When our nation went to war in the jungles of Vietnam, the youth of the nation was sold to the idea that it was a noble war to battle communism and establish democracy throughout the world. But shortly thereafter we, the youth, realized that maybe this wasn't what was really going on. Maybe this noble defense of freedom wasn't so noble. The people we were sent to kill didn't seem to deserve to die for this. Every day, a doorbell rang with a coffin of another 18-year-old son who died in defending truth, justice, and the American way. It was not the soldiers fault. They were fed lies. Their own government told them they were going to change things and then did not allow them to do what was necessary for progress.
Even worse was the wellbeing of the boys who came home alive, but never in one piece. Either mentally and physically, no one returned uninjured from the jungle. They returned to an America that didn't embrace them like veterans who returned from World War II. There were no parades thrown or statues unveiled. Most couldn't find work and ended up homeless. The youth lucky enough to be in college or those who knew that this was a pointless war, which would never be won, decided to take to the streets in hopes of preventing a generation of American Boys to be killed. They held marches and sit-ins and openly burned their draft cards. They risked personal injury, arrest, and disownment by their families because they believed wholeheartedly that this war was simply fought so that politicians could make money despite how many died.
Some may say, "well they didn't change anything, as the war still went through 1972." To that, I say yes the war still went on for a long time, but at least they were trying to fix corruption in whatever ways they could. When the leaders of the nation were letting people die it wasn't the adults who tried to fix it, it was the youth. The college students. They stood in the face of the government and said they would not die in a jungle for no reason.
Flash forward to the 21st century. The United States was attacked on a day in September that will never be forgotten. With good reason, we went to war to bring the men to justice who had done this to us. The number of troops increased to go to the desert and get revenge for the 2,996 people killed on 9/11. This war was going to be a justified one. The military would go, take care of business, and come home. This was the plan. But it isn't happening. The shock and awe campaign started in 2004. Sadam was killed in 2006. Osama Bin Laden was found by Central Intelligence and killed by Naval Special Forces in 2011. That is the end right? Bin Laden orchestrated the attacks so the soldiers are all home now. No, they're still there in the desert. ISIS has replaced Al Qaeda and it looks like nothing will stop them from taking over most of the Middle East.
Like the hydra of Greek myth, we chopped off one head only to have two more to replace it. Will we ever leave the Middle East? As long as I can remember, we have been fighting Islamic extremists. There is no stopping them. Nothing we do will change a thing over there. They have always fought among themselves and always will. When will the government realize this? It can be sooner than later if one thing changes: if people like you and I take a stand. If American college students started caring less about the latest trending topic on social media and more about the numbers of veterans committing suicide, maybe then we would call for change. Maybe if these Americans started caring less about two moron celebrities dating and cheating on each other but more about how many young Americans are dying daily in the Middle East, then there would be a call for change.
Our veterans are coming home every day with PTSD and depression and the government is letting them rot away without any sort of assistance. Roughly every day 22 veterans commit suicide. That is one death per 65 minutes. How does that make you feel as you read this from the comfort and safety of your home? Twenty-two of the men and women who went to the Middle East and fought on behalf of our nation killed themselves because they were mentally scarred from the horrors of war. We could put stop to this, but we don't care. To help end this war, it will take all of us coming together as a united youth tired of violence, death, and a government that does not care about our vets. At one point, this war had a good purpose, but now it has become another Vietnam. All I ask of you is that we collectively decide that it is time for our men and women to come home. We need to be part of the protests and the marches on Washington. We need to show the government that the nation's youth, the future of this very nation, is ready for this war to end.
