Listen To Your Conscience

In my first post I stated that I have a guilty conscience, and I find it hard to forgive myself for many past misdeeds. Throughout my life, I've tried to use this as motivation to always choose to do the right thing so I don't regret it in the future, because guilt and regret are heavy burdens to carry and it takes too high an emotional toll on me. Of course, this hasn't prevented me from making mistakes I still regret to this day, because I'm human and will make mistakes. But as I have gotten older, I have learned more and more methods to lead my mind and body in the right direction - the direction of truth, love, and passion, and to not abandon my morals and values for anything else in the world.

I did, of course, abandon my morals and values when I joined the military and became an infantryman. And even without having seen actual combat, I regret it. And I will probably continue to do so until I am discharged one way or another.

The soldier in the video above states it so clearly and succinctly. His passion is palpable and his story is likely similar to many troops who were lead to believe they were fighting for a worthy cause, and that their service would be rewarded with truth and responsibility on the part of their superiors, and instead what they saw was cruelty, racism and bloodshed.

I'm able to take many lessons from my past mistakes, but the one that sticks with me the most is to always listen to my conscience. There are so many different messages out there that can persuade someone to do something, but the one that matters most is the one inside. What does your heart say? What does your better judgment say? Can you think of any reasons why you should or shouldn't do that particular action? Who will be affected? Will this action stick with you long after it is done? Who stands to benefit and who stands to lose from this action? What exactly is gained and lost?

Society heaps all kinds of benefits on us for our service. We get to march in parades, get all kinds of free stuff, discounts, and more pats on the back then you can tolerate. But the aspects of life that matter most - our physical, psychological and emotional health - suffer the most from this profession, not to mention the same for the countless others affected by war and genocide. No matter how you look at it - no matter how you can make it seem just or necessary or unavoidable - war is an atrocity, a crime against humanity, done in the name of profit and to secure resources abroad that are dwindling at home. Our entire culture necessitates war in order to secure a way of life that would soon collapse if we didn't take resources from other land bases. (More on that aspect of war in later posts)

Listen to your conscience. Don't let family, friends or recruiters fool you into thinking they have your best interest in mind when they encourage you to throw your life away in war. Whether or not you receive a combat job in the military, you will still be supporting this death machine. Is it worth it? Is it worth the destruction of human and animal life? Is it worth the destruction of your own mind and body? Is it worth the destruction of the planet itself?

The answer is no. It will always be no.