Political Quotes

“last February, in my office in Seattle, I sat down with an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran named Stephen Davis and his wife Kim. Stephen and Kim were there to talk to me about their experiences since he returned home and about the invisible wounds of war they were struggling with together every single day. At the meeting Kim did most of the talking. She told me about the nightmares. She told me about the lack of sleep. She talked about the confusion and the anxiety that was now a constant in their lives. But it was the way she summed up her experience since Stephen returned home that struck me hardest. She said her husband still hadn't returned home. She said the husband she had been married to for nearly two decades--although he was sitting directly next to her--was still not back from the war. Do you know what. Despite the fact that we often refer to these wounds as invisible, you could see it. When it came time for Stephen to describe to me his experiences, he shook as he explained how difficult the transition home has been for him, his wife, and for their family. The Davis family's story is no different than what thousands of other families have faced. But their story does have a tragic and frustrating twist. You see, Sergeant Davis knew when he returned home that he had a problem with post-traumatic stress, and he was courageous enough to reach out for help. He sought care and he was diagnosed with PTSD.…”