Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “If only it were all so simple!”
Feb 29th, 2008 by Jill
“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” — Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
This is a great quote. I liked your post below it as well.
It reminded me of something I had been thinking about lately: the PTSD soldiers suffer when they return from war. I recently found out that I am a 2nd cousin of Audie Murphy (WWII hero), who suffered from severe PTSD before anyone really know what it was. He did a lot of work to get the government to help soldiers returning from Vietnam. I had been thinking about the all the Germans he killed (apparently he killed a lot, singlehandedly), and how looking at them as he shot them must have been somewhat like looking at himself, and therefore killing a part of himself…and how that must have something (a lot?) to do with PTSD.
Anyway, you often post stuff that runs along the lines of what’s lurking about in my mind as well…it’s neat. Thanks!
Amy (and Hollis)