U.S. Soldier Afghan Rampage Tears at Our National Soul Says Former Marine

thedailybeast.com — Sixteen Afghan civilians have been killed, in their homes, under our protection. One man acting alone we are quick to say. And it’s probably true. An Army of one. But that one man is one of us. There will be official statements, medical conjecture, military analysis, political showmanship, and protest. We will learn the facts over time, everyone hurrying to rule out abject senselessness with a justification of one kind or another. Post-traumatic stress and brain injury will be broadly blamed and we will hope that it is only something as terrible as that. We will become procedural in order to avoid being emotional. This will happen because this is how we respond to world events, but what is important now is what this one stunning occurrence means to our national soul.