PressEthic

Some German troops were caught on film playing with a human skull in Afghanistan and a German newspaper published the photos leading to a huge controversy which Germany feels could taint the image of the German army. First, let me start by saying I think the actions are heinous and totally unacceptable but I have to think about the mental trauma that troops go through. At some point, after seeing so many horrific images of death and dehumanizing acts one would themselves start to go crazy this is a known fact. In Vietnam, American soldier cuts off people's ear and wore them around their necks as souveniers and put people's decapitated heads on top of stakes. There is a breaking point I think for some human beings where death no longer affects them in ways we as a society would deem normal. Maybe in an effort to deal with the situation and trauma they themselves become like animals. I think this is a major reason why war is so unnecessary- it causes more harm than good. I do not know what these soldiers have been through in Afghanistan, if anything, but if they had measures need to be taken to get them some help. Veterans and enlisted personnel need couseling and it is unfair to send them out there and then criticize them for actions they might have not any control over. After a certain point a lot of military personnel develop mental illnesses and it isn't something to be glossed over or minimized. Yes, it is a horrible thing to hold a human skull next to your exposed penis in fact it is grosteque but I want to know why they committed such a disgusting act. In giving these men the benefit of the doubt I would like to think that there is more to the story than them just being the stereotypical racist German. German officials seem to only care about the image that these pictures portray of the German army... does any army have a good reputation in a foreign country? I'm sure things like this happen all the time; women and children being brutally raped, people being castrated, people using body limbs trophies. War is a disgusting fact and these men who are brave enough or brain-washed enough to put their lives on the line are submitted themselves to irreputable psychological damage. I feel if they are giving their lives the government needs to care about their mental states because that is what leads to disturbing images and possible tainted images of military.