Teacher: Devra Parker
On September 11, 2001, America awoke to a beautiful morning; however, American citizens were blinded thinking that we were at peace with the world. Madmen rudely interrupted our dream society when they hijacked four airline jets en route to different destinations. They refocused their road map for the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and then possibly the White House. The shock was felt around the world. As Billy Graham once said, “We must have military power to keep madmen from taking over the world.” I believe that he meant that we would need a group of countries bonded together to keep the terroristic madmen of the world, like Osama Bin Laden, from ever gaining enough power to overtake the world. The United States evidently was not prepared for the September 11th attack. We have the strongest military power in the world, and we couldn’t even contain a few terrorists from sneaking in the back door. We should have been aware that they wouldn’t hit us head on, but we were blinded by our own power.
We cannot afford to let terrorists continue to act as they have in the world if we intend to maintain world peace. The terrorists just keep getting stronger and more intelligent. “I don’t know what kind of weapons will be used in the third world war, assuming there will be a third world war. But I can tell you what the fourth world war will be fought with – stone clubs.” This was a quote stated by Albert Einstein. This science genius knew that the weapons used in the third world war will be so powerful that they would destroy the world, leaving only stone clubs to fight the fourth. I would have to agree with Mr. Einstein. It is a fact that the weapons that the United States has alone could level the earth several times. If any of the terrorists around the world got their hands on some weapons of mass destruction, the world could be in trouble because these people do not care about human life. I believe that to maintain world peace and prevent war, we must keep the madmen/terrorists from obtaining possession of nuclear weapons and other earth-threatening weapons.
I personally do not like war at all. I think that if it can be prevented, it should be prevented. Weapons of mass destruction should not be used unless it is absolutely necessary. “My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions. As soon as men will find that in one instant whole armies can be utterly destroyed, they surely will abide by golden peace.” Alfred Bernhard Nobel quoted this after inventing dynamite. I do not agree with Nobel. He wants people to use weapons like dynamite to scare the rest of world into peace. However, the weapons should only be used in critical situations. If it takes a thousand world conventions to bring the world to peace, then so be it. At least that would not be mass killing of people and armies of other countries. That is not bringing peace to the world; instead, it is bringing more war.
Bombing and the use of excessive force are necessary in some situations. For example, we have been attacked by terrorists time and time again over the last several years. After the September 11th attack, we were finally forced to take serious action, but not until after we tried to get Afghanistan and the Taliban to cooperate with us. They chose to be our enemies in our struggle for world peace. Since they would not cooperate, we had to start attacking Afghanistan. In this case the United States had no choice. It was the only way to try and stop terrorism and try to maintain world peace. “This is one of those pivotal moments in history when we CAN change the world for the better as we bring wisdom actively to the for [front] and apply it with diligence and clarity. Let’s not go to reaction, dishing out what we have received, but act in a new level of global compassion. This is the time, we are the people. Our ancestors are rooting for us. May we be the ones who step off the wheel of the never ending action and reaction.” Justine Toms stated this one day after the September 11th attacks. I agree with Ms. Toms on the reaction of the attack. We should not react in the same way that the terrorists hit us. The terrorists that hijacked the four jets were cowards. They did not attack us from a military standpoint. Instead, they attacked innocent people and took many innocent lives. American forces should not react this way. We should go straight after the guilty people that were involved with this attack and not after innocent people. I feel that would be lowering the United States to the level of the terrorists that attacked us.
War, to the United States of America, has become a last resort in order to protect our freedom and our power. In order to remain the powerhouse of the world, the United States must act aggressively. The main importance in protecting ourselves from nations that detest our ways is solely for our people. The citizens of the United States of America have the right to be protected and feel safe to hold any view they feel obliged to hold. With terrorists in this world, it is of dire importance to have patriotism and pride in our nation. However, we must trust in and obey our nation’s leaders . . . for they are here to serve us during peace or during warfare.