On Killing by LtCol Dave Grossman, 2009, Excerpts
Killing is what war is all about,
and killing in combat, by its very nature, causes deep wounds of pain and
guilt. The language of war helps us to deny what war is really about, and in
doing so it makes war more palatable. With very few exceptions, everyone
associated with killing in combat reaps a bitter harvest of guilt. Balancing
the obligation to kill with the resulting toll on guilt forms a significant
cause of psychiatric casualties on the battlefield. History is full of tales of
soldiers who have committed suicide or inflicted terrible wounds upon
themselves to avoid combat. It isn’t fear of death that motivates these men to
kill themselves. Like many of their civilian counterparts, these men would
rather die or mutilate themselves than face the aggression and hostility of a
very hostile world.
The killer can be empowered by his
killing, but ultimately, often years later, he may bear the emotional burden of
guilt that he has buried with his acts. Whether the killer denies his remorse,
deals with it, or is overwhelmed by it, it is nevertheless there. The killer’s
remorse is real, it is common, it is intense, and it is something that he must
deal with for the rest of his life.
Photo Credit: Don McCullin
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