Turn it up

Dear fellow citizens, 

I wanted to write to you to bring up the topic of talking about war, in hopes that we can make strides toward a more effective rhetoric around war and its surrounding politics. 

War has a stigma of being a very negative entity in the public eye. While the physical aspect of war is horrific to say the least, the changes it can bring about have the potential to be very beneficial to one or even both sides of the front-lines. This is something that I believe needs to be realized by all citizens of America, and hopefully even globally. There will always be protesters against any war, and then protesters against those protesters, but both sides need to make sure they know the full story of WHY the war is being fought.

One other thing I would like to address is the power of a voice. In his speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence," Martin Luther King, Jr. states, "We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls "enemy," for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers." A voice is a powerful tool. Everyone has one, but somehow not everyone uses it. One voice, in the grand scheme of things, may not seem like it can make a difference, but that is false logic. One voice can encourage and excite a few voices. Those few can do the same to a few more each. This growing excitement has the opportunity to spread like a wildfire, but only if that first voice speaks out.

I would like to request from you, the person currently reading this, that the next time you get excited about an issue, that you tell at least one other person about the issue and the reason for your excitement. Then, encourage that person to get on your 'side' and to get excited. You have a voice. Use it as the match that starts your wildfire.

Thank you, 

Charlie Peck