I tend to be a private person when it comes to political, economic, and social issues, but the state of the world now is too much to keep inside, to keep from spilling like blood into sands. As a person and part of humanity, with a connection to each living being, I feel sadness and loss when tragedy befalls innocent people. Regardless of a state of war, what sense, what purpose is there to take the lives of women, children, and men as passengers on a plane? What purpose is there to take the life of four children playing on a beach?
These wars have been raging for thousands and thousands of years, and peace or a truce are nowhere to be seen. No matter the cost, the lives lost, any misguided direction, any god complex, wars continue to roll through communities, cities, countries, and take on a life of their own. The war takes over the people and grows its own purpose and this monster has no care, has no feelings or empathy for those that get in the way. In many ways it becomes the sum of each person involved in starting the machine and we lose any chance of controlling or stopping what we have created, what is essentially an extension of our self.
Wars… a battle for power, ideology, resources, respect, and survival. If the causes are addressed before they become a battle cry, can we prevent the war? At the end of day, what do we really want? Safety, food, water, opportunities for us and children, and respect. I believe something. You believe something. As long as it does not interfere with the basic needs of others, has a moral framework, I have no issues and have respect for your beliefs. Wars over religious beliefs, and those demeaning to others, make no sense. If your deity is loving and caring, died for you, do you really think it makes sense to kill over an interpretation of words, arbitrary boundaries, or the thought “my belief is better than yours”? That seems to fly in the face of what you think you are fighting for. Either communities need step up or governments need to step down to find a balance between the people’s basic needs and the government providing a framework for those needs.
Retaliation to an act causes a reaction to the retaliation, and each response escalates. It only ends when nothing is left and neither side “wins”. We will throw out words of peace, balance, and truce. But that will not come about until we understand the people’s needs, the root cause, and sometimes have to swallow pride in the short-term to find a solution for the long-term, to find stability, to find a balance between people, communities, and governments.
There will always be those who want more, how are not satisfied, and will take from others. If the community as a whole is in peace and working together, we can deal we these situations before they become a local and then global war.
There will be no children left to pick up the pieces of a shattered world and move forward, to rebuild, to come together.
Poem – The War-Child’s Innocence
Standing among the ruins.
He looks out over to the west, as the sun sets upon the land
And the smoke billows from the ruins.
Many thoughts at once run through his mind and collide.
He stands alone, afraid to look.
Afraid to ask.
In his arms, he holds all that is left of his life.
The life sniffs the air and hides his eyes under his paws.
He knows what has happened as he howls at the blood red, war torn sky.
A tear falls from both of their eyes.
