Mass destruction all around us, different weapons used

Over the last couple of years, the world’s attention has beendirected toward the true existence of weapons of mass destruction.These weapons are said to be the reason for the British-Americanalliance that went to war with Iraq. What this alliance, togetherwith the rest of the world, failed to recognize is that theseweapons of mass destruction have long been in existence and theyhave long been annihilating human kind.

The sighting of the first weapon of mass destruction was over 20years ago when doctors in California and New York were bombardedwith patients coming to see them with cases of extremely virulentpneumonia. At least that was what they thought. It was notpneumonia. It was AIDS; the most deadly of all weapons of massdestruction. Today, the AIDS pandemic is single-handedly takingpride in claiming large numbers of citizens of the world, bothyoung and old. Everyday, 8 000 people around the world die of AIDS.This is the number one global crisis and we need to deal withit.

Violence is another threat to the world. It is one of the mostperilous weapons currently destroying families and relationshipseverywhere. Gun violence is probably the leading cause in thiscategory. No longer are words used as a means to solve problems,guns are now the first resort.

Along with violence, hate crimes and speech have also been usedas a remedy for irreconcilable differences. Today’s generationfinds the use of harsh words and actions as a better way to dealwith those they consider deviant. Infliction of pain, in whatevershape or form, is considered the best weapon. Because of that, theworld’s population suffers and thus we lose people to senselesscrimes.

History tells us that racism has been another sole contributorto the decaying of the world’s population. Many lives have beenlost to racial intolerance. Future world leaders have beendestroyed because we nonsensically feel threatened by thosedifferent from us. If this is not considered a serious weapon ofmass destruction then we are soon headed for the Dies Irae.

Faith-based hatred is also on the list of the deadliest weapons.Using religion as a shield for one’s hatred is utterly deceptive.Today we have all kinds of groups using their religions as excusesfor their killings. Never should one kill in the name of one’s God.If anything, religion/faith should teach us to be able to live withone another in harmony, regardless of each other’s differences.

A sad discovery is that poverty is being used as a weapon ofmass destruction. Although this may not immediately strike a chordamong some people in America, but the reality is that poverty hasclaimed numerous lives. Several countries in Africa, Asia, andSouth America still tremendously suffer the sharp sting of thisweapon.

We may have our eyes fixated on the discovery of PresidentBush’s so-called weapons of mass destruction, but the truth of thematter is that there are no mass destruction weapons greater thanthose mentioned above.