Physical and Emotional Effects of War - Essay Example

War Human life is very precious, short, and irreplaceable. Many societies have developed norms, which promote peaceful coexistence. Societal norms aim at protecting human rights. Sometimes ugly incidences that abuse human rights may lead to war. Some people like creating mayhem in the community thereby destroying the values and strides that the society has made in upholding human rights. . Artists take their time in producing war songs or sometimes they may produce a song that criticizes war in the society. Some songs drum vital information about the need for war or oppose war in the society. The modern society just like the ancient society used music to express to warm, teach, praise, and console the society. War is like a double aged sword that cut with both edges. In the same way, war has devastating effects to the parties involved in it. Though war may be necessary in the society, it is always wise to choose peace. With this understanding, this paper explores the effects of war in the society. Quest for political supremacy is a major factor that contributes to war in the world. Political wings, which crave for power, may sometimes fail to identify the need for peace, thus instigating war in the society. In many cases, war has many negative impacts to the world than positive impacts. War has psychological, physical, economical, and social effects to the society. War period is a difficult time for the soldiers and the civilians. People abandon their normal activities and search for peaceful environment. Children and women usually face the worst time in their lives during war because they are weak. Running from one battleground to the other would be difficult for women and children. When mothers and children flee from war torn regions, the males would be walking into the battlefield. I oppose war because of effects it has to the community. These effects include destruction of property and life. War is a destroyer of human efforts. Many social norms advocate for human rights, but war destroys human life. Bob Dylan song, With God On Our Side, portrays how quest for power can lead to war. He sang about how war led to death of many Indians In his song, he developed hatred for the Russians because of the effects created by their greed for power which resulted to war. His song argues that war may lead to hatred of some personalities. It is quite painful to lose a friend or a relative in war. Another physical effect of war is the prevailing environmental conditions that a person has to face during war. Destruction of human shelter during war exposes people to harsh weather conditions. In most cases, an individual may be forced to leave his home to seek refuge in another place. Travelling during wartime is very difficult because of the danger involved. War paralyzes transport system forcing people to trek in search for peace. Sometimes people move through the bushes or through arid land, lacking food and water. War deprives a person from acquiring basic human needs. Inadequate food supply during war leads to poor health and diseases. I do not find war as a worthy choice in the society. Other than physical effects of war, it has emotional effects. Soldiers would confess that they are haunted by the memory of war. It is quite difficult for a human being to forget what he or she sees. Brutal killing during war has affected lives of very many people. Some are emotional disturbed because of the memoir of war. Some people end up adopting brutal characteristics because of war. Human attributes fade and an individual would develop new character traits. Emotional imbalance affects human abilities. Most people who suffer from emotional imbalance are not able to control their actions. For example, a person who suffers emotional imbalance due to war may react by killing his opponent over a small dispute. Nights are long for the war victims because of the frequent nightmares that they face as they sleep. Bob’s song points out how a person would develop fear and hatred for people. Psychological problems impair human thinking capacity. Notably, social gains in the society ceases the moment an individual suffers psychological problem that resulted from war. War shakes the economic stability of the society. The society cannot grow when war is given a chance to rule. Human contribution to economic development depends on peaceful environment. Whenever there is peace, people are able to focus on the future event. War erodes human dignity by replacing human beings to war machines. Diplomatic methods of solving problems advance human beings to thinking beings. When the warring sides seek diplomatic solution to social problem, war would not be an option. Some conditions in the society may call for war. As Bob puts it in his song, when an intruder provokes the society, the society has to defend itself. Taking to defense may result into war, which may claim lives or result into loss of property. In this case, the war is a means to an end. War led to social gains and respect for human rights. The modern society evaluated the impact of war and resorted to search for peace. Bob sang that when a person is forced by the circumstances to go into war, that person has no any other options, but to engage in war. For instance, the after math of any war seems to cause a lot of disturbance to human life; however, one would not sit back and watch as things go awry. It is wise for the society to seek an alternative for war. Flaming Lips supports war in his song Fight Test. He sang the inevitable conditions that would lead to war. I support his notion of war on the ground that it protects the right of the society or of a person. Peace promotes human development and growth in the society. Flaming argues that human beings have reasoning ability, and able to use their ability to discern what is right. He says that he knows that a man can decide to what is right or wrong. It is wise for the society to advocate for peace. In summary, peaceful coexistence in the society promotes human development and social growth. War affects human beings in the following ways, physically, emotionally and economically. These effects of war lead to lose of life, destruction of property and psychological trauma. My argument against war sites the impacts of war in the community. War does not help in developing societal values, but destroys humanity. Diplomatic negotiation provides a good opportunity of solving differences. Work cited Bob, Dylan. With God On Our Side. Retrieved on November 8, 2011, from http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/fahrenheit911/withgodonourside.htm The Flaming Lips. Fight Test. Retrieved on November 8, 2011,from http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Fight-Test-lyrics-The-Flaming-Lips/CC41C036979C861F48256C14001E250C Read More