Are you willing to die?

Today is National Medal of Honor Day. This year, it happens to also be Good Friday, which seems especially appropriate, given Jesus’ words the night before his crucifixion: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life…

Death, censorship, and reality

This morning I was sent a link to this article in The Atlantic, which describes a photo taken by war photographer Kenneth Jarecke at the end of Operation Desert Storm. The photo was not chosen for publication in the U.S., based on its graphic nature. This prompted me to examine more closely how Americans view…

Don’t forget China’s role in the Vietnam War

It was China’s neighborhood When Americans think about the Vietnam War, China is usually not the first topic that comes to mind. China had great interest in the war though, and exerted quite a bit of influence in the region. This is an important interaction to remember when you read about present-day Chinese actions in…