I have no idea whether Hersh's claims are true and somehow I doubt our current army is any more or less violent than any other armed force we've employed. My guess is they all are about the same.

What I do salute about his remarks though is the guts it takes to speak disparagingly about any of our troops. There seems to be this requirement that we support them in total or not at all. We can't seem to be allowed to treat the group as a conglomeration of complex and diverse individuals because it might just upset the morale. Well screw that.

As I've stated before, I met all types in the military and that was during a time of minimal combat in the world. Stress levels of conflict are going to exaggerate good and bad traits in individuals and I know that the economic realtities that often drive military enrollment tend to concentrate the bad. I have no doubt that horrific acts are being perpetrated by our representatives just as incredible acts of kindness and humanity are happening. The problem is that the world is simply going to concentrate more on the atrocities than what little good happens.

Now I do disagree that people should be welcoming returning troops with derision and scorn just because some bad apples take it upon themselves to see Iraq as their own personal shooting gallery. But at the same time we have to resist the fervent nationalistic partying that often accompanies returning victors. We need to be glad they're over their ordeal but retain humility for having to make the choices we did. End of war should bring relief and introspection not fireworks and parades.

Art