It’s the token phrase we all love to mutter… Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:

New data from a public health registry that tracks the health effects of 9/11 suggest that as many as 70,000 people may have developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the terrorist attacks.

The estimate, released Wednesday by New York City’s Department of Health, is based on an analysis of the health of 71,437 people who enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry. They agreed to be tracked for up to 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the study was based on answers they volunteered about their health two and three years after the attack.

Of the estimated 400,000 people believed to have been heavily exposed to pollution from the disaster, data suggests that 35,000 to 70,000 people developed PTSD and 3,800 to 12,600 may have developed asthma, city health officials said.

They include rescue and recovery workers, lower Manhattan residents, area workers, commuters and passers-by.

Overall, half of the respondents said they had been in the dust cloud from the collapsing towers; 70 percent witnessed a traumatic sight, such as a plane hitting the tower or falling bodies; and 13 percent sustained an injury that day.

It’s strange because 9/11 was also the catalyst to our invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.  What do the studies say about the troops in the Middle East:

Nearly one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is currently suffering from depression or stress disorders, according to the latest and most comprehensive study of current and former military service members, released today.

Less than half of those 300,000 veterans have received care for depression or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the study, signaling significant problems with the U.S. mental healthcare system.

The study shows that the stress disorders may be more prevalent and lasting than previously known. Although the Army has conducted annual evaluations of troops deployed in Iraq, the new study, conducted by the Rand Corp. and funded by the California Community Foundation, is the first to try and assess the mental health of the 1.65 million service members that have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Fuck the Colbert Nation.  We’re now the PTSD Nation.

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Two men get married. Two men have a child.  Two men divorce.  One of the men kidnaps the child and flees to Israel?  (Insert record scratch here.)

The first ever kidnapping of a gay married couple’s child happened just a few weeks ago in New York.  In a unusual turn of events,  the estranged ex-husband dragged the kid all the way to Israel.

The father and child were found in Jerusalem five days ago and the child returned to his (other) father in New York.  Strangely, the news made little splash in either American or Israeli news sources:

Israeli police found 23-month-old Jedidiah Hyett-Glazer in Jerusalem and returned him to his legal father, Josh Glazer, of Manhattan.

“It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world to have him back,” Glazer said by phone from Israel. “I was really so happy to see he was OK and well. He was a little dirty and hadn’t been bathed, but none of that mattered.

Glazer’s ex-partner, Eric Hyett, was not immediately arrested. Authorities in Israel were still mulling whether to take him into custody and return him to New York to face charges of custodial interference, said Glazer’s lawyer, Sam Ferrara.

That’s it?  The man stole a baby and took him to Israel and they’re still “mulling” over taking him into custody?  What are the legal boundries in a situation like this?  Are there restrictions on the Israeli police from arresting Americans?  If so, does anyone else see a major gaping bull-shit loop hole here that needs plugging?

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Dubbed as “the first ever kidnapping of a child of a same-sex couple”, ex-husband #1, Eric Hyett, kidnapped his child from ex-husband #2, Joshua Glazer, and flew to Israel.  The Americans married four years ago in Massachusetts and divorced after a surrogate assisted in bringing a child into the mix:

A New York police investigation revealed that [Eric] and his baby flew from New York to Israel last Monday. [Eric], who is still residing in Israel, has already stated that he does not intend on returning to the United States.

Whatcho talkin’ bout, Willis?  It’s not exactly clear WHY he took the child to Israel besides wanting to take advantage of the Jewish Law of Return which, since he is Jewish, may be feasible.  But what of the child?

With his attorney’s assistance, Joshua turned to State Department representatives in Washington who deal with kidnapping cases outside of US borders.

The US representatives have turned to the Israeli police and asked them to deal with this case.

Right, so, my two cents….

First, Eric, thank you for giving right-wing fucks ammunition against gay marriage and/or creating same-sex families. That’s the last thing the community needs.  Fucker.

Second, I don’t care if you were gay or straight, kidnapping a child out of revenge does more harm to the child than anyone else. That makes you a big douche in my book. Grow up.

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