This week I am standing on the shoulders of the U.S. soldiers who testified against the violence and torture they were encouraged to perpetrate in Iraq. It's not easy to speak up against such a strong combination of military power, patriotism and fear. I give so much credit to these soldiers who gave up heroism to speak out against the things they did and saw. I have even stronger appreciation for them because not only are they dealing with strong idealism (from both sides), but they have to come to terms with their own participation in killing people. It's courageous that through the guilt and shame of their involvement, along with the rejection of the hero label, that these soldiers are so vocal against what truly is horrible. Hopefully they will help us to see that the violence and torture perpretrated by U.S. soldiers is not the work of a "few bad seeds". It obviously is deeply entrenched in the U.S. government and military.
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