Forgive me as I go off topic this week. After last week’s post on Captain Ed, I have seen a few political shows commenting briefly, very briefly, on the number of veterans that have wound up in jail.

Side-Note: Check out the Rachel Maddox show she seems willing to take on subjects one else wants to touch. Like American debtors prisons in 2013.

These veterans were charged with everything from simple robbery, sex crimes to out and out, rage murders. No one can seem to understand how or why these men and women are now in jail.

I don’t understand the confusion. After all we’re are talking about men and women who spent the last 10 years in a world where the time to think and evaluate a possible threat simply doesn’t exist. Combat is a world where ‘threats eliminate threats or somebody dies’ is 1^st rule of survival.  Combat is a world where every Stranger either a new friend or somebody who wants to kill you, no shades of gray. The shades gray that’s a part of the mundane world is exceptionally rare in combat.  Imagine standing in line to buy groceries and the person ahead of gets mad at the cashier. Three or four things are gonna happen, anything from a few angry words, to a cop arresting the unhappy customer.  Now in combat world you’re at a local shop were you just brought something than somebody walks in and starts screaming. A bomb goes off.

In the movie ‘My Cousin Vinnie’ staring Joe Pesci. There is a sub-plot to the story, Joe Pesci’s search for a good night’s sleep. It took a full-blown prison riot for him sleep peacefully. Funny huh?   Not if this is your normal world.

Now you come home after 10 years of living in combat world.  You get a day maybe two out processing and then you are back in the mundane world where every skill you’ve learned, every instinct you’ve developed staying alive is now bad.  Plus you are told those benefits, especially the medical benefits, we promised you for your service, don’t worry you’ll get them when we get around to it. No worries.  In the mean time you are on your own.

Oh yeah, thank you for your service to our country, you are a hero.

How would you feel? Think about it, you’ve just spent the last 10 years risking your life, watching friends and co-workers killed. Your home-coming is a pat on the head and being told now go be normal. Just like a 9-year-old being told to go out and play.

Is it any wonder these veteran’s have a hard time adjusting to the mundane normal world. We learned nothing from Vietnam War, except to sound nicer to our veterans.

Well that is my vent.  As a veteran, this is something that really matters to me.

Next week, I’ll continue with money& lawyers I’m will be getting into the costs of practicing law.