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conflict is rarely resolved. ‘ War. It is ruthless, unforgiving and most of all, futile. Has war really ever truly resolved the issues at cause? Has there ever been a rightful winner in war? There has not and there most likely never will be. My name is Genevieve Stack; I’m Megan Stacks grandmother. I have had my fair share of confronting experiences; being at the fragile age of eighty-one, I know the truth behind war as in my earlier years, it is what surrounded the world. I have lived through some of the most devastating wars, the results never positive.
I am here today to talk to you about my worry and concern for not only my granddaughter, but for all those who feel the strong urge and pull to be involved in such tragic and life-threatening events. Thousands of people are being killed daily. I remember the automatic pain in my stomach when I found out that Megan was going to be foreign correspondent in one of the most war torn countries in the world, Afghanistan. Though I tried to warn her consistently of the dangers, she insisted and off she went on her wild adventure, which would make any relatives stomach churn.
As the anxiety wore off, I began to realize how so much heartache and fear is brought to countries, yet not a single matter is resolved by the end. War consistently fuels more and more conflict each and everyday, innocent civilians having their life taken away from them for no reason at all. When we look back at previous hardships through war that not only America but also many around the world experienced when I was Just a young girl, we begin to see a pattern; no worthy resolution evident. If we take a look at World War two for example; what good was done?
Still today, we re faced with constant memories of fear and images the horrid extremities war had to offer to those involved. The problem is, we are all involved, and there are no bystanders. War, Just like a circle, goes round and round, always ending up at the same destination. The conflict right at the stem of war is never ultimately demolished; the severity of it only increases. With this notion, watching my granddaughter make her way to Afghanistan was one of the most difficult, heart- wrenching memories I hold still today.
Whilst I knew she was capable enough to look after herself, I saw her as one of my own which only deepened the emotions once she had left the devastated America following the attack on the trade center in New York. America was left truly broken and so was my heart when I watched her walk into the terrible circumstances undergoing in Afghanistan, ones, which she was not fully aware of, her naivety quite prominent and the time. She was not carrying the same mentality, as I would have hoped, her strong sense of ambition and love for work and an adventure taking the wheel, steering her into what I considered to be a “death sis”.
Nobody in our family had ever done such a thing or gone on such a venture. Whilst Megan thoroughly agreed with my views on war terrors, she had not lived them as I had, this working to her disadvantage when it came to Judging her upcoming experiences and the graphic images she would face. I was at the tender age of six when World War 2 erupted, every human being around the world being filled with emotions of fear and an immense amount of distress.
I remember listening to the news on the radio at night, clinging to my parents, as the choice vibrating through the speaker would say things such as “bombings in London”, leaving civilians frightened for their lives, as they could be next. No young girl at aged six should have to hear such a thing. I guess my point is that I have lived through a war; many in fact and wish to educate not only my granddaughter but further enlighten others, my main point of view expressing that conflict is rarely resolved. Megan, having been away from home for a few months now, regularly writes to her mother and l.
With broad descriptions of the visuals right in front of her eyes, it is official to not worry as much as I do as she speaks of running off adrenaline, the fear of having your life violently taken away from you in an instant present in her thoughts and her daily life; something a twenty five year old should not be enduring. Too many people have the tendency to intervene in times of conflict, thinking it will bring about change or bring about a resolution at a quicker pace, but this is nowhere near the true reality of war.
I acknowledge that there is what society considers being the “winners” and “losers” of war, all of which is commonly decided once one party demolishes the majority of its enemy’s men, causing their opponent to surrender. This, however, is not like a sport where the other team accepts their loss and moves on. This only allows the “loser” to hold a severe grudge against their opponent and their need for revenge to increase. Let’s look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example; a battle that arose simply because of Zionist movement which started with a group of secular European Jews to establish a homeland for the Jews in Palestine.
This conflict has been existent for ever ninety years and a resolution is something, which the world does not foresee. This is the reason why I fear for my granddaughter’s life. The severity of the conflict between the Jewish and Palestinians has been significantly increasing, which additionally means the actions from one party towards the other becomes more severe. Megan being in amongst the unsafe environment only worsens my anxiety, as the circumstances are life-threatening, wars whose end is not near. The worst part is that she does not seem worried at all or concerned for how careful she will have to e.
I felt as if she was not prepared to delve into a world where the images are far more graphic than any movie she may of seen or anything on a prime time news program. War is unforgiving. War is futile. There is no happy ending in war nor is there a resolution. The conflict between two parties will always be prominent and existent, even once a war has ended and the “winner” has been declared, the fueling and never ending hatred for one another is still present. As Mean’s grandmother, I hope she gains the knowledge required to remain safe as she pursues this venture.