veterans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are thousands of ways to serve ones country that don't involve military service.

But not many that come with a real risk of death.

Or killing humans for a living.

Would you have preferred that the USA have had a "little chat" with Hitler while he was exterminating millions of Jews, some of the most intelligent and giving people in the world? Personallly, my family and I are extremely grateful to the incredibly brave men and women of this country who have fought evil so that you could express your opinion from the comforts of your home.

Let the brainwashing continue. There's no way to get through war without thinking like this, unfortunately. Otherwise decent people would go mad. You have to dehumanize the enemy just to stay sane. How else can you kill someone's brother, father, and son? Repeatedly. I won't even get into civilian deaths, injuries, rapes, and torture at American hands. And that's inevitable in war. Inevitable. There's never been a war that didn't include these atrocities. And something Bush never even contemplated when he decided to get us into a pointless war. It's not just about killing people.

It's not just about dying or becoming a double amputee, which is all anyone seems to think about. It's about what war does to Americans who are forced to kill. It's about what war does to those Americans who love to kill. It's about what it does to those Americans who enlisted in the military and never dreamed of killing, yet still have to. It's about how it shatters so many American minds and they come home to commit suicide, abuse their spouses and kids, hurt others, and suffer horrific emotional pain for the rest of their lives. It's about how these permanently injured people begin to raise another generation of Americans. And it's not even like the government supports them once they are home. Emotional damage and emotional death is never discussed, never addressed.

And here's the thing. Iraq was never any threat to my freedom. Not ever. And that's the biggest American heartbreak of all. Certain situations may be worth the unspeakable cost of war. But I can't think of any in my lifetime. So true I don't even think the nuking of NYC is grounds for war. Most of the country dislikes them as much as Al Qaeda does
and they have no desire to defend themselves anyway.

If America only defends citizens who are liked, you must be shaking in your boots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let the brainwashing continue. There's no way to get through war without thinking like this, unfortunately. Otherwise decent people would go mad. You have to dehumanize the enemy just to stay sane. How else can you kill someone's brother, father, and son? Repeatedly. I won't even get into civilian deaths, injuries, rapes, and torture at American hands. And that's inevitable in war. Inevitable. There's never been a war that didn't include these atrocities. And something Bush never even contemplated when he decided to get us into a pointless war. It's not just about killing people.

It's not just about dying or becoming a double amputee, which is all anyone seems to think about. It's about what war does to Americans who are forced to kill. It's about what war does to those Americans who love to kill. It's about what it does to those Americans who enlisted in the military and never dreamed of killing, yet still have to. It's about how it shatters so many American minds and they come home to commit suicide, abuse their spouses and kids, hurt others, and suffer horrific emotional pain for the rest of their lives. It's about how these permanently injured people begin to raise another generation of Americans. And it's not even like the government supports them once they are home. Emotional damage and emotional death is never discussed, never addressed.

And here's the thing. Iraq was never any threat to my freedom. Not ever. And that's the biggest American heartbreak of all. Certain situations may be worth the unspeakable cost of war. But I can't think of any in my lifetime.

I agree with this poster 100%. I say this as someone who has many family members who have served in the military of whom I am extremely proud. A strong military is, unfortunately, a necessity in this day and age, but that doesn't mean war is always a necessity and does not absolve our country's leadership of the responsibility to use that military responsibly and judiciously. And it does not absolve them of the responsibility to care for those vets when they come back home. There is so much that needs to be done in that arena.