I began reading the Red Badge of Courage this week and so far it seems like a very interesting book. What struck me the most was the moral struggle that the youth was having with himself about whether he would be able to fight when the time came, or if he would run away. I often think about this when I think about war to be honest. How do these soldiers stand their ground and risk their lives when the enemy is just charging at them. It takes a great deal of strength and courage, and honestly I think I would be too selfish/cowardly to be a soldier and I might be the one that chickens out and runs.
One of the main points I wanted to make about this though was the modern day “solider” in all of us. Although we all are not fighting in a true war and dodging bullets all day long, we still all have an enemy that we must fight. With the recent current events and the policies that have been put in place by the President, I have seen a (not so new) enemy grow into a more powerful source of tension in the population. Lots of the people in this country, especially at Bucknell, saw these new policies as the enemy and they chose to be courageous and strong and to charge into battle. Many people participated in the “walk out” on campus, while others protested in their own private ways. Regardless of the protests, I saw many soldiers fighting a battle that they felt passionate about, when it would be so much easier to stay silent and just run away.
I think the overall moral dilemma occurring within the youth can be translated into many different aspects of life. Although this week it was very easy to see such a public display of strength and courage, it is not something that is present only at certain times. This moral dilemma to fight or run is constantly present, and I think it says a lot about a person’s character whether they choose to stay and fight or they chose to run.