A Political Question

These past few weeks have been terrible throughout the world-- War in Fallujah, deaths brought by successive typhoons in the Philippines. Through it all, one may ask if the world is slowly consuming itself with injustices. Over the news, from television to Time magazine, shocking revelations in Fallujah have been constantly reviewed. More specifically, the news focused on the marine killing a supposedly an unarmed insurgent.
I asked a US navy friend of mine about the incident in Fallujah, on why such an abomination occurred. He answered in defense of his colleagues. “In war, It’s either kill—or be killed.” As a civilian, though far away from Fallujah, such statement seems cruel. But in reality, we are faced in a world where war does not recognize morals but survival. I have never killed anyone before nor do I intend to in the future, but looking at it in the viewpoint of a soldier in battle, I would say I could. In a highly stressful position where your enemies can take form of any gender or age, and where at any time they can attack, your weapon is your closest friend. “Every trip “outside the wire” brings the possibility of attack from any direction, from people who look like everyday citizens and from everyday objects—cars, oilcans, dead animals, even human beings—refashioned into bombs. “It’s relentless,”… “From the moment you arrive ‘til the moment you leave, you’re in danger.””
I don’t approve of killing, but these soldiers are not only fighting for their country but also for their own lives. They are truly heroes in their own right but I am still however, bothered why they have to fight for another man’s war?

Credits:
Zabriskie, Phil. “Wounds That don’t Bleed”. pp. 36- 38. November 29,2004 issue. TIME Magazine.

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