Once again and… forever, we are told that Memorial Days should remind us of the men and women who died in the past fighting many wars defending the country, its freedom and values. Certainly, Memorial Days should remind us of the wars that all countries fought because humans were not able to resolve or accept their differences.
Memorial Days also remind us of the wars that had to be fought to defend humanity from those who seek to destroy those who happen to be different. We seem to be going through a fairly good example of such wars right now with the conflicts happening in the Middle East. Those who do not adopt or renounce neither their religion nor their beliefs or they simply are from a different race or country, they are shot or beheaded.
Memorial Days remind me of some great monuments that were created to remember those who gave their life defending what they believed. There is a historic cemetery that will soon run out of room to bury more dead soldiers. Veteran hospitals cannot keep up with the injured or traumatized soldiers and homeless veterans sleep on the streets and under deteriorating bridges.
On this Memorial Day we should also remember fathers, mothers, spouses and children who had to say goodbye when the soldiers left for war; many do not come back the same way they left; many will commit suicide, perhaps as a possible solution to forget the pain suffered. Let us also remember those who find in war the solution to solve differences among their fellow man. Let us think about those who find the manufacturing of weapons a profitable enterprise or remember the improvements made to wheel chairs for wounded soldiers. Remember those families that wait for their love ones to return some day. Remember that the evening news does not report about the enemy nor their families, sons and daughters.
Some history was made to remember our past mistakes; evidently we have not learned much and certainly we have not made much progress... for centuries. The inability of humans to communicate properly among their own specie leads me to imagine what will happen when we get to meet extraterrestrials we so much want to discover. When we get to their planet we will have a war first to make the aliens adopt our systems, religions or convictions and… let us hope they are all one color.
We must find alternatives to war; we must make progress and find the way to understand each other.
We should not send any more young people to be part of a wrong solution; it has been proven many times that the results of war only leave destruction and sorrow. War may also contribute to hate and revenge among humans; we were never happier after a war ended.
Remember the reasons why the United Nations was created.
Pablo Castro
UNA USA SF
President
