Are there still things worth fighting for?

The recent blockbuster movie, 300, is a cinematic depiction of the Spartan's legendary last stand against the armies of Persia at Thermopylae in 480 BC. A small contigent of 300 valiant Spartan soldiers, led by King Leonidas, confronted the mighty Persian army and fought to the very last man. Though they were ultimately defeated in the battle at Thermopylae, their heroic sacrifice spurred the Spartan nation on to eventual victory over the Persians. In considering the essence of the film, it begs the question, "Are there still things worth fighting for?"

If you've been following The Daily Detour, you know I've posted a couple of brief essays recently concerning "The tragic necessity of violence" and the implications of the Iraq War, both of which have provoked spirited discussion on the comment board. One particular comment raised the questions regarding the war in Iraq, "But do you really think war is the answer? Will it really do any good?" These are very valid questions and certainly warrant further attention.

No reasonable person desires war. And only the most morally aberrant person believes that war is an end in itself. Lasting peace is the end to which we strive. Tragically at times, however, war is a necessary means to that peace.

For example, without war generations of slaves would have remained fettered to the horrors of slavery. Likewise, millions of Jews would not have been freed from the genocidal grip of Hitler's Germany were it not for World War II. When we see the nightly reporting of our soldiers killed in combat, it is easy to forget that nearly as many people die every three months on our interstate highways due to alcohol-related deaths alone than in the entire Iraq War to this point. (Imagine what would happen if our media were as vigilant keeping those 67,540 catastrophic deaths before the American people as they have been with Iraq.) Moreover, the military casualties for the Union army during the Civil War were over 360,000 soldiers killed, with over 23,000 Union casualties in just three days of fighting at Gettysburg. And during WWII, the Allies suffered a staggering 25 million military casualties in the 6-year conflict. These statistics sit in bold relief against the 4,280 deaths of coalition forces in Iraq over the last four years of fighting, a perspective we must not lose sight of.

Because every wartime death is tragic, I wonder, was it worth it? To those generations of black slaves freed from their indentured servitude, it was. To my uncle Andy, who like so many others, lost members of his family in the Nazi concentration camps, it was.

There are those who believe peace without violence is the answer to our global conflicts. To that end, I simply ask, what would one propose we do with a group of people who have already demonstrated the willingness to defy all social, moral, and military convention to ensure our annihilation? Certainly, as Christians we must pray for them, but prayer alone is not the answer. Though we would not choose it, Islamic terrorists are the glaring antagonists of this age. That they are willing to carry out their radical mandate at all costs (including the killing of their own people) has reframed the discussion. As Cal Thomas warns, appeasement stokes the fires of terrorism, and we ignore the gathering storm at our peril.

As we observe various atrocities being committed around the world, are we to sit idly by without intervening? Are we to let the Hitlers, Husseins, and bin Ladens of the world carry out their twisted ambitions unimpeded? We have so accommodated ourselves to the assumption of freedom that we fail to appreciate just how many people around the world don't enjoy such freedom. Who will intervene on behalf of those who cannot stand up for themselves?

Certainly, all reasonable people would want to extend the hand of peace to our global neighbors, but the radical ideology growing within the insurgency has essentially burned the olive branch in the fires of terrorism. But for the radical advances of terroristic ideologies and tyrannical regimes, the necessity of war would vanish and peace would be possible. In the meantime our brave men and women must fight to make it so.

Just as the legendary Spartans stood for their freedom at Thermopylae, so we too must make our stand against the forces that wage war upon the ideals of liberty that God has ordained for all people. Our present reality demands it, and a future for our progeny depends on it.

Comments

[andy Bullock]

That's right brother. I got your back!