Desecrating The Dead

I know this is a controversial topic, but its all over the news this week and I feel the need to weigh in. Apparently a Marine sniper patrol in Afghanistan were video-taped urinating on the bodies of dead enemy soldiers. Disgusting? Yes. Disturbing? Yes. Hillary Clinton condemned the video as "inconsistent with American values". I agree this is not the type of images America wants to be known for, but we often forget that the troops featured are not politicians; they are not ambassadors; and they are certainly not in any stretch of the imagination in a "normal" situation. They are under an intense amount of stress, never knowing who the enemy is or where they will strike from next. Our troops are coming home in body bags, missing limbs, and suffering permanent brain injuries. They are also trained killers - taught to be cold hearted and to trust no one except their comrades in arms. Yet, the media and the politicians want to convey an expectation that these fighting elite should just "turn off' the rage that has to be present in battle and never give in to acts such as those depicted in the video. During the Viet Nam war it was common practice for soldiers to cut the ears and fingers off of dead enemy soldiers and carry them as trophy pieces. Every war has its atrocities. In the highly technical world in which we live in today, we are privy to seeing what has always occurred in war, but now is right in front of us every day thanks to social media. I am not excusing what occurred, but we should have compassion for the soldiers we are so quick to condemn and try to appreciate what they went through in the days, hours, and moments leading to what we see in the video. There will be more of these occurrences - count on it. Personally, I would much prefer a soldier exhibit this kind of behavior on the battlefield, than to have him or her bottle it up inside and suddenly explode once back home, possibly taking it out on innocent loved ones - it has happened before. These soldiers should absolutely be disciplined for lack of discipline - but that's it. Help them find ways to cope with the necessary act of killing and being able to show compassion for the vanquished - but do not expect that to be an easy thing. What we saw in that video is exactly what most of us would do in a similar situation - we are either ashamed to admit it or too ignorant to realize it because we have not experienced war first hand. Take some time and try to reflect on how you would deal with having to kill or be killed, and how you would react to finally seeing the body of an enemy soldier who had possibly killed your friend, you brother, your loved one. Could your inner rage possibly override your compassion? Does that make you a monster? Or just human?