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Courier article, Father Joseph L. Ziliak, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003
The Courier & Press carried an article earlier this week of a
young man being called up to military duty. His father doesn't back
war talk, but was proud of his son.
This past weekend a young man asked me to bless a cross/medal and
chain his aunt had given him to wear. He headed for Great Lakes Naval
Station Monday to begin training. Where he might go after that period
is anyone's guess. I had baptized him some years ago. Now he was heading
for military duty.
A few weeks ago I had dinner with a young man and his parents. The
young man is a captain in the U.S. Army and now is somewhere in the
Persian Gulf area.
More than likely many of our readers know of young men and women already
deployed to stations somewhere in the Persian Gulf area or in some
backup position. The numbers are increasing daily.
We call on the generosity of spirit and idealism of our young to place
their lives in harm's way. Look into their eyes. There is an element
of uncertainty and fear, and yet those feelings are outweighed by
the sense of patriotic mission. They are involved with providing peace
and security for their families and fellow citizens.
We are the ones who are ambivalent. We are the ones who are unsure
whether the cause is truly justified. We are the ones who are not
quite convinced that Saddam Hussein and Iraq are so dangerous to the
world.
I'm sure that people like President George Bush, Secretary of State
Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld are looking
at our nation's people with anger and grief that not everyone thinks
exactly as they do.
I don't know that our leaders are seeking a national consensus. But
they are not oblivious to the wishes of the citizenry. We have elected
them to act in our behalf. They have access to intelligence information
that we do not have. Of that I'm sure. Is our national security more
at risk with Iraq than with North Korea?
We all know the world can be a dangerous place. It is very clear to
us that there are forces desirous of destroying us and our way of
life. We must remain vigilant But is being vigilant the same as using
pre-emptive strikes against another country?
Not all of our allies are at our side in this issue with Iraq. Canada,
Germany, Russia and France are walking a much more cautious line.
Who has the better grasp of reality? Many are saying that the United
Nations should be involved. Our leaders are saying with or without
the U.N., we should move against Iraq.
We all seek peace, but peace is obtained and sustained through justice.
Our country does a good job at providing aid and opportunity when
a friendly nation is secure. Clearly, our real task is to help rehabilitate
and offer a sparkling future for all people.
We continue to pray for our young men and women in the military, especially
those near the theatre of battle. We pray that negotiations may allow
a just resolution without a shot being fired. We pray for peace and
justice to prevail.
Father Joseph L. Ziliak is pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic
Church in Newburgh.
