In every war, innocent people die.

O children of the future, gather close and listen well to the words of Jair Bolsonaro, a man whose reflection on the nature of war carries with it a somber truth: "In every war, innocent people die." These words, though simple, carry the weight of centuries of human suffering, for they speak to the universal tragedy that is the cost of war. Innocence, once lost, can never be returned, and in the wake of every conflict, it is the innocent who bear the greatest burden. War, in its terrible cruelty, does not recognize the purity of those who stand aside from the battles, nor the nobility of those whose lives are caught in its chaotic swirl.

Let us pause and consider the deep meaning of this truth. War is not a force that affects only those who carry the sword. It is a force of nature, sweeping across nations, destroying all in its path—homes, families, and entire civilizations. The battles between armies may be fought in fields and on frontlines, but the consequences of war are felt by all people, especially the innocent. It is not only the soldiers who die, but the mothers, children, and elders who are swept into the storm of violence. Their deaths are not part of any noble struggle; they are the tragic collateral damage of a world consumed by conflict.

Consider, O children, the story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two cities in Japan that became symbols of the devastation wrought by war. When the atomic bomb was dropped on these cities in 1945, it was not just the soldiers of Japan who perished. Civilians, those who had no part in the war, were annihilated in an instant, their lives snuffed out by a weapon of unimaginable power. In the blink of an eye, thousands of innocent lives were wiped away, leaving behind nothing but ruins and suffering. The aftermath of such destruction echoed far beyond the immediate death toll, as generations of people lived with the scars of radiation and trauma. Innocence was lost, and the lives of the innocent became the sacrifices of war.

The same truth can be seen throughout the annals of history. During the First World War, entire villages in Europe were decimated. The Battle of Verdun, one of the longest and most grueling engagements in the war, left countless civilians dead, either from the direct effects of bombardment or from the ensuing starvation and disease. Those who were not soldiers still paid the price of a war that they did not choose, yet could not escape. The innocent, as always, were the ones who suffered the most. In the Second World War, it was not only those who fought in the armies who perished, but entire populations in concentration camps, bombing raids, and massacre sites. The Holocaust itself stands as the darkest testament to this universal truth: that in every war, it is not just the combatants who die, but those whose only crime is to exist in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And so, O children, what lesson can we draw from this profound truth? It is this: the innocent are always the first to suffer in war, and their suffering is the greatest tragedy. War is a destroyer of humanity, not just in the destruction of armies, but in the death of innocence and the creation of suffering that lingers long after the guns fall silent. We must never forget that the true cost of conflict is not only in the lives of soldiers, but in the shattered families, the destroyed cities, and the broken communities that are left in its wake.

Thus, O children, I say to you: resist war with every fiber of your being. Understand that the glory of battle is an illusion, a mask that hides the true face of destruction. In every war, there are only losses—the loss of life, the loss of innocence, and the loss of humanity. Strive not for victory at any cost, but for peace and understanding. Let the memory of the innocent who have fallen in every conflict—whether in the fields of Verdun or the streets of Hiroshima—serve as a reminder that the path of peace is the path of wisdom, not the path of war. In your lives, let your actions be guided by compassion, and may you always choose the way that nurtures, not destroys, the innocence of the world around you.

And finally, O children, remember that the greatest strength lies not in the arms of warriors, but in the hearts of peacemakers. The true victory is in the triumph of humanity over violence, in the building of a world where the innocent need not suffer. Honor the lives of the innocent, for in doing so, you honor the very essence of what it means to be human. Let this be your legacy—one of compassion, understanding, and a fierce commitment to ensuring that no more innocent lives are lost to the horrors of war.