if peace is the goal, war & violence can never be the means to attain that goal, it will never work. That means people need to take responsibility for their own government and its policies, that means reading, studying, researching, thinking, talking and deciding for oneself what is in the best interests of one's country and the world. Conscription should be resisted whenever possible.

There is no 'honor' in just going along with the herd, not bucking the trend, entering the service and then getting killed somewhere.

There is no 'honor' in accepting whatever story the news is feeding you about the 'enemy' and going off to kill them, and then being killed yourself.

There is no 'honor', in and of itself, in just being killed in a war for any reason, combatant or non-combatant.

There IS 'honor' in having examined the issues and deciding to join in a cause one believes in and being willing to fight for it.

There IS 'honor' in behaving honorably in wartime situations, combatant and non-combatant.

AND

There IS 'honor', in and of itself, in refusing to join, refusing to fight, refusing to support, refusing to work in any role that supports war, and suffering the consequences, because that requires a decision.

The largest most powerful conscripted army in the history of the world could not beat a small nation of volunteers who were defending their own country against an outside agressor allied to one side of a civil war.

IMHO the reasons for our being in Vietnam were wrong, the reasons for our being in Kuwait were wrong, the reasons for our being in Afghanistan are wrong, the reasons for our being in Grenada, and Panama, and as 'advisors' in Colombia and the rest of Latin and South America are wrong.

And though I have great respect for the people who sincerely believed in our 'cause' in any of these places, and felt that they had a duty to go, and then performed that duty well, there is nothing honorable to me about the cause in support of which they served and/or died. By saying that, I mean that whatever side you are on, pro-war or anti-war, just being on that side is not enough to warrant my respect and friendship.

One quick aside - the comment about the anti-war people who always had to shout fuck/Nixon/war/etc. and generally acted the fool during those demonstrations were probably FBI plants who were trying to incite violence that they could later prosecute. (not that there weren't some just plain general assholes around, as I know there were in the services as well)

Just my opinion of course, but -

Mothers and fathers, do not give your children to a government to use and dispose of.

Children, teach yourselves before you go marching off, with or without your parent's blessings.

People, get involved in your government.

I often wonder if there would be wars if more women, and elder women at that, were in charge, but women can be warmongering idiots too, I guess, so it will always be up to each individual to take a stand. If you are for peace, you cannot be for war.