I-National Rite of Passage: Beyond War

nguRobert C. Koehler, Izimangaliso Ezivamile, Ngo-September 16, i-2021

Kamuva New York Times i-op-ed mhlawumbe yayiyindlela yokuzivikela eyinqaba, ebabazekayo neyethusayo yezakhiwo zezimboni - ngiyaxolisa, ukuzama ukubusa ngentando yeningi okubizwa ngeMelika - engake ngahlangana nakho, futhi ngicela ukubhekelwa.

Umbhali, u-Andrew Exum, wayengu-Army Ranger owayethunyelwe ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-2000 eya e-Iraq nase-Afghanistan, kwathi ngemuva kweminyaka eyishumi wasebenza njengephini likasekela Nobhala Wezokuvikela wenqubomgomo ye-Middle East.

Iphuzu alibhalayo lilingana nalokhu: Iminyaka engamashumi amabili edlule yempi ibe yinhlekelele, ngokukhishwa kwethu e-Afghanistan kuvala isinqumo sokugcina somlando: Silahlekile. Futhi besifanele ukulahlekelwa. Kepha yeka ukushayeka okukhulu kwabesilisa nabesifazane abasebenza ngesibindi, impela, abadela izimpilo zabo ngenxa yezwe labo.

Uyabhala: “Ukuba yingxenye yalomsebenzi ovelele waseMelika ukuba yingxenye yento enkulu kakhulu futhi enkulu kakhulu kunawe. Ngiyazi manje, ngendlela engingazange ngiyazise ngokugcwele emashumini amabili eminyaka adlule, ukuthi abenzi bomgomo abangaqondakali noma abangaqondile bangathatha insizakalo yami bayiphendukezele ezinjongweni ezingenazithelo noma ezinonya.

“Nokho bengizophinda futhi. Ngoba leli lizwe lethu lifanelekile.

“Ngiyethemba izingane zami ngelinye ilanga zizizwa ngendlela efanayo.”

Okulungile noma okungalungile, ngamanye amazwi: uNkulunkulu abusise iMelika. I-Patriotism exutshwe nempi inamandla amakhulu enkolo, futhi nezinsizakalo zibalulekile noma ngabe ukuphela kwazo, ukukubeka ngenhlonipho, okungabazekayo. Lokhu kungukuphikisana okunephutha, ngokuqinisekile, kepha empeleni nginocezu lokuzwelana nephuzu le-Exum: Ukushintshela ebudaleni kudinga umkhuba wokuhamba, isenzo sesibindi, ukuzidela futhi, yebo, inkonzo, kuze kube sekugcineni okukhulu kunawe .

Kodwa okokuqala, beka isibhamu phansi. Ukuzithandela ukukhonza amanga okubulala akuyona inqubo yokudlula, kuyinjongo yokuqasha. Kwabaningi, kuyisinyathelo esihogweni. Insizakalo yangempela akuyona i-farce, futhi ifaka ngaphezu kokulalela okungenamkhawulo egunyeni eliphakeme lezindondo; okubaluleke nakakhulu, insizakalo yangempela ayixhomekile ebukhoneni besitha, kodwa kunalokho, ihluke kakhulu. . . liyazisa yonke impilo.

"Manje sesithola isithombe esicacile sezindleko zempi," kubhala i-Exum. “Sisebenzise izigidigidi zamaRandi - amadola ebesingase siwashise nathi 'emigodini eshisayo' eminingi eyake yangcolisa i-Afghanistan ne-Iraq. Sanikela ngempilo eyizinkulungwane. . . ”

Uqhubeka ngokukhala ngezinkulungwane zamalungu aseMelika abulawa e-Afghanistan nase-Iraq, nangezimpilo zabalingani bethu ababulawa, ekugcineni, “izinkulungwane eziningi zabantu base-Afghanistan abangenacala nabase-Iraq ababhubha ebugebengwini bethu.”

Angikwazi ukuzibamba kodwa ngizwe ukuhleleka okubalulekile lapha: I-American ihlala kuqala, "engenacala" i-Iraq ne-Afghan ihlala ekugcineni. Futhi kunesigaba esisodwa sokufa kwempi ahluleka ukusho ngokuphelele: ukuzibulala kwe-vet.

Noma kunjalo, ngokusho kweBrown University Izindleko zempi Iphrojekthi, abasebenzi abalinganiselwa kwabangu-30,177 9 abasebenza kanzima kanye nama-veteran ezimpi zangemva kuka-11/XNUMX zezwe bafe ngokuzibulala, okuphindwe kane kunenani labantu abafa empini yangempela.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuqinisa ukwethuka kwalokhu ngisho nangokwengeziwe, njengoba UKelly Denton-Borhaug uthi: “. . . amanye amabutho angama-500,000 9 esikhathi esingemuva kuka-11/XNUMX atholakale enezinkinga eziqeda amandla, ezingaziqondi ngokugcwele ezenza izimpilo zabo zingathandeki ngokuphawulekayo. ”

Igama lalokhu ukulimala ngokokuziphatha - inxeba emphefumulweni, “ukuboshwa okuphakade esihogweni sempi,” okuthi, ngokwabavikeli nabahlomuli bezempi, inkinga yabadokotela futhi eyabo bodwa. Ungasikhathazi thina sonke ngakho futhi, nakanjani, ungaphazamisi imikhosi yethu yodumo lwesizwe ngayo.

Ukulimala kokuziphatha akuyona nje i-PTSD kuphela. Kwephula umuzwa ojulile womuntu wokulungile nokungalungile: isilonda emphefumulweni. Futhi ukuphela kwendlela yokudlula lokhu kubanjwa esihogweni sempi ukukhuluma ngakho: yabelana ngakho, kwenze kube sesidlangalaleni. Ukulimala kokuziphatha komuntu ngamunye kungokwethu sonke.

UDenton-Borhaug uchaza ukuzwa udokotela wezilwane ogama lakhe lingu-Andy ekhuluma okokuqala ngesihogo sakhe eCrescenz VA Hospital ePhiladelphia. Uyabhala: “Ngenkathi ethunyelwa e-Iraq, wayehlanganyele ekubizeni i-airstrike eyagcina ibulale abesilisa, abesifazane nezingane abangama-36 base-Iraq.

“. . . Ngokuhlukumezeka okukhulu, utshele ukuthi, ngemuva kwesigameko somoya, imiyalo yakhe bekufanele ingene esakhiweni esiqhunyiswe ngamabhomu. Kwakufanele ahlunge izidumbu ukuze athole okwakucatshangelwa ukuthi kube yisiteleka. Esikhundleni salokho, wazithela phezu kwezidumbu ezingaphili, njengoba azibiza, 'ama-Iraqi aziqhenyayo,' kufaka nentombazanyana ephethe unodoli kaMinnie Mouse. Usitshele ukuthi lezo zindawo nephunga lokufa, 'zigxiliwe ngemuva kwezinkophe zakhe kuze kube phakade.'

"Ngosuku lokuhlaselwa, wezwa ukuthi umphefumulo wakhe ushiya umzimba wakhe."

Le yimpi, futhi nemvelo yayo - iqiniso layo - kufanele izwakale. Ingqikithi ye- iqiniso commission, engiphakamise ukuthi yisinyathelo esilandelayo izwe elizosithatha ngemuva kokukhipha amasosha e-Afghanistan.

Ikhomishini enjalo yeqiniso cishe izoyibhidliza inganekwane yempi nodumo lokushisekela izwe futhi, masethembe, ukuvimba izwe - kanye nomhlaba - kude nempi uqobo. Ukulalela imiyalo, ukubamba iqhaza ekubulaweni "kwezitha" zethu, kufaka phakathi izingane, kuyisihogo sendlela yokukhonza.

Izwe lonke - “USA! E-USA! ” - Udinga isiko lokwedlula.