Yet another war

Can anyone remember a period in his or her own history that there was no war being fought?

My childhood memories are filled with war pictures. I remember the first fighter planes flying over our city, the first sirens (and for how long after the war did I felt chills down my spine whenever I heard any similar sound), I remember the hiding in the shelters and I know all the stories of why the war actually took place. But then I was to young to have an informed opinion and I was too childish to see the depth and impact of it. Yes some places were destroyed, yes some people were killed, but that's normal isn't it? And as soon as it was safe enough all the kids from the building were out side, taking wooden branches or anything that could serve as a pretend gun in endless war games. After all it was the cool thing to do those days - fight wars. And who can blame children since they are anyway just copying what they see grownups doing.

Now it's a bit different. Though I'm not anymore part of the war zone (our war luckily ended more then a decade ago), my feelings and thoughts about war (no matter who's fighting) are more present and intense then before. I understand that, by the base of human nature, we need to have conflicts. And I understand that there is always stronger and weaker side. And that the cause for the conflicts may be different. And that there doesn't necessarily need to be the good and the bad side, or the right and the wrong. But what I still can't understand is all the killing and destruction.

Haven't we evolved enough to understand that lives are precious. There are other ways people can still fight and demonstrate the power. But do they have to kill each other?

I know all this might sound naive, but don't blame me for wishing things to be a bit different.