There is a time for everything; war is no exception. The cruelty that humans are capable of is atrocious. We call ourselves "civilized"; we consider ourselves above other species, even other humans. Yet, we fight. We maim. We destroy. We kill. And we do all of these with reckless abandon.
The struggle between life and death, finding food and being food is one that is ingrained into existence itself. From the dawn of time, living beings have fought for food, land, women, and wealth. Humans fought with their hands, rocks, iron, and bronze. Every warrior had to face the reality of their actions: they had to watch the enemy die.
Not today. The fighters are removed, unaware of the true effects of their actions. They kill with the pressing of a button. The moment the Human element is removed from the heat of battle, war becomes meaningless slaughter. We may claim having a purpose for jumping into the fray, but how can our minds encompass the gravity of every gun shot or grenade when the soldier destroys by pressing a button? War is no longer a fair fight.
Although there is a time for war, what we rage against the enemy today is not war - it's slaughter. We have become the unseen monster in the dark that strikes terror in the "enemies" hearts. If we are to continue to wage war, we must be engaged in the struggle. We must feel the fear. We must see the consequences. And we must live with our actions.
Today, when we hear of one causality, the whole country mourns. But war is constant death and mass destruction. Even though we destroy, if there is no death, are we truly waging a war?
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