A Record of War

Everyone thought the war would be over quickly. How wrong we all were. A few months spent to unify the country by force, was the reasoning. A split along the political lines. The first raids seemed decisive, but in the face of a one-sided slaughter, those who previously had called themselves pacifists took up arms and fought back. One side had numbers, the other had strength and experience. One side had publicity. The other had truth.
This phrasing may make it seem as though I was part of the war. I was, and I wasn't. When I heard of the first raids starting out east, I was opposed. I voiced my opposition, but it wasn't long before the raids had started in the west as well. I tried to warn my neighbors, but they called me a conspiracy theorist, trying to spread lies and terror. I escaped alone right before my own party razed the whole area to the ground. With nowhere to go, I fled east. My party had already taken control there, and raids were less common. I say “my party.” It was no longer my party at heart. It was my party by registration, for the sake of safety. But it was obvious who was right! My party, 85% of the time, was correct in their political views. That wasn't my opinion. That was math. It could be demonstrated on a piece of paper, or in the course of a single conversation. The other side, however, was so convinced that they were right that they refused to listen. They held firm to their baseless beliefs.
It sounds now as though I supported my own party's actions. Again, this was not the case. While my party had the correct views regarding economics and politics, they had no heart. They were filled with anger, rage, and hatred. Those who had gathered in the west were... Well, they hated in their own sense. They certainly hated us, just as the east hated them. But it was different. Those in the east were fueled not by a desire for truth, but out of greed and carelessness. Those in the west, on the other hand, allowed their love and good intentions to blind them from the true solutions. Everyone had very similar goals, but nobody was willing to work together. Those in power would do anything to stay where they were, and as the masses grew in their hatred for eachother... Well, the war was inevitable.
There were times when war was necessary. Times in history, I mean. To fight for justice, or for defense. This was not one of those times. This was a war of pure hatred- a desire to exterminate those they opposed. And the oppression has only grown.
When the war began, those who took no sides were tolerated, if only barely. But two years ago, it was announced that anyone not registered with our party would be considered an enemy. Some registered with one party or another out of desperation. Many fled the country- or rather, they tried to flee. Most who made the attempt were killed. But that wasn't enough. Two months ago, it was determined that anyone who wasn't a “true” member of our party was due to be imprisoned or exterminated. I have never expressed anti-west sentiment, and was originally from there. I'm on the list. Even as I record this now, I know they're coming. I have a friend in the higher departments who warned me. For the sake of the friendship we once had, he warned me, at his risk, but couldn't do any more. So I record this now in hopes that it isn't found and destroyed. Who knows what records may show in the future, but I need to send this now so there may be some form of record of what happened. This can't ever happen again in the future. And now they're pounding on my door...

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