Soldier Stuff

[pen_grunt]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080316/wl_nm/france_saintexupery_dc
"German pilot fears he killed writer Saint-Exupery"

You see. This is why I could never fight in any kind of war. I'm forever haunted by the scene in "All's Quiet on the Western Front" where the young man realizes that the people he's so arbitrarily killing are just other young men. Who knows who they are--writers, actors, singers, accountants, doctors...but they have their own lives, not dissimilar to his own. The same motives with the opposite intent.

My world is not black-and-white enough to be convinced to kill anyone like that. What reason could anyone give me--there is nothing tangible enough.

For some reason, this little Yahoo! story (for once, not about sleep deprivation past 3 a.m.) is haunting to me. To live thinking you shot down and killed someone who gave you great stories--that you, personally, enjoyed? It all seems so very, very useless. [ETA: Yes, I do know that there are causes bigger than one man, and things worth fighting for. Certainly WWII is a prime example of such things. I'm speaking of the personal struggle--coming to terms with the one-on-one, man-to-man taking of a life.]

It's late, and I'm prone to musing. I have to remember, that the icon picture (of my Grandfather) was taken at the age of 21. I wouldn't trust most 21-year-olds now days to drive a car responsibly--or do a lot of other things, and yet we give them guns and the power to kill at will or command. And yet, over 60 years ago, they were the Greatest Generation.

And yet.
I think it's too late to complete these thoughts.

Comments

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

My world is not black-and-white enough to be convinced to kill anyone like that. What reason could anyone give me--there is nothing tangible enough.

Genocide.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I would have a hard time, personally, picking out a person for the institution. No matter how evil (and genocide is more than enough justification), I'm just not sure I could look someone in the eyes and kill them.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

First, in a lot of genocide situations it is not hard at all to associate the person with the movement, because they are involved in gang-raping and slaughtering villages of women.

second, I would have no compunction at all in killing someone involved in fighting for a genocidal regime even if they appeared "civilized."

The inability of people to fight against genocide means that genocide continues with impunity.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I would personally feel as though my civility were in question, not theirs.

Generally speaking, I agree with you completely. I'm just not sure that "fighting against" needs to mean me killing someone on a one-on-one basis. Note that I have no general objection to others killing if they have the stomach for it. I don't think I do.

Then again, I can't realistically make an assessment--I can't honestly say I've ever been in a situation where that has been a viable option.

[gwangi.livejournal.com]

My world is not black-and-white enough to be convinced to kill anyone like that. What reason could anyone give me--there is nothing tangible enough.

Although there wasn't really any decent reason for WW1, I'd sure hope that the attack that started WW2 would be enough to convince you to fight. In that case, people were trying to kill us. Should we have just stood by and let them?

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

Well, here's the thing, I'm speaking on a very personal level, and did not mean to extrapolate to the general. I even said: [ETA: Yes, I do know that there are causes bigger than one man, and things worth fighting for. Certainly WWII is a prime example of such things. I'm speaking of the personal struggle--coming to terms with the one-on-one, man-to-man taking of a life.]

This makes me sound like a total peace-nik, I know, and it's not exactly the case. I don't know if I could come to terms with personally killing someone--I'm not sure how much justification and good causation would be needed for me to think, "Hey, I just killed someone and I feel alright about it."

Again, I haven't been put in the situation, so I don't know. Certainly I could see myself killing someone in self defense, or in the direct defense of my family--but a conceptual plot to "try to kill us" as a general people? Not sure I could relate to that to kill on an individual basis.

At any rate, it's enough to keep me from signing up on any military excursions--and given my positioning that's probably a good thing.

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

Yes, too late, but good thoughts to chew on, nonetheless.

Been thinkin' 'bout that kinda stuff a bit myself, lately . . .

[pointedthings.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I could kill someone on a one-to-one basis just fine. If I actually knew the person and knew they were a bad person (self-defense, etc.). I agree with the generalization though. After having been to places that were still recovering from civil and ethnic warfare on a grand scale, I know I couldn't ever use religion, race, ethnicity, or gender, as a reason for killing someone, especially on anyone else's command.