Essay On Authority In Vietnam

Words: 908
Pages: 4

Those who have fought and served their country with honor during the Vietnam War, they have been caught in the crossfire many times. Soldiers have been through tough situations, where they had two options: to kill innocent civilians or disobey the authority. During the Vietnam War, soldiers thought more highly of authority than people now think. The current generation holds a much more critical viewpoint of the authority. Somehow it seems like the new generation does not trust the authority to function properly anymore. The authority has been put into question many times in the past, like during the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. Some people might claim that authority should be obeyed in all situations, no questions asked, but is it not unethical …show more content…
It seems relatively easy to kill civilians out of fear at the moment rather than sparing their lives. In few words, authority should only be obeyed according to ethical standards and religious beliefs. Anything against the teachings of one’s faith shall be viewed as a dilemma. Dr. David Perry talks about the views of the Christian faith in regards to war in his article “Ethics and War in Comparative Religious Perspective”: “Jesus set very high standards for his followers on love and forgiveness, including non-retaliation against evil and love of enemies: ‘You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist those who wrong you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other’” (Perry 3). The Christian faith is no different than other major religions when it comes to the religious view on war. Almost every religion does not encourage killing innocents, but an odd version of any major religion is the exception like an extremist. Those who serve in the name of their country know that they cannot disobey authority or they will be called in for