A few days ago, as preparation for my trip to Ireland, I
watched a movie called “Michael Collins” which documented the fight for a Free
Irish Republic. In the discussion we had
afterwards, I had several thoughts on the topic of the “correct-ness” of
rebellion and fighting for freedom as a country. In many cases, acts of violence against the
government are viewed as terrorism, however depending on whose side you’re on
(in the case of the American Revolution and the Irish Rebellion), these acts
can also be viewed as acceptable and as “freedom fighting.” So where do we draw the line? What is it that makes these two concepts
different from each other?
While watching “Michael Collins” I was somewhat conflicted
about the violence portrayed in the film, especially by the characters the
viewer is supposed to be supporting. One
particular scene left me questioning the ideals of the main character. On Valentines Day, Michael Collins, called
Mitch by most of the supporting characters, gives a heartfelt speech about why
he hates the British so much. He reveals
that it is more due to the fact that they caused him to turn to violence to get
the freedom he and other Irishmen felt they deserved. However, not long after, he sends out small
groups to murder the men sent after them.
While it can be argued that these soldiers were sent to kill them and
they were only removing the threat to themselves, it doesn’t negate the fact
that these men were attacked and killed with no way of defending themselves.
However, the scene that swayed me more in favor of the
Irishmen than the British was the one immediately following. In this, tanks and trucks full of British
soldiers plowed onto a rugby field and began simply mowing down onlookers. As much as I dislike violence and the thought
of murdering soldiers at point blank and in cold blood, I even more dislike the
idea of mowing down innocent citizens simply to make a point. It is the difference between protecting
yourself (albeit quite violently) and making a dramatic statement.
At the same time, how can we look at this situation and flat
out say that the Irish were wrong in their actions – fighting for independence
and freedom of religion – when that is the very same thing our American
forefathers did? When we look back in
history, we do not state that all of the wars were good, rather quite horrific,
but ultimately agree that it was an overall good and commendable thing.
Ultimately, I believe the decision about use of violence to
achieve a goal comes down to one thing: our priorities. What is it that we view as most important or
beneficial? Do we see human lives and
peace as the best thing? Or do we value
the idea of freedom or whatever other thing we are fighting for so much that we are
willing to resort to violence and killing others in order to accomplish it?
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This is the first of my blogposts for my Cross Cultural class, written while in the airport in Atlanta, waiting to fly to Ireland!
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