It seems strange to think that wars have rules; however, they clearly do. The history of the Geneva Conventions on the rules of war date back to the 1859 Battle of Solferino between France and Austria when wounded and captured soldiers were bayoneted or shot. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) established in 1863 led to the first agreement on the rules of war.
World War I with its use of mustard gas led to a 1929 agreement, updated in 1949 with declarations that certain lines must not be crossed, such as the wholesale slaughter of civilians. In 1949 the U.S. ratified the four Geneva Conventions, prohibiting attacks on medical personnel, safeguarding civilians, and treatment of POWs.
The nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth argues that the U.S. should not abide by any rules. He writes that we should treat the enemy as we are treated. So we should forget any claim to being moral. “Who cares what other countries think?” writes Hegseth, who claims he supports faith, family, and freedom. Let’s reinstitute the Bataan death march, not to mention napalm and behadings!
Prayer for the Day
Afraid of the tasks to which we are called,
We confess our failures and our faults:
That we make excuses, letting fear overwhelm us,
And that we are content to forget who we are supposed to be.
Forgive us, O God, and erase the habits of our uncaring,
And transform our words into action as you call us to do.
In the name of the Transformer of our lives,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Our present moment is much like the 11th century. We don’t want to fight, but, like our fellow Christians a thousand years ago, we must. We need an American crusade
Pete Hegseth, from American Crusade (2020)
If we say the Geneva Convention is obsolete, then what do others that have our soldiers say?
Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator, New York
Even the jackals offer the breast and nurse their young,
But my people have become cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness.
The tongue of the infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
The children beg for food but no one gives them anything.
The Lamentations of Jeremiah 4:3-4