Veterans Day - 2004

I have a good friend serving in Afghanistan. The last time I saw him, I told him to do his job well... and I meant it. I want him to come home alive. He is living a life that in another reality I would proudly live. I am happily and peacefully married, but if I were single, I would probably enter military service. I know this might come as a surprise to those of you who've been following my blogging, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for someone who would face death to get a job done. A career in the military would provide a very unique opportunity to study humanity under the most extreme conditions, and what I would gain in wisedom from such a career would far outweigh what I might loose.

As we reflect on this Veterans day, we should keep in mind the sacrifices that our soldiers, and the soldiers of every army, face in their duty to protect ideology.

Finally, we should bear in mind the path we've taken that leads to war. Don't dismiss the arbitrary nature of war. Violence is a choice. We should remember those who would choose to place our soldiers on the front line. We should remember those who would ask the soldier to sacrifice a life for a policy.

We should consistently remind those who would create war that lives are destroyed, and we should urge caution to those who drive the policies of war that they might force themselves to see other options beyond violence.

A Marine told me once that there are a thousand different ways to solve any given problem. Our options are only limited to our capacity to see alternative solutions.

How far are we willing to see to honor life?