U.S. Marine Sgt. rips Sarah Palin for blaming PTSD for her son’s arrest.
Former U.S. Marine sergeant and Navy officer Chris Mark blasted Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin after she blamed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for her son’s recent arrest “in a domestic violence case in which his girlfriend said he punched her in the head and threatened to fire a rifle,” according to police and court records.
As it turns out, 26-year-old “Track Palin’s public records indicate that not only did he only serve one year in Iraq, which was under the George W. Bush administration, he also didn’t even see one moment of combat.” A fellow soldier who preferred to remain anonymous spoke out on the matters saying: “Speaking as a combat vet who literally slept in the same barracks as Track Palin, his mother is wrong and her son is not a victim.“
Palin made her remarks last Wednesday and a day later Mark posted an open letter to her on his website, Global Risk Info, which normally discusses “various security and risk management topics.”
Noting that he was a Republican and “a former US Marine and US Navy Officer with a Combat Action Ribbon as well as service connected disabilities,” who served with and am friends with “dozens of combat veterans” suffering from “various injuries and wounds to include PTSD,” he wrote in part:
I recently read your comments related to PTSD in which you attempted to excuse your son’s arrest on domestic abuse charges and firearm charges by referencing his supposed PTSD. Based upon your previous comments I am not surprised that you would choose to use this very serious condition as a political football and, once again, attempt to divert blame from your own family’s abhorrent, violent behavior.
He continued his letter, speaking about Track Palin’s well documented violent past:
In 2014 your entire family was involved in a late night ‘drunken brawl’ at a party in which Track Palin (the accused domestic abuser) was involved in a bloody fight. While you publicly stated how proud you were at your children’s violent actions, maybe this should have been a sign that Track has a problem. It is certainly curious that you did not feel the need to reference his supposed PTSD in this situation and instead stated: “…my kids’ defense of family makes my heart soar!” Maybe, instead of encouraging Track’s violence, you should have taken the opportunity to get him help. Maybe, instead of being the result of PTSD, your son was simply trying to uphold the stated Palin family values and “…make your heart soar” by abusing a woman.
After discussing how PTSD is “stigmatized in the media and not well understood by the general public,” and noting that “An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States,” Mark goes on to characterize Palin’s remarks about Track’s arrest as “ignorant and foolish statements.”
“While I do not propose to speak for all veterans, I am clearly not alone in my views regarding your unfortunate statements,” he continued. “They were unfortunate for the many veterans who face further disdain and discrimination based upon your inaccurate and ignorant portrayal of those who suffer with PTSD as well as the causes of the condition.”
He concluded his letter writing:
While I would personally prefer that you simply avoid public life and simply fade away, if you insist on trying to use your “celebrity status” for a cause, please educate yourself on the facts of PTSD and try to help veterans by using your significant influence in a more productive, and less political manner. There are a number of veteran’s organizations to which you can donate time, money and energy to make a difference. Two organizations you may want to consider is the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation and the Recon & Sniper Foundation.
You can watch Mark speaking to CNN’s Brooke Baldwin in the clip below:
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