Hello James,

This could be one of the most important pieces I have ever written.

The below piece, From the Vault, is a direct response to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's much-vaunted book, “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society”.

It's provocatively titled, and it's bound to turn some heads.

I wrote this piece in October of 2016 for a class at Regent University, in pursuance of my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Communications.

I updated it on June 25, 2021, and gave it to a family friend who was about to ship out for the Marine Corps.

I am publishing it publicly here for the first time.

Quite frankly, I believe that the thesis laid out in Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's “On Killing” has caused much avoidable PTSD for our Fighting Men and Women during the Global War on Terror.

What's worse, I believe that this problem has been even more severe for Christians within the ranks.

As such, I wrote this piece below to solve the problem.

It's for our Warfighters and Law Enforcement Officers who Society has entrusted the grave task of dealing death as the appointed Posse Comitatus of our Nation.

This piece is built upon the foundation of Philosophy, History, Theology, and Anthropology.

And it gives a voice to the Fighting Men themselves.

So without further adieu, I give you…

"Live and Let Die: Kill Like a Christian".

Sincerely,

Richard Barrett

11-16-2025

Written at 5:55 PM, somewhere in the USA…

P.S. This piece is not a call to violence against any religious, racial, ethnic, or political group or any individual members of any religious, racial, ethnic, or political group. It is a philosophical and historical examination of the morality and ethics of killing in war time when legally sanctioned by legitimate authorities.