The True Spoils of War

There are many motivations that would cause a group to engage in war, among them being freedom, and a desire to expand one's land, religion, and ultimately power. Although, as with any action, there are a number of consequences, both good and bad, that occur as a result of war. Many look at the war on a broad scale, how it affects a nation's unity, finances, and strength, but they fail to take a closer look at what war does to the individual. Unless one has a first-hand experience of being in the war, or is close to someone who was a soldier, it is easy to dehumanize war. The reality is that soldiers leave war not only with physical wounds and scars, but mental ailments as well. War stays with an individual even after they have left the battlefield.

The novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, follows the life of Billy Pilgrim. Pilgrim is a man who was a prisoner of war during WWII, and it forever changed him. The most interesting fact about Billy is that he can travel in time within his mind, and so the story jumps from past, present, and future events in his life. Vonnegut chose to compose the story in this way to depict what can truly happen to a person's mind after the war. Billy Pilgrim likely has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or at the very least he is hallucinogenic and has a detachment from reality. This severely impacts his career, relationships with loved ones, and day to day life.

Veterans of war are people who should be recognized for their service to the country, and their physical and mental issues should also be acknowledged. The statistics of how war impacts people are staggering. About 30% of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD, and 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are affected by PTSD and/or depression. Suicide, alcoholism, and drug abuse rates among veterans are climbing. These individuals need treatment in order to cope with these long-term disorders and addictions.

The general population needs to be aware of the veterans around them, not only to honor them, but to help them. These men and women have sacrificed their time, as well as their physical and mental capabilities in order to keep us safe. This means that it is our responsibility to look out for them and ensure they get proper treatment. It is estimated that only 50% of veterans seek treatment for their PTSD, but this statistic can be raised with our help. We should not be reducing veterans' benefits, but supplementing them.

The Fault in our Cultural Relativism

Different cultures have different moral codes, and no moral code of a certain society is of special status are claims made by the theory of Cultural Relativism. In James Rachels' essay, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, he examines the theory and its validity. In the end he rejects the theory on the basis that no culture's code is greater than another's, and most that cultures believe some form of the same fundamental tenets, even if they are practiced in differing ways. However, Rachels' also makes a point of endorsing the directive to keep an open mind and not be arrogant in thinking that one society's practices are superior to another's.

This is very prominent in the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. The story chronicles the life of a revered man, Okonkwo, from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. European missionaries come to the tribe in the effort to convert the people to their religion and western way of life. The invasion of these "paramount" people provides a glimpse of the horror than can ensue when one culture does not extend respect to those who are different from them. The interesting thing is that both cultures have a common goal, to drive out evil and ignorance. The Igbo believe that acts such as throwing away twin babies are good things and that they please the gods and goddesses, therefore keeping away evil. Contrastingly the Europeans believe that the tribesmen are committing a great atrocity and must be stopped.

The same can be seen today in the war against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. The civil war in this country is due to the fact that one group views their own moral code and set of beliefs as so much higher than all others that it must be exacted upon those who do not wish to ascribe to it. This has resulted in the collapse of a country and an innumerable amount of deaths. On the other hand, some might believe that the countries that have intervened in Afghanistan are just as much at fault because they are commanding that a group act a certain way. Examples can be found throughout the world and time.

I understand that different cultures believe different things, and that they must be allowed to do so in order for our own culture to have the same privilege. I also understand that our moral codes are based upon what we have been taught to be good, true, and right. However, I do not believe that there are no definite rights or wrongs. Certain actions can be made more understandable if you examine the motives of the people, like eliminating evil, but certain things, like death, can never be truly justified. I am not an intolerant person, but I do not believe that a person cannot be fully devoted to their own religion without considering it to be the only true religion, or wanting to convert others. The problem arrives when people are forced to accept and practice something that they do not wish to.

Heroes: Then and Now

The dictionary definition of hero is, "A person who is admired for great acts or brave acts or fine qualities". Each person has their own idea of what makes someone a hero,  and these views have changed over the centuries. In the epic poem, Beowulf, which takes place around the sixth century in Scandinavia, the public's definition of a hero was certainly different from today.

The poem chronicles a thane, named Beowulf, and his brave expeditions where he strives to make a name for himself. In a pagan society of that time period the only way to be remembered was to go perform great feats, such as slaying a dragon or some other awful creature. Heroes back then were also characterized by their hubris. They would make a boast about all of their accomplishments in order to have people remember them and to be revered.

This is starkly different than what people consider a hero to be today. In our society we tend to glorify the "unsung hero", the person who commits a good deed because it is the right thing to do. If someone came forward and started to draw attention to their accomplishments people would look down upon them, thinking they were haughty. This could possibly come from the Christian religion. In Matthew 6:3 it says, "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" and that is the mentality our society seems to think a hero should have.

I think the change in what society views as heroic is inevitable, especially when the societies are based on different belief systems. I personally believe that a hero is someone who does the right thing, whether that means picking up stray litter, or dying for their faith. That does not mean that what I believe is a hero is the only true definition, or that it will not change. Everyone has their opinions, and bases for them, that is just the way humans and the world work.


 

The Problem of Prison Brutality

From a young age we are taught that rules must be followed and if they are broken there will be consequences. The same goes for those who break the law. Criminals are put into prison for committing a crime and it is in order to protect the public and keep order in society. This is no different from what we have always been told, so why should there be an exception for those who are paid to keep order within the prisons?

Exposés have been used throughout the years to draw attention the hidden issues within society that the public is unaware of. It has come into the light that the administration within prisons is not only turning a blind eye to violence among inmates, but is at times brutalizing those individuals who have been incarcerated. An instance of prison brutality is vividly depicted within The Power of One, a novel by Bryce Courtenay. An older prisoner named Geel Piet is brutally beaten and murdered by a prison warder and the matter is looked over by the administration and the law. No justice or lawful retribution is ever obtained for Geel Piet’s murder; the matter is, more or less, swept under the rug and not dealt with.

I believe that though Geel Piet was a prisoner who deserved to be in jail he still had the right to be treated better than a mere animal. All people have simple basic rights to safety and should be able to expect them to be upheld, whether they are criminals or not. I do not understand how someone working at a prison could senselessly beat a prisoner, much less why they would want to.

Everyday, prisoners are living in constant fear for their lives, not just because they are living among fellow criminals but because an official could beat or murder them and get away with it. If inmates are supposed to go back into society better people it will not happen because of the actions of those in power at the jails. There needs to be a call for greater accountability within the prison system. It is too easy for the administration to say one thing to the public and do another. Society is built upon change and this should be no different. A reform needs to come to the prison system, if not for the criminals then for the civilians who they will eventually walk amongst one day.