What is it good for?- Amelia Rogers

         War is never pretty. Destruction, loss of so many lives, families torn, cities ruined. The fear associated with being in the middle of a war is something I cannot relate to. But in images and stories, I can feel a small piece of the horror war brings. My grandfather is a veteran of World War II. He doesn’t speak about it often. He lost his brother in battle as he fought just a few yards ahead of him. When I consider these things, it seems that there can never be a time for war.

         Yet, I think there is. Would America be an independent nation were it not for war? Could we have rid our country of the terrible injustice of slavery without war? Could we have suppressed horrific violence against innocent people in Europe without war? The answer, in my opinion, is no. Times like these, when evil is being committed against innocent people, and when freedom and human rights are threatened, these are the times for war. I still believe that war should be a last resort, but very often war occurs out of necessity. And when war is necessary, I think that a country is responsible for defending its current citizens and helping create a better world for its future citizens, that perhaps there may be fewer wars in their time.