TRAUMA NATION AMERICA IN 10 POINTS

Is America The Leader In The Race To The Top Of Trauma? 10 Reasons For Yes On Trauma Nation America.

Recent research shows DNA passes down trauma markers from parents to kids.

That means if a father suffers a traumatic event his DNA adapts and gets installed in his children.

It could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Trauma markers could help a child deal with their own trauma constructively, or learn to hide.

Generational trauma has a pretty big footprint in America.

1. Prison Trauma.

In the land of the free and home of the brave, not everyone is free and brave. Trauma Nation America has the biggest prison population in the world. Just or unjust, guilty or innocent, we put people behind bars a lot.

Did the prisoners break the law because they’re a bad seed, or did they simply act out according to their DNA markers? Either way means a visit to gray bar hotel.

2. Drug Trauma.

If trauma is painful you might hide the pain to fit in better with polite society. If trauma is inherited and you’ve not clue why you behave the way you do, you might need medical help.

Or you might get loaded on drugs and booze for a few decades. That’s where a mistake lands you in the back of a police car, and possibly prison if you fit the profile.

3. Urban Trauma.

When you watch the news about hard life in urban centers where people live trapped in poverty, you might think, “Quit bitching and do something about it.”

Where does personal ambition and hard wired DNA meet? If you’re third or fourth generation on the block, can you see a way out that doesn’t include legal problems? Science says it takes more than wishing for change. Education is key.

4. Sports Trauma.

Who doesn’t love watching a good bowling competition, tennis match, or game of golf. It’s all fine until football season.

Across the board football is a leader in revenue and trauma.

Everybody cheers a viscous hit, a long pass, an elusive run. Not so many cheer for injuries, smelling salts, and ambulances on the field, yet football is based on trauma.

How much trauma can you take and still play? If you’re on a team full of hard cases who don’t give up where more sensible people would, you’ll be a winner.

If you’re a fan you want your team full of players who continue to play through injuries and concussions at least until the permanence of some injuries and concussions sink in.

5. Earth Trauma.

This earth isn’t what it used to be, but it’s the only planet we’ve got. After so much mining and burning and dumping, we’re getting an answer from the earth.

It doesn’t like the way it’s been treated. If the earth had DNA it’s trauma markers would be hit hard.

Some people make an effort to combat the effects of pollution. When they fail, it’s more trauma for them, like a lose-lose game.

6. Social Trauma.

If you’ve got a neighbor you wave to, have a beer with, barbeque with, you’re lucky.

Your DNA might get hurt if your neighbor runs a meth lab and has customers parking in your driveway while their connection makes a buy. And you feel powerless.

Did the new neighbors move in after their other house burned down in a mysterious explosion? Do they haul things in and out all night long?

When they start parking cars on the sidewalk and passing out you need to act, or suffer DNA consequences.

7. Marriage Trauma.

You fall in love and get married. It happens all the time. What if you fall in love with the wrong person and get married?

Your friends urge you to sign a pre-nup agreement. You hear them say ‘gold digger.’

Your parents no longer welcome you and your wife in their home. And they never visit.

Your bothers and sisters marry bigger losers than you, but they still bully you for your choice.

8. WWII Trauma.

Trauma Nation America had to save the world from ruin between 1941-1945.

Those who joined the armed forces against Germany and Japan were in it for the duration, or until they were too injured to continue, or dead.

Other than injured or dead, you weren’t coming home until it was over, over there.

Then it was D-Day on bloody beaches for Europe, Unconditional Surrender and atom bombs for Japan, and the god awful reality of The Holocaust.

Every grief stricken parent and citizen, every confused prisoner and war criminal, every soldier, sailor, and airman, absorbed WWII into their DNA.

9. Cold War Trauma.

Russians stole nuclear secrets after WWII.

China went nuclear.

Cuban missile crisis.

Korean War. Vietnam War.

How did Trauma Nation America stand the pressure? From a bomb shelter? Under a school desk?

Or just soak it all up in our DNA?

10. Baby Boomer Trauma.

Didn’t you figure it would come down to Boomer Trauma? You were right.

By most accounts baby boomers were freaks and drug addicts lulled by shitty music in between scores.

They took over campuses if they failed classes, marched in protest when they didn’t get their way, and grew that damn hair way too long.

They were lazy, reeked of patchouli oil and weed, and pretended they were educated dropouts.

A counter culture grew around them where freedom was more than just another word for nothing less to lose.

Then everyone grew up, got a job, had kids, went to church, and joined the Republican Party for their sins.

All that really happened was their DNA revolted against the trauma dropped in there by Greatest Generation parents, Silent Generation Parents, and Cold Warriors.

Some of us learned to cope with what we had and what we’d learned while others jumped at the chance for a do-over.

Now imagine DNA whip lashed between war trauma and the idea of, ‘I got mine, screw you. If you worked as hard as me you’d have what I have. But you’re lazy, illegal, wasted, weak, and don’t deserve to walk the same ground as me. You can’t even speak English enough to understand. Now excuse me while I thank the troops for their service even though I dodged the draft, and protest at the abortion clinic even though my commune lady needed three abortions during our time together. Yeah, I was a lucky one.’

That’s boomer trauma that keeps on giving. What’s yours?