Trauma

joanna bujes joanna.bujes at ebay.sun.com
Thu Oct 4 13:39:06 PDT 2001


At 03:34 PM 10/04/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Funny, I don't recall much popular anguish over the PTSD we may have caused
>the citizens of Belgrade or any other civilians whom we have merrily bombed
>over decades.
>
>C'mon, America, suck it up.

When the US military started its bombing runs over Iraq (Desert Storm), I turned on the TV and watched the planes take off and I cried for a good half hour. I could only identify with the people on the ground; I could not identify with the pilots. The TV coverage of the goings on were nauseating: the only thing that seemed to matter: success, self righteousness, the playing out of the winning war script. A lot of people I talked to felt the same way.

We in the West tend to have two options: acting out or repression. Actually feeling things is not often an option. I don't think it's so great that people are medicating themselves against this trauma, but if this event gives them occasion for reflection, feeling, self knowledge, therapy, etc. how can it hurt?

What kind of good things would "sucking it up" lead to?

Joanna B.



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