I Am Against War by Michelle Drew

I am against war. All forms of war. For intelligent human beings to debase themselves by killing and destroying as a way to improve the world is senseless. To verbalize issues and hammer out resolutions is what differentiates us from other animals. Animals kill to eat, not to make a point. To think, to dream, to imagine and to create, these are the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. With these gifts, it is our mission to preserve our world and to thrive as a species.

Throughout the history of mankind, wars have been fought over riches, over land, over religion and even over women. The side that kills the most people wins. At least that is the popular wisdom. But for those who have lived through it, it is well known that no one really wins a war. Solutions to world issues do not come from hatred and ungodly acts. They come from careful thought, patient negotiations and a commitment to cooperation, mutual respect and resolve.

The leaders of nations have traditionally been the ones to declare war. The sons and daughters of the middle and lower socio-economic classes are the ones to sacrifice their lives for the cause. They have been drafted, coerced and cajoled into killing for reasons that they rarely understand. Many will blindly follow the orders of their leaders, out of trust, out of patriotism and even out of a sense of adventure.

So what about the leaders? In any given group, it is usually expected that the leaders are in front of the group, choosing the best paths, the best methods to accomplish their goals.

Leaders are strong and resourceful. They are committed to lead, their eyes do not leave their prize: Except in the case of war.

During wars, the leaders hide in bunkers or secret locations, with guards and all the comforts of home. Make no mistake. The leaders are not the high ranking military leaders. They were not elected to represent their constituents. They are successful navigators of the military system, often gaining their ranks by fighting and killing more than their peers. They take orders from the government leaders, using military strategy to be bigger and meaner than the other guys. The military does not negotiate. They don’t compromise. They don’t bring about solutions. They bring about death.

Since the beginning of time, human beings have sacrificed their middle and lower socioeconomic classes because their leaders are not smart enough or committed enough to work out differences in a civilized manner. And here in the US, minorities are recruited because the opportunity to die for their country is perceived as being their best and maybe only shot at contributing to society.

The time has come for the sacrificial lambs to realize that their importance is far greater in living, studying and performing good deeds. It is time for the leaders of the world to work things out; themselves. That means if they declare war, they are the ones to fight it.

Let every man and woman elected to lead take up arms themselves, against themselves, if that is how they believe issues should be resolved. If that were the case, I suspect that they would try a lot harder to work out things with their brains.

In today’s world, we would have our president, cabinet and congress chasing through the Middle East after the leaders of the terrorists. Leave the rest of us out of it. Don’t kill our children and don’t kill theirs either. Or the other people who are really just trying to survive. Let people begin to elect smart people: Leaders who can negotiate and make peaceful solutions: Leaders that can’t or won’t use their brains give them their guns and point them in the direction of the cowardly leaders who kill the innocent and then hide in holes in the ground like giant moles.

We need to raise our expectations of our leaders. They need to be up front and leading. If they declare war, let them fight it against the opposing leaders: Person to person. If someone needs to give their lives for a cause, let it be them. If they want to survive, to lead a happy existence, sleep in a bed and live with their families, they had better put on their thinking caps and make it work.

Making killers out of the next generation is a horrible way to have them begin their adult lives. Relying on the war machine to make peace is like using a meat grinder to make a cow. We don’t need more fierce warriors. We need intelligent, compassionate, creative and hard working people who look to models of diplomacy and cooperation as their inspirations.

We need to tap into the experience and wisdom of our elders instead of packing them off to waste away. We need to hold up our best diplomats instead of our best soldiers. We need to stress academic achievement and put sports and entertainers in the secondary positions in society. Let us reveal who among us is the most generous to the sick and the needy and emulate them, for they truly are heroes.

Let us hold our leaders to their commitment of serving society. Let us put a stop to them ordering other people to kill in our name. Let them be brave and strain their brains. If we keep our expectations high, they will need to reach for re-election. Let them reach high: All the way to God’s kingdom where they can hear Him say, “No more war”.