The Editor,
Every year, I participate in honouring those who gave their lives to protect their homelands and their kin and ask myself if I am doing anything to help establish what they died for - peace and indirectly, justice.
On the long and bloody road to reach this "nirvana" on earth, mankind has evolved from throwing spears and rocks at each other, to using horses to carry warfare farther from home, to the present ultimate leap "forward" to employing unmanned, indiscriminate, impersonal, world-circling weapons of mass destruction sent on their way from distant air-conditioned electronic bunkers. Progress!
The light of hope in the hearts of so many began to shine after WWI when, largely due to the vision of the United States president, Woodrow Wilson, the League of Nations was born - mankind's first attempt to create an administrative body with which to resolve its global problems.
Regrettably, even Wilson's own country and others failed to act in unity to support this fledgling effort; subsequently the globe became embroiled in the travesty of WWII.
The "five great victorious powers" became the controlling powers that established the United Nations Organization and the light of hope for peace in the hearts of an increasing number of the Earth's peoples shone ever more brightly.
Those of us still alive believed that the human race had finally learned its lesson - war brings only destruction and wastes human life, the positive creativity of the race, and the precious natural resources of Mother Earth.
Although the UN has made a significant impact on the world, materially and ideologically, it is presently handicapped by disunity and nationalistic self-seeking.
Thoughtful people recognize the need for restructuring the UN in order to increase its effectiveness, but what has to happen before the controlling powers will willingly participate in making the changes which are so clearly needed? WWIII?
Our world obviously needs to evolve a "win-win" game plan and is learning that the real "winners" are those that work together and are unified in making efforts to cooperate and assist each other.
Besides paying a yearly, one-day tribute each year, I believe a "sustained tribute" to the souls of those sacrificed on our journey towards a lasting peace is to try to live lives worthy of the trust they placed in us and to do what we can to perfect our governing bodies, and those who elect and serve on them, to change natural self-seeking inclinations into unified action for the good of all people.
Merrill Muttart Richmond
