Ethics Kid: religion? I don't know.

20091129

religion? I don't know.

Grandpa talked with me the other day - he's been going to these meetings talking to pastors and stuff and I guess its all been because he is worried about me. Well not really worried about me but worried about what would happen if I got drafted. He's been talking all about how some wars are a 'just war' and how some violence is ok but not other types of violence isn't. I don't know what he's talking about, but I'm not worried about this. I mean I've filled out the card and sent it back in. When I told Grandpa that, he looked a little unhappy, but I don't really know why. He already served, and it isn't like things are nearly bad enough over in the middle east for me to have to go over there.

And he started talking about how some wars are ok with God and some aren't. I guess that I can buy that idea. But how in the world am I supposed to distinguish? I mean I barely know what I'm studying at college, or which college I'm attending but I'm supposed to be able to figure out what wars are ok and what aren't? That's a lot of pressure.

But what is violence anyway? If violence is doing harm to another person then it could be considered hurting someone's feelings or not being nice enough to them. But if violence is causing bodily harm to someone else then I certainly don't want to have to do that to anyone else. I dunno. This complicates everything. I know that I'm not against all kinds of violence but I don't know where that line should be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not.

1 comment:

JMSDecember 3, 2009 at 2:48 PM
The title to this blog entry is "religion? I don't know." This blog entry only grapples with the just war tradition, and there only in a very general way. I would think Martin would have talked to Brad about the seven just war criteria, but Brad does not mention them. I agree that Brad is very young, and thus ill-prepared to make discriminating judgements about when a war is just or not, but that is the way things are--at least if a draft is reestablished. Without a draft young women and men can certainly use the just war criteria to engage in ethical reflection about the wars their nations is engaged in. There is no age limit on ethical reflection, nor even a gender boundary. So far Brad's reflection is pretty shallow.
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Well, obviously, this was not written by a teenage boy, it was written by a 22 year old college girl. I tried to break away from my usual writing style, to try and get into the character a little bit, but I'm not sure how successful I was.

I wanted write from Brad's perspective because it is one that I never had to experience. Women don't have to fill out the selective service card, and though my older brother did, I don't really remember it being something discussed or mulled over. Over Thanksgiving break, I spoke with my parents about their experiences with the draft and with selective service. My father comes from a unique situation that, if his number had been drawn, he would have been able to claim conscientious objectors' status, having attended a Quaker boarding school for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.

My personal factors are numerous. I have experienced violence myself, as a child, an adolescent, as a teenager, and as a college student, both here and abroad in Tanzania. I won't go into more detail than that.

My great uncle and both grandfathers served in the military, and my great uncle was killed, shot down over Italy during WWII. His brother, my grandfather, served in the South Pacific, though never saw action. My mother's father, my other grandfather, served as a cook in the National Guard. Two of my cousins (brothers) on my mother's side are serving in the military, the Marines and the Army.

As distasteful as violence is, I recognize that it is necessary. Self defense skills were something that I lacked when I was younger, and have since used to defend myself. I have made sure that my younger sisters are educated in self defense. Does that count as a just war? I don't think so. But it is an allowance of violence that I am comfortable to have remain. Nonviolence only works if you don't mind getting hurt - something I am not willing to endure - and other should not experience what I have had to.

I could have argued that violence is wrong in all situations, but I would have to call myself a hypocrite. I struggle to write this piece because I never had to struggle with these things. I've chosen to think about them, but as far as the way the current selective service program is set up, I don't need to confront these issues unless I willfully take part in them. Most young men, however have to face this at a young age - an age that young adults aren't allowed to drink alcohol they are faced with the prospect (distant as it may be) that they potentially could have to fight in a war. I consider that a flawed system. I don't have a solution, all I have is my opinion on the entire issue.

Ethics Kid

20091129

religion? I don't know.

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