By Tom Makay

The news: A new report from Human Rights Watch says that up to half a million of our returning veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other wars are suffering from substance abuse disorders — with some of the biggest offenders including opioids and alcohol.

A stunning 1 million use prescription opioids for pain, and nearly half of those use them "chronically," or for more than 90 days.

While illicit drug and tobacco use rates have been falling over time among Army staff, alcoholism is on the rise and so is prescription drug abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that some 27% of soldiers meet the criteria for alcohol abuse three to four months after returning from deployment, while prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. personnel from 2002-2005 and almost tripled from 2005-2008.

The VA estimates that 22 veterans commit suicide every day. One out of three completed Army suicides involves drugs or alcohol. It is estimated that around 40% of the veterans in VA care have post-traumatic stress disorder, another unfortunate trend highlighted recently on July 4 when fireworks displays brought about panic attacks and anxiety among some veterans.

Whisper is a service that allows users to post short, anonymous messages. These powerful messages posted to the site show how widespread substance abuse can be in the military community — and illustrate the need to do far more.

http://mic.com/articles/93111/one-powerful-whisper-sums-up-what-many-veterans-experience-when-they-return-from-war?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social

With all the right-wing focus on Muslim extremists, it’s important to wonder at what point good, ‘Murikan “Christian” “patriots” become the thing they hate the most.

Take Holly Fisher of Charleston, WV, for example (please!). Fisher, “Holly Hobby Lobby” on Twitter, has been drawing a bit of attention with a picture she posted after she was criticized for not having enough guns, flags, or JESUS in her Hobby Lobby picture she took in response to Bristol Palin’s failed “Hobby Lobby Love” Twitter campaign, in which the daughter of half-wit, half-term former Governor Sarah Palin encouraged people to take photographs of themselves shopping at the anti-women’s rights craft chain.



Since she did not appear extremist enough, Holly amped up the jihad a bit with a new photo:



Her new photo has everything–an unnecessarily dangerous weapon being carried around in public, the Bible, and, of course, a flag within which she can wrap her bigotry and hatred.


…Where have we seen this before? Oh! Yes!



The rest: http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/post/91028947167/meet-holly-a-lying-right-wing-christian-taliban#.U7qHDBa-YjI