gulfwarvet: blog 
gulfwarvet's blog
eyes wide open
Published Sep. 21, 2008
Reading this WRAL article about Brucke, I can't help feel that what this cop killing soldier needs is not a chest full of bullets... but truly he needs HELP.
What worries me is that there's many more ticking time bombs out there just waiting to snap... and it's only a matter of time before they all start going off. Too much time in combat is just too much time.
NOT ALL SOLDIERS come home DG (as damaged goods)... but there's an increasing number who are suffering from the mental scars of war, and the DoD is not doing a very good job at repatriating our service members... and many more are coming home with the 'kill switch' left on. The Veterans Administration is left under staffed and under resourced to handle such a continual influx of patients.
You can't just expect people to go overseas, get caught up in all the traumas of war and return all peaceful and happy. Those ghosts live on and in many cases consume their host like a horrid cancer of the mind. Im not a psychologist... but am a veteran who can imagine just what lead up to this scene.
On an aside here, before McVeigh acted out in OKC in '95, he'd gone for help and was turned away by the VA... as all Gulf War vets were at the time. His anti-government feelings had begun prior to military service, but grew disproportionate while in the Gulf conflict and were ripe with confusion rage and hatred by the time he committed his atrocities. Now, certainly, Im comparing apples to oranges here... however:
It'd be interesting to learn more about Brucke's situation before his eventual meltdown here. Are there parallels? How many other cases like this aren't getting attention of the press??
Anyone notice the typo in the WRAL story? They called Brucke "BURKE".... which I noticed the hidden McVeigh inference as in "Burke Armored Car Service" for whom Tim McVeigh worked for a time. Dunno... maybe Im reading into it more than what was really there.
How tragic for all involved.
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GOLO member since April 10, 2008
September 21, 2008 9:52 p.m.
We all need to really look out more for each other as the world seems to be getting more violent every day. Know your neighbors and be the type of neighbor who is willing to help another one.
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
September 21, 2008 7:29 p.m.
There may be a few bad cops out there but compared to the overall numbers of cops in the US, the percentage is way low.
Remember Sep 11, 2001...when everyone else was running away, the cops, firemen, rescue personnel ran to the towers and up the stairs knowing full well that they likely would die!! How many out there are willing to do that?? How many private citizens did you see run toward the towers?? LEO's & all emergency personnel that were off duty voluntarily came in to help!
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
September 21, 2008 7:26 p.m.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1811858,00.html
GOLO member since April 10, 2008
September 21, 2008 7:20 p.m.
GOLO member since October 17, 2007
September 21, 2008 6:20 p.m.
GOLO member since July 12, 2007
September 21, 2008 6:14 p.m.
I certainly concur with others that these soldiers returning home should be evaluated, treated, have therapy sessions. Seeing humans blown to bits; being on constant lookout for snipers and suicide bombers has to wear on anyones psyche. I'll even venture to state some of these returning soldiers would rather not seek help as it would appear on the medical profile/records when attempting to work here and lead a normal life.
Our government should always, at all costs, protect our nation from force, it's their responsibility to keep it functioning properly and take care of the returning soldiers.
GOLO member since October 16, 2007
September 21, 2008 6:06 p.m.
GOLO member since August 4, 2008
September 21, 2008 5:17 p.m.
GOLO member since April 18, 2008
September 21, 2008 5:12 p.m.
True but it shouldn't be. There was a time when the criminal respected the law even if they hated them. But today society is looking so much into why a cop does something, and was it abusive, that they don't consider that some people are out there who are just plailn mean. Maybe our military needs to screen and see if a lot of our men going into service don't have some kind of time bomb ready to snap and are gun hoe to get in service and shoot at someone. When our laws give more rights to the criminal than the crimal chasers something went wrong in this country and the death tolls rise for our officiers. If this man is such a live bomb then he should be put behind bars for life, before he takes a civilian in the aim of fire from his gun.
GOLO member since July 7, 2007
September 21, 2008 5:07 p.m.
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