First, none of what follows is intended as an argument against honoring our veterans. Their choice of service and sacrifice deserves all the respect and thanks we can give. The decision they make, to risk their lives and well-being based on the collective judgment of society and our leaders, makes it incumbent upon all of us to ensure that such a judgment is never made lightly. In a Veterans Day assembly this year the speaker evoked Hitler as an example of an evil so great it had to be confronted and stopped. He derided “the foolish notion” that we could call our military personnel home and leave others to confront such evil. He was right to say so; however, such language implies a false dichotomy: do nothing, or send young people to kill and die. The pep rally-like nature of assemblies like ours, I worry, may lead people young and old to accept without question the need for slaughter. Veterans Day is a commemoration of the armistice ending Worl...