(Catherine Rampell’s article appeared in The New York Times, 6/14.)
Can a man who kills other men for money retain his humanity? What if his employer is the United States government?
This question, as it pertains to the psychological and sociological fate of American veterans, is one that the country has never been quite comfortable answering, especially now that less than 1 percent of Americans serve in the military. Suicides among active-duty soldiers are at a record high, and only about three-quarters of veterans who served after Sept. 11 have jobs. Disturbing stuff, certainly, but what can disconnected civilians do about it? Slap bumper stickers on our minivans?