Irecently ran across a Washington Post article about a Rapid City, S.D., man named Jeremy Hinzman. Hinzman enlisted in the Army in 2001 for the college benefits and for the discipline and structure of a military career. After going through basic training and serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan as a cook and dishwasher, he was on the verge of going through training for the elite Ranger program. He soon realized, though, that he did not agree with the Iraq war and could not stomach the thought of killing another person. He applied for, and was denied, status as a conscientious objector, and when his unit was assigned to Iraq, he chose to seek refugee status in Canada.
Hinzman's case sparks many emotions. On one hand, he should be commended for his basic humanity. After all, one of the things that most repulsed him was the dehumanizing chant of \Kill! Kill! Kill!"" during basic training. Sadly, there are a great many people who would be highly motivated by this barbaric call to murder fellow human beings. He should also be applauded for maintaining his individual rationality within the oppressive structure of the military in recognizing the fallacy of invading Iraq.
One has to wonder, though, exactly what Hinzman thought he was getting into when he enlisted in the Army. Maybe he was fooled by the phony, misleading commercials promising money for college, job skills and experiences that last a lifetime. Maybe he forgot what military service really entails and that experiences lasting a lifetime could, in fact, include getting killed or watching friends get killed. If he really thought he could swipe the temporary benefits of enlisting without having to face the horrors of war, he was na??ve indeed.
Perhaps it is that Hinzman, 25, was part of the generation that saw the first Gulf War as a national therapy session. While previous generations had become disillusioned and suspicious of the military after lies and mishaps in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon and Grenada, the generation that grew up watching the first Gulf War unfold saw a U.S. military that rolled into Kuwait, smashed the Iraqi forces and rolled out with surprisingly low casualties. Just like that, for the first time since World War II, the military could do no wrong. Wars became cool again. And for the first time ever, they became easy.
For as little as one weekend a month and two weeks a year, you could get money for college, learn job skills that would supposedly carry over into civilian life and the worst combat you'd see would be in a fighter jet from thousands of feet in the air. Sure, 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan drove home the dangers of real war, but it was still glorious; it was fighting the terrorists and making the world safe for democracy.
Now, however, we are stuck in an Iraqi quagmire with no end in sight, and suddenly the Gulf War I generation is realizing that creating a democratic Iraq is not as simple as going in, getting Saddam and going home. The young men and women that just signed up to get money for college are now being kidnapped, bombed and shot at in streets. The most insidious, un-American backdoor draft of all is the one that forces millions of young Americans, with no other way to fund a college education, to put on a uniform and kill for it.
Despite what President Bush may see inside his rosy little world, the fact is that war is hell, and this war is particularly hellish. If you agree that it was worth invading Iraq, even under the false pretense of an imminent national security threat, by all means vote for him. Before you do, though, take some time to ponder the sacrifices ordinary people, American and Iraqi alike, made for this war. Think of the sons, the daughters, the fathers, the mothers. Those who wanted to go to college. Those who wanted a good career. Those who simply wanted to serve their country. Think of them and keep in mind that more than 11,000 of them who were young, vibrant human beings two years ago are now cold corpses. If your conscience tells you that this is an acceptable price to pay for the neocon doctrine, by all means vote for the status quo. If not, do what Jeremy Hinzman and many others have done. Reject this sanctioned slaughter, and start working for peace.
Nick Barbash is a sophomore majoring in political science and international studies. He can be reached at opinion@dailycardinal.com. His column runs every Thursday in The Daily Cardinal.
