The Andersonville trial

The Andersonville trial took place in 1865. Henry Wirz, commander of the infamous overcrowded Confederate Andersonville prison, where thousands of Union prisoners died of exposure, malnutrition, and disease, was the defendant and was allowed a defense attorney in a military court-martial.

After the defense had proven innocence or doubt on all charges, the prosecution could only make a case against Wirz by focusing on his following the orders of his superiors instead of following his own conscience.

Soldiers are trained to blind obedience to their superiors without hesitation. Then they are held responsible if they follow those orders instead of their own conscience.

Obviously, atrocities are committed on both sides of any war. So, do our morals depend on who wins the war, or on the conscience of the individual involved in the war?

If it depends on following the commands of the conscience, then why have a military in the first place?

And if not, then why have military courts martial of soldiers who are merely doing their job as they understand it?

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• orders
• conscience
• military
• justice
• war
• humanity
• love
• injustice

[phitnessjim]

Thanks for Your Posting.. Peace, jd