Assignment 9: Ben Schaeffer

Few things are crueler than war. Cities are destroyed, ways of life are ruined, and men with wives and families become simple numbers in the death tolls. A lot of glory surrounds fighting; however, only those who participate know the true horror. William Tecumseh Sherman asserted, "there is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell." Despite the cruelness, war is sometimes necessary. When the domestic way of life is threatened, and citizens are no longer safe, arms should be taken up to protect a country's interests. While in an ideal world no poor man would die, it seems diplomacy can't settle deep disputes of people with varying interests. For thousands of years, war has been a course of action. Maybe it is human nature to defend ones way of life by means of violence. In no way is slaughter morally right, but it is a better alternative than having large groups of people threatened and suppressed. When a direct threat is made to people on the domestic front, such as Pearl Harbor, it is the country's responsibility to go to war, as active fighting would seem to be the only way to protect these people. Sadly, no alternatives exist, but differences can be mended with treaties or armistices. The United States could choose to not raise an army, but this would be irrational considering many countries such as North Korea that pose a legitimate threat invest a lot in defense, and as a world power, it is our responsibility to protect countries from these "bullies" to ensure certain ideas don't spread. Words written on paper or verbal agreements are less effective because actions taken by armies can undo that in an instance.