Veterans and veterans' advocates were outraged after Sarah Palin seemingly linked her son Track's recent arrest on domestic violence charges to President Barack Obama’s neglect of veterans.
In a series of tweets after Palin's remarks, Brandon Friedman, the former digital media director for the Department of Veterans Affairs, argued that Palin was "wading into dangerous territory."
"It's clear her son beats women. Less clear it's related to combat PTSD," he tweeted. "If battering his girlfriend and his reported suicide threat are related to PTSD, then it's probably not helpful to use as a campaign prop."
Friedman went on, over a series of tweets, to share facts about PTSD, which has reached staggering levels. An estimated 7% to 20% of all service members and veterans who have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq may have PTSD, according to some recent studies.
It does in a small percentage of cases, but by and large, sufferers of PTSD are more likely to harm themselves than others.— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) January 20, 2016
Paul Rieckhoff, the head of the nonpartisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America told NBC News that it's "not President Obama's fault that Sarah Palin's son has PTSD" and that Palin should "resist the urge to politicize" it.
"I hope this doesn't become a portable chew toy in a political campaign," he told NBC.
Palin's remarks came during her first campaign speech on behalf of Republican businessman Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, endorsed Trump earlier this week, one day after her son's arrest.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Sarah Palin blames son's arrest on PTSD, President Obamahttp://on.mash.to/1QfaFAiPosted by Mashable News on Wednesday, January 20, 2016
"I guess it’s kind of the elephant in the room," Palin said, alluding to the arrest, "because my own family, going through what we’re going through today with my son, a combat vet having served in a Stryker brigade fighting for you all, America, in the war zone. But my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. They come back hardened."
She added later that "It's a shame that our military personnel even have to question, have to wonder if they're respected anymore."
"It starts from the top. The question, though, it comes from the top, the question, though, that comes from our own president where they have to look at him and wonder, ‘Do you know what we go through? Do you know what we’re trying to do to secure America and to secure the freedoms that have been bequeathed us?'"
Many veterans and soldiers stepped forward to tell their own stories on Twitter. For a time on Wednesday, PTSD was trending.
Second, what she just did there proagates the stereotype we fight so hard of the "crazy, dangerous war veteran." @SarahPalinUSA @politico— Fetch Me My Bayonet! (@CombatCavScout) January 20, 2016
And if @SarahPalinUSA is so concerned about how soldiers are coming back "so hardened," maybe her party should stop sending us. @politico— Fetch Me My Bayonet! (@CombatCavScout) January 20, 2016
The fact is PTS manifests itself in every person affected by it differently. There is no hard and fast rules.— RTK (@CavRTK) January 21, 2016
Because it's not a movie-ish flashback to war. It's not a surge of uncontrollable violence. It's the shame that comes from feeling defective— Nate Bethea (@inthesedeserts) January 21, 2016
In light of recent 'his deployment made him hit his girlfriend' argument, reposting my @WSJ piece on vet stereotypes https://t.co/qPhJ8zadLB— Phil Klay (@PhilKlay) January 20, 2016
Asked about Palin's comments, Trump told CNN that he had encouraged Palin to talk about her son.
"I thought it was good for many other sons and daughters coming back from the Middle East where they have traumatic problems, and I suggested it,” Trump told CNN Wednesday night, arguing that Obama should be held responsible for the poor quality of veterans' care.
The Veterans Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.