TM prompt 232: Unkind

[sylph_fics]

"Is there ever a situation in which it is appropriate to be unkind?"

Oh good grief.

What are we, in grade school again?

Of course there is. I could just say it's called life, and be accurate; but I'll be a little more specific. I was a kid serving in the Korean War, once upon a time. Believe me, I learned pretty quickly that kindness is a luxury, not a necessity. Vietnam didn't do anything to change my mind, either. There's not much place for that in the middle of a war zone.

Decency, now, that's something different, and something no-one, soldier or otherwise, should ever allow themselves to lose. Lose hold of common decency, and you become no better than what you're fighting. But kindness? Benevolence? In the face of war? That's just something that will get you killed.

Or, for that matter, get you worse than killed. Which there are plenty of options for behind enemy lines.

Pah. Who writes these idiotic questions?

Comments

[hunter-of-light.livejournal.com]

Kindness in war.

That is what Zaknafien convinced himself it was to kill the children of the rival houses, rather than let them grow up to be victims of our society.

I still disagree that his way was best.