Relative Heroes and Cowards in the Rio Grande and Other Valleys~Repost from October 2011

The words heroism and cowardice are antonyms, opposites, yet can be applied to the very same person, depending on your perspective and point of view. 

When Muhammad Ali registered as a conscientious objector because of his opposition to the Viet Nam War, some viewed his actions as heroic because he stood up for his beliefs without regard to the consequences. 

Others called him a coward for not fighting for his country, although they probably did not say that to his face. "I ain't got no quarrel with no Viet Cong," he said at the time.

Every war has those who oppose it for conscientous reasons and are willing to face the consequences of their stance. It's difficult to call them cowards if they're willing to accept death or imprisonment for not renouncing their beliefs. In essence, they may be doing almost the same thing as the soldier on the battlefield, just choosing a different battlefield.

History may or may not reveal who was correct, who was partially correct or who did what for what reasons.
The young men and women who do not make it home safely from whatever war effort is currently pursued deserve the same recognition as heroes, persons of courage and honor. They did not choose the venue but fulfilled their obligation for the right reasons. 

Governments frequently use misinformation, disinformation or no information to steer and motivate. Dr. Henry Kissinger lied about Viet Nam. Some misinformation went out about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. None of that taints the courage of those who served or those who chose not to serve as long as they upheld their individual consciences.



In my view, the young men and women who put their lives on the line for whatever assignment given them by their country are heroes as are those who conscientiously objected. The cowards are those leaders whose fear of the truth and disrespect of our judgment motivated them to lie to us.