Nature as therapy for veterans

There was an article in the New York Times today about Outward Bound classes that are being used as therapy for vets returning from combat. The courses are free, covered by a grant, and the article describes how a week out in nature climbing rocks, wading through rivers and living outdoors with other vets has given these men a chance to mourn, a chance to heal and a chance to live in the world among those who have no idea what they've been through. I got teary-eyed imagining these guys standing around a pile of stones that they made, tears streaming down their face as they mourn the ones who didn't make it.

There were two quotes from the article that piqued my interest. One was from a 27-year old who fought in Afghanistan:
“I think if there’s one message I could get across to the public, it’d be to not give up on us,” he said as the group walked through the mountain sunshine to the trailhead.

The other was from a 23-year old Marine who fought in Iraq and sustained a head injury from flying shrapnel:
“I wish that civilians and policy makers really understood, at an emotional level, the tremendous toll and cost of war on those who actually experience it,” Mr. McMaster said the next day, as he hiked down the mountain and across a green field.

From Matthew Dowd asking for more gentleness in the world, to a poll I read recently (but can't find!) that said in several countries known for supporting terrorists, the public is dramatically less likely than a few years ago to think violence is justified. In Pakistan, the percentage that supports the actions of terrorists decreased from 46% to something like 14%. I've said it once and I'll say it again, violence is out of fashion.

What is critically needed is a separation of violence from the desire to defend one's country, promote a way of life, or liberate a group of people. Although many actions of war can be "justified," overwhelmingly people are starting to question not the motives of going to war but the actual decision to go to war. Soldiers coming back from war might be willing to turn around and go back because they believe in the cause but they still question the choice of war. As McMaster expressed, it's worth the toll if it's the right decision. IF, it's the right decision.

Last year I watched a fantastic documentary, Sir, No Sir!, about the soldiers who protested the Vietnam War, a story covered up for years. Even now, we're artificially divided between those who "support our troops" and those who don't. It's a technique devised to suppress the public's growing desire for peace. I don't think there's an American alive who isn't grateful for our army and who doesn't think it's incredible to live in a country where people volunteer to serve. But clearly, people all over the world are starting to wonder if violence is still an effective tactic for bringing about change.