They found his body hanging from the ceiling. I got the phone call a few nights ago. Evidently, my second cousin Richard couldn't live with what they had him do in Iraq so after returning home and becoming an alcoholic he decided to take his own life.

In the note he left he talked about clearing rooms with grenades occupied by women and children.

I'm not here to make a political statement. I know that when he signed up to become a marine he agreed to go over there but... I am saying I can't remember the last time I was able to turn on the television without becoming severely depressed.

I cried, man. Not because I even knew Richard all that well. But because this is the world we live in.

My lungs fill with the smoke of burning American flags. Like being trapped on that skyscraper and having to choose between jumping and dying in the fire.

So many husbands and fathers won't make it home to see their loved ones ever again.

And honestly. For what? How can you put a price on a human life?

It isn't just something you read about in the newspaper anymore. It all became so incredibly real to me so incredibly fast.

Switch the station over to the emergency broadcast system because I don't see it getting better any time soon.

"Shut the window, love. Keep the noise outside."