09/10/2026
SU***DE.
Even the word makes people uncomfortable. People soften it. Avoid it. Talk around it. Lower their voices when they say it.
But silence has never ended stigma.
So we are going to keep saying the word.
We are going to talk about Veteran su***de openly, because the families left behind should not have to whisper what happened to someone they love.
They should not have to search for a more acceptable way to explain their Veteran’s death.
They should not have to wonder whether people will judge their Veteran, or them, differently the moment they hear the word su***de.
Their Veteran lived a life before that final day. And their family should be able to say how they died without shame, without fear and without feeling like their loss suddenly became something people would rather not talk about.
If we truly want to destigmatize su***de, we cannot be afraid of the word.
We have to say it.
We have to talk about it.
And we have to stop making families carry the discomfort for everyone else.
We will not stop talking about Veteran su***de. Because silence does not protect these families.
Recognition does.
Green Star Families of America
