Tomorrow's Vets

Here's a heartwarming story about a young boy from West Texas who wanted to kill people. Luckily there's a war making it all nice and legal-like. So he signed up and went to Iraq.

Swaying off the usual Defense Department endorsed message Private Steven Green told Andrew Tilghman of the Washington Post, "I came here because I wanted to kill people."

He then reflected, "Over here, killing people is like squashing an ant. I mean, you kill somebody and it's like 'All right, let's go get some pizza.'"

You might know Pvt Green better as the man now on trial for premeditated rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and her family.

I hesitated to link this story, concerned that it might be misconstrued. I think most of our military men and women are noble. I know many of them. But I think this article gives an honest look at the "constant violence" our soldiers are under in Iraq and what type of coping skills it all too often produces.

Pvt. Green talks about watching a good friend die. He then complains, "See, this war is different from all the ones that our fathers and grandfathers fought. Those wars were for something. This war is for nothing."

But he's wrong. This type of thing has happened before and the victims names are etched in black granit on a wall in Washington, and many who surived still fight the war in their minds. I think it's important that we not distance ourselves from what we've sent our men and women to do. I think it's important that we turn and face it and own up to it, which is why I've linked this story. If the truth hurts, it's nothing compared to what they feel.

read the whole story here.