Startling--and also inspiring--photos of Wounded Warrior Robert Warren
appearing in The Washington Post this morning. The photos accompany a long and detailed article by Christian Davenport, explaining the issue of traumatic brain injury. As the photo above makes clear, Robert Warren received horrible injuries from a rocket attack in Afghanistan, and his recovery will be long, difficult, and incomplete--not only was part of his skull and brain blown away in the explosion, but a piece of shrapnel remains embedded in his cranium.
It's fair to say that up until not long ago, a soldier with Warren's injuries would have died on the battlefield, or, if he had survived, would not be able to resume much of his previous life. Once again, the variable is Serious Medicine. But we shouldn't stop with what we have. We own it to Warren, and his family, to go further. If we really wanted to, we could be working to regenerate his brain tissue, and heal the rest of his numerous injuries. That would be a great and noble healthcare project.
I have heard it said that the brain is like 2 tires, either one can take over the task of the other. But it requires a lot of remedial training. Yes, regardless of cost, we should go down this road. Who knows what other benefits can be reaped.
ReplyDeleteI’ve also heard that our mind is like a computer; but we only use a small part of it. I am sure there are greater goods that can come out of Robert Warren’s brain injury and suffering. Yes, we owe it to him, him first; and maybe, just maybe we’ll discover gifts we have that are only alluded to in our great books on religion and holy people.
This article and the attitude it promotes ***IS*** the problem.
ReplyDeleteAny grunt who went off to Iraq (or Afghanistan) before say, 2004, can be let off the hook, but after that they're not soldiers -- and certainly not the ridiculous "warriors" -- they're just war criminals. The fact that they are morons as well, is only slightly mitigating. But no, you just have to keep stroking that pony of military worship. That just makes you one of them, a warmonger and war crime enabler.
Stop drinking the Kool-aid, stop peddling the Kool-aid, and start putting the criminals in jail, starting at the top, and without partisan preference: Cinton, Bush/Cheney et al, all those who signed the AUMF or follow-on funding, the bulk of the US Military Officer corps, AIPAC and all its tentacles, and then finish off with the expedient jellyfish Obama.
Great bblog I enjoyed reading
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