The killing of 16 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children, by an American staff sergeant last week brought us to a new low in the war in Afghanistan. But we've been here before, many times. The My Lai massacre in Vietnam comes immediately to mind; having occurred almost exactly 44 years ago, it was more horrific in scale but otherwise a similar crime.
When we put people in brutal situations, we must expect brutal behavior. So why are we shocked when these events happen? Commentators are now analyzing Sgt. Bales' life and his 4 deployments over the last 10 years. Was his marriage stressful? Did the fact that he'd seen a buddy lose his leg the day before affect his state of mind? Did he have Post-traumatic stress disorder?
Tell me, who doesn't have PTSD who's been sent off for the sole purpose of killing fellow humans?
It's not right. War is not right. Call me naive, but it's time to stop the killing. Every time we send a young man or woman to Iraq or Afghanistan, we set in motion a cascade of destruction. Atrocities committed, lives lost, families separated, dreams ruined--all for what?
John Lennon had it right:
"Imagine all the people
Living life in peace. . .
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one."
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