International tensions have been undeniably high since the turn of the decade. With turmoil between the US and Iran that goes back for nearly half a century suddenly catching a lot more attention within the mainstream media, there is a lot of confusion and discomfort within the general public. 

On Jan. 3, 2020, a drone strike called by the United States killed the major general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quasem Soleimani. The attack took place near the Baghdad International Airport and resulted in 10 deaths overall. The strike was preceded by a long line of aggressions between Iran and the United States. The most recent being a storming of the US embassy in Iraq by supporters of Kataib Hezbollah, a paramilitary group labeled as a terrorist organization by Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. On Dec. 27, 2019, the Kataib Hezbollah launched several rockets to attack a K1 military base which resulted in the death of an American contractor and wounding several US and Iraqi citizens. It seems that everyone has a different plan for what should happen next–even at Heritage High School–just at a smaller scale. 

“I don’t think we need to go to war,” Angelina Wells (9) said. “I don’t really think it would benefit anyone at this point. There’s already a lot of problems, we shouldn’t create more.”

Discussing this topic with anyone can be impossible to do so without some form of conflict. In some special cases, students hold completely opposite opinions of each other.

“I think if it becomes necessary, then we do have nuclear weapons to rely on,”  Austin

Bacon (10) said. “If they threaten us then we should retaliate.”

Disputes don’t only arise over the prospect of war. With such a complicated issue, there are feuds over nearly every single aspect imaginable and that is including the method that the public is informed. 

“I feel like the media has definitely swayed this to their own advantage,” Zoe Desloges (10) said. “Someone or something always has to take the blame and more often than not, it seems the media chooses who.”

Other’s are under the impression that both sides are to blame. 

“I feel like we’re just shooting ourselves when we attack them,” Bacon said. “Every aggression will just be met with more aggression.”

In many cases, there appears to be a disconnect between younger people and the seriousness of the current global issues. Especially within student bodies, there is an apathy towards the prospect of war. 

“I mean there are only a few people who go to heritage who will really probably be directly affected,” Desloges said. “But students here are influenced a lot by misinformation that spreads through rumors that never have the full story.”

False information spreads through highschool like wildfires with claims ranging from mildly true to completely absurd. 

“I don’t really know much of what’s actually happening,” Wells said. “I’ve heard so many different ideas and none of them work together so I’m not really sure what to believe.”

Overall the situation regarding Iran and the US has scarcely been more complicated than it currently is. Citizens across the country shape their opinions and bring light to this historic topic.

“When it comes down to it, the safety of the US takes first priority,” Desloges said. “If that means war becomes necessary to secure that, then that’s what we have to do.”