|
In World War II, the war of the "Greatest
Generation," people volunteered or were drafted and went off and fought. It was
the unifying element of their time - people who did not go were either
physically unfit or in a line of work considered critical to national defense.
And to my certain knowledge, many of this latter group later on regretted it,
the opportunity lost. Regretted too, perhaps, their survivor's guilt. Four
hundred thousand of their generation who answered the call did not come home
alive.
There was still a draft on for
Korea, which was, in itself, a kind of second harmonic resonance from World War
II generation - many of the kids who bitterly regretted the fact that they were
too young to fight on the beaches in Normandy got their chance to test their
mettle at Chosin, for better or worse. By the time that Vietnam came around, the
draft was still on-going of course, but the culture had already shifted and many
chose to fight against the war - either as conscientious objectors or as draft
evaders. In time, many of the latter convinced themselves that they had as much
a right to honor for their flying from the fight as those who flew to fight it.
In time they convinced themselves that resisting their country's call to arms
and duty was as noble (dare we say it: more so?) than answering it.
Not all of us
agreed.
But now the volunteers fill
the ranks and fight the war, while most of their generation stays behind and
pursues the everyday fruits of freedom. And these selfsame fruits are purchased
in the currency of the their peers' sacrifices, while those who stay behind
remain unencumbered by any obvious sense of personal responsibility to the
nation's service, or any apparent sense of obligation to renew the ownership of
rights passed down to us in trusteeship from our progenitors. Oh, the best of
them will cheer the soldiers in a muted way, hoping in vague and general terms
for the best, while others excuse themselves by saying, "Not this war, I will
wait for some better one," or perhaps "Why bother? All is lost in any
case."
But no better war offers
itself up, and even now all is not by any means lost. This is our time and our
trial, and there stands the foe afield in all of his proud
power.
And some day it will be over,
and all of this past us: What if we, in time, win through? What if we succeed at
bringing freedom and prosperity to a part of the world that had only ever known
grinding oppression, and in doing so augment our own security? What then? Will
those who stayed behind congratulate the returning heroes for their historic
role in the advancement of human liberty? Or will they, envious of the soldiers
contributions and accomplishments, while saddened at their own forfeited
opportunities, look to minimize the accomplishments of the victors? Will they
say, "It cost too much," without ever saying what it might have been worth? Will
they carve out for themselves a conviction that staying home was as noble (dare
they say: more so?) than going to the
front?
What does your knowledge of
human nature lead you to believe?
Do
not mistake my meaning - Every citizen must honor their own conscience, and I do
not advocate: I would not serve with anyone who would not willingly serve with
me. Neither would I have on my conscience the death or maiming of someone who
read these words and based on them alone decided to join the
fight.
But this will end some day,
and in the long thereafter, all of us will have the opportunity to ponder what
we did. One way or the other.
These
are the nature of stray thoughts.
|
