2004 — International Winner:
Emily
Watkins, Poland
War or Peace? Is world peace possible, or does
human nature make war inevitable?
Men
have tried many times to maintain world peace; every time they
have failed. You would think that peace would not be so difficult
to achieve. For if we can fly in space and erect skyscrapers
then surely we can bring about world peace. We have airplanes,
automobiles and big supermarkets where we can purchase everything.
Our new inventions and technologies satisfy all the material
needs we could ever dream of. Yet we lack one of the most important
things - peace. Is there too much hate and violence in this world
for peace? Is war inevitable?
Not
long ago, in a car wash near my school, a bomb was planted. This
explosive device endangered the lives of thousands of children.
This violent action made me realize that people have become merciless;
that they no longer aspire to keep peace. I saw that humans do
not care for the lives and security of others. They seek only
to demonstrate their power and terrorize mankind.
Human
nature's severity and influence is also made evident to me when
I hear about high school shootings. These acts of violence are
not found only on American soil, but are now occurring in other
nations as well. We are raising a generation of children who
do not value human life. Children are being raised by the computer,
the internet and by the television, instead of by their parents.
Many of my classmates go home to an empty house. Their value
systems are not being shaped as they should. They aim to emulate
pop stars and actresses. If their idol performs a crime, then
they dream of doing the same thing. One of my classmate's idols
committed suicide and now she also wants to carry out this violent
act. It is imprudent to think that we can maintain peace if we
can not even control and discipline our children. I agree with
what Benjamin Franklin so eloquently said, "Educate your
children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and
prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning
will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future
and crimes from society." Instead we provide aggressive
television shows, videos and computer games. In so doing we create
an atmosphere for violence and for war.
For
these reasons, more than ever, war has become inevitable. Children
are the future leaders of society. They are the future decision-makers.
And as they take their positions of authority, not considering
what is just and following their own evil ways, then war is to
be expected.
