cotton is like the worst example of a veteran
he was an abusive husband and father, as well as an all around piece of shit

Hate to say it, but all of the mutilation and all of the hell you go through during war pretty much earns you a treat-people-however-you-want card. It's a mentality that any conflict that anybody else witnesses is completely insignificant in comparison, and in some respects, there's a kernel, no pun intended, of truth into it. After war, and after how screwed your mind and body get during that time, all any soldier desires is to live a life of bliss with little to no inconveniences, and whatever struggles, problems, difficulties anyone goes through is an inconvenience in comparison to what a vet like Cotton experienced. Now, if a different person went through the same hell, but came out with a more positive disposition, then I would consider that a stronger person than Cotton. And if we can't tolerate his behavior, the very least we could do is empathize.