War, what is it good for? Actually something

War is a very controversial subject that has brought about many political debates. Although nowadays the meaning of war is changing, the importance of war will always remain the same. War can be defined as a state of conflicts involving two or more groups of creatures which then attack each other with intent to destroy the opposing force. There is also another view of war which is depicted as a means to obtain the resources of the other side and/or to protect the resources of their own from capture. 

War is viewed very differently throughout the world.  Some find war necessary as a means of protection and others find it as an obscene way to try to dictate and overrule. The United States has embarked on many fights, battles, and wars throughout history.  The government may find that victory out ways the cost of casualties, but sometimes the causalities in and of itself are not always worth the war.

The issue on whether one believes war is appropriate or not, is that regardless of their belief, war cannot be stopped. No matter how hard society tries, war is inevitable. War is a part of humanity and is necessary for us to evolve and progress in the world we live in today. The world is not perfect in any shape or form and we all do not communicate effectively or agree simultaneously concerning different aspects of life. Many deem war as an evil act because of the dangers, risks and the possibility of death that it imposes on an individual. 



Without war we will not have been able to attain the proper rights and freedoms that are available to the public to date. Just take for example slavery; has war not been effective in eradicating it? If that doesn’t get your mind thinking let’s look back on the other topics that have led to war: genocide, fascism, and Nazism just to name a few. I am not trying to glorify war but instead bring to light the reasons we do go to war and the advantages that can stem from it.

Another notable influence on war is religious differences and the need for valuable resources. Cultures around the world are comprised of different sets of standards for their way of life. If another culture doesn’t agree with it and deem it unreasonable then a divergence arises. Such differences can cause the leader of the group to cut off their valuable resources and put the opposing country in an economical, political, and social strain. These strains can result in war as a means to obtain the liberties of using waterways or resources within the land.

The purpose of war is to bring about a resolution, as John F Kennedy says “it is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.”  The greatest of resolutions have come about from conflicts, such as the French revolution, the UN and even the formation of the United States. War is sometimes necessary because it captures the essence of human quality and through its necessity we are able to progress and prosper.

There is also the reasoning of self defense. The main reason individuals engage in violence is to protect themselves from further danger or the possibility of death. This is the reason why soldiers enlist, as a way to represent our country, defend our constitution and to protect the life and liberty of the oppressed and helpless. 

For many, war is a hard concept to accept. It takes many brave men and woman to embark on this roller coaster and take in the responsibility of becoming a Marine or soldier to defend their people. Although one may not agree with war, never forget the way you have obtained your liberties. For with out war our country or more importantly the people of the United States may not have all the autonomy that exists in America today. 

Fun facts about the Marines

I wanted to have a little bit of fun with this post and lighten up the mood, so I decided to post some more interesting facts regarding the Marines. Some of these facts will catch you by surprise. Not to many are familiar that some of the famous stars of Hollywood actually served in the U.S. Marines. There are also tales of survival that are hard to believe and some very interesting stories of heroism.  These facts are always intriguing to know and can make for some good conversation:

• Jason Dunham, a Marine Corporal saved two fellow Marines in Iraq by covering a live grenade with his helmet and body - Source
• CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta saved a Marine’s life after he was shot in the head during the opening days of the invasion of Iraq. Without proper tools, Gupta performed the brain surgery with a Black and Decker handheld drill. The Marine lived - Source
• Ernest “Boots” Thomas, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, was able to enlist in spite of being color blind by memorizing the results of another man’s test - Source
• Comedian Drew Carey served 8 years in the Marine Corps where he would tell jokes to his fellow Marines, jump starting his comedy career- Source
• The US Marine Corps is older than the United States itself, predating the Declaration of Independence by a year- Source
• Rob Riggle, (SNL, The Daily Show, The Hangover, 21 Jump Street) is a retired US Marine Lt. Colonel, serving his country for 23 years, deploying to Kosovo, Liberia and Afghanistan - Source
• Carlos Hathcock, was a Marine sniper who shot an enemy sniper through the enemy’s own scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him- Source
• The Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War was lost due to Tootsie Rolls. A code reader mistook the code for mortar shells (“snacks”, they were called), and literally sent hundreds of crates of Tootsie Rolls to the marines who were out of mortar rounds - Source
• 3 years after illegally joining the Marines at the age of 14, Jacklyn Lucas snuck onto a ship bound for Iwo Jima, stormed the beach without a rifle, and threw himself on top of two grenades to protect his team. He survived, and earned the Medal of Honor at the age of 17- Source
• Before his work as a talk show host, Montel Williams was a Marine, a naval intelligence cryptologic officer, a motivational speaker, a rodeo clown, got a degree in engineering, and studied Mandarin - Source

I hope this has peaked your interest as much as it has for myself. There are many other fascinating facts about the military that are intriguing to know. Facts such as the ones mentioned get me excited to learn about the folks who carry these honorary titles. It doesn’t take a strong person, nor does it take a smart person, to make a great Marine, all you need is the heart to serve your country.

The Chattanooga shooting

I would like to dedicate a post to the Marines and other individuals that were wounded in the Chattanooga Tennessee shooting. If you are unfamiliar with the story it occurred on July 16, 2015.  A gun man named Mohammad Yousssuf Abdulazeez entered into a military recruiting center and opened fire.  He then went on to a U.S. Navy facility killing and injuring more innocent people. In total Mohammad shot seven people, killing four U.S. Marines. The four Marines that lost their life that day are Thomas Sullivan, a native of Hampden, Massachusetts; Squire “Skip” Wells, a native of Marietta, Georgia; David Wyatt, a native of Burke, North Carolina; and Carson Holmquist of Grants, Wisconsin.



These brave men were all combat veterans who served this country heroically. This incident has become a common occurrence throughout the United States. With all the terrorism and retaliation, innocent victims and civilians get caught in between the crossfire.

As these facilities were under attack, the Marines acted rapidly and evacuated the individuals that were in the building. Having found it to be their responsibility to assure everyone gets out safely and that the gunmen does not hurt any innocent victims, the Marines stood within the premises to secure the intruder from entering the building. In doing so these brave men risked and lost their own lives but were able to save the lives of seven other individuals. It is a shame that a careless act of violence has resulted in the deaths of such brave individuals who had served their country diligently. Even as these Marines found themselves in-between crossfire before, it is saddening to know that their lives were taken in the place where they were to be considered the safest, their own homeland.

Mohammad was known as an articulate college graduate with a bright future ahead of him, what has left us all flabbergasted is the reason of why this unfortunate took place. There are still ongoing investigations from the FBI to see whether or not this was a terrorist attack or not. For the time being they’re treating it as such. The rampage eventually came to an end when Lieutenant Commander Timothy White courageously pulled his own firearm and shot the assailant. Although this military office is a gun free zone and personal firearms are not permitted on the grounds, Lt. White reacted in a heroic way and saved the lives of other potential victims had he not responded quickly.

Lieutenant White deserves an honorable award; instead he is under scrutiny and may face possible legal charges for firing his weapon when he legally shouldn’t have. I think in this event there are certain circumstances that should be considered that may possibly outweigh the legality of the situation when it resulted in preventing further harm and death. He acted in defense and protected those who were not able to protect themselves. I will continue to follow this story and hope charges will be dropped for this brave hero. As to the men who lost their lives and the families that are undoubtedly suffering, my sympathy and admiration go out to all of you!