I am appalled and disheartened by the current state of the world.
This article is inspired by President Trump’s recent decision to bomb Syria, but the problem is much, much bigger than that. We are so disconnected. Americans get fatter while others starve to death. We go home to our beds at night while others’ houses are bombed to the ground. We don’t talk to our families on a regular basis while others don’t even know if their family members are still alive. And we have the nerve to complain like we have real problems—we don’t. Our lives are easy. So easy that we can ignore the hardships of others and write off death and sickness and starvation as something that happens in movies. When did we become so cold?
Every time I hear about another missile strike or another terror attack, my heart breaks a little more. These are real people losing their lives. And for what? The greed of their leaders?
“Sometimes we need to use extreme measures to defend ourselves,” some will argue, and that’s true, but what if nobody was bombing anybody? We have come a long way from the epic battles over land and castles, and I believe that we can approach this in another way. We are civilized enough to talk things out. Our communication abilities are sophisticated—we can make a call, send mail, send email and even send faxes all over the world. So why do we choose to send bombs and death instead? To make a bigger point? To assert ourselves in places where it isn’t necessary?
We need to remember that we are human. The “enemy” is human. Our actions, and the actions of anyone choosing to engage in any warfare, will directly cause loss of life, broken families and destroyed infrastructure. What could be worth such destruction and carnage? I can’t think of anything that is. And yet, here we are.
I understand that human nature will probably never allow for the end of all wars, but I wish that leaders around the world would open their eyes and remember the basics. No matter where we live we’re all people who want to spend time with their families, fall in love, have enough food to eat and have a safe, comfortable space to sleep at night. I dream of a day when everyone has this realization and they see that dropping bombs will only lead to more bombs, more pain and more suffering in a world that already hurts enough.
As I feel fearful about rising tensions around the world, I send out a plea to end violence. I may not be able to stop wars, but I can be kind to the people around me, and you can, too. Real change can start right here, today. Don’t be discouraged, simply find the changes that you can make, and always stay aware of what’s going on in the world. Above all, be kind, and show love whenever you can. There may be darkness in the world, but you can shine a beacon of light into it.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
-John Lennon