Tuesday, October 26, 2010

"Without the War"

To hold the power to change history would be both a blessing and a curse. No one who has that power would actually be able to fore see the changes that would occur in a permanent way for all of society. More good could occur, yet at the same time there is the unforeseeable bad as well. As life is all twisted up in the past, that one change could even result in that person with the power not being born.
However, taking all of the risks into account, if I had this incredible power of change, I would choose to change the occurrence of the Great War. I’d make sure that diplomacy was a key role between nations. I’d ensure that Europe was peaceful. The militarism that was occurring would be put to a halt in these talks between nations, with each country holding an army but not going into an arms race. Nationalism would not create tension between nations but a bonding point to share customs and gain knowledge of one another for a new understanding of Europe. United together as one, but still individual nations.
This change would create such a different world than the one we are living in today. Without the Great War, it is possible no depression would occur, no Second World War, no Cold War, and no War on Terrorism. The entire century would be completely revamped. It is quite possible that this change would have just delayed the inevitable but wishful thinking makes one believe otherwise.
Why would I choose such a drastic change? Being to more than one World War I cemetery has really made the impact of that war stand out—the senseless deaths that just led to more and more loss. Yes, the soldiers fought well and brave and for me. For that I am eternally grateful, but if the war hadn’t occurred, they would have lived full lives. A generation of men would not have died. And just decades later, another war wiped them out again. The Great War really began a century of violence and turbulence that has made the entire world paranoid. Unfortunately, this is the world I have grown up in and though I can still see the love and beauty that is around, I wish more people were able to put their guard down. Embrace one another instead of being leery of unknown people, countries, and races.
I would change the occurrence of the Great War in hopes that people would be able to accept each other more. It is not a lot to ask for tolerance, but it is understandable in this day and age, with the world’s history, why people are unable to be more tolerant. The yearning for a little world stability has reached its breaking point, and World War I seems to have been the catalyst for the events that led up to this point in 2010.
Hopefully, even without this alteration, the world will reach peace and stability for the sake of all human kind soon. Especially for the past generations, those who gave the present so much to be thankful for and for the future generations, in order for them to be more open, more loving and more compassionate with one another.


(I have no idea how I got this published back in 2007 but I did!)

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