In any war, the first casualty is common sense, and the second is free and open discussion.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Oftentimes, discussion of war gets flattened to a discussion of trauma.
Marines dying or being seriously wounded is commonplace in combat.
To be sure, those who are actually engaged in combat - those who actually see the maimed bodies and mourning mothers - struggle more than the rest of us to make sense of the reality of war.
Reasoned arguments and suggestions which make allowance for the full difficulties of the state of war that exists may help, and will always be listened to with respect and sympathy.
It matters not what your individual position is on either war we are currently prosecuting - in Iraq or Afghanistan - certainly we can all agree protesting at military funerals is a cruel and unnecessary hardship on our military families during their most difficult hour.
A professional soldier understands that war means killing people, war means maiming people, war means families left without fathers and mothers.
We all know that in war the political and military factors have to complement each other.
It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth - that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda.
Once the war of words begins, truth is the casualty.
They keep telling us that in war truth is the first casualty, which is nonsense since it implies that in times of peace truth stays out of the sick bay or the graveyard.