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As the saying goes, everything's fair in love and war. At least that was the way I heard it growing up. War is in itself a vile thing. We ask our men and women to take up arms and go shoot someone. It's not a pretty thing, but something that has to happen. Everyone lies, this too is a part of life. But when lives hang in the balance of an answer, sometimes you have to get dirty in order to prevent it.

Do not get what I am saying wrong. I do not believe torturing innocent people is a good thing. Nor do I believe that torturing military personnel that would otherwise not be able to tell us anything is a good idea. But if we have someone of high rank that has information that we need to help stop our American's from getting killed, I say lets get that answer before it's too late to do any good.

I was a military brat, my mother served in the Army. I recall her telling me about the things that she had learn to do in the event she was ever captured. It's not a pretty thought, but this is something that happens, and has been going on probably since the first wars ever started. One side captures the other and hurts them to get information. Sometimes they hurt and torture them for no reason other than to do it. But guys, this is a war we are talking about and worse things happen every day out on the battle field. To pretend that war should be this polite and kind act is the most lowest form of cover up.

People do not like to believe that bad things happen. And there are those out there who say okay, lets kill each other, but lets do it nicely. Who exactly are we trying to kid? During the Vietnam War our soldiers were cast out for killing woman and children. We said those things should not be happening. What was left out of that context, was that the Vietnamese were training and arming their woman and children in the hopes that our soldiers would not defend themselves against such an opponent. The question becomes, do we or don't we. And to win, the answer should be a simple yet drastic one. Yes, we do defend ourselves against any foe who is trying to take our lives, and we torture the ones with the information if it comes down to that.

In order to save lives, there are lives that must be lost. War is a dirty thing and until we can handle conflict without blood shed, then there can be no end to the dirty ways that have been established to help us win these wars. And don't think that we are the only ones performing such acts of cruelty. These other countries are out doing the same things to our men and women that get captured all the time. War is ugly and there is no changing that fact. But what would we rather have happen in cases like this? Do we settle for a man telling us that he will not tell us the truth and watch as millions die? Or do we make him want to tell us, to prevent it? And to what extreme do we go to make sure they are not lieing?

These are not easy questions, and there are no easy answers. But for those of us that are not faced with making that determination, how can we sit by with clean hands and pass judgment upon those who are doing the work? We need to protect our own and be willing to do it no matter what. All is fair in love and war.

Learn more about this author, Melissa Crossley.
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