We are at War.

We are at war. And why are we at war? Well, I don’t really know why. I’m assuming that even after the 7th anniversary of 9/11, one of the biggest economic crises in history, the fighting continues. And it is so, soooo stupid. All nations involved in this war spend every day of their lives in fear of another attack. What is even being accomplished here? And by that, I mean what is it exactly that we are fighting for? There is no prize, only the satisfaction of knowing which nation can ruin the most lives – which is just disgusting. The only aspect of the war that is truly astonishing is knowing that we are living through textbook material. High school students will actually be tested on our everyday experiences, years to come.

A couple of my personal friends from high school joined the Canadian forces after realizing that they were not bound for university or college. My one friend, Kevin, in particular, joined the army because he figured it was the only way to change his life around after years of drug abuse. He joined the forces as a peacekeeper, however participated in all necessary training to fight as a soldier. The UN established a peacekeeping mission in 2000 to “ensure observance of the security commitments of the agreement and to monitor a temporary security zone between the opposing armed forces” (http://www.forces.ca/). As such, Kevin was told almost two years ago that he would not be sent to the Middle East to fight in this war. But surprise, surprise – he is being sent to Afghanistan in months to come to fight in this war. I have a few other friends in the army as well, two of which are in the American Military. I wouldn’t even really call them friends, actually. They were friends in high school, however we parted ways as of recently. These guys, unlike Kevin, joined the Military to fight – they have so much hostility in their lives that they think legally killing people will enrich their punctured souls. It’s extremely sad, actually. Kevin, however, is different. He has good intentions and a loving soul. He merely joined the army so he could be free from peer pressure and self-infliction.

I think Kevin is the reason why I am so emotional towards the war; seeing as my family lives in Canada, I do not worry as much about their safety nearly as much as I would if they lived in the United States, or especially the Middle East. God bless Kevin, as well as all the other brave soldiers involved in this war. Though I strongly disagree with warfare, I nonetheless admire their bravery and courage. And if being a part of the war can change others’ lives for the better as it did Kevin’s, then all the power to them, because the war would remain ongoing regardless.