[Archaea]

Originally Posted by woot

I agree that we owe much to those who fought in WW2, but think that remembering and feeling grateful to them is about all we can do. I'm trying to do my part to give back to society, but not because of them. What they did is not repayable, so I'm not trying. There is much that goes into it, and the motivation to live a good life is already ingrained in most of us, without the need of feeling overly indebted to WW2 soldiers. In my opinion, guilt is very rarely a good thing, so a movie encouraging it in such a large number of people doesn't really sit well with me.

The words of the Gettysburg address seem to echo this sentiment.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

I'm not focusing upon the cause identified by Lincoln, but whatever cause our soldiers die for, if it be just.

I might add, reading that speech at Gettysburgh after viewing the field is quite powerful.