Military action only perpetuates ghosts of war

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

The Asahi Shimbun | Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

This is what I read in the Asahi News this morning. Really very sad.
Children and war ghosts. How terribly sad.

a Tokyo-based nonprofit organiszation ( NPO) asked Afghan children to draw ghosts.
Some ghosts are charred, Some are covered with blood. Some have bones exposed and viscera spilling out.

In every war is hurting children the worst we can do, for it marks them for the rest of their lives.

I silently hope that some of you will discuss this very painful and sad event.

 

[Mars Man]

Yes, I have read some material on this matter, but cannot recall the details at the moment. I will have to do searching for that, and hope to get back with it.

It is true, however, that war, or violence of any scale, can really damage children psychologically (and of course, at times, phsyically) for life. I recall some of what I had read on some young adults from Chechynia. (sp? sorry no time to look it up) Perhaps some can overcome it to a large degree, but the deep emotional scares may surface from time to time.

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

Mars Man,
Thank you for your answer!

As you know I have been in a war too,a completely different one of course, and I was a teenager. But my youngest sister was 5 to 8 years old when we were in war with Japan and occupied.
I have no trauma of my "prison camp" but my youngest sister has. She changed from a "happy go lucky girl" into a completely apathetic girl. She lost a part of her memory.
She can't remember her first years in Indonesia, nor the years of war in our prison.
I mean that the shock must have been so deep, that her memory has been deleted or something like that.
When I watch TV and I see only a small part of all those wars going on, I always feel mostly sorry for all those little ones suffering and not understanding of what is going on around them.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Its a shame that so many of these pro iraq war americans often do not think about the terrors their "war on terror" is subjecting these children too. Its not just the children though, many young and old adults over there are very traumatised too, and there's no help for anyone, physically or mentally injured alike, because all of the hospitals are in ruins are seriously over-crowded with more patients than the poor stressed doctors can handle.
Its ironic, that before the war in iraq, a christian could walk through the streets in iraq without fear of being targetted and killed, now though the christians have to wear bullet proof vests and avoid the main streets.