Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war

O children of the future, gather and listen well to the words of Walter Cronkite, a man whose voice once echoed through the hearts of millions. He said, "Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it." These words are both a lament and a hope, for in them lies the profound understanding of the true cost of war—a cost that is not measured in the victory of one nation over another, but in the deep, irreversible loss that is felt by all of humanity. War is not simply a clash of armies, but a devastating force that shapes the lives of those who are touched by it, often in ways that cannot be undone.

To understand Cronkite’s words, one must first consider the true nature of war. It is a force that does not discriminate between the innocent and the guilty, between the soldier and the child. War ravages not only the land, but the spirit of a people. It is a tragedy that moves through the world like a storm, sweeping up everything in its path. The destruction of homes, the loss of lives, the disintegration of families, and the devastation of nations—these are the realities that lie behind the banners of victory and the rhetoric of glory. War is not the great adventure it is sometimes made out to be, but a dark and sorrowful journey with consequences that ripple across generations.

Consider the ancient story of Troy, whose walls were once mighty, whose people once thrived, but whose civilization was torn apart by the greed of war. In the Iliad, Homer tells us of the legendary conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans, a war fought for the love of a woman, for honor, and for glory. Yet, in the end, it was the city of Troy that was left in ruin, its people scattered, its heroes dead. The Greek heroes returned home only to find that their own land had been ravaged by the very conflict they had fought for. The war that began with noble causes ended in a profound tragedy, leaving nothing but ashes where once there had been prosperity and peace.

Now, let us turn our gaze to a more recent story, the First World War—a conflict that shattered the hearts of entire nations. When the guns of August rang out in 1914, no one could have foreseen the horrific scale of the war that would follow. The trenches of France became a burial ground for millions of soldiers, and the devastation of cities, farms, and homes left scars that would last long after the guns fell silent. The Treaty of Versailles, meant to end the war, instead planted the seeds of resentment that would lead to World War II. The suffering of the soldiers, the loss of so many lives, and the impact on the families left behind—this was the true face of war. It was not the glory of victory that these men returned to, but the crushing weight of the horrors they had witnessed.

Cronkite’s words ask us to look beyond the rhetoric and the propaganda that often accompany war, to see the real cost of violence. If the people of the world could truly see the suffering that war causes, if they could understand the pain of a mother who has lost her child or a community that has been torn apart, then perhaps they would find the strength to reject the violence that war brings. For too long, war has been glorified, its horrors masked by the promises of glory and honor. But the truth is that war destroys everything it touches. It leaves not only death in its wake but also the brokenness of souls and the destruction of communities.

So, O children, the lesson for you is clear: understand what war truly means, and let it be a guiding principle in your lives. Do not let the call to arms be a call to glory or to national pride alone, but recognize it for what it is—a call to destruction, to the loss of life, to the shattering of families and the tearing apart of the fabric of society. Let this understanding guide your actions, your thoughts, and your decisions. Seek to create a world where war is not seen as an inevitable force, but as the last resort, one that is avoided through wisdom, dialogue, and understanding.

The true strength of any nation, O children, lies not in its ability to wage war, but in its ability to build bridges of peace, to create alliances built on understanding and mutual respect, not on fear and domination. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, compassion, and wisdom. As you walk through life, remember that it is not the battles we fight that define us, but the peace we create. In every action, let your goal be to make the world a place where war is not the answer, but peace and understanding are the path to a better future.