I used to have a bumper sticker that read: "Suppose they gave a War and Nobody came." I suppose it was designed to give a chuckle. But, consider it more seriously.

If we could convince all the people in the world that they should not kill someone who: they don't know, have never met, and never even seen before; there would be no soldiers or military personnel. How could rulers and dictators start wars if they had no armies or military?

Opponents will say that we need a strong military to defend ourself, otherwise we would be attack. I don't believe this. Consider: Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia; all are large countries with many resources and are approximately the size of the USA; and when compared to the USA, all are essentially without a strong military. In my 68 years they have never been attacked even though they have resources comparable to the US that other countries would want.

In a nutshell, the threat to the world and possibly civilization as we know it is: The US Military. More specifically: The people in the US Military who are willing to attack and kill anybody in the world simply if they are ask to do so.

Also, far from blameless are the scientists and engineers who invent, develop and provide the US Military with the horrendous weapons. Weapons that the US doesn't want to allow any other nation to have.

I believe that scientific people who create weapons for the military to uses are morally equivalent to someone who when seeing kids fighting would provided them with knives.

I hope there is a hereafter, and those who produce such insidious weapons as land mines have to explain their contribution to humanity. The only purpose and function of a land mine is to maim, cripple or kill any man, woman, child or animal who accidentally steps on it. Someone who has participated in the creation of such device should not want to face any just or loving God, and justify his contribution. If you claim to be "proud to be an American" consider the following:

Researchers at the Congressional Research Service analyze land mine production by looking at the number of models of anti-personnel mines produced in a given country. This approach highlights the leading developers of anti-personnel land mines as:

United States (37 models)
Italy (36 models)
the former Soviet Union (31 models)
Sweden (21 models)
Vietnam (18 models)
Germany [former East and West combined] (18 models)
Austria (16 models)
former Yugoslavia (15 models)
France (14 models)
China (12 models)
United Kingdom (9 models)23