glasspenguin
Just an excitable boy...
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2009
- Posts
- 4,200
Yes, I also forgot that proper burial of the dead was part of the truce as well, with both sides present, no less.
In the interest of the thread, I'll preface this next part with I confess that...
I confess that while I don't consider myself to be religious (and anyone who knows me knows that I have severe issues with religion) I feel that there are parts of all religions that are universal. For me, it's not so much the actual meaning of Christmas (though I do believe in Jesus Christ and his teachings, however perverted some of them may have become thanks to the motives of others) I think the message is something that's meant for everyone, regardless of what they believe. The Western Front truce and Gallipoli I think are perfect examples of what the bulk of men really believe. Those who were fighting didn't care what their superiors said or which side was right. They both knew that what they were doing, at least in that particular moment, was wrong. I think it sums up very well that there are very few people who actually want war and violence and that given the choice most will do what they know to be right. Further conflicts have been different, of course. In World War II the fight was against a force genuine evil. I hesitate to call it just because that's too black and white, but I think most civilized people will agree that what action was taken was warranted. As for the current situation and most any other from the 1960s onward, I think you're right in that it speaks of the degeneration of society. We now face enemies who rule by fear and who target without discretion. In WWI, at least it was uniformed men fighting uniformed men, face to face and muzzle to muzzle. Now, you have the fire bombing of Dresden, Calley and his massacre at My Lai, Oklahoma City, September 11th, and any number of others, and every one of them resulted in civilian blood shed for no reason at all.
I think deep down we all still want to do what we know is right, and hopefully one day we all will. There are many causes to which it is noble to offer one's life, but I honestly can think of very, very few where it would be considered noble to take the life of another.
Hope this didn't come off too "hippie-fied". I didn't mean to end up on a rant, but it's something I've been turning over in my head for quite awhile. I suppose reading about 1914 reminded me that given the chance people still have the capacity to do good and right things- it'd be nice to see more of it these days.
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Gordon too.
