At least 17 U.S. troops have committed suicide in Iraq

[Perndog]

Originally Posted by Bleeding Heart Burbank

You want to sort ourt all the folks who might do something really niuts? Bring 'em all home.

I say bring 'em all home anyway.

However, as you said, the crazies are in the minority. And I'm not talking about solving the problem of having them around; I'm saying it's good for the rest that they did something about it themselves.

They don't deserve my sympathy - if most soldiers (the normal ones) don't kill themselves or go nuts (at least not until after the war's over), there can be no justification for those who do, who are in the same circumstances but lack the constitution to keep their heads in order. They are inferior, at least in that respect, and should either a) go to war and subsequently kill themselves to increase the mean quality of the human race or b) show some brains and not put themselves there in the first place, since we do still have a volunteer army and within that army are plenty of tracks that don't involve combat or placement near the front.

I would suggest that no one knows in advance what being in a war will do to them.

By this point in history, anyone in the United States of legal age for military has heard a veteran say, either on television, in print, or in person, that war is an absolutely horrific experience and nothing even compares to it. Raise your hand if you haven't seen Saving Private Ryan or maybe Full Metal Jacket. Volunteer soldiers going into combat roles should imagine their closest friends dying slow and grisly deaths, and anyone who can remotely conceive that his mind will break under the stress should reconsider his decision. "I didn't see it coming" is not a suitable excuse.

I would also suggest that a lack of empathy is nothing to be proud of.

I don't lack empathy. I'm just choosy.