Today marks 66 years since the end of WWII.
In Japan, they call it Shusen Kinen Bi, and it’s a day to mourn the lives lost in war and pray for a peaceful tomorrow.
In the years since WWII, nearly 21 Million innocent people (non-soldiers) have lost their lives to war-related conflict. I think today would be a good day to reflect on all the casualities of war, civilian or soldier. They all had lives, and they all deserve recognition for the sacrifice they gave.
My idealistic self hopes that we’ll see the end of war in the lifetime of my generation. That we’ll learn to use our words instead of our weapons, like mothers teach in sandboxes everywhere. Somewhere along the way, adults acquire power and forget about playing fair and cooperating. The victims are the ones who are silenced, and forced to be in a conflict zone for a war they didn’t volunteer to fight.
Let’s remember them today. And next time a world leader takes his proverbial shovel to the other countries in the sandbox, let’s remind him that we use our words to get what we want, not our weapons.
