An Opinion Sample Coursework Essay for Assignment 1 - informative,analytical and/or argumentative

Ten years have gone by since the Gulf War, and again, we stand on the brink of yet another war, with the same enemy. The Americans and British stand ready to go alone, following their men – a Texan cowboy and his British side-kick. Later on, history will glorify it all and Bush will get his place as one of the “great” Presidents of war. Our children will learn about the American courage, the horrible suffering, losses and sacrifices that were made to free this world from terror. Novels and memoirs will be written and thousands of sappy romanticized, action-filled war movies will roll out of Hollywood. The next generation of children will be interviewing us for history projects, and they will be writing their essays about the Second Gulf War.

Over two thousand years of war and misery, and man’s hunger for war and bloodshed has not abated. The “great” male leaders in history led their people into war in order to equal their fathers’ glory, prove their manly historical worth or avenge imagined wrongs. On the other hand, the role of women throughout history has been that of nursemaid, widow and frustrated onlooker – seldom a leader.

This goes back to the beginning of time. Men were always the killers, the hunters, and stalkers of prey, while women created places of safety for the family. They built homes, gathered berries and herbs, cooked the food, watched the children, followed the men’s orders and cleaned up the messes.

Now is the time to stop this cycle of bloodshed. New female world leaders need to find their voices. We need women leaders, who can demonstrate a global, nurturing, or motherly, approach to today’s issues. We need women leaders to stand up to the egotistical, power-hungry male leaders of today. These women will not be so quick to send their sons off to war!

Caesar, William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Pinochet and Milosovich are all famous male world leaders who engaged in war to expand their power and influence. These men were corrupt, racist, egotistical, murderous, conquering, and barbaric. These men have blood on their hands and are responsible for the deaths of uncountable numbers of men, women and children.

Julius Caesar wished for a vast Roman empire over which he would rule. He killed millions to obtain this empire and he enslaved and tortured many more people to maintain it.

Henry VIII a descendant of many kings also wanted power, wealth, and obedience. He was egotistical and ruthless in getting what he wanted. When the Catholic Church would not grant him a divorce, he made a new church and declared himself head of it, and then got his divorce. He then beheaded or imprisoned all who dared to oppose him and his church.

Wilhelm II, a German Kaiser, a son of a Kaiser, also had a need to demonstrate “the image of a Kaiser”. History credits him for being instrumental in starting World War 1.

Hitler had wanted to be an artist, but failed. He hated his father, was abused as a child, and his mother had died when he was a young boy. He had many grudges and he blamed others for his failures. He needed to prove his worth to the world and seek vengeance for the “wrongs” he had suffered. He led Germany into the Second World War and sought vengeance by exterminating millions of people in concentration camps.

Now we have Bush, a son of a Bush, who is obsessed with finishing his father’s bloody business.

Male leaders use war to achieve their goals. Wars serve their purpose: the enhancement of their personal glorification, greed and power.

Women had been the minority voice in world governments, even after they got the right to vote. In parliamentary systems, and the United States Congress, the majority of politicians elected are men. Women haven’t been given the chance to show their true leadership capabilities. Unfortunately, many women in government positions emulate their male counterparts in behaviour and language. They must do this to gain acceptance and credibility with their male peers. It is the price they pay for having limited power. Yet there have been a few who have dared to speak up and show their strengths. Golda Meir, Jeannette Ranklin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Josephine Butler, Clara Barton, Eleanor Roosevelt are women who have dared to lead by peaceful means and stand up for what they believe.

Clara Barton was the founder of the Red Cross during the American Civil War. She witnessed the terrible conditions the wounded soldiers had to endure during the war. She didn’t care on what side the soldiers fought, her mission was to tend the wounded. She organized a network of contributors to purchase food and supplies. She obtained permission, after a lot of persuasion, to pass through battle lines to tend all the wounded. It was because of her dedication, courage and humanitarism that the number of deaths from infection and neglect decreased. Without her, more soldiers would have died, since the male leaders were too busy with other, more “important” matters than the lives of their own people.

Jeanette Ranklin was the first woman elected to the US Congress. She was elected in 1917, three years before women were actually guaranteed the Constitutional right to vote. Over 20 years later, she was elected to the House of Representatives on a peace platform, and was the only member to vote “no” to the U.S. entering the Second World War. After her vote, she was forced to seek safety in a nearby phone booth from the angry crowds of men until the police could escort her home.

A few months ago, 25 Congresswomen in the US House of Representatives walked out-and refused to participate in the vote which would have given Bush war powers against Iraq. They then took up residence on the White House lawn.

We need more women like these, as war looms ever closer, to have the courage to stand up and say “Stop!” before it is too late. Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain once said: “In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman”. Women are born multi-taskers and negotiators. We are taught as small children not to hit or fight but to “work out our differences”. Men are taught as small boys to be aggressive, to fight back and dominate. We women need to unite against the leadership of war-hungry men. History has shown us that men are leading us to destruction and death. The stakes have now become too great. It is time to try a new alternative - Female World Leadership.