So, today is Memorial Day. It's also kind of disgusting outside. Which means that I am taking advantage of having the room to myself and watching Band of Brothers while my muscles rest from seven straight days of climbing and being active. It's hard to do, yes, but it's necessary to ensure that I can continue climbing and adventuring. Thankfully, it's sort of raining, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I may pull my slackline out a bit later, though.
Returning to the day at hand, I keep thinking of these lyrics from a Blue Scholars song
America romanticize the old war story
Heroes, ammo, guns, blood, guts and glory
Part of me views this day as a creation of our government in order to continue that tradition, and to some extent, I'm sure that it's so.
The other part of me is filled with gratitude and appreciation that there are those who think that their country is worth dying for. A standing army (or at least the ability to defend itself) is a huge part of what makes a nation what it is: it has to protect it's own sovereignty to ensure stability. We owe this relative stability to the people who signed up to be a part of this defense, and to those who didn't dodge the draft even if they didn't believe in it. It takes guts to jump out of a trench, run off of a Higgins boat into three feet of water, or land a helicopter in the jungle all while facing artillery, machine-gun, and small arms fire. It's something I hope I never have to experience.
I have my views on war, violence, death and destruction.
But I must recognize those who are willing to die to protect my right to hold the views that I do.
About Me
- Brandon
- I work at a software company in Bellingham, love reading, writing, being outside, and studying the different cultures God has created to worship him. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.
3 comments:
Leprechaun!
Do you honestly believe that our government has created Memorial Day to perpetuate war? That's a horribly cynical viewpoint! I think it's also giving the government too much credit.
People didn't make the ultimate sacrifice for your "relative stability", but for your freedom and security. That would be like saying Jesus died to make you feel better about yourself instead of the fact that He died the death that you deserved.
Those who have served our country shouldn't be looked at as ignorant pawns "who think that their country is worth dying for". They recognize their country's greatness despite stupid politicians, and arrogant academics, who are too selfish and shortsighted to see it for themselves, and yet they are still willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.
OUCH
Sorry about that! I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you personally, even though I did quote you! It just bugs me that people believe that war is never necessary and try to blame it on someone, like our government, rather than on our enemy.
To me those kind of people are saying that people are dying for us unnecessarily and that the same thing could have been achieved without a war. In a similar way, people also tend to believe that there are ways to Heaven apart from Jesus, which is to say that His death wasn't necessary because there are other ways. (not to say that our soldiers are equal to Jesus, but still)
Look back at WWII. We were a country trying to believe that we were protected by the oceans we have flanking us and that those oceans would save us from conflict. Well, that myth was literally blown out of the water when Pearl Harbor was attached and we were thrust into war. Similarly, we foolishly believed that we were safe from attack when we were hit again on our own soil on September 11, 2001. How quickly we have forgotten. You cannot tell me that diplomacy or "peacemaking" would have been possible with Hitler or bin Laden.
Now working with veterans and seeing the effects of their service, it bothers me when people make it sound like they were ignorant and stupid to give themselves for their country and their fellow citizens. Maybe it's those who don't recognize their sacrifice that are the ignorant ones.
Anyway, I apologize for coming off like I was attacking you. I'm sure your meaning wasn't quite how I portrayed it. I know you do see the sacrifice that these veterans have made, just be sure not to trivialize it by saying theirs is not a worthy cause.
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