THE KILL QUESTION. Thank you for spreading the word about Nate Boyer, and thank you for bringing attention to veterans and their causes over the years. But in the future, I’d ask that you refrain from asking any veteran if they have killed anyone or how many people they have killed. It often makes us very uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. It is unfortunately a very common question, with deeply personal reflections and ramifications, and in this case, didn’t really add to the story. Many veterans struggle with what they did or didn’t do during combat, and asking about kill counts is often one of those questions that makes a veteran simply shake his or her head. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
—Jake, Killeen, Texas
I appreciate you writing that. Thank you. I heard from quite a few people about that Monday. In response, let me share a brief story. In 2008, I was on a USO trip with three NFL players to Afghanistan. During the course of the trip, two of the players and I spent one evening with a group of Army Special Forces. I did ask at least two of them (it might have been more) about what I thought would be the most difficult part of their lives—the act of having to kill other people. And I asked how many they had killed. Neither seemed to be upset by the question or to think that it was the wrong question to ask. So that night I didn’t walk away thinking, that’s the wrong question to ask an active service member. Now, after hearing from quite a few veterans in the wake of that question to Nate Boyer, I realize that many in the service consider it an insulting question. And so I apologize for asking a question that upset quite a few people.
