2008 – Seventh Grade Fourth Place:

Monica Joyce, Florida.

Is global warming the greatest challenge facing humankind?

Global warming is definitely a big problem that needs to be dealt with, but global warming is not affecting the world as fast or as seriously as war is. War is something that kills millions of people year after year. War is something very complex, yet easily formed. A whole war can be started by just one act of dislike, or even just an idea.

Wars are started because people are afraid. If someone had an idea, or dream with potential to change, like Martin Luther King Jr., and that thought went against other peoples beliefs, there would be war. If different religions do not agree there will be war. If there is a dictator in power who does not do well for its country, there will be war. If there is a dictator in power who does not do well for its country, there will be war. No matter what war you look at, the causes are the same: fear and disagreement. Every person has his or her own way of doing things and his or her own thought of what is right and wrong. But war will never end until people will stop acting on their thoughts and what they think is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it is in every human nature to act and try to change what they believe is wrong.

War is the biggest challenge and threat to mankind because with all the advanced technology that our world has created, we have the power to destroy all of civilization. And the only reason people have felt the need to create bombs, and other weapons of mass destruction, is in case they would ever have to go to war. War has never helped our world as a whole. For every war that helps a country achieve their goal, another country will be let down and have their hopes demolished.

Wars are pointless fights that I believe no one can ever really win. Of course in every war there will be the defeater and the defeated, but the side that gets defeated will not just agree with the winning side because they lost to them. So it is really just ineffective to start a war because you will never change the perspective or belief of who you are fighting against.

War does not have a solution and war will never end completely, so, therefore, war has to be the biggest challenge humankind faces today.

 

 

 

 

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