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| Image from The White House Blog |
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: "If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States." Dial 988
A Sacred Respect
There is A Sacred Respect that "We,
The People" owe to Every Soul who
sacrifices themselves to keep us free
from the time that we are born!
And "We, The People" can feel This
Sacred Respect in our souls—with all
of our heart and mind, body and soul,
we can feel This Sacred Respect!
It is A Sacred Respect to honor each and
every single Veterans death, whether it
is on the battlefield of war, or on "the
other, lesser-known battlefield!"
So, if you are Military Personnel, you
feel This Sacred Respect absolutely, for
you would truly move Heaven and Earth
to honor each and every single Veteran!
And if you are A Grassroots Patriot, you
feel The Sacred Respect completely, for
you would honor each and every single
Veteran's sacrifice, service and heroism!
And if you are An Everyday Patriot, you
feel A Sacred Respect entirely, for you
would offer your condolences to say,
"Their Service Mattered Dearly!"
For, there is A Sacred Respect that "We,
The People" feel so deeply in Our Souls:
It is The Sacred Respect to honor the lives
of every one of Our United States Veterans!
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., Small All White in the Forest)
"I am no barrier to its sun; the light and I are as one!"
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My Writing About IAVA's National Moment Of Silence, A.K.A. "The #GoSilent Campaign (for 2012): For Memorial Day 2012, I participated in the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) national moment of silence for the all of Americans who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11th, 2001, in order to remember and honor their lives, their legacies and their last full measure of devotion for our country. And I also listened to patriotic music that celebrates the heroic sacrifice of all the men and women in the United States Military (both past and present), whose selfless dedication made it possible for American to become free and to remain free! –Paul Whiting (written May 28th, 2012, revised May 30th, 2022, revised July 19th, 2022, revised January 31st, 2023 and revised May 29th, 2023)
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My Writing About Saying 'Have A Memorable Memorial Day': On Memorial Day, rather than saying "Happy Memorial Day," I choose instead to say, "Have A Memorable Memorial Day," or I simply say, "Memorable Memorial Day." For, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, like a memorial service, and is truly about honoring the men and women who died while serving in the United States Military. –Paul Whiting (written May 27th, 2013, revised May 30th, 2022, revised May 31st, 2022 and revised May 29th, 2023)
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My Writing About God Never Forgetting Those Who Have Served Him: For those of you who have lost loved ones, while your loved ones were serving in the United States Military, I wish you 'A Memorable Memorial Day' as a day of loving reflection and healing peace. Please always remember that God never forgets those who have served Him. –Paul Whiting (written May 30th, 2022, revised May 31st, 2022 and revised May 29th, 2023)
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My Writing About IAVA's National Moment Of Silence, A.K.A. "The #GoSilent Campaign" (for 2022) [May 30th, 2022 Update—Continued (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
For Memorial Day 2022, I participated in the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) national moment of silence for those "who made the ultimate sacrifice, including those we have lost due to their exposures to toxic chemicals while serving our great country" in order to remember and honor their lives, their legacies and their last full measure of devotion for our country.
And I also showed my support for the "Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act," or the PACT Act (H.R. 3967), which is "a culmination of years of work by national veterans groups, to finally establish that if a veteran has suffered an injury from toxic exposures like from burn pits during their deployments, they will be granted disability and healthcare benefits by the VA [Veterans Administration]."
And so, I sent letters to my Senators, via the IAVA website, urging them to support passing this critical legislation ASAP. And, after I sent those letters to my Senators, I also made a donation to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) in order to show my support for IAVA's #GoSilent Campaign and for our U.S. Veterans!
–Paul Whiting (written May 30th, 2022, revised May 31st, 2022, revised July 19th, 2022, revised December 27th, 2022, revised January 31st, 2023, revised March 10th, 2023, revised May 26th, 2023, revised May 29th, 2023 and revised September 10th, 2023)
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My Writing About IAVA's National Moment Of Silence, A.K.A. "The #GoSilent Campaign (for 2023): For Memorial Day 2023, I participated in the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) national moment of silence "for our nation’s heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice," including "those who lost their lives during the Global War on Terror (GWOT)," which is "a war that continues to be waged to this day," because the "GWOT has killed more than 7,000 U.S. troops across more than two decades – every one of them volunteers." And I also made a donation to the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) in order to show my support for IAVA's #GoSilent Campaign and for our U.S. Veterans. –Paul Whiting (May 29th, 2023)
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My Poetic Notes:
The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: This poem is in memory of those in the United States Military who served their country defending democracy and who died on "the other, lesser-known battlefield" of suicide.
By the way, this poem is also a rewrite of a poem that I wrote for Veterans Day that is titled, "A Sacred Trust," which is published on this blog. (Please see "A Sacred Trust-Style Poem" in labels for the poem.)
And this poem was also published on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer."
This poem was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com
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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release July 06, 2011
Statement by the President on Change of Condolence Letter Policy
As Commander in Chief, I am deeply grateful for the service of all our men and women in uniform, and grieve for the loss of those who suffer from the wounds of war - seen and unseen. Since taking office, I’ve been committed to removing the stigma associated with the unseen wounds of war, which is why I’ve worked to expand our mental health budgets, and ensure that all our men and women in uniform receive the care they need.
As a next step and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the military chain of command, I have also decided to reverse a long-standing policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide while deployed to a combat zone. This decision was made after a difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy, and I did not make it lightly. This issue is emotional, painful, and complicated, but these Americans served our nation bravely. They didn’t die because they were weak. And the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed must change. Our men and women in uniform have borne the incredible burden of our wars, and we need to do everything in our power to honor their service, and to help them stay strong for themselves, for their families and for our nation.
https://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/06/statement-president-change-condolence-letter-policy
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International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP):
Welcome!
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is dedicated to: preventing suicidal behaviour, alleviating its effects, and providing a forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers and suicide survivors.
Founded by the late Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr. Norman Farberow in 1960, IASP now includes professionals and volunteers from more than fifty different countries. IASP is a Non-Governmental Organization in official relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) concerned with suicide prevention.
If you are feeling suicidal or know of someone who needs help, browse Help (https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/) to find a crisis center anywhere in the world.
https://www.iasp.info
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (please see the hyperlink below for the website):
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While some areas may be currently able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022.
Talk To Someone Now
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
What Happens When I Call The Lifeline?
First, you’ll hear a message telling you that you’ve reached the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
We’ll play you a little hold music while we connect you.
A skilled, trained crisis worker who works at the Lifeline network crisis center closest to you will answer the phone.
This person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support, and share any resources that may be helpful.
Remember, your call is confidential and free.
Should I Call The Lifeline?
No matter what problems you’re dealing with, whether or not you’re thinking about suicide, if you need someone to lean on for emotional support, call the Lifeline.
People call to talk about lots of things: substance abuse, economic worries, relationships, sexual identity, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and loneliness, to name a few.
https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: "If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States." Dial 988
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This "Small All White in the Forest" Post No. 143 was edited on September 27th, 2023.
"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
