I've been seeing a lot of images involving war lately, and have been thinking about the past. On television or in film, the best and worst of humanity manifests in times of conflict.
So, also, is the character of those civilians on the home front displayed, and their understanding (or lack of understanding) of what actually takes place in war.
Date night with my wife usually occurs once a week (when I stick to the schedule, which I've been unable to do as of late), and 99 percent of the time means dinner or a movie. This time around, it was a movie.
We chose to see The Kingdom, the subject of which is a terrorist attack on Americans in Saudi Arabia, and the cooperation between FBI personnel and Saudi security to track down the killers.
The reason we chose this film, quite honestly, is because the trailer portrayed a movie that seemed to lack some underlying antiwar message. We were curious, to say the least.
Well, I won't get into more specifics of the film, but it did make me reflect on a few things.
Could it be that there are so many stories not told, perspectives that are not portrayed, regarding the "war on terror" in which the U.S. and others are presently engaged?
We have learned of this war through articles that rattle off body counts, explosions, dead civilians, sectarian violence, and the trumpeting of our overall failure in Iraq.
I believe that most people in the Middle East have a sense of tolerance between faiths and moderate views of society and Western culture.
I also believe that human beings in general, when embodying spirituality, faith, and the true opening of one's heart, would not kill each other in the name of God. To do so is to indulge in the dark side of human nature, and in my opinion, is evil. It is the opposite of the higher teachings of orthodox faiths, and their paths to the divine.
I am not talking about whether you are for the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. I am saying that when a man walks into a market and indiscriminately kills himself and others, he is a murderer. And more so than that, if he does it in the name of God, by twisting and warping the spiritual aspects of his faith, he is even worse.
Whether we choose to support war or not, can we agree on this? Whether examined as a human act or from a religious viewpoint, isn't this action evil?
At home, we also recently watched some of Ken Burns' new documentary, The War, which contains personal accounts from Americans involved in WWII and graphic, sometimes disturbing images of this global conflict.
What is apparent from the personal accounts of these men and women is a sense of duty and sacrifice, honor, and loyalty—even if just to their fellow soldiers, families, and friends.
Pacifists became medics, Japanese men fought as Americans, as their families spent the war in detainment. Selfish tendencies were put aside for the good of the nation, a sense of justice, and to fight and defeat a threatening evil in the world.
Of course, the dark side of human nature revealed itself as well to men and women who witnessed the savagery brought out in such conditions. These things exist in the hearts of some individuals, regardless of their uniform, and emerge in such times and conditions.
But what is important is to distinguish the actions of individuals from the actions of governments, world leaders, and cultures. What do they value and represent, historically and in the present?
Within their societies, how do they treat their own people? Do they value individuals and their freedoms, provide governmental mechanisms to check themselves, and openly correct their mistakes and injustices?
The United States is a powerful influence on this planet—in both positive and negative ways. Why don't we accept the role instead of turning away from it and walk a responsible path?
A strong and clear-headed America can play a positive role in the world, relying more and more on the strength of our principles. As we work on ourselves individually, we will naturally demand the same from those who represent us, at home and abroad. We will pay attention, and truly care about who speaks for us and how we are represented.
As we practice self-restraint, honesty, and integrity, we will see the world and our role in it in a different way.
I truly believe this.
Feeds