War and Love
I believe an important observation is made in a FrontPage magazine's May 17 interview with Major Steven Givler, "Notes of Joy and Sadness" by Jamie Glazov... illustrating a difference between war motivated by love and war motivated by hate. Why is America at war in Iraq? Is it because we "hate" the enemy?
From the interview with Major Givler...
"It had been our longest and most difficult sortie yet - we'd been supporting ground troops all night long who had been under fire, and some of them died while we were trying to help them - I was wondering what enabled us to keep it together, and to work more closely together than I would ever have thought possible. Training is certainly part of the answer, but the biggest part, I believe, is love. Our love for our nation and what it represents, our love for each other, and for the men and women we were supporting - love is the only thing that makes people willing to sacrifice for each other. I remember flying home as the sun was rising over the desert, thinking how odd it was that in the middle of a war, love was what motivated us."
"I saw the same thing over and over again. On my second deployment I was able to get into Iraq on the ground, instead of flying over it all the time, and I spent some time working with soldiers and Marines. I got stranded in Taqadam with a bunch of young Marines who'd been wounded in Falujah, received treatment, and were doing everything they could to get themselves back to their units so that their buddies would not be shorthanded. Those were great young men, and I was proud to be with them. I think people probably assume that wars are fueled by hate, but from what I've seen, love is what motivates our people."
Why are we at war in the first place? Isn't it primarily out of love of freedom and the responsibility we feel for the oppressed? What is the enemy's motivation?
From the interview with Major Givler...
"It had been our longest and most difficult sortie yet - we'd been supporting ground troops all night long who had been under fire, and some of them died while we were trying to help them - I was wondering what enabled us to keep it together, and to work more closely together than I would ever have thought possible. Training is certainly part of the answer, but the biggest part, I believe, is love. Our love for our nation and what it represents, our love for each other, and for the men and women we were supporting - love is the only thing that makes people willing to sacrifice for each other. I remember flying home as the sun was rising over the desert, thinking how odd it was that in the middle of a war, love was what motivated us."
"I saw the same thing over and over again. On my second deployment I was able to get into Iraq on the ground, instead of flying over it all the time, and I spent some time working with soldiers and Marines. I got stranded in Taqadam with a bunch of young Marines who'd been wounded in Falujah, received treatment, and were doing everything they could to get themselves back to their units so that their buddies would not be shorthanded. Those were great young men, and I was proud to be with them. I think people probably assume that wars are fueled by hate, but from what I've seen, love is what motivates our people."
Why are we at war in the first place? Isn't it primarily out of love of freedom and the responsibility we feel for the oppressed? What is the enemy's motivation?
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