Of War and Humanity

I respect all soldiers for their bravery (“The Unapologetic Warrior,” by Tony Perry, Aug. 22). I respect Marine Corps Capt. Douglas Zembiec for his service. I think all war is wrong in general. I know the war in Iraq is wrong because it was initiated under false pretenses. Perhaps the “fog of war” is also an adrenaline-induced shroud of perceived glory, which the purveyors of lies exploit by taking those with noble courage such as Capt. Zembiec and distilling them to their most base form. When anyone revels in the glory of killing the enemy, or becomes impassive when his comrades are killed, that person has lost the central definition of humanity.

Capt. Zembiec obviously feels justified; perhaps he believes that he is fighting terrorism or avenging the events of Sept. 11. But we can never forget that war is regrettable, always, and that the killing of humans is never reduced by the killing of humans.

Tom Oldberg

Tujunga