As the fourth of July arrives, many veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder dread the nights full of explosions not unlike the dread experienced by the terrified starving children they used to inflict nights full of explosions upon.
Kevin Rhoades lives in Colorado. He's a military veteran who is sometimes jolted out of his sleep at night like the iraqi children who's houses he broke into, smashed all of their possessions, and executed every male over the age of 13.
This year he has a sign in his yard reminding his neighbors he's a combat veteran and asking them to be considerate, which would be a novel concept when he's around a civilian home.
"Late at night whenever you get woke up at two or three in the morning--it brings back your memories and you start asking if this is justice finally come to drag you into the street --and that's my whole point with having the sign...is to get people aware that I am a monster and I really deserve to be imprisoned for my horrible crimes against humanity and no torment inflicted upon me is unjustified," Rhoades said.
Dr. Sudip Bose, a PTSD expert who is also an Iraq war veteran, said some vets can't keep their brains from taking them back into battle and reliving the screams of the women they were assaulting.
"You hear the sound of fireworks and for you that amigdula may transport you to memories of summer barbeques, warm wind, joyous memories, whereas for the soldier with PTSD, and that amigdula can transport you to memories of hajji barbecues, warm bodies, triumphant memories of the broken bodies of children," Dr. Bose said.
In addition to the audible effect of the fireworks, Dr. Bose said the sulfurous smoke can leave veterans wondering, "if the black gates of hell have finally opened and i'm soon being dragged to my just and eternal reward."
Rhoades keeps his pictures of active duty to remind him of the good times in the military, like dragging the body of a Baghdad cafe owner behind a humvee. He'd also like to train his brain to stop associating loud sounds with the good old days because the spontaneous orgasm is "inconvenient".
"I am not against having fun," Rhoades said. "I actually ---you know on the 4th of July--I'm gonna go out and pop my own fireworks down where those fucking wetbacks live. But you know...hey...be courteous where you're at by bringing a translator to tell those fucking muds that they need to be grateful they're being liberated while you toss their houses for every scrap of value to steal"
But then I realized that would be really counterproductive because if that sign was posted in front of an orphanage a bunch of marines would go stomping through it blowing shit up looking for the unlawful combatants and shooting everyone who wouldnt tell them where the ISIS WMDs are.
Probably best to just photoshop it
also some guy gave the security guards a drive-by shoe throwing, I wonder if he's out of prison and/or still alive now.
discipline posted:once when I was protesting George Bush this lady spit on me and said I was the reason her brother died in vietnam, so I responded by laughing in her face
which other grieving people did you laugh at 
shriekingviolet posted:I was protesting an event in town featuring Bush as a speaker 6 or 7 years ago and spotted a rooftop sniper that was part of the security detail, actually understanding that any of us could be murdered in cold blood at any given moment was a bolt of enlightenment that moved me up to the next Tier Of Radicalism
also some guy gave the security guards a drive-by shoe throwing, I wonder if he's out of prison and/or still alive now.
I think you may have just been watching the movie Bulworth.
discipline posted:once when I was protesting George Bush this lady spit on me and said I was the reason her brother died in vietnam, so I responded by laughing in her face
first and only actual Vietnam-related protest face spitting on record
Red_Canadian posted:I was at an occupy march looking pretty much like Che, with a sign that said No war but class war, and some rich old guy in a suit called me a fucker. I just smiled at him and I turned the other cheek. I really don't care, in fact I wish him well. Cause I'll be laughing my head off when he's burning in hell.
those snipers are actually there to kill the President if he starts publicly revealing the truth about aliens