The War Prayer

I like to have images to accompany my assignments. I'm under the delusion that an image is more likely to draw you in. I usually look for images on google, and today was no exception. Like most of you, I googled "Iraq War" to find an image to post, but the real images of war, the ones that would best suit Mark Twain's poem, are horrific. They are images of children and other civilians burned, bleeding, maimed, and killed. They are gruesome images of soldiers on both sides of the conflict whose lives were ended in the midst of fear, anger, and confusion. I wanted to post these images so we have to think about what is really happening overseas while we're enjoying our new Christmas iPods or scarfing down a Chipotle burrito. But as a public school teacher, I understand that exposing you to the real violence of war on a school website is something that some might object to. I have a daughter, and I would guess that when she reaches your age, I would want to be there to talk about the realities of the world with her when I feel she is ready. Instead, I chose this image, an image of peace, because I believe all human beings are entitled to the comfort I live in.

The text of "The War Prayer" by Mark Twain
The video of "The War Prayer" that we watched in class

Questions for my English 11 classes
Questions for my English 11 Honors classes