Supporting the Military, Not War

    War has been around since man could form into groups and cross with other groups. It almost seems like it is never going to go away. Maybe it is never going to go away, I am not intending to make a case on that. What I am wanting to express is that War is not something to just so easily decide to do. For the time being I can still think of situations where I would pick up arms and fight, however I will not just jump to the conclusion.
   As for the purpose of having a military, I see many reasons. I see an organization that signs up to do what their country sees to be of importance. This could mean several things; reconstruction after natural or man-made disasters, securing any threats towards medical outbreaks, providing foreign countries aid if asked, etc. The men and woman who sign up to serve deserve the up most respect for whatever they are asked. Even if I disagree with what they are asked to do, like engaging in pointless wars, they still deserve my hats off respect at full attention.
    These men and woman knowingly sign up to a world of unknown situations. They can be legally killed by an opposing military by any means our enemies see fit. The world still holds times when a terrorizing group of individuals will attempt to take control of a city/state/and or country with means of violence. This leaves the citizens with nothing but fear, this is a time where I do see helping a region with means of war. However this is a very tricky situation, we can not take the people's identity from them. If a countries leader is ruthlessly using inhumane control tactics towards his/her people then I do feel it is necessary to contribute to the people but only in a way that the people maintain control over how this is done. Get them power and help as they see fit.
    The Iraq people will now always have to identify themselves with America in the background, this can lead to feeling incapable of managing themselves when the time comes. They can not hold that pride we do as Americans when we rose against the English. Now with us the French have a large part in our success against the British, yet the French helped while the American people called the shots of how this is to happen. Iraq did not have this, we controlled! Now weather or not this is going to be some permanent problem that will affect Iraq for now on, I don't know. However we as Americans should respect cultural identity.
     We jump to war like its a game, we toy with lives like its just better luck next time. We forget by the next decade what damage we have done to ourselves. We use the dead as an excuse to kill more, pretending like we dishonor them if we say war is bad. You can never take the honor away from a man who died doing what his/her country has said to do. This is admirable weather the war was just or not.
    We need to separate the human being from the act of war. We need to value life as if all was our own life. We need to understand that we are not the only country that has honor and pride for ones country. We need to realize that our foreign relationships will set the tone for our fellow citizens who work in foreign lands or vacation. We need to realize that the lives that honorable sign up to serve need to be considered when we jump to conclusions that deal with foreign policies.