Jul 19 2009
Brother, Uncle, Husband, Where Has War Taken You?
“I am scared I won’t be able to go home.” Today as I read the news I saw terror in the eyes of a man, a very young man. He was young enough to be my son. In fact one year younger than my son. To me this makes the story so much more real. The man I speak of is 23 year old Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl of Ketchum, Idaho. He is being imprisoned by the Taliban in a secret location after being captured in Afghanistan on June 30th. The Taliban claims that Bergdahl will be killed if the U.S. doesn’t stop dealing with civilians in the manner they have while on their quest of Taliban members. There is a bit of a catch there as the U.S. Military denies having targeted civilians.
Alongside the article I read there is a heart-wrenching video. Bergdahl speaks slowly to obscure a tremor in his voice, which at times he fails to do. Truly it is hard not to imagine this young man being your son or even a husband. He speaks of his plan to be a husband, he speaks of his love for his family. War is not without victim, it never has been. Click on the link and look at his photo, the article, the video. Let it move you. See that he could be your brother. See that we don’t want to have our brothers afraid for their lives, afraid that they may ‘never come home.’ All this young man did to deserve this was fight for his country and now this is the price he pays - how is this fair? To some just the price of war. Perhaps so, but it is a cost that is far too high.
When asked by his captors what he would like to say to Americans, Bergdahl said that he just wanted to be brought home. The U.S. military has been distributing flyers in Afghanistan in an attempt to locate him. There is information on the flyers suggesting harm to his captors if he is not released. According to Mulvi Sangeen, Taliban leader, Bergdahl had left his outpost with no defense weapon on June 30th and had visited a military post in Paktika province. While on the visit he had been drinking and was ambushed returning to his vehicle. Bergdahl says that he was in a patrol and was dragging behind. Bergdahl’s family has expressed wishes to remain private on the entire subject.
The picture at the top of this page I chose because of its stark reality - It screams no more war! Many people seem to leave me feeling that it’s a radical notion to believe war can be eradicated. I believe it’s radical not to see the eradication of war as the only way that makes sense. Many seem to express the unfathomable sentiment that war is required as a means to maintain peace…? Huh? As far as an eye can ever see - war begets war. I am not naive and I do not mistake war for defense, or defense for war. We can have defense and yet not be constantly engaging in war… Is that radical enough for you?
Bergdahl’s Hometown Kept His Secret
The sayings below are quoted from About.com
Words From the Wise:
“Never has there been a good war or a bad peace.”
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, no matter how justified, is not a crime.”
“An unjust peace is better than an just war.”
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
