How Long Will It Take Us To Realize We Are Fighting Ourselves?

In response to: How Long by Jackson Browne

“When you look into a child's face

And you're seeing the human race

And the endless possibilities there

Where so much can come true

And you think of the beautiful things

A child can do”

Introduction of the song talks about the endless possibilities of children, children are untouched, Innocent, and capable of great things. They represent us as a race and what we as humans can do. The beauty that comes from an innocent child is in unable to be matched by adults. No matter what side of the war the child happens to lie on.

“How long would the child survive

How long if it was up to you”

These children have the potential to live a better life. And that potential life depends on other people whether that be parents, politicians, or you.

“When you think about the money spent

On defense by a government

And the weapons of destruction we've built

We're so sure that we need

And you think of the millions and millions

That money could feed”

The stance of the song is talking about how we waste our money on war. On something that is unavoidable to an extent, something that causes so much harm and so little good. “The weapons of destruction is built, we're so sure that we need” does anyone really need weapons of destruction? We spend so many of our resources, whether that be money, people, or time, on war. The song says think of the millions and millions that money could feed. Reminding us of the starving/children in need stated earlier and yes, starving children is a good prompt for people to realize that war is bad but there are other reasons that should prompt you too. Those resources that are going into weapons and if you mission and propaganda could all have been put to better use.

“How long can you hear someone crying

How long can you hear someone dying

Before you ask yourself why?

And how long will we hear people speaking

About missiles for peace

And just let it go by

How long will they tell us these weapons

Are keeping us free

That's a lie”.

We're looking at this from a very emotional and human perspective in the song. How on can you handle the thought of someone crying or die before you stop and think why are we letting this happen. These children that are dying, aren't always American, they're not always on “our side” but does that change anything. Did describing the child's race change the fact that this child is starving. In the end we’re all just people. People fighting people. “ how long will they tell us weapons are keeping us free that's a lie” We tell ourselves that we're at war to keep ourselves free. Free from what, who? Those change the fact that we're just fighting ourselves doesn't.

“If you saw it from a satellite

With its green and its blue and white

The beauty of the curve of the earth

And its oceans below

You might think that it's turning

But it's turning so slow”

We are fighting ourselves and we're destroying our planet in the process. From faraway you see beauty, you see the earth, “with it's green and it's blue and white” you see the simplicity of the complexity all at once; the same thing you see when you look at a child. “You might think that it's turning but it's turning so slow” this is the same as children growing and learning also slow but inching along all the same.

“How long can you hear someone crying

How long can you hear someone dying

Before you ask yourself why?

And how long will it be 'till we've turned

To the tasks and the skills

That we'll have to have learned

If we're going to find our place in the future

And have something to offer

Where this planet's concerned

How long?”