Value Life. Not an unwarranted statement as we stop, on this 5th anniversary, to assess the lives lost in this war. Whether you are for the war or not, the first and foremost thing to consider is death. Loss of life. Our soldiers, bless them, have agreed to risk theirs for our country. Perhaps our country should stop to consider this dire predicament, as well as contemplate how many Iraqi lives are lost-civilians and soldiers alike.
I hope you know these are just my opinions, they come from my heart. I’m not an expert and I welcome your feedback.
*video by Beachblogger*
Often I communicate to people that this is a PRO-PEACE website. In effect, being for Peace means I do not support war as a way to solve conflict and rebuild nations. To take it a step further, being PRO-PEACE means that I believe as humans, we are capable of valuing all life in such a way that we do not allow for murder. I do believe in accountability, sometimes complicated questions arise that can be uncomfortable.
We, the people of the U.S. are capable of spearheading practical, non violent solutions to domestic and international conflict. We are, at this juncture in our civilization, ready to apply our history lessons. We are, at this juncture, ready to comprehend the struggle and deaths of other humans in other countries. We are ready to extend our borders, not just physically, because in many ways, those borders have been extended-but to extend them mentally and emotionally.
I believe many institutions utilize an outdated approach to conflict resolution. Times have changed; at home, in the community, in business, government and around our globe. Strategies of power must calibrate as well. To be PRO-PEACE is to understand that murder is murder. No agenda justifies murder. The best policy is one that holds up through a spectrum of situations. If my child fights on the playground, as children will, I do not teach my child that is wrong behavior by beating the crap out of them. If my child lies, I teach him that is wrong.
Perhaps we need to select better leaders-ones who are role models. Ones who do not lie, do not hire prostitutes, do not smoke crack, embezzle money and generally piss on the honor of public office. We need statesmen and perhaps more of us should run for office. To be PRO-PEACE is to work towards resolution of the indifferences that create wars in the first place. To eradicate the conditions that generate prejudice and hostility. Peace can not be created, nor discovered until it is known. This means that we will resist or remain indifferent to Peace until we know what it means. I pray that Americans take better care of their own, love their neighbors, their land, and seek representation in local/state/federal government. PRO PEACE consists of something I call T.A.C.T.-Thinking, Action, Co-Creating and Teaching. T.A.C.T will not just keep us from wars in the future, it will help us create a kinder, more compassionate world that functions better because we appreciate cultural differences.
To be PRO-PEACE is to understand, value and appreciate that millions of activists rally and protest government policy. Voices around the world are chanting loudly. Voices in the U.S. are chanting loudly. To work for peace, in all the numerous ways, is hard work. A critical mass for Peace is only realized when various groups overcome fragmentation, mission differences, and philosophical nuances to utilize all the available resources. Solidarity is a difficult achievement; those working for Peace have different means and credos. The strongest movement will be one that understands the overlap and vision between all groups and utilizes the interdependence.
Today marks the day when, 5 years ago the President declared war. The U.S. too often responds to terr-oist actions, which wrongfully murders people, by in return murdering even more people. In both situations, civilians are harmed, the environment flooded with toxins and billions of dollars drained from the economy. Which could have been used to stimulate economies and distribute wealth so that the basic needs of everyone where met.
Today, whether you support the war or not-ask yourself-do you support murder? Of our own soldiers, Iraqi soldiers and civilians. We are not loosing innocent civilians, the Iraqi state is.
Through a PRO-PEACE perspective:
- We went to war to protect U.S. soil from more terro-ist attacks from an extremist fundamentalist.
- We have now lost close to 4,000 U.S. soldiers-not counting civilian contractors caught in the crossfire.
- Iraqi deaths, civilians alone, nears 90,000. Civilians. Like you and me. The death toll is close to one million, all counted.
- The U.S. has weakened ties with our allies to surge forward with our power play.
- We have spent trillions of dollars. Tax payer money. Your money. My money. Money for the starving children. Money for education, health care, parks, art, transit, shelters, Hurricane Katrina relief-American infrastructure.
In fact, if this war is just a response to the uber extremist terro-ists who attacked us….then could we those terro-ist faction inadvertently won already…by creating even more violence????
It is time to try a new approach, STRENGTH THROUGH PEACE.
Today I helped facilitate an event centered around the principles of Academic Freedom, to which the Freedom of Speech is an important aspect.
The intersection of this event with the anniversary of the use of free speech(and a number of other liberties) to declare war had my head spinning.
Speech is such a powerful tool. We can use our words for so many things: To say thank you for your sacrifice; to honor the dead; to give thanks for lives spared…Yet, if we use our words to make peace, maybe we will never have to find the words to say to another soldier’s family, “I’m sorry for your loss.”