Peace Thru Quotation

Lately on the message board that I hang out on we've been talking about torture, human rights, the democratic process, terrorism, war, etc. You know, your basic humour site fare. And, like most things posted on the board, it made me think.

Being a Canadian I am afforded the increasingly rare luxury of being a pacifist. I am against war for a lot of reasons both political and philospophical, but I think it's mostly because I'm a coward. I wouldn't want to have to kill anyone in a war, and I certainly wouldn't want to get killed myself. So I'm against it.

A few years ago I saw a movie on Bravo that crystalized some of my ideas about war. I promise you I have more thoughts about war and violence and terrorism and revenge, and they're not always in harmony with each other. No one quote is going to epitomize the variety of feelings that a person (okay, me) has about a topic this complex, but this is just such a great speech I thought I'd share it.

(Plus I'm going away this week to Newfoundland with my mom and I really don't have time to do any of my own writing.)

The Americanization of Emily

James Garner's Character explains his reasons for joining the military and his consequent change of opinion:

"I wanted to do something redeeming. Have you noticed that war is the only chance a man gets to do something redeeming? That's why war's so attractive.

[I realized] those were brave men dying there. Peace time they'd all been normal decent cowards. Frightened of their wives, trembling before their bosses, terrified at the passing of the years, but war had made them gallant. They had been greedy men, now they were self-sacrificing. They had been selfish now they were generous. War isn't hell at all, it's man at his best, the highest morality he's capable of.

[...]It was then I had my blinding revelation: I discovered I was a coward. That's my new religion. I'm a big believer in it. Cowardice will save the world. It's not war that's insane you see, it's the morality of it. It's not greed and ambition that makes wars, it's goodness. Wars are always fought for the best of reasons. For liberation or manifest destiny, always against tyranny and always in the interest of humanity. So far this war we've managed to butcher some 10 million humans in the interest of humanity. Next war it seems we'll have to destroy all of man in order to perserve his damn dignity. It's not war that's unnatural to us, it's virtue. As long as valour remains a virtue we shall have soldiers. So, I preach cowardice. Through cowardice we shall all be saved."

I first saw this movie shortly after 9/11 and I couldn't get the images of young American men I'd seen in news reports so eager to sign up and avenge the innocent. The movie put into words what I found so disturbing about those images.

The movie itself is very funny, you should do what you can to see it. (Preferrably on a slow Sunday afternoon.) It stars the yummy James Garner and the beautiful Julie Andrews pre-Victor/Victoria trading some very excellent banter. It's funny and ironic and touching and you should just see it, okay?

Peace.