still struggling

Why do I struggle so much with the idea of peace? I have talked to hundreds of people over the past 15 years regarding this topic and they either fall on one side or the other, there is no gray area.

On one side there are those that believe that war is necessary to achieve peace and protect freedom. On the other side war is not the answer and we should seek peace at all costs. Those are somewhat broadly painted strokes but essentially it is that simple to label. Defining each of these by any standard is the harder part.

Within the realm of justifying war as a means for maintaining peace, controlling an enemy and enjoying some sense of freedom from a would be captor, one must accept at least this fact of what war is. It is violent. Saying that by going to war you are affecting peace in any given region means that first there is unrest. Within this unrest lies violence which most likely inhibits murder and a death toll. By actively participating in this unrest, you are contributing to the death toll.

In all of the talking and listening there are some consistent remarks to be shared regarding this topic. One is that soldiers who are on your side that are killed during a time of war are commonly referred to as murdered. The opposite can be said of those that are killed on the enemy’s side, it is said that they are simply killed, and quite simply it was self defense on the part of the soldier who did the killing.

Occasionally there are accidents involving friendly fire such as what happened to former NFL standout Pat Tillman. Situations like these are seemingly more tragic than if the soldier had been killed by the enemy. We can hate the enemy because they are trying to kill our guys but when it’s one of our guys who accidentally did the killing, it’s much harder to swallow. Either way I have to ask the question of why was this necessary in the first place?

Many on the peace activist side of things are commonly heard making the statement that an eye for an eye only leads to more blindness. However from the standpoint of protecting a collective nation such as the USA, our military has the right to defend itself from would be aggressors. There are those in the world who would like nothing more than to see us here in America wiped out completely. With that said is it not reasonable to be prepared and ever ready for such attacks? Is it not reasonable to seek out those that have publicly declared their hatred for us and eliminate them before they eliminate us?

Much has been written and said over many hundreds of years regarding war and peace. This is no light subject for a coffee table book, it is meant for serious discussion only, there can be no joking here.

The problem is however, that I am still struggling with it. I want peace...I am at odds with how to attain it.

my life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D