We would be remiss not to thank all those who serve, have served, and will serve in the military. It seems that the last decade or so has seen great changes in the way military conflicts are perceived due to the way information is disseminated now. One unfortunate result of this phenomena is that people tend to discount war, and those who participate in it, as essentially evil.
Despite all of this, the brave men and women who serve our country deserve respect. So, thank you to our cousins, friends, grandparents, and everyone else who protects our freedoms and ensures the protection of people all around the world. Since the death and destruction that war causes are always deplorable and, sometimes, without justification, may the men and women who lead our country, and all nations for that matter, choose very carefully what justifies military action and may the guilt of the sin of waging war for non-essential purposes fall upon the heads of those individuals whose greed, gluttony and love for power cause said war. On the other hand, may the innocent soldiers who die on the battlefield, or who live full lives upon their return, rest at ease knowing they did their duty and placed their faith and trust in those whom we trust to lead us righteously whether the war they fought, fight or will fight is justified, necessary and laudable.
I, for one, have never fought in a war, but I feel I understand its nature to the extent one can without having engaged in warfare and, as I have mentioned, I do believe that there are reasons to fight in this world and even to kill when necessary. I used to believe I wanted to join the military; I no longer feel that way. Although I would willingly go to war if necessary, I choose to stay at home, to work, and to spend time with my family and my friends, and to attempt to help and serve those around me. This is why I am even more grateful for the people are willing to go and to serve because if they didn't, this lifestyle would not be possible. So, once more, thank you, thank you!
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War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)
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Something I think about when I think of WAR:
Approximately 72,771,500 people died as a result of the Second World War.
25, 273, 700 were soldiers, 41,743, 400 were civilians and 5,754,400 of the deaths were Jewish people who died in the Shoa. השואה
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A brief and cursory philisophical/spiritual take on the necessity of war:
A God of love cannot look upon such a war without feeling anguish for His children BUT we must realize that God doesn't cause war and his job is not to stop it. This is part of the suffering humanity has brought upon itself and is part of the reason we are here. Humankind has its free will and, unfrotunately, the will to gain power, to control, to dominate, to fight over limited resources is part of this world and nation states, as unecessary as they are from an eternal perspective, are necessary in this world for many, many reasons. I invite anyone who is a complete pacifist, as we all should be in our hearts, to consider the necessity of violence in the context of the concept of a fallen, temporary world which is exactly what I, and many others, consider this world to be. If all good men and women became pacifists, what would the end result be? Probably that a tyrant would rise up and subject humankind and civilization would begin to devolve.
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