Massacre of Afghan civilians is an outrage

I was shocked to hear of the recent atrocity that occurred in Afghanistan, where 17 innocent Afghan civilians, mostly children, were shot in their homes, allegedly by a U.S. soldier. This was horrible news that would shake any decent person to his or her core. I was appalled by the fact that a massacre such as this had occurred and disgusted that my country would let such a thing happen.

Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly broke into two Afghani homes and shot 17 innocent civilians to death. He then reportedly stomped on their bodies, poured chemicals over them, and lit them on fire. It is absolutely appalling that a person could direct so much violence and rage at innocent people, especially children. It seems that the soldier must have been crazy to commit such a horrific crime, and it is easy to blame the event on his apparent insanity.  It is important, however, to examine the broader issues that this atrocity has made evident.

If it is true that the soldier who allegedly perpetrated the unprecedented violence was suffering from mental illness, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), then he never should have been serving in the military. He was cleared by the military before he was put into a combat zone, as all soldiers are. This means, if he is insane, that our military put a gun into the hands of a crazed individual, effectively endangering the lives of innocent civilians.

The murders of 17 innocent people were an absolute tragedy and outrage.  The actions of the soldier who committed the act are a reflection of flaws within the U.S. military. If the military allows things such as this to happen to people in other countries, then we have no place there.