World Peace & Love vs War, Guns & Killing Fields; What War Does to Young Men & Their Families
Posted: Thursday, April 14, 2011
by Jennifer Stewart
Stepping out of History
I saw part of the most heartbreaking movie the other night, called Brothers. I only started watching halfway through, but it was about two brothers. From what I could gather, one was a pacifist and the other went to war in Afghanistan.
When he was there he and his best friend were captured and he was forced to beat his friend to death or watch him be tortured and decapitated, and then be killed himself. It was a gruesome scene, I couldn’t watch it beyond the first few seconds.
Of course he killed his friend and it destroyed him. He came home to his wife and two children. But he was full of rage and terror, his mind warped beyond redemption. The lives of his wife and children and his brother were destroyed as well. It was so well acted, it tore me apart, because I know it was realistic.
Why do we never get to see that side of war? What it does to the young men who go out probably with such idealism, and no clue of what horror awaits them, no understanding that the likelihood of them coming back unscathed is nil? And what that does to their families. And for what?
All I could think was “why does anybody let their husbands, their brothers, their sons, their friends join a damn army, let alone go to Afghanistan where they know they’re going see and possibly even commit atrocities”. What am I saying? It’s not just even men any more, women are joining up.
War and guns, killing and torture have all become such normal things. Who thinks twice when they see pictures of people with guns? Whoever stops and thinks any more what a gun actually does? Killing fields are a matter of everyday life now. I've been watching the news on Ivory Coast. Men with guns and violence in their faces and bodies, enjoyment at the power they wield, looking for people to torture and maim and kill.
Virginia Woolf wrote an interesting book ages ago called Three Guineas. Basically she asked the question why did women want to empower themselves along the same lines as men? Why did they want to participate in the world that men had created - the world of politics and business. She also questioned the role women were playing in actively fomenting war by supporting their men who went out to fight. She said why don’t we just do it differently as women. I thought she had a good point.
If I knew somebody who wanted to join up I’d do everything in my power to disabuse them of their noble aspirations and help them wake up to the reality of what it’s really about. I’d find graphic pictures, I’d get them to talk to people whose lives and innocence had been destroyed. I wouldn’t give them rest until they realized what they were doing. I wouldn’t let them go.
Imagine if all the women in the world said “no more war, we won’t pay taxes until our governments pull out of all wars, we won’t support our men going out to fight, we don’t accept that there is any nobility to war. War is not about protection, it’s about killing and atrocities. Stop it now.”
If the world couldn’t fight, it would find another way to solve its problems. Governments would have more money to spend, and they wouldn’t be able to overpower their neighbors, so they could spend it at home. No more superpowers – now there’s a happy concept. What on earth would all the bullies do? Go to therapy. Now there’s a supremely happy concept.
When he was there he and his best friend were captured and he was forced to beat his friend to death or watch him be tortured and decapitated, and then be killed himself. It was a gruesome scene, I couldn’t watch it beyond the first few seconds.
Why do we never get to see that side of war? What it does to the young men who go out probably with such idealism, and no clue of what horror awaits them, no understanding that the likelihood of them coming back unscathed is nil? And what that does to their families. And for what?
All I could think was “why does anybody let their husbands, their brothers, their sons, their friends join a damn army, let alone go to Afghanistan where they know they’re going see and possibly even commit atrocities”. What am I saying? It’s not just even men any more, women are joining up.
War and guns, killing and torture have all become such normal things. Who thinks twice when they see pictures of people with guns? Whoever stops and thinks any more what a gun actually does? Killing fields are a matter of everyday life now. I've been watching the news on Ivory Coast. Men with guns and violence in their faces and bodies, enjoyment at the power they wield, looking for people to torture and maim and kill.
Virginia Woolf wrote an interesting book ages ago called Three Guineas. Basically she asked the question why did women want to empower themselves along the same lines as men? Why did they want to participate in the world that men had created - the world of politics and business. She also questioned the role women were playing in actively fomenting war by supporting their men who went out to fight. She said why don’t we just do it differently as women. I thought she had a good point.
If I knew somebody who wanted to join up I’d do everything in my power to disabuse them of their noble aspirations and help them wake up to the reality of what it’s really about. I’d find graphic pictures, I’d get them to talk to people whose lives and innocence had been destroyed. I wouldn’t give them rest until they realized what they were doing. I wouldn’t let them go.
Imagine if all the women in the world said “no more war, we won’t pay taxes until our governments pull out of all wars, we won’t support our men going out to fight, we don’t accept that there is any nobility to war. War is not about protection, it’s about killing and atrocities. Stop it now.”
If the world couldn’t fight, it would find another way to solve its problems. Governments would have more money to spend, and they wouldn’t be able to overpower their neighbors, so they could spend it at home. No more superpowers – now there’s a happy concept. What on earth would all the bullies do? Go to therapy. Now there’s a supremely happy concept.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)I think women sign up for different reasons than men. I wanted to join the Navy to make a difference in the world - but on a different level than working with an NGO. Freedom is important. Liberty is important. Equality is important. These are all virtues that I hold dear to my heart. Would I beat my friend to death to save my life? Probably not. Would I sign my life away to the army to free someone else from tyranny? If they'd accept me, absolutely.Thanks for commenting, Hilary. I respect where you're coming from.
Yes Jennifer we should do away with all war, it has never accomplished anything constructive.It's accomplished a lot for the people who manufacture arms, and that's about it, David.
We went to a fundraiser for a soldier in his twenties who came home injured and will never walk again. As everyone ate and drank and laughed and carried on as you do at a celebration, I watched as he sat in his wheelchair observing everyone. He seemed to be ignored except for people grabbing photo ops every now and then. His injuries and the hurdles he was about to face were obvious. But I realized none of us would ever understand what he had already been through. I asked my husband how they expect to hand a young man a gun to kill , and then send them home and expect them to carry on normally. I don't understand it either and yet for those who selflessly enlist to serve and protect their country, I feel I must honour that. I pray for those kids and for their parents. I couldn't do it. Sorry to be so long winded Jennifer. Your article got me thinking of those things we all like to avoid thinking about. My kids are safe and I'm living comfortably while people are enduring the kinds of things you saw in the movie you watched. Life, eh.The situation you describe is exactly the problem, Brianna - there people were staring the injury right in the face and they not only ignored the young man, but they carried on as if nothing had happened to him. I can't get my head around it. My heart breaks for that young man. I also honor the motivation and courage of people who enlist and I'm not trying to discount that in any way.
But I think they've been conned into an exaggerated sense of patriotism, and they aren't given all the information about what's going to happen to them and what it's like to kill somebody, what that really is about. All that stuff is swept under the carpet. Because if everybody knew the reality, nobody would enlist.
And maybe I'm a cynic, but I think war serves one group only, and that's the military industrial complex. Oh, I feel so strongly about this, and now I'm being long-winded! You know what I really want to do, when I hear of a young man like the one you describe? I want to help him recover his life :)I agree with you when you say they are not fully aware or prepared for what they are about to face. How can anyone be prepared for that? It's tragic and I don't know that they can ever truly recover from such horrors.
It takes the common man from different borders to come together. Only then war can be brought to an end. Like how the Arabs and Israelis have walked for peace today, this must happen everywhere. The citizens have to take the road before the Army drops the bomb!I agree, Shyam. The more we empower ourselves, the less the leaders who want to make war can control us. What is that walk? I don't know about it.
I searched for USA Foreign helps its surprising you know why, not because Israel is number one but because nearly 80 percent of helps are military helps. It is going to come back to us military economy. So they receive most helps. I don’t know if any new US entrepreneur is going to work in military section but surely he must face Giants of world. I think USA Congress is its greatest enemy. I think comparing with US Government, Iran is USA friend.
war ?
Great article Jennifer, thanks for writing it and making us all think about it once again.Pleasure, Oleg, thanks for reading and commenting.
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