“… a burned infant trying to nurse from its dead mother’s breast …”
When we think of war, I think a lot of us imagine U.S. soldiers in khaki uniforms advancing upon enemy troops on a battlefield or moving like cats among shattered urban buildings. But it’s important to recall the true wages of war, that it falls most heavily on women and children.
The Memory Hole, operated by journalist Russ Kick presents, “This is War,” a horrific look into how bad it really is. This line from reporter Richard Boyle in Vietnam, haunts me: “I could watch a burned infant trying to nurse from its dead mother’s breast, see young men with their faces blown away, witness a boy deliberately gutted … and never protest.”
I’m shocked at what we’re capable of doing. Do we blame the imperialist war machine? The government? Ourselves? Are we complicit by virtue of being U.S. citizens for war crimes committed by our troops? What can be done to evolve beyond this brutality?
A prayer for mercy is all I can offer.
— Stephen Carter-Novotni
No comments:
Post a Comment