A preventable issue

What are the first things that pop into your head when you think of war? Do you see images of devastation, hurt and sorrow? I see running soldiers, bombed cities and empty, sullen faces. I don't see the victory parades or medals; I see the sad, painful stuff. War destroys. It destroys animals, countries, towns and lives. Wouldn't it just be great if we lived in a war-free world? Unfortunately, the best we can do is try to prevent them.

            "We want no war of conquest. War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed." That's what President William McKinley, the 25th president of the US, wisely stated. What that means is that we shouldn't just run into war when it crops up; we should try to make peace and negotiate. War should be a last resort. I agree. Once, during an online class, we had a simulation on what events led up to World War ll. In the simulation I and another girl, were France. Our teacher sent each of us a note on what our role was. It said something like, "You are France. You don't want another war; you just got through with World War l. Do everything you can to keep Germany from starting a war." And what we had to decide was, whether or not we'd let Germany have Czechoslovakia or not. My partner and I conversed and we decided that we'd try to negotiate and war would be the very last resort. Germany wouldn't take a compromise, so we were left with one choice. Actually two, but we were not going to give Czechoslovakia to Germany because, for one thing, it wasn't ours to give. And so we were left with war. Nobody wants to start a war. Wars are horrifically horrific. Quick fun fact, if France and Great Britain had gone to war instead of giving Czechoslovakia to Germany, then we could have avoided World War ll. Hitler was bluffing; he wasn't really ready for an attack.

            Before the American Revolutionary War really began, John Dickenson was deeply opposed to fighting right away. He wanted to try to compromise with Great Britain. Though he did end up fighting in the Revolution, he refused to sign the Declaration of Independence and left on his own accord. Martin Luther King, jr. was against using force as was Gandhi.

            Sometimes war is unavoidable but that doesn't mean that we can't try to have peace anyway. When we hear about wars or rebellions, we tend to think that everyone from that country thinks that way but that's not true. John Dickenson proved that.

            Wars leave heartache and pain in their wake. Broken people and mourning families are left behind. Painful memories linger like the left over particles when you sweep. Bombs, blood, bodies. War is terrible. Why would anyone want to start one? Sometimes we do need to begin a war but hopefully we try every means possible to prevent it first.

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Okay, so this was not one of my better ones and it kind of confuses me; you can't really tell what my opinion is but I'm still learning.