http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17056891-veterans-suffer-moral-injury-from-warfare?lite

“VETERANS SUFFER “MORAL INJURIES” FROM WAR

“You may not have actually done something wrong by the law of war, but by your own humanity you feel that it’s wrong,” says Ritchie, now chief clinical officer at the District of Columbia’s Department of Mental Health.”

“Clinicians suspect some troops are suffering from what they call “moral injuries” — wounds from having done something, or failed to stop something, that violates their moral code.”

There are those sitting half a world away who would tell these people “It’s all worth it in the name of “freedom”.  Even though it’s “freedom” in the sense of having nothing left to lose.  ”Someday your great grandchildren will get a living wage from Exxon” is scant comfort for the endless suffering inflicted by “liberators”, and “democracy” will help you forget your wife, husband, children, parents, house, farm, water buffalo.”  You’ll be “free” just doesn’t ring true.

Torture inflicts as much damage to the torturers as the tortured.  War says a lot about the aggressors, and leaves those with a human moral code scarred, bitter and the knowledge they have been betrayed to the base of their souls by those they trusted.

I hope this sounds bitter.  I am.  And the folks at home, that “silent majority” are as guilty as I am, so when I’m done with the politicians I have enough to hate the folks who enabled them.

And then I remember the words of a great man.  ”Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”  Which is true.

And they don’t want to learn.  For that I can’t blame them, it would be more than they could handle.