I think I'm entitled
The stage is set, Colonel Nathan R. Jessop, played by Jack Nicholson, walks into the courtroom, in full military garb. We hate him, of course he ordered the Code Red, of course the blood of private William Santiago is on his hands. Through a mono-y-mono stare down between him and Tom Cruise, we see that the idea of truth in the eyes of the lawyer and the court are out of synch with the truth in the eyes of the military commander. In the end, in an emotionally charged, perfectly scripted finish, he admits to ordering the Code Red, questioning the worth of court and lawyers who administer it's justice. In the end, he is arrested, and Tom is the hero.
But wait. Isn't the colonel right? Wasn't he defending his country, and the world, and isn't Tom just a weasel who's only military understanding comes from a textbook? So which is the real US military, the one with a just and stable legal system, or the one that gets the job done regardless of system?
Recently (at least it's recent in my mind, although it's probably been happening through the span of it's existence) there has been a growing clash between those that support the US military and all it's government mandated operations, and those that feel otherwise. With Nathan R. Jessop, the supporters of the US military (as well as other nations, but it's always about the US right?) say to us "you sleep at night because of the safety I provide and then question the means by which I provide it." With Tom Cruise, we who oppose them say, "We want the truth!" Of course, we all want the truth. The problem is that we always think that we have it, or at least that we are the closest to it. I know I feel that way.
So is it better to claim that the truth is given to you by the Mennonite church, or to claim that truth is being acted out by the US military? Of course I think the former, not only do I receive teaching at the hands of the Mennonite Church, but as a paid minister, I also dispense it at the hands of the church. The important thing these days is not to accept blindly what's given to us. Let's look deeper folks, all of us. You can handle it.

   [ posted by William @ 11:52 PM ]