We often think of wars in terms of their beginnings and ends, such as 1914-1918 for the First World War or 1939-1945 for the Second, even Vietnam as having an end in 1975. But the scars of wars hang on long after the actual fighting is over. Societal conflict over the war deepens many of the scars.
Veterans were treated differently in 1945 and 1975, and some scholars believe that the white power movement benefitted from the difference. Vietnam veterans, disillusioned by the lack of care by the government and upset at the social changes caused by new immigration laws and feminism, became easy recruits.
Looking to the future, Afghan and Iraq War veterans are targets of supremacist causes. If we as a society fail these veterans the same way we did the Vietnam generation, we will be creating a new group of disaffected veterans who feel the government and people have failed them. They are a powder keg; white supremacy is the match.
Prayer for the Day
Frustrated and upset, we come to you, O Holy One,
Seeking mercy when we do not extend it to others;
Confused and often bewildered, we seek answers
But often we are not sure of what questions to ask.
Forgive us the anger we often hide inside ourselves;
And open us to a new way of caring for others.
In the name of the One who is your ultimate gift,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The story of white power as a social movement exposes something broader about the enduring impact of state violence in America. It reveals one catastrophic ricochet of the Vietnam War, in the form of its paramilitary aftermath. It also reveals something important about war itself. War is not neatly contained in the space and time legitimated by the state. It reverberates in other terrains and lasts long past armistice. It comes home in ways bloody and unexpected.
- Kathleen Belew, from Bring the War Home
My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.
- George Washington, General, President (1732-1799)
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night my heart also instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me; because God is with me, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
You show me the paths of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16: 7-9, 11