The Syrian Struggle
You walk outside on a beautiful day and breathe in the fresh air. You walk peacefully around the neighborhood, loving the heavenly silence. Nothing could ruin this perfect day.
The next day, you fearfully peer outside your door to look around at the rubble that once was your neighborhood. You sprint around your block, just to be outside for a little while, and run right back into your home gasping. The sound of gunshots resonates, and you realize you were almost caught in the crossfire. Not many Americans know about the second lifestyle. They never have to fear for their lives.
However, the Syrian people go through this constantly, but no one comes to their rescue. The United States government needs to be more active in the prevention of such global massacres. The government needs to become more involved in order to create a more peaceful world while promoting a more positive American image. Some people are unaware or only know half the story, but I know the entire story. Syria quickly captured my interests through the horrifying stories of death and destruction all at the hands of their government.
Bashar al-Assad, their president, is attacking his citizens with the Syrian military, and publicly denying it. One can see the devastation as it hits the heart of the Syrian people in a November 13th article from BBC, which talks about a mother losing her child to a mortar strike. She wails, “I don’t recognize him. He was blond and had green eyes, but he doesn’t have eyes at all.” Given this tragedy, the American government standing idle and ignoring al-Assad is appalling. Just think if it were you.
How would you feel being neglected by worldly superpowers? Human beings are constantly living in fear of their government and cannot do anything about it. They must continually hope to see the next day. Even worse, the American public barely even knows this is an issue. It is frustrating that people can be so egocentric and not even attempt to enlighten the people around them and call for action. If the American citizens were to protest or petition the government, they would be taking the first step toward raising awareness and putting pressure on the government to aid the Syrian people. In regards to the Syrian predicament, a November 15th article from The Guardian discusses accusations made against North Korea concerning military aid being sent to the Syrian government.
Though there is no hard evidence for these claims, the Turkish officials who claimed to have intercepted the shipment from North Korea believe them to be true based on the long standing ties between the two nations. The United Nations is now keeping a watchful presence on both nations. This is a major victory for the better nations of the world. The supply of weapons to the Syrian government would’ve brought on more devastation to the Syrian people. These weapons could have helped the government terrorize countless more civilians. These civilians already have enough fear in their lives; they don’t need more weapons that will be used against them instead of enemies of the nation.
After this event, it is imperative that the United States gets involved because the threat of bloodshed has been witnessed. We are all human beings, regardless of skin, location, or religion, and like it or not, we are here together on the same earth. We must come together to be aware of what’s happening in the world around us and stand up against such injustices in order to make a more perfect and safe world for the future.
