Yes, you read that correctly.
One Shot One Kill No Remorse I Decide
Is this the slogan of some serial killer? No, that's the slogan on a bracelet sold by the College Republicans of Marquette University, in a program known as "Adopt a Sniper." (Dog tags with that slogan are still available here.) The idea of the program is to raise money to give adequate supplies to snipers.
First, I wonder why our snipers aren't already adequately equipped with everything they need by our government. We pay taxes so that our military will be well-funded...why should there be a need for a 501(c)3 organization specifically devoted to this cause!?
Second, I worry about this slogan. "I decide"--no, Mr. Sniper, you don't decide. Sure, you may get to choose when you kill someone; but let's never forget that the military in this country is not a power unbeholden to anyone. Our military is under civilian rule. It doesn't decide; its targets are decided for it, and that's the place of a military in a democracy. "No remorse" is just as worrying. Any nation that thinks of itself as respecting rights should regret war, and should regret the killing that's inherent in war. Any good soldier should regret having to kill someone--even a heartless terrorist. How do we cope with that regret and remorse? By understanding that such horrible acts were necessary given the situation. But we should not forget that war is a bad thing, and that we should only go to war when it's necessary.
Most of all, I'm disturbed by the trend that this bracelet represents. People talk about a divide in America; I think perhaps this divide might really be the lesson we choose to learn from this war in Iraq. Do we view this as an example of the limits of US military power, and the efficacy of the same in promoting democracy and freedom around the world? Or do we view this war as an example of the great reach of an exceptional nation, and its ability to effect change around the world? I fear that the party in power views it as the latter, and that it's winning its battle to convert hearts and minds in the US (though not Iraq) of this fact.
After all: with no remorse, they decide.
I recently watched "Saving Private Ryan" on DVD (with my son -- an extra credit AP History assignment); I thought I was too squeamish to watch it when it was on the big screen. Anyway, one of the soldiers is a sniper and I found myself thinking about that particular military role. I've always assumed that it was one fraught with a particular stigma -- that a person was killing in so cold-blooded a fashion (even if needed for victory), without the self-defense aspect of other soldiers, i.e. kill or be killed. And I wondered how the soldiers and the families of those soldiers deal with the kinds of missions they must carry out. Like you, I find the message on those bracelets appalling and ill-conceived. --JM
ReplyDeleteWatching "Saving Private Ryan" gets him extra credit in an AP history class? Yikes!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to watching a movie (one of several options), students have to answer some questions relating the events, people, in the film to the period of history that is being studied. Last term, he/ we watched "Gangs of New York" and he wrote about the conflict between Irish immigrants with Nativists, the Civil War draft riots in New York City, etc. Later in the semester, I'll suggest that he watch "All the President's Men" in part because I liked the movie way back when, and I'd like to see what a teen today thinks about Watergate, etc. The days when reporters actually broke stories and exposed presidential corruption. I'm waiting for our seemingly docile press to get to work on Bush and Co. --JM
ReplyDelete...and will his history teacher also tell him what an absurd violation of history and common sense the ending of GANGS OF NEW YORK was? Federal troops keeping the peace--that's reasonable. United States warships firing on Manhattan!? That's absurd.
ReplyDeleteThat movie annoys me.
No, it's a job like any other in the military. You take out commanders, high value targets, any perceived leader, other snipers.
ReplyDeleteRarely do you engage large groups or short distance targets.
Those are the responsibility of the Designated Marksman of the squad.
There are multiples of them sometimes in a squad. Mission dependent.
They engage 500M and less. Snipers use optics.
Snipers are rare. Never seen. You will never know they're there.
The idea really is not to kill anyone. Let's just stop this crap and go home.
But when they're shooting at you..................drop em' like it's hot.