"The object is not to die for your country, but to make the other poor bastard die for his." - General George S. Patton
Being embroiled as we are in the Iraq war, I feel it necessary to repeat Patton's sentiment.
We've been besieged a lot lately to remember those who gave their lives, and how important their sacrifices were to ensure our freedom. But their deaths didn't help this country. Their lives helped. Their fighting. Their giving up their families and friends and careers to go forth and fight. The sacrifices any soldier makes are crucial to our society. Their sacrifices of time, effort and personal interests. There's no question about the toll their injuries, both physical and mental, put on their lives. The strain they endure is regrettable. We take all of these, and they're all part of the process. Their deaths are an unfortunate addition to the situation - they are not the benefit we needed.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not denigrating their service. I enjoy my freedom as much as any American, and I willingly acknowledge the hard work (to say the least) that has gone into making that possible. But that's my point - it's not soldiers' deaths that are warranted. It's their lives. It's their continued service. It's their willingness to go forth and kill someone on the other side. To fight another day and another and another toward our collective goals. A dead soldier (on our side) does us no good. We don't need soldiers to die for our freedom. We need them to live so that they may protect it.
A soldier's death is unfortunate and his sacrifice should still be noted and honored. But really? The deaths are not what we need. The service while they're alive, that's the stuff we're looking for.
Labels: war
