A war with Iraq is likely 24-48 hours away at best.  It brings a certain level of solemnity to my thoughts and feelings.  I still find mirth and sarcasm and joy and anger in the things that normally bring those emotions to the surface, but it is as if a fog has overtaken existence, dampening spirits and putting a cap on the height to which our emotions can rise.  It is a blanket laid quietly over the planet that muffles sound and obscures vision.  War is a terrible thing, but I do not feel that America is wrong in its final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein.  No, I do not want war, but I'm a realist who must face reality.

War is an ugly thing.  People die in wars.  Animosity is given credibility in war.  War should always be the last resort.

There is a cold phrase that often goes along with armed conflict — "collateral damage."  This is the phrase we use to describe those who are harmed by war without being targets of war.  When a bomb strays off course; when a target is hit successfully yet produces unforeseen damage to nearby structures; when innocent lives are used for political gain against the enemy; these are considered collateral damage.  It is impossible to avoid this type of tragedy, although it is the one thing which honorable combatants try to avoid most diligently.

War carries with it the stigma that diplomatic attempts to solve differences or conflicts have failed miserably.  This often speaks to our human nature to hope for the best in all situations and to assume that we are evolved enough to solve our problems through dialogue.  As much as I wish it were possible to accomplish all things via this approach, I am a realist in that I know that human beings are not sensible, predictable, even-handed creatures, and we often prefer to push our luck beyond diplomacy in the hopes that the other side of the argument will simply back down.

War teaches our children that armed conflict is a viable way to solve problems.  It dispels that which we strive so ardently to teach the next generation — that all problems can be solved peacefully.

I do not want war.  I will never look upon the broken body of the enemy with spite and enthusiasm and a sense of arrogant triumph.  I will never be able to step over the dead and dying enemy, strewn across the battlefield, without feeling tremendous remorse and the weight of a heavy heart.  Death and destruction are not solutions to be arbitrarily meted out at will when we do not get our way.

Despite these thoughts, I reiterate that I am a realist.  This requires that I put aside my view of the perfect world and seek out the truth of the world we really live in.

I would like to say confidently that all disagreements and conflicts can be solved peacefully.  This is a wonderful view of the world, but it is so far removed from reality that it can only be said by those who really did fall off of the turkey truck this morning.

Peaceful solutions require that all involved parties inherently hope for peace.  Peace requires that those involved in a disagreement be honorable and trustworthy beings of conscience.

Only a fool would believe that this is true of all human beings.

I do not want war.  I do not wish war upon any country.

I do want peace.  Unfortunately, it appears few in my country want the same thing, or at least few of those speaking up at present.