Memorial day is a day of remembrance for those who fought or lost their lives to protect America.

Peace is better than war. But sometimes war is necessary to stop killing. War is also a way to make a durable peace.

No matter whether just or unjust, war has terrible side effects. War creates humanitarian crises, death, and a lot of human suffering. War doesn’t discriminate against age or gender — young and old, men and women, lose their lives when caught in a middle of war. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and others have all cost service members and civilians greatly. As the Swahili of Congo say, “War has no eyes.”