Letter to the editor

Democracy is a hot topic in the middle east. And recently America has had a
falling out with Iran resulting in a world war 3 scare. The fight for democracy has good
intentions, yet the push for change has left countries in war. Politics has its pros and cons but
democracy in the Middle East can be very controversial.

Both Iran and America have made mistakes in the country’s relationships. America may
have had its reasons to act so violently on Iran, but was it the right choice? When America
struck Iran with missiles, they fought back. Yes, this operation may have saved many
Americans, but it may cause an endless battle between two nations that may not give up. This
event may cause more damage than thought originally to be prevented.

All of this eventually makes its way back to politics, because if America was not trying to
change countries to a democracy then most of the fighting would be prevented. But if these
countries do not have a legitimate democracy then their citizens will have minimal human rights.
America and other countries might be trying to help but is it really worth the cost? These
questions cause a lot of controversy, it is almost like a paradox.

On top of Americas help, activism is a trend in the middle east. Many think their society
is underdeveloped and needs changes. This is coming from its citizens, not a foreign country.

Another reason countries may try to push for democracy in the Middle East is because
much of the world is dependent on them for oil. This may not seem like a good reason, but
without a democracy a country can not function properly and it makes it a difficult task to get oil.

Many people may also be anti war, just because many young men die everyday in the
middle east fighting for a country that goals may be over the limit. Understandably, because
who would want their children fighting for something that you may not even care about?
Especially, when their lives are at risk and they are in potential danger everyday.

Soldiers who come home also experience severe mental damage after everything the
did and saw overseas. The fighting can cause serious PTSD and many of the actions they do
can be completely demoralizing. It is hard for many soldiers to cope with life after the war, many
soldiers can end up rock bottom, with addiction, prison, and in many cases homeless.
 Families can be left ruined because of a loved one who went overseas and was away for
too long or changed to the point of their personality being completely unrecognizable. The war
not affects people physically there, but many people safe in their homes, because of lost loved
ones. Sometimes seeing the aftermath might be worse than an actual casualty.

Often the war seems hopeless or meaningless by many people serving. A lot of times
many of them are left wondering why they even chose to be there, and some who didn’t can
only accept it. It can become difficult when they return home. This thinking usually leads to
depressive thoughts that will stay with them for a long time after because it is what most of them
lived for a year straight. The people who serve in the middle east can easily believe it was the
hardest times of their life, but sometimes being home can be harder.

Terrorism has also been an issue in the world today. Most terrorism is an act of
retalliation of middle east contries and organizations for example: ISIS and Al-Qaeda. This
terrorism only fueled the angst with many of the countries involved with most middle east
countries.

Many people think that the situation is hopeless and meaningless. Sometimes it looks
like it will most likely be an endless vicious cycle and will cause a lot of damage.