180 Days left in the Guard - 30 days left on FOB Spartan

I have been asked several times in the last 2 weeks about re-enlisting in the Minnesota National Guard. "But you will get a bonus" and " But you will get stuck in the IRR and get redeployed." So be it.

I originally signed up for the Minnesota National Guard in 2000. I was knowingly joining a violent organization that uses the tactics of killing other human beings to further a political cause. I no longer can condone that. I want to move beyond that.

The intention of war is to further a nation's goals through violent means. I cannot end a person's life on this planet of my own will. I will fulfill my initial contract, and after it is done with I will work towards helping mankind through nonviolent methods.

Politics is the nonviolent form of furthering ones goals - and is not performed solely by elected officials. Every act in ones life can be seen as political. When you buy from Wal-mart or Target you are making a political statement - and not making another one.

Every time you divert money that could be spent on a Playstation game to preventing and treating malaria in poor nations - you are making a political impact. You could buy the PS2 game and make a different sort of political impact - one that ignores these people so you can spend 2 hours a night beating Final Fantasy XXX.

I am NOT saying videogames are "evil." Entertaining oneself is not an evil thing. But we are not living in a world where people balance their needs with the needs of others. Deciding to buy fewer games - but SHARING them with others , therefore spending less money - could free up a few dollars to help the world's poorest.

Consider this information ( source is UN Foundation) :


"In Africa, mosquitoes can kill. Every 30 seconds an African child dies from a malaria infection transmitted by a mosquito bite. Every day 25 million pregnant African women risk severe illness and harm to their unborn children from a malaria infection. Malaria can be prevented through a simple, inexpensive measure: sleeping each night under a net treated with insecticides that kill mosquitoes or stop them from biting. An insecticide-treated net that remains effective at least four years costs just US$4 to $6, but most Africans cannot afford them.

The UN Foundation is working with the World Health Organization, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, African governments and individuals to help protect African women and children from this deadly but preventable scourge.

Help make insecticide-treated mosquito nets available to all African women and children."

Is it that HARD to donate $6 a YEAR for such a cause? I would think so.
I tend to donate more money to local causes, but I do donate to Global causes such as this one because it can help so many.

I will probably be harassed to rejoin the military several more times between now and next May. But I was not allowed to live this far and again on this world only to kill other people for the benefit of others. If anyone reading this disagrees with me - please JOIN the ARMY. They need people who wish to kill others more than I do.

Will I think myself better than you? Will I think myself above those who do such a thing? No - you have your own life purpose. This is what I need to do. If you think war is the solution to peace then commit yourself to that cause. I will strive to support a different path.