Birthday Black and Blue

As of the Korean conflict, the U.S. has not won a war even though we have waged, under various names or "Ops", a fist-full. More importantly for us, we have not found a way to mend after we end a war. Something now known as P.T.S.D. is our medal of dishonor.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a reminder that war doesn't have to kill you to destroy you. Moreover, PTSD is the legacy of victims, not conquerors - people who have been sexually assaulted, domestically abused and those subjected to extended tours of duty.

As we approach the celebration of our country's independence, we must not forget the high price of securing liberty. A similar realization is that many of our so-called achievements, such as civilization, industrialization and globalization, come at a cost to the human psyche/spirit.

It has been written that for every 100 years of physical existence on this earth, humanity gains just one year of spiritual growth. Given a world history defined by conflict, we humans are little better than animals and, sadly, just as reactive to adversity.