Shelly1

Times Writer

Hey Whyville,

It's me, yet again, Shelly1. I've just finished reading Giggler01's article "The Middle East". She got me thinking about the whole war thing that has been in full swing ever since that tragic day, September 11.

I myself am a Canadian, so I wasn't as affected as many of you Americans, many of you whom I know. Even though I may be a Canadian, a friend of mine has a friend who lost her father in the explosions. I've heard many tales of sorrow, loss, and pain. Apparently they have found his body in the ruins... that stirred up a lot of emotion, and I've shared in the pain, so I do have a sense of what some of you must be going though.

I am quite disgusted by the war that is still raging in the Middle East. I do not think war is the answer. All of us want peace, yet all of us use violence and revenge as the answer. How do we expect to achieve peace though violence and murder? We are all intelligent human beings, aren't we? We have laws against these things, yet we knowingly send troops off in vain to kill people regardless if they are innocent or not. What have we come to? How can we be proud of ourselves? How can we do this to our own species?

This war is unjust and foolish. We are acting like children carrying on like this. We do not have to fight, there are other ways, but we choose to ignore them because we want revenge so badly. We have too much pride. We want to be tough, we want to show off. Have you ever heard the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword"? Why do we choose the sword? Why must we kill so many innocent people when there are alternatives where everyone can survive? Aren't there alternatives? I just don't understand it. Can someone please explain it to me? Do you have a good enough reason to choose the sword over the pen? I'd like to know, honestly, I really would.

We are all human, we are all capable of rational thinking. What will we have accomplished after we have killed everyone? Absolutely nothing. The problem will still be there, except it will be larger. We will experience September 11 all over again, more loss, more mess, more sorrow, pain, suffering, funerals to attend, people to mourn for, people to live without. Our lives will be shattered again and again as we see it plastered all over the news, receive letters, learn the news through headlines, word of mouth, tears, and expressions. And for what? The want for revenge? That is truly disgusting, truly pitiful. What have we come to? Why would we want any of this? Does anyone really have an answer worth giving? Don't blame it on "human nature". We were given a mind of our own, we were given free will, we were given the choice. We did this to ourselves. We will be left to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts, our shattered lives, our destroyed world.

Why do we choose to go to war anyway? What does it accomplish? I can't seem to figure it out. No matter which way you chose to look at it, it just isn't right. Revenge, anger, violence, and pride have clouded our judgement, have stained our decisions. Is it to late to stop this war? Are we too far gone? I for believe it is never too late, we can stop whenever we want, just as easily as we started this whole mess. Remember, we didn't have to choose war as our way to respond to the September 11th crisis.

As Always,
Shelly1