by David Mcclain

Created on: January 13, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Peace. What an elusive ideal that is. Man has yearned for peace ever since the days of cave-dwellers but it has always remained just out of reach.

Iraq and Afghanistan, Lebanon and Israel. We move seamlessly from one conflict to another and always further from what we all want: Peace.

Over the past years I have read countless blogs online and articles in newspapers by writers expounding upon their beliefs both pro and con on the different conflicts. Everyone has an opinion but no one really has any answers.

Why?

Well maybe its because there is no real answer to violence in this world. There shall always be war and rumor of war, that is a given. If there were only two people left on earth and one had something the other wanted....you would have war.

I have read blogs where the writer, usually a younger person who has never heard a shot fired in anger, is passionately calling for "Us" to go in and "kill em all", "Nuke the bastards", and other fiery rhetoric.

I always shake my head when I read that stuff. I have to wonder; have they ever actually killed another human? Have they plunged in a knife and stood up close and watched the life drain from the eyes of their victim?

I doubt it.

Most who have done this are hesitant to unleash the dogs of war, they know the price you pay.

Then I read other blogs, some by so-called "experts" who call for appeasement ...give them what they want, don't resist...Peace at any cost.

I can't agree with these folks either. There always comes a time and a place when you have to stand firm. You have to resist those who would come against you.

So, today, who is right and who is wrong?

I don't have a clue.

What I do have is an overwhelming sense of sadness when I see what is happening in the world today. I can see, down the road, to where this is all leading and I can see the storm clouds that are gathering which will soon cover us all.

What you see happening in the Middle East will one day be at your own door-step. What will we do then? Of what use will all the rhetoric, both for and against war be then?

So please, don't read this blog and expect to see pithy words of wisdom as to how we should deal with the turmoil and strife for I don't have any answers.

Personally I can tell you that if war comes to my very door-step I will do exactly what those people in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan are doing....I will go down fighting to defend what is mine and those I love...the same way I should have gone down thirty-some-odd years ago.

That is the only real truth that matters.

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