“Politicians, military brass, the majority of people in this country who don’t give a shit what really happened to me and my buddies and who don’t want to hear about it.” He’d stared into my eyes as though expecting me to be uncomfortable with his candor. Hiding the slaughter of war behind the innocuous word “service” allows us to call the children James saw killed “collateral damage.” Calling bombs “smart bombs” and calling it “precision bombing” when we unleash them on others allows us to conceal those children from our awareness as well as the pangs of grief in those left behind. We must make sure it is safe for veterans who have been in the military during a time of war ― regardless of whether they were directly exposed to combat ― to speak for themselves and to speak the truth.
Author: Scott Janssen
Published at: 2025-05-26 22:51:02
Still want to read the full version? Full article
