The millennials, often classified as those who were born somewhere between the early 1980s and the year 2000, are a generation of Americans who have spent the majority of their early lives while the nation was at war. The older millennials may remember the first Gulf War of the early ’90s, while others cite the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 as their first encounter with international conflict that cost American lives. Whether they remember when the U.S. first invaded Afghanistan or not, the entire millennial generation by now is certainly familiar with the nation’s ongoing military presence in the Middle East.

While the majority of what has been dubbed the “9/11 generation” might not have been directly affected by the wars the U.S. has been involved in over the past two decades, they will be directly impacted by our elected officials’ failure to pay for them. While the politics behind each military intervention may still be up for debate, there is no uncertainty in the fact that the millennials, in one way or another, will be forced to pay back the huge national debt racked up by our leaders and their constant push for war as a foreign policy measure.

As Iran continues to be a threat to the U.S. and our allies, some in the national media and political sphere are again beating the war drum. Before we enter yet another bloody military conflict, the millennials who tire of war should voice their opposition loudly, particularly on Election Day. Over the past decade it has become clear that war and other forms of military intervention are not always the best courses of action in our foreign policy. If millennials do not want to bear the burden of yet another expensive war that costs more lives of young Americans, then they should stand as a loud voice of opposition against the warmongers in Washington, D.C.

— Minnesota Daily, Oct. 10