Becky Sargent/The Falcon

Thank you, Edwin Starr, for emphatically engraining the answer to the crucial question, "What is war good for?" into our brains.

Numerous karaoke nights have prepared us to be like Pavlov's dogs, where the ringing bell is "war" and the conditioned response is "what is it good for" with a grunt added in some case studies (try it on someone; it's fun).

But the purpose of this article is not to propose sociological experiments or even to rant on the enculturation effect of pop music. Instead, I want to pose a question.

What, if anything, would you go to war for?

Forget for a moment the knee-jerk reaction of our generation, raised near the backdrop of the War on Terror, to completely reject the question. I know that some of you will simply shake your head, flash me a peace sign and turn the page to sports, and I completely respect that.

So for the two of you who are still with me, let me ask you again: what would you go to war for?

I started to think about this question when it was brought up in a discussion about the human trafficking movie "Trade."

Slavery was an issue for which our country fought. Would we be willing to pick up arms if it means the end of human trafficking? What about a war to end world hunger? There is so much in our world that we can not only fight, but also fight for.

Now the phrase "War on Terror" has all but completely inoculated meaning from the word, so try to imagine a war that would be fought not across the sea, but across the street, a war that would have battle lines dividing friends and families.

Avery Matro is a sophomore double-majoring in english literature and classics

What would that war have to be over to compel you to sign up?

I was asked that question, and I still haven't been able to come up with an answer.

So, I ask you, what is our generation willing to fight for?

Our generation is blessed to have its pick of banners to wave. From AIDS in Africa to global warming to sweatshops in Asia, there is no doubt that our world is far from perfect. But we live in a society that turns these causes into brand names and marketing ploys. There may be no shortage of causes, but in this culture, movements are quickly demeaned to fads.

Now don't get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with wearing a "Go Green" T-shirt made with 100-percent organic materials with 10 percent of the profit going to an environmental organization. Every little bit helps, and awareness is the first step to a solution.

But when faced with the question of what it is that we are willing to lay more than $19.99 down for, I don't know many people who have an answer.

"It really disturbs me that I don't have an answer to that question," said freshman Christo Lute. "I don't know if I'm just apathetic or what."

"I wouldn't go to war for anything," said junior Alexa Megna. "I don't know if I'm a pacifist or not, but I just don't see myself going to war over anything."

"Justice," said sophomore Michael Quilici, "to prevent the death of every Jedi in the galaxy."

We here at Seattle Pacific University are bombarded with heart-tugging, convicting evidence that the world we live in is not the world God intended it to be. And to the credit of our student body, we do have programs, fundraisers, groups and awareness weeks.

But what would we go to war for? What would you go to war for?