Recently in a history class I was part of, the discussion over justifiable actions during war became a heated debate. Ex-military members, who had fought in Iraq, and a few others students called for a relinquish of moral responsibility on the part of our soldiers when facing an enemy that seeks military advantage through gorilla warfare, which includes blending into the local community. It was proposed that the soldiers be able to use methods such as killing suspected members, including women and children, who supported the gorilla regime.
I could not help but sit in awe as people jumped on the bandwagon for such an idea. I felt sick to my stomach and asked myself why this was a proposed solution for dealing with enemies of the United States. During war it is most evident that the human nature is capable of sinking to the lowest levels, which put us in the category of beasts rather than supreme keepers of this world.
I can imagine that anyone having to experience the awful nature of war would come out with this mind set. The part that frightens me is that family members and friends of these soldiers are also slipping into this mindset. If there is a right response to this problem, that could return humans back to a peaceful state of mind, surely more violence is not the answer. If we stoop to the level of animals and lose our purpose as morally conscience beings we are no better than the people we call our enemies.
A powerful man once said “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” Might we consider that if we are determined to end violence, the correct response should be to show our enemies that we are fighting for a cause that speaks to all humanity and not just our own? To honor the lives lost is it right to take more? Instead, aren’t we called to sacrifice even more so that a true end to violence may be achieved? The man that I quoted earlier was Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of one of the most successful none-violent movements in history. The only bullet he knew was the one that killed him.
It is a tragedy that war exists and that people are effected in unimaginable ways. However, to lose sight of our moral ground in order to seek revenge would be an even greater tragedy.
