I. Hate. War.
On this Memorial Day, 2010, we remember those who have died in service to our country. My wish for the future is that we don't have to keep fighting and be at war with others so that no more men and women (all over the world) have to die for our 'causes.'
It's heartbreaking to me the thought that there are so many families out there whose loved ones have died in countless wars and pointless ones, at that. I know that we believe that what we are doing in the Middle East is just and justified, but I don't agree. I think that we're looking at it all backwards -- we're trying to take a nation and a culture that is different from our own and mold it into what we know -- that's like the Russians coming to the USA and telling us how to run our government. We have to take into account the different cultural situations -- the different parts of their history -- we need to examine it from their point of view before we can actually make change happen. Quite frankly, all attempts at change will be futile unless they accept it and decide to make that change happen on their own.
Now, don't get me wrong -- I believe that there is a lot messed up in the Middle East -- there's no denying that. The issue I have with it is the approach we have taken. It's all responsive. We are responding to the attack on our country 9 years ago; yet we have still to catch the man who was supposedly in charge of it. We're fighting a 'war on terrorism' yet we still have terrorists in our country today. A terrorist is someone who controls by inciting fear in citizens -- we have those people in our own country, our own citizens, and we continue to protect them and let them think their bigoted ideas.
Mahatma Ghandi said: Be the change you wish to see in the world. So let's do that. Let US be the change we wish to see in the world -- let's stop arguing who's right and who's wrong and just get down to the business of righting ourselves before we postulate to others how they can right themselves.
I hope that the souls of those who have died in service to this country I call home rest in peace and that some day we will find a way to peace instead of war.
It's heartbreaking to me the thought that there are so many families out there whose loved ones have died in countless wars and pointless ones, at that. I know that we believe that what we are doing in the Middle East is just and justified, but I don't agree. I think that we're looking at it all backwards -- we're trying to take a nation and a culture that is different from our own and mold it into what we know -- that's like the Russians coming to the USA and telling us how to run our government. We have to take into account the different cultural situations -- the different parts of their history -- we need to examine it from their point of view before we can actually make change happen. Quite frankly, all attempts at change will be futile unless they accept it and decide to make that change happen on their own.
Now, don't get me wrong -- I believe that there is a lot messed up in the Middle East -- there's no denying that. The issue I have with it is the approach we have taken. It's all responsive. We are responding to the attack on our country 9 years ago; yet we have still to catch the man who was supposedly in charge of it. We're fighting a 'war on terrorism' yet we still have terrorists in our country today. A terrorist is someone who controls by inciting fear in citizens -- we have those people in our own country, our own citizens, and we continue to protect them and let them think their bigoted ideas.
Mahatma Ghandi said: Be the change you wish to see in the world. So let's do that. Let US be the change we wish to see in the world -- let's stop arguing who's right and who's wrong and just get down to the business of righting ourselves before we postulate to others how they can right themselves.
I hope that the souls of those who have died in service to this country I call home rest in peace and that some day we will find a way to peace instead of war.
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