Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Toastmasters and Wars

I have to be Toast Master next week (a.k.a. lead the meeting) and the theme is The History of War. Ugghhhzzz...

I have Pacifist tendencies. I believe war is only justified to free the oppressed and suffering. Revenge, money, obtaining resources, gaining new territory,  and exploiting people are NEVER good justifications for war.

But since most of History itself is comprised of various wars fought and won among people throughout the Milena, there are some valuable lessons to be learned from war. The first 3 wars that come to mind that I find great wisdom from are The War in Croatia/Bosnia/ Herzegovina, World Wars 1 and 2, and Wars from Ancient Macedonia.

The first time I learned about the war in Croatia/Herzegovina/Bosnia was when I was assigned to do a group report on a book about it in my college English class a couple years ago. We had to read a book called Good People in an Evil Time: Portraits of Complicity and Resistance in the Bosnian War. Instead of focusing on the death and violence that permeated from the ethnic and religious conflict that erupted between these countries, the book gives individual accounts of people who risked their lives to save others during the ongoing conflict. There were people who housed soldiers who were fighting on the side of the enemy so they wouldn't be found and killed by their enemies in that territory. There were people who helped sneak out captive prisoners who were being beaten at the risk of their own authority and lives. There were just a lot of stories in their that showed that despite the differences between people that countries were willing to go to war for, there were still individuals who felt that humanity mattered more than staying silent and pretending what was happening to their neighbors was beyond their control.

The second war I learned a lot from was The Holocaust. Two books I recommend reading if you haven't done so by now are Night by Elie Wiesel and The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi. Night gives a detailed account of the kind of existence Jews were forced into by the Nazi party. But The Drowned and the Saved is more Primo Levi looking back and reflecting on his experiences to correct certain stereotypes and misunderstandings associated with the Holocaust. The level of cruelty and manipulation enacted by the Nazi party ran a lot deeper than most people realize. And the main reasons why that group manged to get away with what they did for so longer was due to their ability to institutionalize fear. Fear became a justification for vicious acts against humanity.

The last wars I learned from were those from Ancient Macedonia. In that time period they would have wars with neighboring countries, usually over territory expansion. They would fight in chariots and wield spears at people. Today it seems distant and almost irrelevant to us. The present will always seem more important to the past, especially the further back it is. But people died slowly and painfully in battles over lands that no longer exist by the same name anyway. They could have had long, meaningful lives, but instead they were killed and now we just look at the numbers representing deaths layed out in history books that we skim over so we can get a good grade so mom doesn't yell at us when we show her our report card.

There's no shame in fighting. There's no shame in war. But the only virtue to be found in these acts comes from the heroism disayed by those who answer to higher ideals than Revenge, Pride, and Greed. The heroes of wars will always be those who put the lives of others before their own and fight to protect and free lives, not end them.

1 comment:

  1. All the greatest inventions had to do with war.

    All history is defined by war.

    The world will end with war.

    Jesus Himself will end it with war.

    12

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