I believe this with all of my heart. As in, I think it’s ALWAYS stupid and ALWAYS pointless and absolutely the wrong decision. I took an upper-level philosophy class in college (“Marx and Marxism”, of course!) and made a statement to this effect, which was met with incredulous disbelief by the professor. I’m certain that he thought I was some naive, over-simplistic…GIRL. (there were six or seven of us in the class, and it’s true, I was the only female–and absolutely in over my head, but I was intrigued by the subject matter.)

But I really, REALLY feel strongly about this. So much so that I have already asked my beloved godson (when he was three!) to promise me he would never join the military. So much so, in fact, that I lose sleep over the whole concept of Angry Birds…because the birds die trying to kill the pigs, and who wins then?!

Having seen Les Miserables (three times so far, but who’s counting?!) and then having seen Lincoln tonight, I am all the more convinced of this. So my question/challenge is this: Can anybody explain to me ANY situation in which a bunch of people killing each other is the best way to go, or even necessary?

I remember reading ten or fifteen years ago that someday in the future, wars will be fought on a virtual level–using a computer “game” of sorts. But I still–and I’m certain, always–cannot see any point to it. Not ever. It may sound simplistic, but I don’t care. We shouldn’t be killing each other. Ever. For any reason. We decry gun violence in this country, yet bloody revolution (and later, killing each other because we couldn’t agree whether or not the people we had subjugated and whose labor we had used had the right to be considered “human”) is in our DNA.

As far as my own DNA is concerned…my birth-father evaded the draft for Vietnam, and (if I am remembering correctly), he even served time for it. I know that Vietnam had a whole ‘nother layer of controversy, but even so, I like to believe that this is in my blood.

I will say it again: War is stupid. I would genuinely be interested in knowing how anybody can possibly think war is EVER “necessary”. I’m certain nothing anybody can say will change my mind, but I’m truly baffled by this, and want to see if there’s some way I can understand.

In the meantime, I will watch Les Mis a few (dozen) times more, but I will never embrace the idea of violence, even violence pursued in the interest of freedom and justice. There has to be another way…