paragraph 1 ("look into the eyes of...")

Look into the eyes of a mother who has to be separated from her son in Tehran, Iran, then finds out that he had been shot in the heart and died. Look into the eyes of adults, standing in front of the children of future generations to keep them safe by getting shot instead, but the opposite happens.

paragraph (line) 2 ("how are we expected...")

How are we expected to remain silent while reckless, American policies take human lives for political theatre?

paragraph 3 ("the rashness military strategy pushed by..."

The rashness military strategy pushed by Donald J. Trump and his guards to unprovokingly escalate against Iran is not a game of strategy in a board game. It's a human tragedy unfolding in real time. Beyond the ferocious political speeches and aggressive posts lies a devastating reality; millions of lives permanently impaired. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians and service members have suffered military injuries and life-threatening casualties due to this irresponsible and inconsiderate invasion on the Middle Eastern country. Families and lives are being shattered daily, left to pick up the remains of decisions made by heartless politicians.

paragraph 4 ("now home to about 90.5 million...")

Now home to about 90.5 million people, Iran was once a beautiful, developed country, with its only major issues being rural poverty and authoritarian rule. The people of the country are generally very caring and they hold their traditions close to their hearts. However, realistically, decades of aggressive strikes, broken treaties and unilateral military actions have not brought peace to the Middle East; they have only destabilised entire regions, upended global economies, and driven basic living costs out of reach for working-class families globally. The damage to homes and facilities could cost them more than $68 billion US dollars, according to a research project. Tens of billions of dollars are used for bombs and warheads, while local schools lack resources, healthcare facilities crumble, and local communities are forgotten.

paragraph 5 ("meanwhile, low-income families are forced...")

Meanwhile, low-income families are forced to absorb a 20% spike in basic home heating costs and airfares, while global shipping bottlenecks push the price of everyday groceries out of reach for working families. How can a leadership claim to defend the working class while burning their hard-earned money overseas? How can we even speak of national strength when our communities suffer from neglect?

paragraph 6 ("we are often told that...")

We are often told that aggression is a sign of strength, but let's be honest with ourselves: real strength isn't about how many missiles we can launch or how loudly we can threaten another nation. True strength is having the courage to pull back from the edge. It's having the wisdom to sit at a table and talk, even when it's hard, because we value human life over political pride.

paragraph 7 ("history has shown us..")

History has shown us this lesson time and time again. Striking first doesn't extinguish hatred; it just fans the flames. Threatening people doesn't make them back down; it pushes them into a corner and makes escalation inevitable.

paragraph 8 ("right now, we are standing...")

Right now, we are standing at a crucial turning point. We can keep walking down this dark, familiar path, where defence companies get richer while ordinary families pay the price with their children's lives and their own financial survival - or we can finally say, "enough is enough". We can choose a different way forward, but we don't have forever to make that choice.

paragraph 9 ("we cannot let fear,...")

We cannot let fear, political posturing, and inflated egos run the show any longer. It is time to demand real diplomacy, honest conversations, and a genuine respect for human life - no matter where someone was born.

paragraph 10 ("think about what we lose...")

Think about what we lose when we prioritise military action over diplomacy. The US government spends 16 times more on weapons and warfare then on diplomacy and peace-building combined. Economist note that every $1 million invested in clean energy or education generates up to three times as many local jobs as that same amount spent on weapons. We are actually choosing to finance global destruction over building a stable, prosperous future for our own communities.

paragraph 11 ("please, refuse to treat...")

Please, refuse to treat real people as acceptable losses on a map or accept endless conflict as "just how the world works". Speak up in your communities, make your voice heard when you vote, and demand peace before another generation is thrown into a war that never should have started.