"Freedom"

History is being made today. We're living in a future child's history book... What an odd concept to think about. I can't say I ever expected to go through a pandemic and the possible start of a 3rd world war before I even turn 20. I'm not really a political person, but I've never felt so in the dark. There's so much going on and I have no idea what's going to happen next. Gas prices are rising daily, the economy is crashing, we're on the verge of World War 3, and inflation is striking us fast.

We're just supposed to continue on with our every day lives? There's a WAR going on right across the ocean from us and innocent lives are being taken thousands at a time. I've never seen a president strap on a vest and pick up a gun to throw themselves onto the battlefield with the rest of their infantry. Hospitals and nurseries have nothing to do with this, but violence is brought upon them anyways. Bombs are going off, cities are being destroyed, people are fleeing their homes and we're supposed to just go about our days like nothing is happening!?

I'm sure all those people wish they could ignore it too. I'm sure they wish they could get up and go to work and talk about the weather and complain about gas prices like everyone else is doing. I bet they wish their friends and family weren't dying. I bet they wish their children didn't have to live through this and they didn't have to leave their homes behind with almost nothing but the clothes on their backs. I can't imagine the feeling of looking your children in the eye and telling them your country is calling you to war... and you may never see them again.

Families are being torn apart. Lives are being lost. Businesses are being bombed. Children are being injured. All this for what exactly? To "free" the people you're attacking?? Since when does freedom look like this? History itself shows freedom is war and suffering. But when the people you're "saving" are fighting you back, freedom has nothing to do with it. This is all for personal gain. This is all for selfish reasons. None of this is for freedom.

I wish there was more I could do. I wish protests did something. I wish I knew donations were actually going to the cause. I wish this wasn't happening.

A year ago I was worried about who I was going to prom with. Now, I'm worried about if I'll be alive to have children that'll go to prom. A year ago I was getting ready to move out of my parents house. Now, I think I should've stayed a little longer. A year ago, I didn't think anyone would dare start a war. Now, I'm horrified that a war has begun and there's so many different directions it could go.

I'll never say that war isn't necessary. I don't think I have any way of knowing that. What I do know, is that THIS war is not. This war is wrong. This war shouldn't even be happening. The days of conquering land are supposed to be over. The days of building our countries are supposed to be over.

This is why we can never have peace. This is why we can never relax. There's always the possibility of someone starting something like this. Starting something that is hard for anyone else to help stop, for fear of getting involved and losing more than they'd gain.

Leaders don't sneak up behind someone weaker than them and strike, bullies do. Leaders don't start fights for stupid, selfish reasons, ignorant children do. Leaders do not lie to their followers to get them to fight for something they wouldn't have believed in, tyrants do.

Freedom does not look like this.