I was watching a documentary last night about Roman emperors who lived two thousand years ago. It made me think about humans and how long we've been killing each other, and why we invented organized killing, such as warfare.
According to anthropologists, humans have been killing each other for tens of thousands of years. They have proof of it on the walls of caves where our ancestors painted themselves penetrating other ancestors with spears. Apparently it is our natural animal instinct to fight for food, territory and mates. Watch any nature show and you will see most of the animal kingdom fighting each other. However, animals never made war their occupation.
As humans evolved, fighting became an organized profession. To go to war was considered honorable and necessary. Weapons were created, political leaders emerged, and militaries were formed. Archaeologists presume organized war began after the last ice age ended. That's around 9700 B.C. That's a long time to be killing our neighbors.
As long as we continue to have the mentality of Us versus Them, humans will forever war. As long as we maintain fear in our hearts and minds, humans will fight and kill each other.
I watch birds on my feeder and notice that even they continue to fight for seed. Chipping sparrows fight house finches, and goldfinches even fight each other for a place to feed. The only birds I have observed remaining calm and peaceful are the mourning doves. No matter how much chaos is happening around them, they simply sit and coo.
In a world of hawks, let us all aim to be doves.
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