As of the writing of this page, in late May of 2016, a social media campaign is underway to raise awareness concerning the rate of suicide among active duty soldiers and veterans. This rate has been quoted as roughly 22 suicides per day. This number is controversial due to the sampling method used in the report that sparked this campaign and is likely incorrect.
Be that as it may, even the most conservative estimate of soldier suicide, at roughly one per day is considerably higher than that of the average civilian.
Organizations exist to help soldiers deal with the complex issues that can lead to suicide. Several of them are listed below. While raising awareness can be a good thing, ensuring that the organizations that provide direct services to soldiers have sufficient funding to carry out their work is arguably more effective.
To that end, you can donate to them and then go on living your life. Your donation will have a more tangible effect than your awareness.
We lead busy lives and can only maintain awareness of those things that most directly impact us. The rest fade quickly into the background. That’s okay. That’s the way things are. But if an issue, like soldier suicide, crosses your path and makes you want to do something, then please – donate.
For your donation, I’ll do something fun in return.
My friend David Cooper recently nominated me for the 22 push-up challenge. I took it up, but because of my feelings on raising awareness versus more concrete actions like donating to the organizations listed below, I issued another challenge.
Make a donation to an organization that works to reduce and prevent soldier suicide and post an image of the receipt of that donation to my Facebook wall or in the comments of this blog and I’ll do 22 push-ups in your name and in that of the organization to which you donated.
To make this more entertaining, I won’t just do the boring push-ups that you might do any old day at the gym or in your living room. I’ll incorporate something fun into them.
So far, I’ve done push-ups while a goat ate off my back. I’ve done push-ups with a chicken on my back and with a four-year-old clinging to my back. I’ve done them on my knuckles in the middle of the street. One person requested a set in a tree. When I have the opportunity, I’ll try to do some underwater. Just something fun and silly that you can share with your friends and that makes your donation a little more entertaining.
So if you’re reading this, then please, make a donation. Make me push.
Here is a list of organizations you can donate to;
Stop Soldier Suicide
Check out the posts below for the push-ups that I’ve done for people’s donations so far. Enjoy!
