Introduction The book “On Killing” by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman discusses the taboo topic of killing and how humans are affected by it. The author does this with the help of testimonials coming from veterans who served in wars such as World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. The book looks at the act of killing and discusses some of the psychological methods that have been introduced to make soldiers effective killers as well as some psychological effects soldiers face in battle and when they return home. The purpose of this book is “to not only uncover the dynamics of killing, but to help pierce the taboo of killing that prevented the men in his book and many millions like them from sharing their pain” (pg.XXXV). The goal of this essay is to …show more content…
The use of operant conditioning on soldiers first came into play after World War II and the results of this conditioning were first seen in the Vietnam war. We know this because the book states “there is evidence to indicate that this is one of the key ingredients in a methodology that has raised the firing rate from 15 to 20 percent in World War II to 90 to 95 percent in Vietnam” (pg.318). This increase in the firing rate among soldiers from World War II to Vietnam can be attributed to the operant conditioning methods the army introduced such as replacing bullseye shooting targets with realistic human silhouettes to mimic actual war scenarios. Another way in which armies incorporate operant conditioning into their training is through repetition, whether it is in the gun range or in personal training, the goal is to make that action become automatic when the soldier needs it. An example of this is found in the book “The Vietnam era was, of course then at its peak, you know, the kill thing. We’d run PT in the morning and every time your left foot hit the deck you’d have to chant “kill, kill, kill, kill”. It was drilled into your mind so much that it seemed like when it actually came down to it, it didn’t bother you, you know?” (pg.253). In order to get past mans innate reaction to not kill another man, repetition through …show more content…
After World War II the army revamped much of their training, with a big focus on basic training camp which “was designed to undermine all the past concepts and beliefs of the new recruit, to undermine his civilian values, to change his self concept—subjugating him entirely to the military system” (pg.321). Simply put, the army aims for the recruits to lose their individual sense of self worth so that in its place they can instill discipline and conformity. By the end of basic, the recruits embrace their new-found discipline and violence and recognize it as necessary to survive in their new world. With their new outlook on the world the soldiers are more likely to kill for two reasons, first being that they do not want to let down others in their groups and second being the relentless training they received that simulated real scenarios which allows them to do before thinking. Without the brutalization that occurs in basic training, recruits would find it much more difficult to take a life, ultimately leading to similar results seen on the battlefield in World War II.
Finally, the armies use of role models on the soldiers has played an integral role in turning them into killers. The army does this using role models like the drill sergeant, this is seen in basic training camp where the recruits spent much of their time with
Every soldier and animal faces the horrors of war, whether its through personal experience or witnessing a commrade endure the immense pain and slow death. The horrors of war are in escapable and wear away at the soldiers hope of survival and will to
When learning about and analyzing acts of mass atrocity during World War II, hundreds if not thousands of questions can be asked trying to gain a deeper understanding for their actions. Probably one of the most intriguing thoughts to ponder is what leads individuals and societies as a whole to descend to such a level of cruelty. According to the author of Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, one reason may be, “Few societies treasured dignity, and feared humiliation, as did the Japanese, for whom a loss of honor could merit suicide. This is likely one of the reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to lose” (189). To elaborate, the Japanese
Under brutal circumstances of warfare, people have decided soldiers’ manipulated perspectives was subsequent to violence. In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, readers are introduced to the protagonist named Billy Pilgrim, a cowardly soldier that witnessed the firebombing of Dresden. Moreover, Tim O’Brien was a character throughout his own story The Things They Carried, he, too provided insight on (admittedly made-up) events that occurred during his time at Vietnam. In spite of these two soldiers having completely opposite experiences, the reality of war is the fact that encountering death on a regular basis would drive one to blatantly accept it or become numb towards it. To be specific, from Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut showcases numbness towards death through Billy Pilgrim.
There are several pros and cons of this military style training. The pros include peak physical training. The body is put through a scarce diet with only the essentials and pushed to levels it does not normally confront. They have to perform in distressed situations such as little to no sleep or rest and they must push their body through it. Their minds must be mentally sharp to withstand constant ridicule and sleep deprived states
“Killings” written by Andre Dubus is focused on the main character and protagonist Matt Fowler. Matt is the father of three known children in the story, Cathleen, Steve, and his youngest, Frank. Matt had his children with his wife and business partner Ruth Fowler. In the beginning of the story Matt is laying his youngest son, Frank, to rest in the cemetery after he was brutally murdered by the story’s main antagonist, Richard Strout. At the time of his death, Frank was in school and majoring in economics (63) and had a very bright future ahead of him, after all, he was only twenty eight years old.
In the ESPN article, “Jury convicts Becker of murder,” it shares the news of the conviction of Mark Becker and tells more of the story behind the murder of Ed Thomas. Jurors, rejecting Mark Becker's pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity, was found guilty in the shooting of his high school football coach. Becker explained to psychiatrists that after months of torment, he shot Thomas at least six times in the high school weight room, then kicked his body before walking away. The article states that Jurors heard about Becker's delusions, how he believed that the community was against him and that Ed Thomas Applington-Parkersburg coach was satan. The defense claimed that Becker's delusions were so severe that he didn't know right from wrong.
Emotional death is the absence of feeling, which mainly occurs during war after one has been so painstakingly injured and suffered immensely that the only way to survive is to rid themselves of any emotional ties. The “death” explains the perception and realization of survival throughout war. In the novel Night, Elie explains the feeling of emotional death, “One day when I was able to get up, I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me” (115).
Whether we hear about it on the news or experience it first hand, death and devastation are everywhere. Senseless killing and brutality seem almost normal. Bloody wars rage and terrorism continues, making most of the deaths we hear of today needless bloodshed. Senseless killing and inhumanity has themed whole periods of history and is still prevalent today. Pride and indifference often skew our perceptions of others and can lead to chilling realities and death rates.
The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.
Events that occur randomly and that are traumatic can take a toll on all aspects of an individual that endure them, what if an individual were in a gruesome situation and the lives of human beings were lost under their unintentional control? How would they feel for the rest of their lifetime? In the article “The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt” by Nancy Sherman, she describes the emotional reality of soldiers in their home are often at odds with the civilian public, and are struggling to carry the burden of feeling responsible of traumatic situations. Survivor’s guilt is the bold feeling that survivors have after a tragic event taking place when others have passed away. Soldiers in battle experience losses during combat.
A military commander from Chad boasts, “if you tell them to kill, they kill.” Most people believe that once a child has been forced into war and that there is no way to correct their negative views. Some believe that these damaged, scarred, scared children don’t deserve help or sympathy. Furthermore, many believe that they are evil criminals who deserve to stay in a jail cell, but these children can be reformed and overcome their struggles, even after manipulation and loss. Once a child becomes a soldier, people believe that there is no way to turn their violent views around.
In the short story The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty, a main theme is that war is cruel. This is supported by many details within the story. War makes people do things that they normally wouldn’t do, mostly because it is their duty to protect what they believe in or their country. For example, the
Soldiers on the battlefield are responsible for death, the death of the enemy, the death of their fellow troops and sometimes, their own death. While the thrill
“Ethics, Killing and War.” The Philosophical Review. Reviewed by lee, Steven. 106. No.1(Jan 1997), http://www.jstor.org/journal/philrevi Heim, David. ____.
Situations of war are complex affairs that are difficult to regulate, analyze, and understand. Often during war, individuals and groups face situational pressure to perform actions and make decisions that would otherwise be morally unjustifiable. Many people hold the view that killing during war is not morally wrong, because during war morality seems to shift and what was before wrong becomes allowed and often celebrated. However, while certain types of killing can be morally justified during wartime, some types of killing remain wrong. In this paper, I will argue that the intentional killing of innocents in wartime is wrong, because war invites certain moral boundaries and killing innocent people violates these boundaries.