war against war

There has always been struggle against war. With every war there are protesters and people who do not agree with it, and therefore, don’t support the effort. Even though these people don’t believe in war, does it matter? How do they go about ending the war? Do they even have the power? People have fought to end wars in many ways. I will discuss a few of these attempts in this blog.

Passive protesting: I consider protesting through all forms of writing, such as songs, poetry, books, articles, petitions, etc., passive forms of protesting. Even though somewhat passive, they are still, however, effective and convincing. There is a group called Poets Against War. Their mission is to continue the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression (Poets Against War). Their website is Poetsagainstthewar.org; I would highly recommend reading some of the poems on the site. One I found interesting is called "Let Freedom Ring."

"it would be nice if it did ring,

but it doesn't

it explodes and makes a mess" (Red Cloud).

The author is critiquing the way we fight for freedom through war in his poetry. All forms of writing can be used as propaganda to end war.

Active protesting: I consider protesting through rallies, public demonstration, civil disobedience demonstrations etc., active forms of protesting. There are many ways to actively protest: marches, sit-ins, picketing, and many more. These forms of protesting are usually done in large groups or a single person in front of a large crowd. There is a website called protest.net that has lists of protest dates so everyone knows where and when to gather and also news articles explaining important issues (Upcoming Protests). Active protests encourage people to participate in the action and are effective to any viewer.

Protesting gone too far: While protesting against the war is usually meant to be peaceful, sometimes the protests become violent. An example of this occurred at the Republican Convention in St. Paul last September. A rally of anti-war protestors tried to break though police barricades to get to the convention center. Police fought back against the protestors using bicycles and eventually deploying pepper spray. (Violence).

Protesting is an effective way to fight against the war if it is done so peacefully. When Anti-war protestors begin fighting with police, or other people, they are no longer taken seriously. How can they argue against the war when they themselves use violence to get what they want? I encourage you to visit both of those websites I have listed and see how these people are going about protesting.

Works Cited

Cloud, Red. "Poets Against War." Nov 2008. Poets Against War. 5 Dec 2008 <http://poetsagainstthewar.org/>.

"Poets Against War." Nov 2008. Poets Against War. 5 Dec 2008 <http://poetsagainstthewar.org/>.

"Upcoming Protests." Protest. 5 Dec 2008. Protest Net. 5 Dec 2008 <http://Protest.Net/>.

"Violence Breaks out in Anti-War Protest in St. Paul." ABC News 01 Sept 2008 5 Dec 2008 <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/violence-breaks.html>.

Torture in War

We began discussing in class whether torture during a war was acceptable and, if commited, who should be punished for the acts. Judging by comments in class, I am sure most of you will disagree with me on the topic of torture. However, it is necessary to hear both sides of an argument to fully understand your own opinion. I believe that torture can be an effective strategy in a time of war.

We have all heard the saying, "All is fair in love and war," and I completely agree with those words. War is not a fun experience, it is not fair, or gentle; war is brutal. When someone is captured in a time of war, I would feel safer at home knowing that our soldiers are doing everything necessary to get any information that they can out of these prisoners. If they need to torture someone to get critical information that could help the war, then by all means torture should be used. Don't get me wrong, I would hate for our soldiers to be tortured, but our soldiers are not forced into joining the war forces. They know exactly what they are getting themselves into by joining the army or the marines, etc. Our soldiers are valiant and brave, not stupid; they know what can happen to them. As an example, John McCain knew that during war time there was the possibility of capture and torture. Both of which, he endured.

"A new study suggests that abuse of prisoners of war is widely condoned by many veterans, and possibly by many in the military today. Even rape of a prisoner was judged acceptable by more than half of the 351 participants in the study," (Holmes). This study may or may not surprise you. Eighty-four percent of the veterans in the study agree that many forms of torture are acceptable during war (Holmes). These are the men and women who have experienced war first hand and know what it is like. Citizens back home do not have the same experiences and therefore, can not judge the acceptability of any act during war. Only those who are in the midst of such can begin to understand the need for such drastic measures.

What is worse, mass murder or torture? "Torture and inhumane treatment may be wrong, but mass murder is worse, so the lesser evil must be tolerated to prevent the greater one" (Twisted Logic). Let us look at the Ticking Time Bomb Scenario (Uelmen); Military personnel have captured a terrorist that has placed a bomb in a huge metropolitan area. He says there is not enough time to evacuate the city before he activates the bomb. Military personnel know from past experience that through torture they can get information out of the terrorist. Would you rather they torture the terrorist to get the information to find the bomb and deactivate it, or would you prefer them to be humane and let the entire metropolitan city be blown to pieces?

Torture can be very effective during war. We can gain information we would not have been able to without it. Torture is not the same as killing; torture can heal. War is a terrible thing, and there is no way to keep wars humane. Yet, if being tortured is an alternative, it may prevent many soldiers from being murdered needlessly. During drastic times such as war times, we often need to take drastic measures. Torture may be one of those drastic measures.

Works Cited

Holmes, William C.. "Would You Condone Torture in War?." ABC News 14 Feb 2007 1-3. 25 Nov 2008 .

"The Twisted Logic of Torture." Darfur and Abu Ghraib Jan 2005 1. 25 Nov 2008 .

Uelmen, Amy. "Torture and the Ticking Time Bomb." Living City 31 July 2006 7-9. 25 Nov 2008.

WAR SPENDING

The amount of money spent on wars is insanely impractical. On the National Priorities Project website there is a counter, increasing every second, showing how much money is being spent on the war in Iraq. I encourage you to click the link and look at how much money is being spent in the U.S. War Spending. Next, change the counter from U.S. spending to Jacksonville, Florida. You will see that the War in Iraq is costing us, in Jacksonville alone, over a billion dollars. What is our country, or our city, sacrificing to remain in Iraq? Is it worth it? Why do we continue to spend so much on this war?

What are Americans sacrificing to remain in this war with Iraq? In 2007 the amount of money spent on the war could have been used for 21,510,598 full four-year scholarships to public universities,7,689,734 new public school teachers, health insurance policies for 265,701,285 uninsured people, or housing for 3,995,293 homeless families (Iraq War Spending). The numbers are astounding. Keep in mind that these numbers were estimated over a year ago. The numbers have been increasing daily for over a year now. Americans are sacrificing their education greatly. Many families could have been helped with new homes or health insurance, but because of the war, we cannot provide the money to help these people.

Is it worth it? This is not a question I can answer for anybody else, but for me, personally, it is not worth it. I believe that we should be helping our own nation get out of this economical slump and providing help for those less fortunate. In a poll done by CBS News, sixty-four percent of Americans say the war was not worth it. Twenty-nine percent said it was worth it (Poll). However, President Bush will tell you a different story."Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed, every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country" (Baker).

Whether or not you think it is vital to our country or not, we must ask ourselves, why do we continue to spend so much money on this war? We are putting ourselves farther into debt every day. Why do we do this? The way I see it, it seems like a contest we don't want to lose. Everybody told us it was a bad idea and a waste of money but we did it anyway and we want to prove them wrong. It is like Bobby saying to Billy, "You wont be able to eat all of those peppers." Then Billy goes and eats all of the peppers even though he knows he will probably throw up because of it. Others may not agree with me, but I fear that continuing the war is a bad idea and we should abandon it.

We need to reduce the amount of money being spent on this war that the majority of Americans do not even agree with. We need to begin spending money on the things that are important in our country like education, health care, poverty, and jobs. Imagine how great America could be with billions of dollars going towards the people.

Works Cited

Baker , Peter, Dana Milbank. "Bush says war is worth sacrifice."Washington Post 29 June 2005 A01. 6 Nov 2008 .

"Cost of War." National Priorities Project. National Priorities. 6 Nov 2008 .

"Iraq War Spending vs. Education Spending." Education Portal 16 July 2007 6 Nov 2008 .

"Poll: Most Americans say War not Worth it." CBS News 18 March 2008 6 Nov 2008 .>.

Child Development in War Zones

Imagine the tension of hearing bombs go off at night, not knowing whether they are going to hit you or your loved ones. Imagine not being able to walk down the road you live on because of military blockades. Imagine seeing people die in front of your eyes. Now imagine that you are a child. Children growing up in environments such as these, war torn areas, are far more likely to develop psychological problems.

In a cross sectional study of emotional problems of children living in a war zone, researchers found that children exposed to war zones had a much higher increase in post-traumatic stress and fear than children living in peaceful areas. Fifty-nine percent of those children suffering from post-traumatic stress required clinical help. Children living directly in a war zone will suffer from post-traumatic stress, while children hearing about the war zones or exposed to media about the war suffer from more anxiety and expressions of distress (Abet 1802). Clearly war affects children who are exposed to it, whether they are exposed directly or indirectly.

Although children exposed to the violence of war zones suffer from psychological problems, the types and severity of problems they suffer differ based on the level of active war around them. In a study done in Croatia, researchers found that compared to children before the war, the Croatian children had much higher levels of depression. Also, between the children who were displaced and the children who remained in their home, the displaced children showed higher levels of fear and sadness (Zivcic 710). Although all of the children suffered emotional impacts from the war, the displaced children suffered more.

Can children living in war zones ever actually adapt and function normally? In a recent study of victims of war, researchers found that massive exposure to trauma during wartime can prevent a child from developing normally. They have a harder time adapting and maturing than children living in war-free areas. However, when these children are removed from the intense war zone, after acclimating to the new environment they begin to function normally but they still tend to remain very self-protective (Jensen 700). When these children are living in a war zone they cannot develop normally, but when they are removed and feel safe, they can.

As one can easily see, children growing up in war areas are far more likely to develop psychological problems. Even children indirectly exposed to war have a higher risk of developing problems. Depending on the levels of how affected children are by war, they develop different problems. However, when children are removed from these high risk areas they are much more capable to adapt and one day lead a normal life.

Works Cited

Abed, Y., A. Thabet, P. Vostanis. "Emotional problems in Palestinian children living in a war zone: a cross-sectional study." The Lancet Volume 359 , Issue 932025 May 2002 1801-1804. 15 Oct 2008 .

Jensen, Peter, Jon Shaw. "Children as Victims of War: Current Knowledge and Future Research Needs." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1993 697-708. 15 Oct 2008 .

Zivcic, Ivanka. "Emotional Reactions of Children to War Stress in Croatia." The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1993 709-713. 15 Oct 2008 .

Rape versus War

The emotions and motives for both rape and war are surprisingly similar. This may seem like a strange comparison, to compare forced intercourse to a war. While they are on massively different scales, the motives and emotions involved are almost identical.

            There are many reasons for a man to rape a woman or for a country to wage war on another. To keep my comparison simple, I will only focus on the major and most obvious motives of each.

            First lets look at the key motives for why a man would rape a woman. According to Lisa Vetten, from the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, “Men rape because they believe they have the right to control and to punish women who do not obey their rules of behaviour. Rape is an expression of unequal power relations between men and women. Such unequal power relations are not the result of nature or evolution but societies which, through legislation and social custom, have made women second-class citizens” (Vetten).

Many wars have been fought over desired power similar to rape. For example, when the United States was expanding they went to war because of Manifest Destiny. They believed they had the right to control all the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific. When countries did not submit to them and sell them land, the United States attacked. When the Native Americans did not obey the rules of America and behave the way American’s wanted them to, The U.S. began fighting with them and controlling them to move. The Native Americans were no less people than everyone else, but society made them second-class and figuratively raped them.

Other examples of waging war to control people into behaving the way one country wants are evident throughout history. To list a few: The many wars waged for Imperialism, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan’s empires were both gained through these wars of power, and even the crusades.

            Now lets look into the emotions involved in rape and war. “Rape is not just physically damaging, it can be emotionally traumatic as well. Someone who has been raped might feel a lot of things: angry, degraded, frightened, numb, or confused. Some feel depressed, anxious or nervous” (Kingsley).  During a war people would generally feel such emotions as well. Uncertainty, anxiety and fear of what will happen next, is very common during a time of war. In Elie Wiesel’s book, Night, he explains that during the war he felt all of those emotions. He says he was angry at times, degraded, scared, numb and anxious. (Wiesel). Clearly the emotions felt after being raped and experiencing a war are very similar.

            In my opinion, rape and war are two of the most prominent evils in the world. They are on different scales, two people compared to multiple countries of people, but they are very similar. It is not always the case but most cases of rape and many cases of war are due to the want of power. They both make people feel and react the same way and they should both never happen in our world.

                       

                                                 Works Cited

Kingsley, Richard S.. "Rape." Teens Health. Sept 2007. Nemours Foundation. 17 Oct 2008 .

Vetten, Lisa. "Why Men Rape." Gender. Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. 17 Oct 2008 .

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill and Wang, 1960.