Children In Conflict
by Steve DIY

Zombie - The Cranberries

Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence.
Who are we mistaken.
But you see it's not me, It's not my family.
In your head, in your head
They are fighting.
With there tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head they are cryin'.
In your head (x2)
Zombie (x3)
What's in you head,
In your head?
Zombie (x3)
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taken over.
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken.
It's the same old theme
Since 1916.
In your head, in your head
They're still fighting.
With their tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head
They are dying.
In your head (x2)
Zombie (x3)
What's in you head,
In your head?
Zombie (x3)

September 11th 2001 was a turning point in how I analysed things. Pre September 11th I was pretty much pro violent direct action and supported them means as a way forward but after seeing them planes crash into the twin towers left me feeling numb as my partner at the time was living in the USA and it could have so been easily her town the terrorists attacked.

From that point on there were going to be severe consequences and we saw the Regimes of Afghanistan and Iraq overthrown in retaliation to the September 11th attack.

The world community were united that violence was never going to be allowed to win over peace and my values with this changed simply because alienating one's self would have been remarkably naive and stupid.

I now fight by using my voice - My words are my weapon and will continue that way.

There is that old argument that you have to fight violence with violence - I find that rather repulsive simply because its usually the innocents like children that get maimed and killed through wars.

Children world wide throughout all bloody wars have been caught up in the conflicts. Children deprived of their innocence because adults couldn't get their act together and discuss their differences in an adult manner.

DELORES ON WHY SHE WROTE ZOMBIE:

"It was written on an English tour about a year-and-a-half ago, when there was a big eruption of trouble between Northern Ireland and London, and it was doing my head in. For a while, things were gnawing at me about the whole bombings thing, and I was reading articles about what was going on in Bosnia and the way women and, more painfully, kids were being treated. "At that time there was the bomb in Warrington, and those boys were killed. I remember seeing one of the mothers on television, just devastated. I felt so sad for her, that she'd carried him for nine months, been through all the morning sickness, the whole thing, and some...prick, some airhead who thought he was making a point, did that. I mean, hello?" The fact that the IRA claim their atrocities are carried out for the greater good of Dolores' homeland seems to strike a particular discord: "The IRA are not me. I'm not the IRA. The Cranberries are not the IRA. My family are not. When it says in the song," It's not me, it's not my family", that's what I'm saying. It's not Ireland, it's some idiots living in the past, living for a dream. OK, I know that they have their problems up there, but there was no reason why that child should have been taken, why that woman should have gone through that."

I couldn't agree more with those words. They are so true and it's something that cannot be allowed to go on any longer. There has to be an end - Children don't need the hate - Not now not ever.

Lets face it the echoing words of 'Zombie' can be used in situations like Israel Vs Palestine and The Americans Vs Iraq. Day in day out children are suffering because the big men with their tanks, bombs and bullets can't sort their differences out.

I can't believe human beings can do shit things to each other especially to the children caught up in those pointless fucking wars.

"Ulster bigotry in children as young as three

Rosie Cowan, Ireland correspondent

The seeds of Northern Ireland's bitter sectarian hatred are taking root in children as young as three, according to research published today, which found pre-school youngsters were already developing prejudices based on religion and community backgrounds."