Political Quotes

“Thank you for this opportunity to publicly recognize September as Suicide Prevention Month. As a member of the Military Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Caucus, my goal is to increase awareness and aid in the prevention of suicide. Although suicide affects thousands of Americans each year, I would like to take a moment to focus specifically on our veterans and the men and women who are currently serving in our United States military. Suicides are increasing at an alarming rate this year for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Recent data shows that suicides are occurring at a rate of approximately one per day for the military. This makes suicide the second-leading cause of death for our troops, surpassed only by combat. The Army, in particular, has seen a 22 percent suicide increase when comparing the first 7 months in both 2011 and 2012. But these are not just numbers and statistics. These are real soldiers and real families impacted by this growing tragedy. This increase became very personal for me again last weekend when I attended a memorial dedication for Lance Corporal Bobby Wiley. Lance Corporal Wiley was a Lima Company marine and the son of my classmate and friend. As a result of Bobby's death, a loving family and Nation grieve with loss.…”