Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who fled war in Somalia as a child, is speaking out about the trauma of war for civilians and challenging the notion that post-traumatic stress disorder is an issue that only soldiers face, after Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) appeared to dismiss her mention of her own PTSD as offensive to military veterans.
The trauma of war is not only felt by the soldier on the battlefield. It is felt by the child huddled under the bed as bombs go off outside her window, Omar, whose family lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to the United States at age 12, tweeted Thursday. I am that child and here in Congress I will always speak out against war.
War trauma never leaves you, the congresswoman added .
The trauma of war is not only felt by the soldier on the battlefield. It is felt by the child huddled under the bed as bombs go off outside her window.
I am that child and here in Congress I will always speak out against war.
The trauma of war is not only felt by the soldier on the battlefield. It is felt by the child huddled under the bed as bombs go off outside her window.
Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 9, 2020
I am that child and here in Congress I will always speak out against war.
Her tweets came as tensions have been escalating between the U.S. and Iran in recent days. After President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani last week, Iran retaliated by attacking military bases in Iraq that house U.S. soldiers. (The House passed a largely symbolic vote Thursday to limit Trumps war powers .)
Omars tweets also came a day after Banks appeared to minimize Omars mention of her own PTSD .
Omar was among several progressive lawmakers who spoke out Wednesday at a press conference against a potential war with Iran . After saying she felt ill amid the tensions taking place, Omar said: Every time I hear of conversations around war, I find myself being stricken with PTSD. And I find peace knowing that I serve with great advocates for peace and people who have shown courage against war.
Banks, who served in the military in Afghanistan, later posted a clip of Omars speech on Twitter, saying her comments on being stricken with PTSD were a disgrace and offensive to our nations veterans who really do have PTSD.
Omar directly responded to Bankss tweet Wednesday, saying: I survived war as a child and deal with post-traumatic stress disorder much like many who have served or lived through war. She also called it shameful that he would erase the PTSD of survivors.
Banks later appeared to respond, confusingly accusing Omar of chang[ing] the subject.
Asked to clarify whether Banks believes PTSD is reserved for soldiers, Bankss team told HuffPost he didnt say that and he believes civilians can suffer from PTSD. His team then lobbed new allegations, claiming that Omar was giggling during the press conference and making light of the threat to our American troops. They also accused her of employing PTSD to take a partisan swipe at the president.
Omars team had no comment in response to Bankss statements.
PTSD is a mental health condition that can stem from any extreme, distressing event, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, sexual assault and mass shootings.
Omar, who is Black and one of the first Muslim congresswomen , has come under frequent attack from Trump and Republican colleagues and pundits since she entered office last year.
Several people came to Omars defense on Twitter after Bankss tweet, as well as after a similar one from Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who ridiculed Omar for saying talk of war was making her feel ill.
Jason Kander, a former Missouri secretary of state and a veteran who has spoken of struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the military in Afghanistan tweeted at Rep. Banks: Its not up to us to decide who is and is not worthy of PTSD.
Rep. Banks, You and I spent a few months in Afghanistan.
Rep. Omar grew up in war-torn Somalia before spending years in a Kenyan refugee camp on the Somali border.
Its not up to us to decide who is and is not worthy of PTSD.
Trauma is trauma. A uniform is not required. https://t.co/1IPpKviNrE
Rep. Banks, You and I spent a few months in Afghanistan.
Jason Kander (@JasonKander) January 9, 2020
Rep. Omar grew up in war-torn Somalia before spending years in a Kenyan refugee camp on the Somali border.
Its not up to us to decide who is and is not worthy of PTSD.
Trauma is trauma. A uniform is not required. https://t.co/1IPpKviNrE
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who is part of the so-called Squad of progressive congresswomen that includes Omar, responded to Ingraham, saying: Youd be wise to take a seat and take your cues from folks like Ilhan who actually know what theyre talking about.
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8 yrs old. Thats how old @IlhanMN was when she fled for her life as her home was decimated by war
I know you think wars a for profit video game @IngrahamAngle but youd be wise to take a seat and take your cues from folks like Ilhan who actually know what theyre talking about pic.twitter.com/9a0XfFPfwP
8 yrs old. Thats how old @IlhanMN was when she fled for her life as her home was decimated by war
Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) January 8, 2020
I know you think wars a for profit video game @IngrahamAngle but youd be wise to take a seat and take your cues from folks like Ilhan who actually know what theyre talking about pic.twitter.com/9a0XfFPfwP
Common Defense, a grassroots group of veterans against Trump, called out Banks, saying: Veterans like us know that people wearing uniforms arent the only ones impacted by war.
Dear @RepJimBanks,
This is a tremendously ignorant thing to say.
Veterans like us know that people wearing uniforms arent the only ones impacted by war.@Ilhan is a refugee. We stand with her against hawkish elites like you. #VetsForIlhan #EndForeverWar https://t.co/oIE3iWZGK9
Dear @RepJimBanks ,
Common Defense (@commondefense) January 8, 2020
This is a tremendously ignorant thing to say.
Veterans like us know that people wearing uniforms arent the only ones impacted by war.@Ilhan is a refugee. We stand with her against hawkish elites like you. #VetsForIlhan #EndForeverWar https://t.co/oIE3iWZGK9
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