Craig |
01-11-2010 10:42 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichC
(Post 2379198)
I just dont understand why human beings, honor other human beings, for killing large numbers of some other human beings.
Its sick, preverse, and distructive to the species.
What goes on in peoples minds that make them think it is ok to kill someone they label as an enemy ???
Sometimes I wish we could round up all of the people that think like this and put them on an island so they could all kill each other.
Then the rest of us could have some peace.
|
I'm assuming that your not just trying to stir up the natives, so I'll try to address your point. Whenever I read one of these stories (any nation, any war) I have two conflicting thoughts:
1. Almost all nations have a military and periodically engage in conflicts (some necessary, some not). Hopefully, the leadership of nations considers this a necessary evil, and only engages when absolutely necessary to protect the nation from actual enemies. Separating the politics from the individuals, those individuals serving in the military have committed to following the orders of their political leadership. We all know people who have engaged in actual combat and done things they would never do otherwise; the vast majority of these individuals will do what is necessary to meet their commitment, to protect themselves and their comrades, and to accomplish their mission. I know very few people who enjoyed that experience, and most people who actually see combat do not talk about it very much. Most of these folks meet their commitment and return to their normal lives, some with long standing consequences. These folks deserve respect and gratitude for choosing to serve their nation. I also hope that nations will eventually "outgrow" this behavior, but it is the current reality.
2. Sometimes you read of someone who is repeatedly in very challenging situations, and has volunteered to return to combat on numerous occasions. While there is no doubt as to their physical courage, I also wonder about the makeup of this personality type. I do understand why the political and military leadership of nations hold these people up as examples to their (sometimes reluctant) less experienced soldiers. However, I can't help wondering if some of these folks have other issues that cause this type of behavior; this seems completely different than the type of service discussed above. If you ask an "average" combat soldier about these types of individuals, you might find them "less enthusiastic" than the military leadership, especially if these individuals are leading others. There is often a fine line between heroic and reckless, and I do have to wonder about the makeup of an individual who was wounded over a dozen times in a conflict where most soldiers are never injured. Maybe this individual was fully committed to completing whatever mission his government asked of him without question (which raises other questions in this particular conflict); or maybe this individual would have been involved in these types of behaviors even if he wasn't involved in the military. In any event, I'm not sure this is someone I would want in charge of my son or daughter if they were in a dangerous situation. I don't want to be unfair to this individual, but it does make me wonder.
|