As a country, we have failed at many things. Currently, we have a debt that appears that it will never be paid off. We have children living in poverty because their parents aren't able to find decent jobs. We have a plethora of homeless living on the streets in major cities all around the country, as well as those who take up residence in lesser known areas. Our government is more concerned about helping refugees from the Middle East than taking care of its own citizens. However, the biggest population our country has failed is our veterans.

In 2001, tragedy struck, leaving most of the country in shock and mourning. We had to do something. We couldn't just sit back and let the responsible parties get away with 9/11. This led to many men and women heading overseas to ensure that what happened on 9/11 wouldn't be repeated. During their service, they experienced things that you simply cannot understand unless you've been in their shoes. Many suffered the loss of friends; others lost body parts. They saw children being used as weapons, and innocent civilians sometimes caught in the crossfire. The veterans who made it back were forever changed by what they saw, some continually reliving it and suffering from PTSD. These are the men and women we need to be worried about. These are the men and women our country's resources should be going to, rather than those from overseas.

Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide. That is one suicide every 65 minutes. This number is simply unacceptable. We should be providing these veterans with the support they need to deal with psychological aftermath of war. The real kicker is that the number is probably higher than 22. The states of California, Illinois, and Texas don't report the number of veteran deaths in their state to the Veteran's Administration. Other times families may pressure coroners to record the death as something other than a suicide because they do not want their family to carry the stigmas that are associated with mental illness. Intentional car crashes and overdoses are often not recorded as suicides if a note isn't left behind. If someone dies while homeless and there is no one to vouch for their service, so they may go undocumented as well.

A majority of the veteran suicides are committed by those over 50 years old. They are mainly Vietnam and Korean veterans. These veterans have reached an age where their kids have gone away from home, and the support system they are accustomed to has begun to fall apart as they are beginning to enter the later stages of their life. They put off dealing with their demons and PTSD by throwing themselves into work and their family. Now that these distractions are no longer there, they find these demons are too much to bare.

It is our job as friends and family of veterans to look out for signs that generally precede them taking their lives. And veterans, please look out for each other as well. The main signs include increased drug/alcohol use, withdrawing from family and friends, rage/anger, engaging in risky activity, and mood swings.

America, it's time that we begin to look out for our servicemen and women. It is our responsibility to provide these men and women with the help and support they need. No veteran should be homeless while a refugee has a shelter and warm food. No veteran should be denied access to mental health care that could possibly be life-saving. America, it's time to get our priorities straight so this younger generation of veterans won't end up in the same boat as those decades ahead of them. It is our job to take care of the men and women who have protected us from threats both foreign and domestic. If you don't agree with this, can you really call yourself an American?