History Lesson: The Vietnam War

What makes a human unique is their way of thinking. Conflict occurs when these thoughts collide. What one might treasure, might mean nothing to someone else. These conflicts have often turned into wars in history. One major war that take place because of human desires was the war between the Aboriginals and settlers from Europe who wanted to claim the New World (North America). The settlers wanted to industrialize the land, while the natives wanted to preserve and live in harmony with the land. In History Lesson by Jeanette C. Armstrong she says “The Colossi in which they trust while burying breathing forests and fields beneath concrete and steel stand shaking fists whole civilizations ten generations at a blow.”(85). Thoughts of two sides were very
different and were not willing to compromise or discuss the situation with each other. This war did end but peace was never received between the two civilizations. Still due to this day Aboriginals’ wants are discarded in favor for the white man’s wants. Peace is not possible because a war is won or lost.
In reality you cannot satisfy everyone involved in a conflict. It is said that Aboriginals are at peace with what have happened to their culture and homes over the years as well they have been compensated for it. Yet today in Australia Indigenous people are suffering poor health and financial burdens. This is because of the negative social attitudes of the Aboriginal people towards education and doctors. Action is not being taken to meet their wants just the white man’s wants. Freedom from war cannot move forward because needs and wants of one cannot be compensated with someone else’s wants. Furthermore this attitude is seen the soldiers who fought in the First World War. The soldiers is the WW1 felt a strong sense of Nationalism. Wilfred Owen captured this in his poem Dulce Et Decorum Est. “To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.”(93). Dulce et decorum est/Pro patria mori means sweet and fitting it is/ To die for one’s country. Everyone has same desire to do something that their country will remember them for. In the First World War the views of German population clashed with the views of the other
nations. Conflicted occurred in this situation because of opposite thoughts and desires not getting along. The Treaty of Versailles was meant to keep peace between the nations but instead it caused WW2. This happened because Germany needs were not meet which angered them into war again. Also children at a very young were taught to have the same desires as each other to eliminate conflicts between them. However human ambition does not allow that to happen. Humans do not want to be the same or equal as each other because they want to achieve more and beyond what they think they’re accomplish. In conclusion peace is only a dream due to not everyone’s desires not meet which in turn causes conflict between the ones who got there needs meet and those who did not. War is thought to happen only on the battlefield but war happens everywhere in the world. Sometimes in war attacks are made in places where the fighting takes place may be far away. In 2009 the Swat Valley in Pakistan was bombed. In One Family’s Experience of War by Hélène Caux tells the story one women’s pain caused by this attack. “‘I could cope with the pain … if only my daughter were alive.’”(95). Said Sapla a women who lost daughter, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law were killed in that attack. Aftermath of war does not go away with time. One feel the most hurt when their loved ones are hurt. One over time forgets about wrongdoings done to them, but never forgets injustice done to their family. When someone is our family dies, we often feel a large range of emotions in us. If that person was died because of someone’s actions a lot of people have a hard time forgiving their murderer. The injustice done to their family fuels their anger and hunger to seek justice for them. The United Nations have tried to stop these attacks from happening by addressing the conditions that caused these attacks to take place, to take measures that will improve security in the countries where these attacks took and are taking place. But the attacks have already started the fire in the citizens of those countries not the soldiers. Soldiers over time forget and forgive those who they were fighting against because they were doing their duty to their country and the opposite side was doing what they felt was their duty. However the people who family members in attacks not on the battlefield only want peace after the ones who hurt them are taken care. Peace is not accomplished by violence. Therefore freedom from war is a dream because the anger caused by war’s actions never truly goes away.