Time To Pay The Price Of War

The Lives of Others is a 2006 German movie about a secret policeman who spies on civilians suspected of criticizing the East German government. As well as revealing the consequences for the policeman of eavesdropping on individuals, the movie argues that a society's suicide rate (which the East German government went to great lengths to keep secret) indicates the moral health and legitimacy of the society.

This past July, 38 American soldiers committed suicide, the highest rate since the Army began keeping count. A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes. If you have ever known someone who lost a family member to suicide, you've had a glimpse of the devastation suicide leaves in its wake.

Help has been slow to come for members of our military and our veterans in crisis. Nearly 1 million veterans from various wars await a ruling from the Veterans Administration on their claims for disability. The VA estimates that in the next several months, another 1.2 million claims will come in as more troops return and more veterans recognize that they suffer from PTSD...