Moral injuries, our vets' latest open wounds
I understand that, in times of war, soldiers might sometimes get their
legs blown off -- but did you know that soldiers can sometimes get their
souls blown to bits as well? And that sometimes it can hurt as badly
as any open wound to the body? Yes, this is actually true. http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com/2016/06/home-soldier.html
Recently I attended a talk by Marine chaplain Fred Tittle. His
subject was "Moral Injury" and apparently he now sees a lot of that kind
of suffering at the VA clinic where he works.
Here's what Google says about it: "Moral injury is now being recognized as a signature wound of the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan but with roots as old as war itself. Veterans who have participated in or witnessed intense human
suffering and violence may experience moral injury which extends beyond
psychological effects to a veteran’s spiritual, emotional, and social
belief system. This has a major impact on veterans’ mental health and
their interactions with loved ones, community, and service providers."
Apparently places like Mai Lai, Abu Graib, Haditha and Bagram are as
bad for the souls of our soldiers as IEDs are for their bodies. Power
may corrupt -- but fighting in an immoral "war" corrupts one's soul
absolutely. http://ericmargolis.com/2016/07/send-our-war-criminals-to-the-hague-court/
When Bush lied through his teeth in order to destroy Iraq and
Afghanistan, he forced a moral injury down the throats of America's
soldiers as well. When Obama lied through his teeth in order to destroy
Ukraine, Libya and Syria, he too forced moral injuries down the throats
of America's soldiers. And now those same soldiers, having now
returned home as vets, are suffering deeply for these leaders' gross
abuse of their powers.
What to do about it? How about saying, "Never again!" and finally putting an end to gross and immoral "wars". That's a start. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/just/what.shtml
PS: Let's also consider moral injuries on a larger scale. Did Eichmann
suffer a moral injury when he ran his Nazi concentration camps? Does
Netanyahu suffer a moral injury when he sends young Israelis to kill
women and children in Occupied Palestine? Did Clinton suffer a moral
injury when she came, she saw, he died? And did that Roman soldier
suffer a moral injury when he stabbed Jesus with his spear? And what
about the corporations who pollute our air -- because they are legally
"persons" too -- will they suffer moral injuries as well?
If you are a cold-hearted bastard and do evil deeds, are you committing
a moral injury to yourself? Or is it only a moral injury to those
under you, the ones who are forced to carry out all this evil? And is
"I was only following orders" really a valid excuse for landing a mortal
blow to your soul?
And when the entire human race is extinct due to "war" and pollution caused by "war," will it be too late for anyone to suffer a moral injury?
