Greed, misunderstanding create a destructive path

I have five signs that say war is not the answer on the front and back of my car. It's easy to say, isn't it?

It seems impossible to do. Many people get killed. Those on the losing side; good riddance, they were the bad ones. We were the good ones and lost too many of ours as well.

Will the gains we've won be permanent? Probably not and greed lives on. Land that joins ours is divided erroneously. As corporate interests see the possibilities, more of it should be ours and will be again once this is won by our military.

A century ago, the U.S. entered World War I. Unlike today, the children of the wealthiest families also served first in battle.

What did we gain? There was no more fighting and killing for a while. What brings up the next war? One group says the opposing group wasn't treating us with due and proper respect. And the beat goes on, and on, and on, sadly enough.

Some might say was has saved world population, giving us a few more years before overpopulation will even cause more problems. Africa is a present example of the problems overpopulation creates.

Religion is another problem. Something meant to do so much good has caused too many of our wars.

Great movements theoretically meant to cause people to do good. The good of religion can be summed up in three words: "Do unto others." Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. It can't be said any more fairly than that.

So why have there been so many problems then? Each religion believes theirs is the one and only, if others won't accept that offer to convert - sad story, sad ending.

Specific religions are stirring problems in the Middle East. Christianity is the one religion most Americans know best. Islam is scared of our distant ventures in their world territory. Only one can be the final word in both interpretations.

Will that world battle ever end? And there is division in Islam, the Shias and the Sunnis. Have we picked the correct side or the one that pleases our corporate interests? Do we know? Could we know?

If there is any hope for the future in the U.S., we have to come to a better understanding of our problems - race, religion.

Everyone seems to intensely believe that our way of life will lead us to inherit the good earth! And let the devil take the hindmost.

But we can't leave money out of the equation. Oil is still a money grabber and both sides need more of that. What does the future hold and how soon will we know? Climate change seems to those of scientific knowledge that we haven't seen anything yet, unless we change our ways.

Is there any hope for us?

Bud Brand, local poet, perhaps adds insight if we don't change our ways in his short summary piece entitled, "Time Bomb":

There is not glory

in any war,

only death

and blood and gore.

Those who strive

to conquer the world

have a vision

that's fatally blurred.

Man needs to find

ways of agreeing

before the demise

of all human beings.