Re: Patriotism and Citizenship

From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Wed Sep 04 2002 - 09:32:48 MDT


In a message dated 9/4/2002 9:38:07 AM Central Standard Time,
mwiik@messagenet.com writes: From what you say here it *seems to me* much
more a case of the psychological conditioning you received in training. Of
course they want you to feel special. Of course they want you to feel
honorable. It's all part of the program, isn't it?

Mike,
       After Vietnam the Army was very concerned with why some men will fight
and others won't. As a result the Army commissioned some high powered folks
to find out why. I never saw the entire report but basically it came down to
love. The fighters were not going to see buddies they had grown up with
killed while they stood on the sidelines.
       If you ever read the story of Sergeant York you will see the same
point made. Sergeant York was an honest to God conscientious objector. They
left him in the Army anyway. When his outfit was ordered into the front
lines. When he saw his buddies being killed he made a moral decision -- it
was more immoral to stand and see his buddies killed than to kill to prevent
that killing. He had lived among his friends and considered them reasonably
moral.
       I think what I have said before is that it is inside of you, or it
isn't. Apparently about 4% are warriors. A larger percentage will fight
under more or less the same circumstances as York. Some just don't feel it
at all.
       I for one don't intend to attempt to berate those that don't feel it.
That would be as foolish as tone deaf me trying to hear music in the same way
as the musically talented.
Ron h.



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