Political Quotes

“I rise today in belated recognition of Post-Traumatic Growth Day--I repeat, post-traumatic growth. Observed annually on June 13 as part of National PTSD Awareness Month, this effort was initiated by Boulder Crest Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit helping veterans, first responders, and their families turn their struggles into strength. When we think about the numbers of veterans and first responders who have experienced an event, the numbers are small but not inconsequential and staggering but, I think, kept too well hidden. For example, over 50 percent of veterans have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Mr. Speaker, let's just go back a little bit in history because 'PTSD' was not always a term of reference and a term of the norm when it came to dealing with stress. In World War I, I believe the term was 'shell shock.' In World War II, the term was 'battle fatigue.' In Vietnam, when I was there, we used to call it the 'thousand-yard stare,' a certain emptiness we would see in others that indicated an increased level of stress.”