Listen up, maggot: Recruits to the military, particularly the Marines, are toughened up for the obstacles ahead. But at what cost to freedom? SANDY HUFFAKER/GETTY IMAGES Visit the Photo Place

The brutality of war will continue as long as society endorses it

We need to rethink our approaches to military training and our acceptance of brutal training

Date published: 7/13/2005

I N GEORGE WITTMAN'S article ["Got it rough Mr. Terrorist? Give me 30 and bury that sand flea!", June 25] he states that "the complaints of Sen. Richard Durbin [D-Ill.] regarding the treatment of prisoners at Camp Delta in Guantanamo are laughable."

He then proceeds to point out the far worse treatment that our military inflicts on its own citizens who volunteer for service and then go through Army basic training or the Marine Corps boot camp.

But Wittman never questions why a young American man or woman would willingly submit to the thoroughly frightening, humiliating, and painful actions imposed on them by often sadistic drill sergeants or other officers. Unfortunately he, and most other citizens, consider this barbaric treatment to be both necessary and justified in order for new soldiers and Marines to fit into the ultra-authoritarian military establishment.

Most people also think that the only way to operate any military branch is to continue to do things just as they have always been done for hundreds or thousands of years. They never, for a minute, consider stopping this madness and completely altering and civilizing the way people are trained to protect themselves, their families and property, and their country.

Just suppose you are a young person seeking employment. Can you think of any type of job, outside the military, where new employees are cursed at or physically attacked, have their heads shaved, screamed at up close by a trainer whose saliva runs down their faces, required to stand in hot clothes while carrying heavy equipment in 100-degree heat for hours, called all sorts of demeaning names such as maggots or rats, required to lie to certain questions or suffer immediate punishment, or made to jump into water over their heads even if they cannot swim, etc.?

But many young people will often take a job with the military and readily submit to these abominable situations and treatments that are inevitably inflicted upon them. So the most vitally important question is: Why would they ever do this?

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Date published: 7/13/2005