America's Hallowed Grounds

First, my congratulations to the group that led the class on Friday; it’s never easy to go first. There was one criticism I had with regard to the class, though: I felt as though the presenters did too much to downplay the security threats facing America. Their main gist was that the collective fear of a nation is often played upon by politicians and other interest groups to promote their own agendas. While I’m sure there is propaganda in the system as it is, they did not, in my opinion, give enough credence to the possibility that there are real security threats facing our society. They also did much to emphasize the social causes of certain security threats, mainly those caused by poverty and lack of education. True, in today’s world, many of our most prescient concerns are caused by poor, uneducated young people. However, I would say that this current security apparatus is made possible by the balance of power that permanently exists among the big players of the world. Though most large-scale warfare has been eradicated in our part of the world, this is due to America’s “victory”, or at least a strategic stalemate, against foreign powers that would attack us. Such a lack of major warfare in recent years has caused many to overlook a number of possible threats, instead pinning much of the blame on social issues. Yes, social issues are at least partially to blame for exacerbating these threats, but the fact remains that there will always be some manifestation of danger, and the United States needs to maintain its conventional defense capacity, if only in expectation of such events.

Unlike most of us, my visit to Arlington National Cemetery did not leave me with the impression that the gravesite is meant to instill fear in the nation’s enemies. I understand why people may view it as such, but I did not find it terribly imposing. It seemed more a permanent honor to deceased servicemen than a warning to future aggressors. What I noticed during our pizza-fueled discussion, however, was the kind of image that the designers of Arlington wanted to portray. Frequently, the topic of diversity was brought up. A few of us stated that the soldiers came from different backgrounds, held different religious beliefs, and espoused different political views. Despite this, I noticed how each of the graves, at least for most of the gravesite, were basically identical. Other than the name and religious symbol on the gravestone, there were no distinguishing characteristics to any of them. Each soldier was the same, at least in the eyes of the army, and that can be taken both positively and negatively. On one hand, their uniformity symbolizes their dedication to a common cause. On the other, it overlooks the personal characteristics of each man and woman who is so honored to be buried there. Both the praises and criticisms of Arlington National Cemetery reflect the views one may have about the army and its security challenges.