It's basic human nature for young soldiers to turn into detached human beings after prolonged exposure to warfare. I'm certain that whatever soldiers did this probably came to Iraq with their ethics and regard for human life intact just as the soldiers that wiped out My Lai in Vietnam did when they began their tour of duty.

Day after day of seeing death and walking down streets into ambushes while the civilians on the side stand back silent either out of fear or disdain, slowly starts giving these people a subhuman face in these soldier's minds. Everyone becomes the enemy in this animalistic survival test. As much as we'd like to believe ourselves above that, I know that it's a trait we all possess and a fine line that keeps us from falling into the abyss.

It's a reason I avoid getting into physical fights with people. As much as there's the lore that we men have that there's this rush of testosterone and real bonding that comes from beating the tar out of one another, it's very easy for men to cross that line and become murderous or capable of severely injuring someone when that survival gene kicks in.

With continual images of death and unspeakable cruelty around the soldiers in Iraq comes a huge weakening of that built in restraint we "civilized" humans possess and this "us or them" mentality takes over. I agree these men should be prosecuted but not sure firing squad is the right answer if we've helped them become the animals they seem to be now.

Art