I wish guns were violins, oboes, clarinets, and trumpets. I wish gunshot were beautiful music that gravitates people instead of frightens them in hiding. I wish combat were meant to fight disasters, diseases, poverty, and hunger. I wish troops were true peacemakers who hold children in their arms and hug elders with smiles everywhere they go, all wearing the peace sign as their emblem. Let me turn my wishes into prayers.

Jonathan Chen