McCain just blew off speaking with thousands of reporters at the upcoming Unity national convention for journalists all the while complaining he's not getting nearly enough news coverage.
At last count, it looks to be over 10,000 reporters who were snubbed by Mr. McCain. With all those news reporters losing out on a great opportunity to meet with and write about the man, could it be that mainstream media might be looking for something to report, a story to investigate?
Feel free to forward the following "news tip" to them. We can kill three birds with one stone - take the media to task for not giving us coverage on the full McCain, bring attention to an issue affecting many veterans, and give Senator McCain the level of news coverage he craves.
The media fills us full with stories of McCain's war 'hero' history, writes numerous articles on his status as a POW, informs us each and every time one vet speaks out for him, reminds us endlessly about the torture, even going into great detail about the types of torture and the number of years the man was tortured, yet it never enters the minds of mainstream media to ever ask the obvious question "Could the man running for the highest office in the United States of America, a job with incredible stress, possibly suffer from PTSD"?
Google the general web with the words 'mccain ptsd' and approximately one half million hits will appear. Many of these are articles by veteran groups, most having to do with McCain's lack of support for veterans and others having to do with the very real possibility he suffers from PTSD.
Now go to Google news section and enter 'mccain ptsd'. You might pull up one or two articles if you are lucky.
As you can see, there is no real mainstream media coverage on this issue. The press is more than willing to talk about the details of McCain's torture but not the probable result of the torture.
"Among U.S. servicemen taken captive during the Korean War, as many as nine out of 10 survivors may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental disorders more than 35 years after their release, psychologist Patricia B. Sutker of the New Orleans Veterans Administration Medical Center and her colleagues report in the January AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY."
McCain has a nine out of ten chance of having PTSD, displays many of the symptoms, yet no one in the mainstream press will question him, a candidate for Commander in Chief who has a history of an out-of-control temper and refuses to release his military medical records to the general press.
Nine out of ten - Anyone willing to take book on the possibility he does not suffer from ptsd? Call me, I need gas money.
'Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can result from wartime trauma such as suffering wounds or witnessing others being hurt. Symptoms include irritability or outbursts of anger, sleep difficulties, trouble concentrating, extreme vigilance and an exaggerated startle response.'
Before the Iraq war, many of us begged the media to fully report on the WMD in Iraq, how it got there, who helped to supply Saddam with it, and to report on previous administrations' dealings with Iraq. We were told it was ancient history. The media "apologized" years later for their failure to fully report the war.
Today, we ask the media to help us answer the question "Is John McCain emotionally fit for the most stressful job in our country, the President of the United States, our Commander in Chief."
Surely, the press owes it to the voters to report on the full McCain prior to the fall election.
(Suggested news tip recipients include ethics societies for journalists, cub reporters and college newspapers)
Armybrat, former Republican, now Democrat, but still old school conservative.
My father served 33 years in the Army, CWO4, from WW2 forward, all three of my brothers served in the military, two in Vietnam, one of whom suffered from 100% early onset PTSD, and I've worked for many years to help secure benefits for veterans. Have seen the detructive nature of the condition up close and personal and my heart goes out to all who suffer from full blown PTSD. Even 'mild' PTSD, like 'mild' TBI, is anything but mild.
I do not take this matter lightly, hoever, the media does. I would not would not wish PTSD on anyone, but the media needs to face facts and put country before politicians and quit tip toeing around the elephant in the room. Their decision to ignore the matter is not only shameful, it is a breach of journalistic ethics.
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Judy Swindler (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 45 comments)
on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 4:38:58 PM
Since I'm allegic to alphabet diseases, or ATAD, I've always thought of McCain as having a ton of unresolved issues about his captivity, or TOUI.
In English, the guy's freakin' angry and always lookin' to take it out on others and it doesn't matter who...fellow senators, his wife. Whoever is handy becomes collateral damage to frustration over his inability to kick the crap out of his Vietnamese captors.
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Sandy Sand (131 articles, 0 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1234 comments)
on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 5:25:26 PM
I can understand him having unresolved issues as he has not sought treatment or counseling per the non-military medical records he has released. His military records have not been fully released and were generated before the VA came up with an official diagnosis.
What I don't want to see is his unresolved issues coloring his decisions as president.
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Judy Swindler (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 45 comments)
on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 6:20:59 PM
While it is not possible to correctly diagnose PTSD without McCain's medical charts, it is possible to speculate based on symptoms listed in the DSM IV manual of diagnostic criteriia of the American Psychological Association. Among those listed are 1) difficulty sleeping, 2) irritability or outbursts of anger 3)difficulty concentrating 4) hypervigilance and 5) exaggerated strartle response.
While more criteria are needed than just these for a correct diagnosis, it's easy to see that McCain has many of the behaviors listed. Certainly his temper is well known.
At any rate, he has enough of the items listed that I do not want him in charge of the White House and my safety. This is a man I do NOT feel safe with in any way, shape or form.
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Ginger Chapman (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 43 comments)
on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 10:32:20 PM
Johnnie Mac looks and acts like he suffers from PTSD. After all he was shot down in rhe vietnam war. broken arm and leg. but he also was involved with a aircraft that blew up and caught fire and almost distroyed a aircraft carrier.he was a POW. I NOW IN 1999 HE WENT BESERK when he was talking to family members of POW'S and MIA'S. he stormed out of the conference room rushing and shoving and almost kocked down a women in a wheelchair. the pow/mia activists shocked and horrified by McCain's crude behavior towards the women in the wheelchair Mrs. GAYLOR registered their complaint with the Senate officials. Mrs GAYLOR were advised by SGT. DANA SUNDGERG of the Capitol Hill Police to file a assult charges against McCain. They declined fearful of the power of the Arizona Senator.
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vincent passiatore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 157 comments)
on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 11:59:47 PM
'' After all he was shot down in rhe vietnam war. broken arm and leg. but he also was involved with a aircraft that blew up and caught fire and almost distroyed a aircraft carrier.''
The most traumatic part might be his captivity in Vietnam: being chained 24/7 like an animal, confined in a bamboo cage, tortured daily physically and psychologically. Who could survive such a treatment without having major mental problems?
McCain has shown repeatedly he blows his fuse at the drop of a hat and has zero resistance to stress and frustration; this is truly frightening for the most stressful job in the world.
Why is it that US voters show extreme lack of common sense and poor judgement when it comes to electing a President? Bush's pattern of countless business failures/being bailed out by Dad's cronies should have been a red flag--it was ignored. Plus of course his cruelty to animals when he was a kid, the hazings and brandings when he was a fratboy--there is a direct link between these early sadistic behaviors and promoting the use of torture to interrogate prisoners.
In addition to poor judgement, condoning such unethical behaviors in our leaders shows also a loss of ethical moorings.
McCain's obvious hairtrigger temper should be another red flag, but so far OEN has been the only one to raise this issue.
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francine (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 282 comments)
on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 3:49:08 AM
PTSD is characterized by a specific group of symptoms that sets it apart from other types of reactions to trauma. Increasingly, evidence points to four major types of symptoms: re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and arousal.
Re-experiencing symptoms
These sypmptoms involve a sort of mental replay of the trauma, often accompanied by strong emotional reactions. This can happen in reaction to thoughts or reminders of the experience when the person is awake or in the form of nightmares during sleep.
Avoidance symptoms
Are often exhibited as efforts to evade activities, places, or people that are reminders of the trauma.
Numbing symptoms
These are typically experienced as a loss of emotions, particularly positive feelings.
Arousal symptoms
Arousal symptoms reflect excessive physiological activation and include a heightened sense of being on guard as well as difficulty with sleep and concentration.
