Veteran’s suicide can’t be summed up in a tweet

On a recent Friday morning, a 33-year-old veteran walked to a secluded area outside the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix and shot himself. A spokesman for the VA said the suicide “happened outside the facility and was not done in sight of or around other people.”

The same could be said of the few small news reports concerning the veteran’s death.

They were not “done in sight or around other people.”

The death of a veteran may have gotten more attention in the days before every tweet by President Donald Trump became the latest national news story.

In fact, during the presidential campaign, Trump tweeted many times about veterans.

For example, he wrote: “When will anyone be held accountable for the VA scandal? The politicians are experts in never facing any consequence.” And, “I have a proven track record supporting our Veterans. Veterans deserve universal access to care. VA scandal proves politicians are inept.”