A friend is gone and we refuse to speak in euphemisms. We start with the raw reality of veteran suicide—how access turns intent into tragedy within minutes, how survivor guilt lingers, and what it looks like to build “friction” into crisis moments: locked layers between you and a weapon, one more call, and a circle that actually answers. From there we widen the lens to power and consequence. The historically long shutdown didn’t just stall paychecks; it rewarded a politics of brinkmanship. W...