Anyone who participates in war becomes a legitimate target, a culpable agent, an enemy to someone somewhere. War is murder, and no one should expect anything less to come of U.S. troops who participate in it. Hiding behind the flag and taking some “I am not part of this violence” stance is self-imposed and willful ignorance of one’s culpability.
Families whose sons and daughters are involved in war have responsibility in this too. None of this “I don’t understand” nonsense from the Boston Globe example above. (The Boston Globe understands, and very well, how to select its quotes.) We are all responsible for our obliviousness, and obliviousness is no excuse for murder.
“The first step to waking-up is to “feel” something—like sadness, horror, anger or disgust,” Wight says. “Something! In truth, WE THE PEOPLE have the power to stop these two sick wars, bring our troops home, and drastically reduce our military-industrial-congressional complex, but not until we care enough to ‘feel the pain’ of what our mendacious America is doing to Iraq and Afghanistan.”
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[1] “Anarchist Group Behind Local Flag Burning,” Associated Press, December 24, 2007.
[2] “Massachusetts orders removal of overpass flags, troop tributes,” Boston Globe, Dec. 4, 2007.
[3] “Patrick Halts Plan to Remove War Memorials,” <http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/05/a_reprieve_for_road_banners/>.
[4] Nazi Photos <http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm> & Posters <http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/posters2.htm>.
[5] See YouTube video Amherst College: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dFExiJ_4tU>.
[6] Matthew Thompson, “American Flag Made Overseas: China Profits From Our Patriotic Hearts, Soldiers' Blood,” Associated Content, May 18, 2005.
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