Are we a country that respects life, or do we cheer about killing?
At a recent Memorial Day celebration, high school bands, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, veterans and civilians gathered at the local cemetery around the civil war soldier statue. Patriotic songs were sung, there was an invocation, wreaths laid, etc.
Then -- the guest speaker. A Naval Captain in camouflage gear.
Near the beginning of his speech, he said something like: “For the past 15 years we have been conducting the War on Terrorism, and we’ve killed a lot of terrorists!” A number of people cheered.
What bothered me so much about this exchange?
I understand that the first obligation of government -- since before feudal times -- is to protect citizens from invaders. Sometimes an army must be conscripted. And, yes, there will be bloodshed and killing in battle.
Sometimes, the police must take a life in order to prevent harm to civilians and to themselves.
But should we ever cheer when a life is taken?
When a boy threw rocks at pigs who would be slaughtered the next day, his Dad told him to stop. To be respectful.
That man in camouflage was not respectful. The people who cheered were not. Whenever a life must be taken, for whatever justifiable reason, we should weep, not cheer.
We may applaud the soldier and the cop for protecting the rest of us. But we must never applaud the act of killing. Not in this country.
I’m Peter Carroll, and that’s my perspective.
