Twenty percent
of the insurrectionist that attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, were military
veterans.
The media
seems shocked as to the reason, but it takes another veteran to understand.
We take
young men full of testosterone and teach them to kill and indoctrinate them with
patriotic fervor; then we send them into a warzone.
These men are
away from civilized society and bond with their brothers and sisters-in-arms. They have no compunction about pulling the trigger
or thrusting the knife against an evil enemy that puts themselves and their fellow
warriors in harm’s way.
These young
men are conditioned to react aggressively and with violence.
Then we
bring them back and dump them into society and expect them to immediately act
with normal accepted civilized behavior.
Each and
every one is experiencing some degree of PTSD. You can’t see and experience the carnage of
war: living under constant threat of death, injury, or capture - view the death
and injuries to fellow warriors; and ever be completely ‘normal’ again.
Fifty years
later, I cannot watch Vietnam War movies.
Most of all
they miss the support and brotherhood of their sisters and brothers-in-arms
that was so cohesive in the military. They are among civilians that are foreign to
them in their experiences.
Even if
misguided, is there any wonder that feeling alien in society, they grab the
moment to reenact and relive the emotion of movement and aggression and warrior
that has become a permanent part of themselves?
the Ol’Buzzard
Good analysis.
ReplyDeleteWhy does America (and Canada too) support the troops until they come home?
ReplyDeleteI think you need to read the Ben Franklin comment again before you post.
ReplyDelete