Grim: Killing Children

Grim over at Black Five has posted a truly horrific piece on the value of killing children.

You are not going to like this.

On the demonstrable virtues of not caring if children die, on hardening your mind for war, and other things we can no longer avoid discussing.

Beware that you are ready before you pass this seal.

Let us begin with a debate between a peaceful, gentle soul, and me. The topic could be Israel's war, or ours in Iraq, or -- if they have the heart for it -- the one to come.

The gentle soul -- how I respect her! -- will begin by pointing out how many innocents have died in the recent wars, and especially the children, who are the most obviously innocent. She will point out figures for Iraq, for Afghanistan, for Lebanon, and ask: "How can you justify this? These poor children, who might have been good men, good women, lain in the cold earth?"

It is a very hard piece to read. Especially for those with children.

Here is a comment I left at Winds of Change:

I have been on the killing floor. I have helped butcher 2,000 hogs a day. Chain mail on my left hand razor sharp knife (which I kept sharp myself) in my right.

My dad ran a butcher shop in an old fashioned (Dobie Gillis) grocery store he owned.

If you are not willing to butcher the meat you shouldn't be eating it is my philosophy. That includes chicken and fish.

Andy L., Every perpetrator of war feels morally justified, so that is no help.

My criteria is: has liberty been advanced.

For instance - when we allowed the North Vietnamese to defeat the South (when Congress refused its support) did the cause of liberty advance or retreat?

What ever you say about the running of the war when America abandoned its ally - liberty retreated. The south may have had bad government. The north was much much worse.

Some times these judgements can't be made until long after the war. Thus, while in war you have to rely on promises and track record.

BTW I'm a US Navy vet so I have done my time in those killing fields as well.

The worst blood I have on my hands is supporting the Congress that abandoned the South Vietnamese. Never again.

I'd be more than happy to respond to any comments my readers may have.

Hat tip: Winds of Change