Law Commons^™

The Real Terrorist Was Me: An Analysis Of Narratives Told By Iraq Veterans Against The War In An Effort To Rehumanize Iraqi Civilians And Soldiers, Stephanie Decker, John Paul

Societies Without Borders

War often necessitates or compels the dehumanization of the enemy. Taking away the humanity of a group of people makes them easier to kill and commit atrocities against them while relieving the soldiers, as well as the public at large, of having to deal with any moral dilemmas related to their actions. Additionally, once a people have been dehumanized, it is a difficult task to change those attitudes, particularly when it causes one to examine their own role in civilian causualties, war crimes, and other abuses. While it is not a new phenomena for servicemen and women to return from …