105 years ago, a bunch of VIPs signed off on stopping the debacle we call World War I.
The November 11, 1918, armistice was a very big deal at the time; and still is. Although for different reasons.
Here in the United states, we called November 11 Armistice Day until 1954. Then it was re-named Veterans Day. It’s related to Remembrance/Poppy Day and Volkstrauertag.1
Veterans Day was and is a time to remember and honor all who have served in my country’s armed forces.
That strikes me as a good idea.
So does remembering why serving in our armed forces has been and remains necessary. And is necessary for any country whose leaders think the lives of citizens matter.
Still Learning
I’d prefer saying that humanity has finally learned that killing our neighbors is a bad idea and we shouldn’t do it.
But my news feed tells me that we haven’t all gotten the memo.
I think it’d be dandy, if politely asking armed thugs and their rulers to please stop killing and kidnapping — would stop those activities in places like Ukraine and Israel.
What would be dandy isn’t always possible.
Sometimes armed thugs ignore polite requests.
I talked about double effect, legitimate defense, and what St. Thomas Aquinas said, a couple weeks back.2
Wishes, Death at a Music Festival, Consequences
As long as I’m playing “I wish”, and since we live in a world where Gaza’s rulers decided that killing and kidnapping Jews was vital to their holy war against the (perceived) corrupters of Islam — Uff da. You can’t make this stuff up.
Anyway, we live in a non-ideal world.
So wishing that Gaza’s rulers had decided that killing Jews wasn’t nice — would be a nice thing to wish, but wouldn’t unkill those folks who’d committed the sin of being at a music festival.
Neither would wishing that Hamas isn’t continuing their allegedly-holy war, while using their subjects as a little extra protection for their shelters.
Can’t say that I blame them. The way things are, they can count on sympathy and headlines, whenever their subjects learn that living on top of their rulers’ shelters can have unpleasant consequences.3
“…Somethin’ to Say….”
Porky Pine had a point. If I’m going to say something on the eleventh day of November, I should give it some thought. Maybe not spending a whole year in the process.
Anyway, I came up with two quotes: one about serving in a country’s armed forces, another what Lincoln said about human nature.
First, by way of recognizing and thanking those who have served in this country’s military:
“…Those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2265, 2310)
Finally, something to think about.
The usual sound and fury of my country’s presidential election is already in progress.
There’s nothing I can do about that. But I can suggest that there is some wisdom in remembering that this isn’t our first election cycle. And, despite the impression left by headlines and sound bites, it’s probably not our last.
I think Abraham Lincoln made sense in a short speech he made, after winning a second term as president in 1864.
This was during the American Civil War, our only internal war so far:4 and something I sincerely hope we don’t go through again.
“…The strife of the election is but human nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has occurred in this case must ever recur in similar cases. Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we will have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged….”
(“On Democratic Government“; Response to a Serenade, November 10, 1864; Abraham Lincoln (November 10, 1864) via Project Gutenberg) [emphasis mine]
I’ve seen no indication that we’ve gotten any more silly or wise over the half-century or so since I started paying attention.
But I have noticed that we can learn.
We don’t have to.
We’ve got free will, so running around a familiar squirrel cage is an option.
Or we can, each of us, think about what’s happening, and what has happened before — and seriously consider not making the same mistakes again.
It’s not easy, but I think it’s a good idea anyway:
- “Hamas, Harvard, Ukraine and Alaska Air: Looking for a Bright Side“
(October 28, 2023 ) - “War, Peace and a Civilization of Love“
(November 12, 2022) - “My Church in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: Vandalized“
(September 24, 2022) - “Marlowe’s ‘Dr. Faustus,’ Freedom, Censorship and Speculation“
(September 10, 2022) - “Learning From History: It’s an Option“
(May 7, 2022)
1 An armistice, a day, and a war:
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia
- I talked about legitimate defense and double effect a couple weeks back
- Wikipedia
- Reuters
- “Analysis: Israel targets Hamas tunnels in new phase of Gaza war“, Jonathan Saul (November 7, 2023)
- “Israel says it exposed Hamas network beneath and next to Gaza’s hospitals” (November 5, 2023)
- “The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza – a hidden frontline for Israel” Jonathan Saul, Stephen Farrell(October 27, 2023)
- BBC News
- “Gaza tunnels: Breaking down videos from Hamas’ secret network” (October 31, 2023)
- “Israel targets Hamas’s labyrinth of tunnels under Gaza” (October 13, 2023)
- How I see “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, the Hamas Charter, and ranting radio preachers of my youth
4 An election, a president. and a war:
