I am a
United States Marine. Furthermore, I am an
Infantry Rifleman. Of course, I can speak for neither my fellow Marines, nor my fellow
infantrymen; I can speak only for myself. But, since I feel that what I have to say is pertinent, I will say this:
I am a
professional soldier. My job is, indeed, to kill other humans, for whatever reason. But the important part comes next: the humans it is
my job to kill, the ones that I train day and night to kill, the ones I will meet in combat are very specific ones. They are other professional
soldiers. They are people who, given the chance, will kill me, who have trained to kill me, who know that I, given the chance, will kill them.
The decision is, and always has been, theirs to make and they have chosen to enter into combat with me. We, my enemy and I, have, as professional
soldiers, entered into an agreement to try to kill each other.
I do not dehumanize my enemy. I fully understand that he is a son, a brother, a
father. He knows that I may be as well. But this is our chosen profession, and, should our elected officials so charge, we will kill and die. If
my enemy was coerced into threatening my life, it is unfortunate, but the decision was still his to make. If my enemy happens to be a woman, or a
child, it is unfortunate, but if he or she is threatening my life, then there really is no decision to make.
Again, I speak only for myself:
I do not hate my enemy. I am not 'frightened and hateful'; I would never kill a non-combatant on purpose. I
care very deeply for your 'innocent civilians, women and children', and it hurts and angers me that you should tell me that I do not, or that I
would not, under duress.
What's so great and noble about it is this: I'm willing to lay down my life, to live a certain way, to kill and to die, to become a weapon,
entrusted to my elected officials, because my elected officals have promised to use me to protect and safeguard the lives of my loved ones, and
everyone else in this country. To protect and safeguard you. If you can't see the nobility in that, perhaps you should take a good look at
yourself.
I don't question my orders. I do what I'm told, because I trust that the people who tell me what to do know what they're doing. It's not up to me
to decide whether some 'old guy in Washington' is misusing me. That old guy was elected by the people in this country. In fact, that's
your job.
You have the power to vote for him, or for someone else. Ultimately,
you decide how to use me.
Countries
are people. If everyone in this country moved to another piece of land, or, say, Mars, it would be the
people that would
still be the country, not the piece of land. And
patriotism is being proud of the country that you
choose to live in. I'm an
immigrant,
and I think this is a point that many non-immigrants don't understand: you
choose to live here. And you choose to live here for very good
reason: this country kicks ass.
I suppose in an ideal
world there would be no need for soldiers. But I believe that an ideal
society, that really can't be sure if
there is a need or not,
should prepare a defense in case a threat should present itself. And I believe that the people who would make up that defense would be proud, and I would hope that the ideal society would be proud
of them.