Pacifism: Peaceful or Unpatriotic?

[`ˆ´ v î ø l é t `ˆ´]

First, I've recently discovered how much of a pacifist I really am. I always thought people ultimately wanted peace, it was just difficult to acquire.

Ever since veterans visited my school for Memorial Day, it's had the opposite effect on me.

Ever since then I can't help but feel oppressed by my beliefs. There is so many references to it all of the time... how we, America, are good and must defeat evil. Everyone thinks pacifists don't support our troops. This isn't true. I'm thankful that they gave, and still continue to give, me freedom. Through everything they have to face. Bravery.

"Thou shall not kill" { - the Bible, of course xD }

I don't get how so many Christians are for war. Fighting in war. Kill people, for there country. Do you think that makes it right? I don't get how that would in any way make it right at all. Defense, I can understand. But being on the offensive side and saying that "America is the best, it must conquer," but /why/?

I find that statement arrogent and ignorent beyond belief.

I hope for a day when people realize that war isn't neccessary.

...Or maybe that's just my romantic idealism.

[>))*~.:ßreezesky:.~*((<]

I find that there is a very fine line between Peaceful and Unpatriotic. Canada is usually a peace-keeping country, so I don't have the same experiences as you guys do, but I'm really quite a pacifist myself. But there is a really fine line.

For example - this happened at my school. A couple of kids from a rivaling school comes and takes some plants from the school property. (Ivy on the walls...) Do we blow up about it, report it to the police and demand justice from the principal? Or do we just ask them not to do it again, after all, it wasn't a huge deal, only a few leaves.

That can be said for a lot of different topics - pick your battles. Another example - right now, Canada is in a minor border dispute between Russia & someothercountry over Hans Island - a 3 km long island in the middle of nowhere that no one really wants. Why are we fighting over it? If we give in, they'll push us for more stuff.

So, all in all, I probably didn't help much, but there's a really fine line.

[mºµrñïngs†år]

Can I just pop in here and say:

"Killing under the cloak of war is no different than murder." - Albert Einstein