Soldiers of Conscience 2007
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Gary Weimberg
Directed by Gary Weimberg
DVD, color, 87 min.
College - Adult
Ethics, Military Studies
Date Entered: 04/08/2010
Reviewed by Alexander Rolfe, Technical Services Librarian, George Fox University, Newberg, ORThis is the story of some soldiers disillusioned by their experience in war, who then become conscientious objectors. The thesis is that when it comes time to actually pull the trigger, soldiers know what they are doing is wrong. If it weren’t for the Army’s deliberate effort to overcome this via “reflexive fire training,” perhaps all of them would refrain from killing and there would be no more war.
This DVD is very good at making its case. The soldiers who become COs are sincere, and they are given the lion’s share of time. We hear a few words from soldiers who stay with their profession, but they’re not articulate and their comments are mostly used to support the pacifists. The exception is Major Pete Kilner, who has a significant role in the documentary and does argue a moral case for killing, but he’s never had to pull the trigger himself, so the implication is clear.
The technical quality is great. For an objective look at soldiering vs. pacifism, you’ll need to go elsewhere, but as a piece of activism, this works well.
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