palin is a strong conservative women and is open to criticism. Lots of it.
I can assure you I am far from a ‘liberal’. Just because I disagree with what a fellow Republican says does not make me liberal. Did you read my latest post on Michelle Obama? I believe in objective analysis and not simply following party lines.
Mrs. Darnell Hasty – you are mistaken Mrs. Palin did not do a lot for Alaska. She quit her job as governor and turned her back on all Alaskans. I know this because I worked for the State of Alaska while she served her sorry partial term as governor.
This is one of the best written statements regarding ptsd from somebody who is not afraid to speak the truth. Thank you brother for your commitment to educating those who are not.
Sincerely Brother in arms
Chris, thank you for your service, and your letter. I agree with you. My husband was in Vietnam and retired US Navy.
Please, anyone looking for help with PTSD or TMI, look into K9’s for Warriors in Florida, a former Bomb dog handler was suffering so bad with PTSD, so his mom out him to work. She sent him to kennels and shelters and had him pick dogs that would make good companions. They have training for 6-8 months by volunteers then the Warriors come to Florida. Never out of their pocket. They stay for 3 weeks and get trained on how to have a service dog. Someone who will always have your back. They have groups of men and groups of women. They separate due to the incidence of sexual assault possibilities for women that can compound stress. (Most sexual assault isn’t reported and could have happened earlier in life and adds to PTSD).
And they are a Charity that goes 100% to the cause. No six-figure salaries going to CEOs. This is about helping our Veterans.
If you’d like to learn more, google Jason Haag and HLN and K-9as for warriors, they did a little special on them.
Oh. And Thank you for speaking out against this crazy woman. May she be trampled by a moose she’s trying to kill. If you knew what a tree hugging, non-violent person I am, you’d know how much anger I have towards her.
Thank you for your service to our country.
Thank you!
Chris, first thank you for your service, utmost respect. However, what I think you maybe over looking is this a mother looking for anyway that she can protect or stick up for her son. As a twenty something I was a testosterone fueled idiot. I never, ever struck a female. Thank the Lord. A lot of bar room brawls and when you come to blows with a guy many times his girl is on your back clawing your face. In every one of my incidents of stupidity my mom was there whenever I needed her and stood by my me to everyone, even when she new I was way out of line. Of course her and I did have very different conversations in the privacy of our homes. Perhaps her comments were out of line but to me it’s a case of a mom sticking up for her kid. Even if she knew he was in the wrong. From experience, I can not fault her for that.
Good point. My concern is she used a public forum to further stigmatize PTSD and use it as a political football.
Chris, Thank so much for the letter! I lost my son to PTSD On Christmas day 2013 he served two tours. I wished he could have the help he needed. Thanks for speaking out on this…
My concern with PTSD is how can anyone explain or know how someone suffering from this will act or react to any given situation. My understanding is that PTSD can cause numerous problems with your mental health. With that said, PTSD could be triggered in numerous situations people face on a daily basis and acted on in such ways as aggression, anxiety, depression and whatever else a brain is capable of. People with mental issues and illnesses cannot be figured out on how they will or will not act or react, unless of course you are able to read someone’s mind and it seems like a few people commenting on this are capable of doing
kudos well said…..
I was interested in her phrase “supposed PTSD.” Does that mean her son hasn’t been diagnosed? Does that mean she is using PTSD, whether real or imagined, as an excuse to explain his behavior? Does he actually have it and she doesn’t believe it exists? I am appalled that she would consider his behavior acceptable on any level and that having someone speak negatively about her would be a valid reason for striking a woman. Would she expect and accept that her husband would hit her if she said something detrimental about her mother-in-law? And then to blame the PTSD on the president… she is shameless.
I thank you, Chris Mark and other veterans, for your service to our country. I can only imagine what you go through to live with PTSD. Thank you for speaking out against Palin’s inaccuracies and misplaced blame. As adults, her children are responsible for their own actions. Sure, we have all made mistakes and I don’t blame them for making their own. As their mother, I would expect her to support and love them, no matter what… but to place blame elsewhere? That’s just plain wrong.
She used all this to support Trump. And from the look on his face during her speech, I’m pretty sure he realized what a mistake it was to allow her on the same stage.
Reblogged this on Blue Batting Helmet and commented:
Bravo to Chris Mark. This is only the second time I’ve reblogged something on this site, but it’s well worth a read.
Thank you!
Thank you for saying it. There’s a time for politics, but not when it comes to the well-being of those who served. You have a standing to say this that I never will. Thanks again for standing up to her nonsense. All the best to you.
can i just say bravo to the author of this!!! i was born, raised and i am still living in alaska. a little background for those that dont know. the only reason she was elected was she was the lesser of two evils at the time. she made a lot of promises that never came to the light of day. the only thing she did was add more money to our perm fund checks we get every year to ease the high cost of oil. if any of you think to praise, commend anything she does or says please think before you do. we alaskans dont want her here and we cringe any time she is even brought up in conversation. for her to blame ptsd for her son beating another woman is deplorable. this poor girl hid underneath a bed waiting for the cops to show up. this is not the first time he has been in trouble and i doubt it will be the last. so thank you chris mark…a job well done.
Her son is a Veteran and its true that Vets are not getting the help they need. PTSD is very real. she never excused her son’s behavior at all. You are so far off track with this. Try to listen to what she said instead of taking it all out of context because you don’t like her or trump.
I have read and listened to what ‘she’ said. I do not believe I am ‘off track’. Her comments are clear. I was pretty clear that my feelings for her are irrelevant. Where did you get ‘trump’ from my comments? Yeah…no doubt…no where. I am happy to debate this issue with you..
Palin addressed Track’s arrest, citing his PTSD and indirectly blaming President Barack Obama, whom she accused of failing to adequately support veterans.
“I guess it’s kind of the elephant in the room because my own family going through what we’re going through today with my son, a combat vet … like so many others, they come back a bit different. They come back hardened,” Palin said at the rally. “They come back wondering if there is that respect for what their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to the country.”
She is right about Vets not getting the help they need the VA is so ill run . and has been for decades.
Pls go to this website and be informed https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/veterans_and_wounded_warriors_record_0.pdf
The WH is the problem
I just recently found out that Track Palin got in the army because he had the choice to either get in the army, or go to jail. That was because he had been cutting brake lines and vandalizing buses (I think school buses!). Clearly, he had serious problems before joining the army. Possibly they have been worsened and he does have PTSD. However, the statements he made to his girlfriend do not sound much like PTSD to me, but more like someone who has masculinity problems. Anyone who thinks that he needs to say what he did to her is not a man secure in his manhood. I’m not sure why he would be given a choice to join the army. I suppose whoever did that thought it would “straighten him out.” But I don’t think the purpose of the army or the military is to straighten out people. I understand if a person voluntarily goes of his own volition and because of his own desire to “straighten himself out,” but that’s a clear goal. He was there to avoid responsibility for his actions, a habit his entire family seems to have. Just look at his sister, who’s pregnant twice, unmarried both times, and yet is supposed to be a spokesperson for abstinence. Anyway, I guess that’s enough rambling for now. Thanks for posting your thoughtful comments about her irresponsible and childish statements.
He might have excellent credentials as a soldier …. but to be judging other fellow soldiers with PTSD seems to me to be misguided. Does everyone with PTSD have to pass muster with this guy? I hope not.
Ummmm….what??