Horrors of War

I went to the War Remanent Museum today in Saigon. It used to be known as the Museum of Chinese & American War Crimes. Biased name? Yes, but founded? Also yes.

On the walls was photograph after photograph of soldiers (mostly U.S.) posing with their "enemy." Who is this "enemy"? A PC answer would be the VCs. Yet the photos showed many children, mothers, and the elderly. Yes, there were soldiers too. (Like the photo of a smiling soldier carrying the head, neck and skin(down to the chest) of a dead man.)

A section of the exhibit was dedicated to the atrocities and horrors of the My Lai Massacre where U.S. soldiers, in the span of one day, killed hundreds of people -- mostly the victims mentioned above. Not only did they kill, but they also raped a number of women over the course of that day.

Then there was the use of Agent Orange - insecticides against widespread villages. People today are still suffering from deformities caused by the toxicity of these weapons. Partial arm, deformed head, inability to walk, much less talk.

This entire exhibit began with the quote from the U.S. Declaration of Independence -- "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal." Are they really? Do you use insecticides against men or against insects?

War is a destroyer of life and brings out the worse in people.

I felt like CRAP walking out of the museum. The sky answered with thunder, lightning and a heavy downpour. How fitting after a viewing of these despicable aspects of human nature.