The Cost of War

The cost of war is not just the billions spent on weapons intended and directed to kill enemies and citizens of other countries. It is the destruction of our earth, the inhumane treatment we extend to other humans, the violence we teach our youth and children. War turns our focus to the government’s agenda, not the sick, homeless, or elderly.  We kill for freedom; yet don’t protect our own people when they’re in the safety of their homes. If war worked, we wouldn’t need or have wars.

            In order to find a solution, we have to work on relationships at the human level, rather than governmental. We have so much to learn from each other simply through words and actions, instead of weapons. Until we all have a mutual respect for human life, we will not know peace. In order to know peace, there must be no war. Countries are way too keen on solving national and international conflicts with violent force. We must change our own cultures as countries in order to make a global change. The gun violence within the U.S. alone kills hundreds to thousands of people annually. Therefore, we should focus our efforts to solve conflict through communication within our country in order to achieve global success in ending war.

Megan Gallagher