Heros or Cowards

Every now and then, another ex-Nazi soldier or prison guard is found living in the United States. Invariably they've lived an admirable life, and everyone who knows them now just can't believe they could every have been a part of such atrocities. And, of course, part of their defense is always that they were young, and they were just following orders.

Just following orders. Hmmm.

We've never accepted the "just following orders" defense. No matter how much good someone has done in their life since that time, we just can't accept "just following orders." Why didn't they have the courage to refuse? Why did they make the choice to follow orders?

Recently in British Columbia, Canada, a memorial was dedicated to some people who did have the courage to stand up and say they would not follow orders, and go to a war that they felt was wrong. They had the courage to give up their entire lives. They left their jobs. They left their families. They went into exile to do just what we expected those young Germans to do thirty years before them.

But instead of prise, they have been condemed by many of those who expected the young German boys to do the same. They aren't seen for the courage they demonstrated. They've been call cowards. Cowards who would not perform their duty, and follow orders.

How can anyone expect young German boys to have stood up, and dodge the draft of the German Army, but then condem American boys who did the very same thing?

Of course the answer is this time it was "our" side. "Our" side can't possibly be wrong.

One lesson has been learned, however. For our current war, the draft will be avoided at all costs. That way people can refuse military service without becoming heros to anyone.

Too bad it wasn't that way in the '60s and '70s. So many boys had no idea that they wouldn't be considered heros for doing something that German boys of the '30s and '40s were expected to have done to be considered heros.

That's how I see things.