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This is an op-ed written by Jerry White, founder of Survivor Corps and author of I Will Not Be Broken: Five Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis, on the Fourth of July, 2008:

My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.”
These are not the words of a pacifist or peacenik. General George
Washington, the canny military strategist and first leader of the
American army, recognized that war is a horror. While we bask in our
independence today, let us also recognize the price paid by those—then
and now—who fight for it. After the Revolution, 25,000 Americans lay
dead. About 25,000 more were seriously wounded or disabled. That is a
high price, indeed, for our freedom. Since 1776, the world has fought
more than 300 wars, and nearly 40 conflicts still rage. The cost
remains steep.

Today, 1.6 million
Americans have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Over 4,000 are dead.
Those who return are missing limbs, are disfigured, are coping with
traumatic brain injuries. Still others have less visible wounds. Over
300,000 now exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress and alienation
here at home. They have broken marriages, unchecked anger, thoughts of
suicide. Their military service may be over, but they and their
families (including over two million children) remain profoundly
affected. The costs related to stress and depressive disorders
may reach $6 billion over the next two years, according to a recent
study by Rand.

And that’s where
we, as civilians, must activate. We must commit ourselves as everyday
people to reach out to these wounded warriors to help them overcome.
Because I am here to tell you, nobody survives trauma alone.

I have spent the
past twelve years building a global network of people helping each
other overcome the terrible cost of war—helping “victims” become
“survivors.” In over 116,000 peer visits across the war-torn regions of
the world, we have learned a few things about what separates those who
lie down and embrace their suffering, and those who rise above, rebuild
their lives, and rejoin their communities.

Survivors who successfully overcome traumatic injuries follow five basic steps.  First, they Face Facts.  These
people don’t run from the truth of what’s happened to them. They don’t
deny injuries, or disfigurement, or anger. They look at them, and
incorporate them into their lives.

Second, they consciously Choose Life.
It is crucial to remind ourselves and each other why life is worth
living. Rising suicide rates must be addressed head on, because most of
these individuals don’t want to die as much as they want their pain and
despair to end.

Third, true survivors Reach Out.  They reject isolation and divisiveness.  They know that, to move out of a war victim mentality and onto the path of positive survivorship, they must drop their shell of anger and resentment.

Fourth, survivors have to Get Moving.
Those traumatized by war, whatever the condition of their bodies, must
get active. We all must take responsibility to do what it takes to “get
in shape” for whatever the future may hold.

The fifth—and perhaps most crucial key to resilience and recovery—is to Give Back.
Survivors recognize that it’s better to be a benefactor, not just a
beneficiary. Everyone can have a role to play and contribute in big and
small ways to our families and neighborhoods. To the veterans who
served in war, I say learn to serve again. Become active members of
your communities. Show your strength, creativity and work ethic to your
friends and neighbors. You may look different, you may feel different,
but you can still contribute.

And to the United
States, as we struggle to recover from the war trauma we experience as
a nation, I offer the same practical advice: Face Facts.  Choose Life.  Reach Out.  Get Moving.  Give Back.
Families and citizens remain divided over whether we should have gone
into Iraq in the first place. The Revolutionary War was no
different—many wanted to avoid war or align with England. (Benjamin
Franklin’s own son, William, the Governor of New Jersey, remained loyal
to Britain throughout the war, as did nearly 20% of the colonists.) But
at the end of the war, then as now, we emerge as Americans.

 

When we can admit
our imperfections and share our strength as survivors, as Americans, we
are united. Certainly, as victims of war we have pain. We know loss and
sacrifice. But we are still strong. Because it is more than just pain
that unites us. It is our shared hope for humanity—our ability to
overcome—that binds us together.

I am convinced that within each human
being lies an inextinguishable flame, an irrepressible voice whose
refrain is unmistakable: I choose freedom. I will not choose to hate,
to wallow in self-pity, to retaliate. I instead choose to live, to
thrive. I believe that this is the American way. Some say we are
becoming less resilient and more cynical as a nation. And, if we keep
making excuses and pushing our responsibilities to each other away,
that is the path we will be on. But, I think we are better than that. I
believe strength and generosity can be found within each and every one
of us.

So, let’s honor our Day of Independence by
uniting in empathy and support for families struggling with fresh
wounds. In our mutual survivorship, there is no “us” and “them”—no
civilian versus military, democrat versus republican, victim versus
survivor. We are united in our commitment to one another. Choose
resilience and optimism. Choose to reach out to those who are
suffering. Let our lost loved ones, and their memories, cheer us onward
and upward. And as fireworks explode behind the Washington Monument
this July 4^th,
let it commemorate and shout out America’s characteristic optimism and
can-do confidence that we can and will overcome this “plague of
mankind.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Survivor Corps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.