After viewing clips from
Soldiers of Conscience, completing the war quote questionnaire,
and
briefly discussing these issues in class, I'd like to see where your
conversation goes in a blog format. I'd like for each of you to post a
response from your point of view and respond to at least one response
from a classmate.
What follows are quotes from the film to refresh your memory and/or
spark discussion. You can choose to respond to some of these ideas or
any others that the film posed. Don't forget about the
issues/philosophies presented in the war quotes as well.
• What do you think of Maj. Pete Kilner’s assertion that “war is necessary if we want to live fully human lives … you can’t say that you believe in human dignity and human rights if you’re not willing to defend them”? What do you think are the best methods for defending human rights?
*Aidan Delgado says, “Every soldier who goes, goes in our place.
They fight in our name.” Of all the things that you see in the film,
which are you comfortable having done in your name and which make you
uncomfortable? If you could write your own chapter in the Army Field Manual, what guidance would you want to give soldiers about what is acceptable for them to do in your name?
• Joshua Casteel grew up believing that “we sleep comfortably in our beds at night because violent men do violence on our behalf.” Who is the “we”? What are the ethics of fighting wars in other places in order to avoid having to fight on U.S. territory?
• Maj. Pete Kilner says that “war is necessary sometimes because it’s been brought upon peace-loving people by people who are, for whatever reasons, not willing to let another society, another people, live in peace.” In your view, is it possible to achieve peace while relying on war as a strategy? Do you think that the rest of the world sees the United States as “peaceloving”? What evidence would influence their conclusions one way or the other?