Death is a Constant

In regards to the brutality and obvious macabre nature of war, Brian Turner's "Sadiq" and Frank O'Connor's "Guest of the Nation" go hand in hand, indefinitely. They both tell a tale of soldiers who have the misfortune of being awoken to the true sickening effects of conflict between nations. Truths such as these are slapped in the face of our main character in "Guest" through the act of being forced to kill someone he has grown to fancy as a person. As if the act of ending the life of another human being wasn't enough, our protagonist is forced to pull the trigger on someone he was forced to spend the last several days with, and ultimately, warmed up to the company of. Knowing that this had to be done for the redemption of having lost his own men to the other side, you can sense the conflict within him, wishing and hoping that there could be another way, as the man at the end of the barrel, now on his knees, pleads not to be killed. Such a traumatizing event as this, really opens someone's eyes to what any soldiers in any given war have to go through and can even help explain why so many come back with such drastic mental disorders. "Sadiq" is another perfect example of how constantly being faced with death is taxing on a person's mental well-being. Turner provides an excellent message in his bleak but true-to-the-heart poem. No matter how fueled by anger, energy, adrenaline, happiness, or contentment you are, ending the life of another is always the hardest thing you can do. It follows you, haunts you like a cursed spirit, which is one of many reasons that lead so many men and women to end their lives after having returned from war. Guilt and pain always follow death, especially when it is by your own hand, and nothing can ever take that feeling away.

A Nation Divided

These are desperate times in Caracas, Venezuela. This nation is divided due to the excessive amounts of brute force, sheer destruction, and limited amounts of freedom and understanding towards the residents of the country. With this rising in conflict it is hard to ignore the turmoil these people endeavor. With the dismissal of their economic crises by the local governing bodies, those who have since been deemed terrorists, are only getting more and more hostile because their cries and pleas for help go unnoticed by the people they put the utmost faith into. These hostile protests break out in the streets of Caracas, making it an extremely hazardous place to even walk around in.

An extreme amount of loss floods this entire conflict. Gunshots can be heard daily, resulting in the loss of "roughly about 350 deaths monthly", which, put into perspective by Alex Miller of VICE News as he follows the violent and angry protests, that in London, there were only 99 deaths in the past year. These people cry out for the right to be free, to not live under the oppressive thumb of their newly appointed President. They long for a country that is not divided and to be able to have their requests for a more understanding and equal-standing government not be belittled. These feelings of isolation from the Venezuelan government are rife with tension. Those who protest seem to have drifted away from the apparent manipulative ways of their own bastion.

With the level of disagreement between these two sides, it seems like this is truly a division of preposterous amounts. With every civil conflict, such as this, there is undoubtedly destruction and death for many. With death and destruction, come guilt and despair. Why wasn't it me? What could I have done to prevent this? Where was I when this happened? Where were you? Why didn't you help them? Why didn't you help me? These are just a collective amount of a hundreds of questions that are asked during these tragic events. The only way to silence the gunfire and the cries of those in need of help the most is more open-mindedness and consideration. Those surely go farther than anyone can expect.