Are there wars and then there are wars?
We take to the streets against military aggression when injustice moves us, and we shout: "No to war!" And we are right to do so. In all wars, innocent people die, and everyone suffers. There is almost always an aggressor and a victim, even if politics later tries to cover it up. Opposition to violence seems to be a consensus. But the outcry is not always equitable enough. There are conflicts that inspire demonstrations and active engagement—like the recent attacks on Palestine after the October 7th killings—and others that generate a more timid, half-hearted rejection: the invasion of Ukraine, Sudan, and so many forgotten scenarios. Now new fronts are being added: Iran, Pakistan's attacks on Afghanistan. In some cases, the public response seems to depend more on media pressure or ideology than on firm principle. As if there were more or less innocent deaths. I maintain that "No to war!" must be consistent. John Paul II said it clearly: "War is never a solution." If it exists, the use of force must be strictly defensive and protective. Reality is complex, certainly. But moral consistency shouldn't depend on the dominant narrative or the stories we're presented with. Or perhaps there are indeed "wars and wars"?
Xavier Serra
Girona
Invisible women
There's a lot of talk about sex education, but where is education with a gender perspective? Where is a history that focuses on and considers the achievements of men and women equally? There are many questions we wouldn't be able to answer if we hadn't educated ourselves. What role did women play in prehistory? Which female painters stand out in each era? Were there important female philosophers? All books (from preschool to high school) should include female representation, just as they do male. Furthermore, I would propose that educational textbooks should be required to pass a test that measures the appearance and visibility of women. There will always be a biased version of events from the person recounting them. However, information should be presented from various perspectives, instead of exclusively from a male point of view. History belongs to those who tell it, and until now, men have held that power.
Laura Pascual López
Barcelona
Enjoy uninterrupted theatre
I was "lucky" enough to see the play *The Crown of Thorns* by Josep Maria de Sagarra at the La Lonja Theatre in Lleida. I put "lucky" in quotes because, unfortunately, due to the lack of manners and respect of some audience members, we had to endure several mobile phones (I counted eight) ringing. Not once, not twice, but three times. And at key moments in the performance, when the words and silences are meant to move you. It's a wonderful play, with enormous dramatic weight and fantastically performed by all the actors. I can only imagine what it must be like to have to concentrate on an extremely difficult text while being constantly interrupted by people who don't have the decency to put their phones on silent. Only actors of the caliber of those on stage are capable of that. As a resident of Lleida, I feel very ashamed of what happened, and for that reason, I want to apologize to the entire company. I also want to applaud the perfectly apt words of the actress Àngels Gonyalons when the performance ended, calling attention to the people who, with an absolute lack of respect, spoiled key moments of the play, especially at the end.
Alexandra Ferrero Bisart
Lleida