It is of some concern that the pronoun “they” is constantly used to refer to the government. If the United States is a government of, by, and for the people, then shouldn’t the pronoun “we” be more appropriate?
Of course, “we” sounds both odd and confusing, but this absurdity is revealing.
Americans are not incorrect in referring to the government as “they;” indeed, the government has become something other than us.
As the United States arose as an unmatched global power from the ashes of World War II, the military made a transition from “we” to “they.”
On Memorial Day, I reflected on whether or not the recent actions of U.S. troops are reflective of the will of the American people, and if not, for how long has this been true?
Most importantly, it must be clear that troops cannot be judged based on the actions they perform. Vacuous catchphrases like “Support our Troops” dangerously eliminate the distinction between U.S. policymakers and the soldiers who are ordered to do their bidding.
At a time in our nation’s history when the national security apparatus is larger than ever before, it is the duty of American citizens to critically assess the status and necessity of our military power. Upon such reflection, it becomes apparent that the United States is trapped in a vicious cycle.
Today, American troops must “defend our freedom” because we have withheld the promise of freedom from so many for so long.
We have exerted our military might not only in the pursuit of physical defense, but for economic gain. Examples include the Philippines, Nicaragua, Honduras, Cuba, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, Indonesia, El Salvador, Afghanistan and Iraq — the list is disturbingly long.
Our victims are not happy.
Since 1952, the U.S. military has killed an estimated 8 million people. Since 1775, the United States has suffered 2,489,335 casualties of war. These numbers speak for themselves.
We must not allow holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day to dilute our dedication to justice. It is not a contradiction to support our troops — that is, the individual men and women in uniform — and stand opposed to the unjust actions they often carry out in the name of our government.
Our troops are acting under the orders of “them,” not “us.”
Many may suggest that it goes against proper taste to make such claims around Memorial Day, but I could not think of a better time. The Department of Defense reports that 128 service members have died in Afghanistan this year.
If we wish to have fewer troops to memorialize this time next year, then we cannot cease to be critical of “them” until “we” no longer sounds so unusual.
Andrew Pentland is a history junior at UF.
