the requisite response-to-the-war post

[hermionesviolin]

I have thought this war was inevitable for quite a while now.

I’m not frightened. I find it interesting the contradictions among people who are largely on the same side. Some people argue this is war is unjustified because Saddam doesn’t have and won’t be able to manufacture long-range weapons, so our self-defense argument doesn’t hold up. But some people are very afraid that this war will reach our shores, that we will be attacked. Though i suppose these two ideas could be reconciled with the explanation that we will piss off other groups who do have the capabilities to attack us.

But i was saying... I’m not frightened. We can talk about how i live in a bubble and haven’t had any serious tragedy touch me close to home and all that, but let’s not. I’m not worried about being attacked, and maybe i should be, but i’m not.

Someone, i’ve now forgotten who, posted about how it’s our people who are going over there, who are gonna get killed, and i couldn’t help thinking, “This is something to get upset about because it’s our people?!” That just seemed to me one of the most horrid things i have read about this issue. I have said it before, and i’ll say it again, for me this war is about the Iraqi people. People talk about how there will be civilian casualties, and i think, “The civilians are already casualties,” and i think about how military technology has helped really reduce the number of casualties, and i think about how people are dying all over the world all the time and we get all worked up only when it’s “our” people, and i think about the fact that when people sign up for the military they should know what they’re getting into and know that they might be sent into combat and might die (and i think about what Alix Olson said about the death of the Columbia crew not being a tragedy not only because they were doing what they dreamed of but because they knew the risks when they started).

I admit, i’ve started half-expecting people to defriend me over this issue. So let me take me take a moment to voice my sincere appreciation that we have this mutual respect thing going on even when we seriously disagree.

Comments

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I basically agree with you. We can debate the finer points when I speak to you next. I'm not frightened either, mostly because I refuse to worry about things that I can't predict for certain. I'm not about to burst into glorious song by any means, but I have an amount of faith in those in the military, and can only hope things get resolved quickly. I don't think fighting with friends solves anything either.

[athene.livejournal.com]

I really like what my sister said in her lj

The thing that I hold higher than any other is human life. I cannot accept a solution that needlessly slaughters human beings. Nor will I. Last night, as the announcements were made, I cried. It isn't because my friends who are in the military might die, it is because someone, anyone, will die. There is an extremely minimal number of people on this earth that I want to die. And while on the one hand I often think that life seems fairly worthless in the cosmic scheme of things, I switch between that belief and the one that each life is extremely important because it does not matter on the whole. If all we are granted is this small time to affect things, each other, ourself, then why waste it with hatred and war? I cannot understand. And I will not accept it.