I never said soldiers don't kill people. That is what they are trained to do, very well I might add. We embrace slogans such as Kill 'em all Let God Sort them Out, and I've got places to go, people to kill and babies to make.

But time and again our soldiers have also shown their compassion. After winning the Second World War, it was US soldiers that helped to rebuild Germany, France, and England. It was American soldiers that helped to rebuild Japan and South Korea. Vietnam was a bloody stain on our country. An unpopular war, with unclear missions. Our soldiers won the battles, but lost the war and as a result we did not have the opportunity to help to rebuild Vietnam.

War has evolved a long way since those days. Today, our soldiers go out of their way to observe rules of engagements that restrict what they can do. Our technology has made our bombs much more deadly as well as precise and accurate, no longer do we need to carpet bomb an area, today we have the capabilities of putting munitions on a target thanks to lasers and other guidance systems.

Our soldiers go out of their way not to engage the enemy when there is a possibility that noncombatants may become trapped in the fire. We have deployed all over the world in times of need conducting humanitarian operations, providing food, housing, and medical care. It is unfair to judge the soldier of today by the actions of the soldiers in the past. War and weapons have changed. Are mistakes made by soldiers, yes, of course, soldiers like everyone else are human, and on occasion err.

But you cannot judge all soldiers by the actions of a few. To do so is silly.

dmk