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Subscribe to RSSFamily members of a man held in the killing of four homeless people say he is an Iraq War veteran who was distraught after combat, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
An uncle said Itzcoatl Ocampo of Yorba Linda had been telling relatives that he was seeing and hearing things, the Times said.
"When he came back from Iraq, he was sick," the uncle, Ifrain Gonzalez, told the Times.
Ocampo, 23, was detained Friday night after a fourth homeless man was found slain in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. The Times said bystanders had chased down Ocampo about a quarter mile from the scene of the slaying.
Three other homeless men have been found stabbed to death in north Orange County since mid-December, and a task force of police officers, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents had been looking for the single suspect they believed was responsible for all three.
Brian Doyle, a friend from high school, told the Times that Ocampo told him he had been kicked out of the military. The Times said it could not confirm that.
The Times reported that Gonzalez said Ocampo was born in Mexico and moved to California with his family when he was 1.
On Saturday, mourners wept and placed flowers at the scene of death of the latest stabbing victim, who was described by friends as a Vietnam War veteran in his 60s named John.
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So, do these people join the military because they are messed up? Or are they messed up because they joined the military?
Doesn't matter as long as they are fighting for my oil!
I know dozens of men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and not one of them goes around killing innocent people. Many of the people I know saw alot of combat on the ground and a few have caulked up quite a body count of enemy combatants. Sounds like the typical protective family response once the perp is caught red handed.
He was probably a rear-echelon hero. More info needed.
"So, do these people join the military because they are messed up? Or are they messed up because they joined the military?"
9 times out of 10, it's the former. These people join the military because nobody else will hire college drop outs. The military is a magnet for the scum of our society. Yes, we have some brave and noble troops. We also have a lot more scumbag ones. It's unfortunate.
Giovannii, you are right on. If a person is stupid enough to sign up for a war for oil under the guise of fear over terrorism and false reports about WMD, then they should have to cover their OWN treatment costs afterward, and no PTSS defenses for vets who are just criminals. You do the crime, you do the time, just like everyone else.
Nobody forced them to sign up. It's not MY fault that they couldn't get into community college or McDonalds. All this extra help for families of the troops is just PC B.S. They signed up, it's their JOB to go far away and kill people for pay. They send most of the money home, so their families still get the paycheck JUST LIKE THEY WOULD IF THEY WERE STATIONED HERE IN THE STATES. Gift baskets, food donations, Christmas presents for their families? I don't think so. They get combat pay adjustments for crying out loud.
If they don't like it then they never should have joined the military. The armed services are very clear about what a person is getting themselves into when they sign on the dotted line. They HAVE TO OR EVERY SOLDIER WOULD GO AWOL, for Pete's sake. Seems obvious that a person is not the sharpest tool in the shed if you can plop a gun in his hands and tell him to go kill and he ACTUALLY DOES without thinking about what he is killing for. Probably just a minor detail for some of you out there.
"An uncle said Itzcoatl Ocampo of Yorba Linda had been telling relatives that he was seeing and hearing things, the Times said."
As a Vet with PTSD, I can tell you that is not a symptom! It is a symptom of Schizophrenia, which can and does strike anyone. Combat is not required.
Oh Yeah! it's ok for a high school tweeb kid to join the military and go off and killl Men , women and innocent children but they aren't old enough to buy a beer until they turn 21. Pfft.. talk about double standards. It's ok to send children into war to get F@#$% up in the head but let them buy a beer? Katey bar the door. I think we need to raise the legal enlistment age to that of 21 years old. Let it reflect the national consensus that a boy or girl right out of high school does not have the mentality or maturity to buy beer or enter a Drinking Bar. So why in the hell should they be old enough to be allowed to join the military to go get their legs blown off? Then everyone is like. OMG! he has mental issues. Raise the military enlistment age to 21 just like the drinking age. Get real or STFU! people.
It's rare that I read comments as ignorant and disgusting as yours, "chachito", even in the comment sections of Yahoo and Fox News.
Who's saying this murderer should get sympathy because of his mental issues? I can bet you the people who are most disgusted by this man are veterans like myself who try every day to live up to the ideals of selfless service, sacrifice and honor that are taught to us in boot camp.
You're right. Nobody forced these soldiers to sign up. All our U.S. soldiers are volunteers (though the 'backdoor draft' of inactive reserve recalls has been used on myself and many others). A lot of us join because we don't want to go back to school right after graduating. We want to do something more, to see what we're capable of, to be pushed to our limits, to walk in the footsteps of our fathers or to train in a field that the local community college doesn't provide. Hell, some (probably a good amount) do it because they're from poor families in rural areas and they know the military is a great helping hand towards a better life.
There's a lot of nonsense in your post, but the one that bothers me most is how you say that vets should pay for all their own treatment because it's their own fault they joined. Guess what? We DO pay for our own mental health treatment. The VA does as good a job as it can, but the mental health department is seriously limited and underfunded. One would think someone like yourself would want more funding for war veterans' mental health treatment in order to prevent killers like this from going unnoticed and untreated.
"an Iraq War veteran who was distraught after combat"
More likely a bloodthirsty Iraq War veteran who justified his insatiable urge to kill by saying, "Homeless are worthless like Islamics".
A messed-up 23 year-old vet killing a homeless Vietnam vet who was over 60 years old. Ironic? No. War @!$%#s people up for life, so let's stop making them.
Perhaps he needed to chalk up a bigger body count, as Dave would say. sarcasm
I guess then Chachito if you get hurt at work in any way shape or form that should be on you and your family should wind up homeless and hungry because of it. Your sentiments are disgusting. Although, in this case, I don't give a damn what his "excuse" is. He preyed upon some of the weakest members of society, people with nothing at all, some of them mentally ill themselves. Why them? If he was mentally off the deep end and had no control over what he was doing he would have attempted to kill just anyone who happened to be where he was at the moment. He did this on purpose to these homeless people, it wasn't some insanity, he should receive the death penalty for it but since it's CA I doubt if he'll get it.
I'm with you, "poltergiest". Let's raise the legal age to 21 for enlistment, drinking, voting, signing contracts, marriage, gambling, and driving - no exceptions through permission-of-guardians. No one under 21 allowed to enter any establishment that sells alcohol (stores, stadiums, restaurants, bars, etc.) No bar mitzvahs until the 21st birthday, because then you are a man.
It would reduce the traffic on the roads and crowds at the polls and recruitment offices.
I can tell by those that are attacking our service men/women because of the actions of a few vets this country is in serious trouble. The mentally ill are not only in the military but in our society. Has it be so long ago that a lone nut case shot congresswoman Giffords? He wasn't in the military but tried to join but was denied. Maybe this vet would have been denied entry into the service if he were evaluated before they signed him up.
By unconfirmed reports, he was kicked out of the military so maybe he was unfit for services. If so, the military probably should have given him treatment before turning him loose on society.
@ mailman8
( Turn on sarcasm button) Ah just like the good old days. Only problem with that idea is that a boy does not magically turn into a man just because he had his 21st birthday. So why don't we have him to pass a man test by walking on a bed of burning coal or maybe drop him off in the wildness to find his way home alone? (Turn off sarcasm button)
they joined to serve their country. some people were bad people before some turned bad after, as well same goes for good.
what needs to be looked into is why if was indeed kicked out of the military. before making claim he is suffering from PTSD.
Chachito, I think you have it wrong... The military didn't make him a turd, if you read the article better, you'll see he was Mexican, thus already a scumbag. The type of scumbag such as yourself, who sneaks into this country in the middle of the night with a bunch of other beaners and then has the balls to anonymously post ignorant comments about those who have gone to war when their country asked them to. You don't deserve to breath the same oxygen as these kids, let alone criticize them. Why don't you go back to Mexico where you belong? If you have something to get off your chest, I suggest you say it to the next wounded vet you see. And I hope he beats you within an inch of your worthless life.
Just because you do not know anyone that has been affected mentally by war, doesn't mean it's not a real issue in this country.
Of our homeless 25% are veterans. That number is a clear indication of how little support our troops get after they come home.
I have a friend that has to have a specially trained dog clear rooms for him because of the tolls combat has had on him.
You need to look outside your little bubble of existence and see the whole picture. So you know less than 50 people in the military that weren't affected by combat. That doesn't mean they do not exist or can be dismissed like so many veterans we leave in the gutters after nearly giving up their lives.
I have no idea the reason for the killings, and neither do you. At least I understand that mental instability after combat is a real issue that should never be dismissed or taken lightly. It may be sunny and warm in your neck of the woods, but rest assured, it's always stormy somewhere else.
USAF-Vet923294 - Though I appreciate your informative, analytic, objective, and well thought out comment, this is not the proper forum. This is a place for people to vent their anger, advance their personal objective, and identify a scapegoat so that they can try to make sense of a world in which bad things happen. Although you started off with an excellent comment, it would fit in better if you could blame his schizophrenia on Obama, or liberals, or abortion, the oil companies, gun control or guns, homosexuals, or the media. You could focus on the fact he came here from Mexico, and blame illegal immigrants, although that's a stretch since he has been here since he was 1 year old. Or, post an irrelevant biblical quote, like John March 16. Objectively, you are probably correct that he suffers from schizophrenia, a disease which usually strikes in late teens or early twenties, and it is appropriate (elsewhere) to be sympathetic to him and his victims. However, as you can see from some of the other comments, this is rarely the forum for rational discussion.
Thank you for your service, and I hope that you recover from PTSD.
PTSD is just a crutch that vets use to lay off the consequences of their own actions. I am not saying it doesn't happen but it is rare. Use drugs it's PTSD. Beat your wife it's PTSD. Be a falldown drunk it's PTSD. Can't hold a job it's PTSD. Kill someone it's PTSD. etc etc etc. I grew up in a world where all the men were WW2 vets. They saw combat that today's soldiers can't even imagine. My father was 507PIR 82nd airborne. He jumped in Normandy on D Day. His company took 62% casualities in one months fighting. Out of 136 men in that company That jumped on D Day only 52 returned to England a month later. Some men in his company were executed by the Nazis after they surrendered. The company was back in fighting shape just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. Where he was trucked to the Ardennes in a summer uniform during the coldest European winter in one hundred years. For another few months of heavy fighting. All that and not one twitch his entire life. All my friend's fathers were the same. One was a belly gunner on a B-17. His chance of surviving was almost in the single digits. Not one twitch.
Devil's Son is attacking our military as a bunch of cowards. You must be a really great guy. Let me guess, Tea Party? They're the only people I know that hate our troops that much.
It is patently obvious, to me at least, that the vast majority of posters here have never been closer to combat than a John Wayne movie. Nobody, but nobody!, can tell what combat is going to do to a person, least of all the person him/herself, until they are there, have been there, and are finally away from it, hopefully to decompress and not prepare for another deployment into combat too soon again. During World wat II, the average GI spent 40 days in actual combat out of his entire 4-year (or so) enlistment. During Vietnam, the average GI spent 300+ days in combat out of a 365-day tour of duty. PTSD, anyone? Its worse now, what with multiple deployments. My first cousin was one of the Battered Bastards of Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge). I was a Forward Air Controller who supported SOG in Vietnam. With those two thinngs in my background, I think I have some grounds to speak with a bit of authority.
The Military needs to come up with another type of stress test for enlistment...Killing the homeless", should of caught that one...Or maybe it is they are desperate.
Too bad they have to risk their lives for idiots like you.
I wouldn't blame this behavior on the military. You would have a case if say, every murderer were a vet. But there are plenty of serial killers that were never in the military. They were always civilians. There always a violent nut job in any city, state, country, army, race, religion, (planet?)...
The only difference is that every military/ex-military nut job has been trained to kill, that's why we are extra critical.
Devil's Son,
Don't drink, don't smoke (I quit), never beat my wife, never committed a crime, only use the drugs the Doctor's prescribed for my Crohn's Disease (and I always ask numerous questions about them before I do) and never beat my kids. Still, that doesn't stop the nightmares, anxiety, or the irritability when I go out in public. It doesn't stop the paranoia or change the fact that I have been diagnosed with it.
And if you did a LITTLE research, you could Google PTSD and WWII and find out it wasn't spoken about, but was very common. Suffering in silence does not mean it did not exist.
Thanks Bush
Get a life. Actions were approved by a Democratic congress. Correct?
Based on lies
It wasn't a Democratic Congress, majority was Republican from 2001 to 2006, NICE TRY
fact is both parties enable the military industrial complex, our system sucks
97 to 3 vote Yeah it was all the Democtrats. BTW Obama voted against it. So all you peace loving Republicans post how great Obama is since you all agree wiith his anti war stance. Oh wait he is black.
Lol!!!
Moveforward2012,
Better check your facts! Republicans were in control until June 2001 (prior to 9/11) when Senator Jim Jeffords switched from Republican to Democrat - giving Democrats control (by one seat) and making Tom Dasche Majority Leader.
Look it up. Democrats were in control when the War on terror was declared and approved by congress!
Right-wingers are the most insane since they actually believe Bush and the neocons never existed ... even when *Dick* & Lez Cheney appear on Faux Noize to remind us that Bush Gitmo torture techniques won the Iraq & Afghanistan wars … and especially when they blame the 107th Congress Dems for signing to the Iraq War Resolution.
Further proof of Bush and neocon non-existence was yesterday in South Carolina as Romney, McKook, Bolton …. and S.C. Gov. Queen Nikki who blamed Obama for the downgraded-employment at War industrialist-profiteer Boeing in S.C. … all frothing in hate & death with every statement because everything is Obamas' fault and the usual war mongering and impending end-of-the-world unless Romney is voted for President ...
... and McKook, the senile and probably insane cantankerous 'ol fool snortling and chorlting believing he was funny and humorous joking about the Viet Nam War, .... who actually called today's' marines fags ... several times ... in front of old veterans-of-wars who McKook called *old geezers* and were all idiot-smiling along with Romney, Bolton, McKook and Nikki ...
Yes they all accomplished this with not one mention of Bush … and they never will, not before, not now and after … unless they come into high office … then Bush will be remembered as the greatest president ever !
ON this issue it made no difference who was in control. In Congress Republicans voted to conquer and invade almost 100% along party lines as usual. Democrats voted a little more than half for the crusade. The real problem was with the Bush II lies, that is what the Democrats believed were true and voted to support him and bush II knew that if he didn't lie he wouldn't get their support - from Democrats anyway. If the Democrats knew he had lied there never would have been an Iraqi invasion. Fortunately some in Congress used their brain and saw through Bush II's agenda of a war of pleasure. It's too bad we don't have more thinking people in Congress.
lets see...the democrat nancy pelosi sponsored "the regime change act of 1998"...president clinton signed it in december 1998
george w bush was governor of texas at the time.
...why do neo-liberals forget little things like this.
It seems like the detainee has mental health issue. If he was kicked out of the military due to his behavior that he was being wronged; they should get him mental health help. The military system is run by civilians who have had no combat experience, thus they have no clue how to help combat veterans, or even understand what their needs are.
The fourth victim was a Vietnam veteran. He should not have been homeless.
"Homeless", is now a meaningless description. Whatever happened to winos, bums, and druggies?
Some folks fall on hard times due to a myriad of reasons---they are the "homeless". The rest are, generally, the "worthless".
Just because he was a Vietnam Veteran he shouldn't be homeless?
Well, I hate to break it to you...but we have a lot of vets that are homeless. In many cases vets that should easily be able to get some form of benefit (even without the full 20) are denied. Medical usually is a tough cookie to get unless you can make sure it is properly anotated in your records before getting out (and you get to keep a copy in case the original gets lost). Sometimes it just isn't as easy as you think to get the benefits they need.
Sorry, pal, but no free rides just because someone is a vet. If vets get free government sponsored health care, then we ALL should. If vets get subsidized housing, then we ALL should.
A lot of vets are homeless because they are largely comprised of the population's, shall we say "less gifted", and therefore their numbers are disproportionate when it comes to being homeless. Hey, like Gingrich said, "take a shower and get a job".
So SPIKE, you think the killing of the homeless strikes you as a generally good idea, then? I take you personally know a lot of homeless and you can tell at a glance what category they fit in. Drinking buddys or drug pals, are you? I wasted more of my time, talking to yet another "human" tape recorder. Shame on me.
Enjoy your labels, your lack of compassion, and your imagined superiority and pray to your god that you never become homeless.
Chachito,
So when a vet gets injured and has no Workers' Comp to cover that injury, you mean no one should have workers' Comp?
BTW, Vets don't get "free health care." They get VA Benefits INSTEAD of workers' comp! Give up your ability to be covered from injuries at work and THEN ask a Vet to give up theirs!!
Americans are so ignorant... You even don't know that over 270 000 veterans are homeless and have nowehere to go !!!
Homeless people all suffer from mental diseases this is why they cannot care for themselves or hold a job !
Spike - worthless? Wow, you are seriously arrogant. And insulting.
Is it PTSD?
The DOD may need to do a survy and to have a follow-up to those returning military personnel.
The one who killed the ranger in WA was a veteran of Iraq.
Condolences and prayers go to the victims' loved ones.
Wonder how many crimes he must have committed in Iraq when no one was watching? The US deliberately sent thugs, killers, gangsters to Iraq, to wreack havoc on the Iraqis. God damn George Bush and his supporters.
Not just that... but also young people are mentally 'broken down' in basic training, etc. and turned into killing machines. It's not surprising that leaves many violent with mental health problems. Of course, the government then turns them loose on society without the care they need and takes no responsibility for the monsters they've created.
Well he missed one thug and @!$%# for brains loser....RICK...you. Most of those men do their job, and do it with as much dignity as they can muster. Its a hell hole setting, and thugs, and gangsters and America haters like you, you punk...are not accepted. Go back to your mommy and tell her your a communist coward, and you want to move to Iran or Iraq. Hell Ill buy your ticket, as I imagine you cant afford it.
JAG you moron!...No one is broken down in Basic. Its a selection process, and the wimps and babies like you are sent home. Your mommy is waiting to breast feed you, you frightened loser.
Lighten up, Francis.
Richard H. Pratt
You are so nasty !!! I have no doubt that you are a republican idiot !
You have no idea what you're talking about, because you are ignorant.. you confuse fascims with socialism with communism.. You are a brainwashed moron that repeat all the faux news lies like a parrot without knowing what is the meaning of those words !
For your info all the countries in the EU are good old capitalist countries, none are socialist ! just like canada or australia are capitalists and WE ALL HAVE GREAT SOCIAL PROGRAMS PAID BY OUR TAXES BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE WANT OUR TAXES TO GO, TO GOOD USE !!!! AND IT BENEFIT ALL OF US, EUROPEANS !
Your politicians uses your taxes to pay for your insane military machine that benefits them, only, a military that is not even capable of winning a war. YOUR TAXES GOES IN SMOKE and brings nothing back to the american citizens ! it is a total waste !!!
lookatmycastle:
Your icon and moniker suggest you are not American. Your grammar and syntax suggest you are not an American. Your post declaring, "You Americans" suggest you are not an American. Your comments suggest you have quite a disdain for the American Citizenry. Your comment about the taxes paid by the citizens of this country is skewed at the worst and erroneous at best. Our taxes do help the citizenry in the various forms of assistance available to them (among other things too numerous to list like Medicaid, Medicare, VA benefits--you know, health care services). It also helps those who are not citizens, people like yourself if you choose to come here and take advantage of this system. So I suggest to you that you moderate yourself and obtain a greater understanding of what you submit as knowledge before you convince everyone who reads your information that you are a raving fool.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! "Stripes" rules!
Rick
You mean people who supported the War? People like Hilary Clinton,John Keary,Diane Feinstein,Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.
The military health system is reliant on psychotopic drugs and even anti-psychotics to manage stress in war zones. Read the list of side effects of any anti-psychotic.
There are veterans out of the hundreds of thousands who were criminal when they enlisted and remain criminal when they were discharged. Many would have gotten into trouble whether they joined the military or not. Hopefully most won't be able to justify their crimes with lame excuses. As for the homeless people their chances of acquiring a job without a home, transportation, or a phone are about zero. Nobody chooses to suffer. Targeting the weak and unfortunate is pathetic to say the least. This murderer should be put back in his uniform and dropped off in a terrorist training camp.
"The Times said bystanders had chased down Ocampo about a quarter mile from the scene of the slaying"
Yeah, he was messed up because of the War, that's why he was running and trying to get away!!! Fry his A&&
I have alot of family who served honorably in Iraq and Afghanistan and none of them came back with a blood-lust. I believe that in order to serve these days with all the pharmaceuticals and self perscribers out there that we have to do a more rigirous screening of those who want to become soldiers. As we all know some bad apples are spoiling a sacred and honorable institution. this is not something political people. These are the people who safeguard our liberties and freedoms.. We have to do better to make these vets transition better into normal civilian society.
Oh and one more thing. there spike. U must be a tool of the highest degree. I have a large population of homeless vets who are camped about ten miles into ocala national forest from my moms house. My father is a combat vet from Vietnam and we go out there to check the ""platoon"" as my father puts it. These are the vets who America forgot. all of them are still dealing with the PTSD from THAT war. and now we are seeing some younger faces about my age out there. The only things some vets have to turn to are drugs and booze. All of the guys out there are good men, But they were only BOYS when they were DRAFTED. Remember that after Vietnam we did away with the draft. So those vets were basically forced into service and most didn't want to go but had a deep love of our country, and had fathers who had just served themselves in Korea. Before you go running your mouth off about having the homeless as only druggies and bums is very near sighted. Have u ever spoke to a man with a sign that says will work for food sign? And if you know of any drug dealers that will give their drugs away then sure some are getting high. But remember that most are flat broke, Yeah some will rob u blind and Yes some are scum but that is true everywhere..... Even your church.
To all the familys out there with sons and daughters still serving in the afghan theater I pray that your blue star will not turn gold.
And if it does remember they died fighting for us.
I'm not sure the military is a sacred institution. Sanctified killing?
The military is used to train killing machines and nothing else !!
It is time that the military is put to good use, like enforcing laws to save many animal species in seas and on land ! Then I will have some respect for it, but as long as it is used to kill and destroy to me they are just murderers !
From the description of his behavior, he would have been a malfunction, military or not. You people that seem to hate the military, I wonder who you would fare yourselves in the service ? War isnt the soldiers fault morons. War is a Government failure, laid on the Soldier. Without them, you would be speaking some other language, and you would not have a computer to hide behind. As for intelligence your dead wrong about that also. The AFQT scores of all military services combined indicates higher than average Intelligence. You people speak @!$%# out of your blow hole.
At: Chachito. Chachito you need to STFU! How dare you compare everyday Americans to combat vets who have seen the harships of war? They aren't asking for a free ride. They are traumatized Americans who went to war to let some douche bag like you have a free say. Personally I would kick your @$%% ass if I heard you say that. I am a veteran myself and let me tell you something. It is very difficult to adjust to civilian life after years in the military. You just don't get it unless you have been there yourself. Of course you probably would not even make it through Basic Training or A.I.T (Advanced Infantry Training) which is so physically and mentally demanding that I have seen grown men cry and quit. So STFU! about vets getting a free ride. You have no idea what you are talking about. It's like comparing oranges to avacados. STFU!
Pltergiest...you have it down right. Most of these punks would fail in Basic. You said what I tried to say. Good job.
..Only in California...Right?...I'll be waiting for the movie script to follow this one....Sound Track from the Tallking Heads...`Psycho Killer' and `Life During Wartime'. Someone is going to make money from the tragic truth(s) in this story.
Stephen -
There have been dozens of films from the last century already on this subject. There are a few, feature films and documentaries, from so early in this century. One would have thought that after all the wars and the countless millions of lives lost and ruined, these films would have been enough to the end the insanity. And, yet, the madness continues. The film industry pales in making money when compared to Military Industrial Complex.
He was hearing and seeing things? Every time I read about military men who start killing I think that the military is conducting mind control experiments on these soldiers. There are just too many "PTSD" cases that involve murder. What can Direct Energy Weapons, Silent Sound, and Voice to Skull technology get a young man to do?
What a surprise that this ahole is mexican..He's trying to use PTSD as a cover up..
Killed a real veteran blaming it on our military.. Sounds so typical for his race..
you are such an embarassment.
I fought in the sand box and seen lots of bad crap. When I was done I had bad dreams and simple crap would scare the crap out of me. You know what? Life freaking goes on. You man up and put the crap behind you and live your life. These vets that go out and do this crap give us honorable vets a bad name and I am sick of t. If they had never served in the military they would have still been messed up people and just blamed it on something else. I served with criminals, perverts, racist both black and white and oh ya SOME DAM FINE FELLOW VETS. I joined the army because I am a proud American and wanted to serve my country.
"chachito" you sound like someone that would never amount to nothing in life. You are talking out your butt. You categorize all vets and for that you are an idiot. This country has many fine upstanding solders and a few bad eggs. You find them in any and all professions, not just solders. I bet you have never done a thing to better our fine country. The reason for the high number of homeless vets is due to the economy and its lack of jobs.
Look at all the articles ran on msnbc in the last 2 years. How many work place killings, murder suicides, serial killers and other killings has there been. Look at the things they blame it on. Bottom line is, when bad people do bad things they blame it on the things they have experienced in life. They need to just take personal responsibility and not play the blame game. That would include the "BAD" Vets.
Signed a Proud Combat Vet.
Confused: Absolutely the best most accurate post by far!
Growing up in a small farm town in So. California I had a choice to go in the military or work on a farm after graduating H.S. I joined the Air Force to take the burden off my parents because they did their part. I later became a engineer for Hughes and worked on the Space Shuttle, Siemens on solar thin film technology and ARCO. Military can be a great starting point for those that are not hand fed through college by their parents. Those that are hand fed continue to demand the tax payers hand feed them after they drop out of college or H.S. they want daddy gov. to pay them to play x-box because they can't get the pay they "deserve". Veterans that are injured in the military need to be compensated and they deserve all the compensation, at least they did something for the country, not like generational welfare families. Simple rule...You don't want to pay for injured solders, tell your government, no more wars.
He was kicked out of the military. The Times could not confirm this but they did not hesitate to repeat gossip.
@chachito- You sound like a big cry baby and a hater. DO you not have friends at home and feel you must take your anger out on all us veterans with your un-patriotic/un-american poor choice of typed thoughts? Its remarks like yours that are completely uncalled for and a reason why this country is the way it is!
When you next see a veteran you remember what Jon Huntsman said, "I will always put my Country First!"
Which vision of our country? Who gets to decide what America stands for? Service to your country can be a noble thing, but what happens when your country gets involved in an unjust war based on lies? If we go to war to protect oil company profits is that patriotic?
chachito's comment is crude at best, but there is some truth in it. This was a war of choice not patriotism, those who have served were volunteers in a war we didn't NEED to fight. The sacrifices and costs of these wars didn't protect freedom or save America from a terrible threat.
@liberal gun owner- get the fact straight! i wasn't talking about the war but how chacheeto attacked us veterans with his poor choice of comments like, "we (veterans) are all scum." which is not the case!
So why blame the troops for our "elected government officials" faults?
I say if you bought gas or oil for your car or job in the last 20 years you supported the iraq war.
See i can say some gibberish like you guys too and no one agrees with you.
Your complaining and whining is not patriotic and did not protect freedom or america!
Reread the comment, he didn't say veterans are "scum" he said veterans of these wars are dupes. They volunteered to fight for a lie.
And there you go again, setting the definition of "patriot" to mean "people who agree with my narrow viewpoint". If you're going to go around spouting the "my country first" line be prepared for the fact that your country includes people who don't agree with you. They are not "whining", they are not unpatriotic, they are questioning the "elected officials" actions.
@Jewel Krayan- wut r u smokin? And pass it my way cuz it sounds like the bomb! LOL J/K
I have Ptsd and i dont recall them doing any mind control experiments on me. :)
It is very sad, tragic for the families of the victims and heart breaking to hear it was a military man who committed the tragic slaying of the homeless.
I think our Troops who are coming home from this fuc^^^ up ass war, should have the best medical treatment possible, and treatment should be provided to them for as long as it takes to make sure that they are healthy mentally as well as physically.
I think they should have some kind of psychological coach/help rather they request it or not, just to make sure they are adjusting back to civilian life.
I know that the homeless people had love ones, and all worthy to respect so my prayers go out to their families and to the family of the combat soldier, may he get the help he needs.
In any war a certain percentage of people are going to find out that they like the killing. Its one of the inevitable consequences of war.
All this military worship gets really old. The military isn't made up of a different kind of people, it draws recruits from the general population - some are crazy, most aren't. Some are heroes most aren't.. they're just regular people doing a job. I don't hate the military, I'm a veteran myself, but not all soldiers are good people and some of the things we as a country have done deserve criticism. There's a reason Vietnam vets weren't treated well when they came back... we did some really nasty things in the name of anti-communism, and soldiers ( those vets) were the ones who did it.
Killing in Nam was the way it was,you had no choice,it was you or them.
You had the choice to refuse to serve in an unjust war, thousands took that path. Dick Cheney got deferment after deferment, Bush Jr used family connections to get into the national guard, many fled to Canada. I'm not saying its a good choice, or an easy one, just that there is always a choice google Sophie Scholl for a good example.
On Saturday, mourners wept and placed flowers at the scene of death of the latest stabbing victim, who was described by friends as a Vietnam War veteran in his 60s named John.
You will never see a veteran living on the street, in europe !
Shame on you, America ! It is an outrage !
politicians uses the masses for their own interests and benefits and it is about time that americans realizes that.
Americans are endoctrinated into believing that social programs is socialism when in fact, social programs are created to better the lives of all citizens. Social programs are not socialism but good common sense. Social programs allow crime rates and poverty to go way down.. They benefit a whole society this is why all modern countries do have them.
Anyone believing the lies of faux news and others are FOOLS !
270 000 american veterans DO LIVE ON YOUR STREETS !! and more will !
I would be a soldier I would just leave the military that now serves only the interest of Halliburton, blackwater and politicians like Dick Cheney or Bush.
They uses you just like kings used the populace to fight THEIR wars !
As a Vietnam Vet I was drafted into the military to fight commys and the zombies in the jungle.
i am sick of people using iraq as an excuse send him back there may he suffer
Distraught is not an excuse for killing people.