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Peace Is Complicated
By John P. Anderson, Jr., Norfolk
Peace is complicated. You wouldn't think so at first—I mean, don't fight, try to get along. (Do you remember Robert Fulghum's book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?) It seems so simple and straightforward. I've been wondering why so many people, our leaders in particular, seem to have given up on peaceful resolutions to the problems facing societies. In part I think it can be attributed to the fact that war and the rhetoric of war is easy.
Designing a war is easier than designing a peace—after all, we have the mechanisms and materials for war readily at hand. And if we need more, we need only request more money to make more of the same. What are the tools for peace? What would we spend the money on for that? Maybe waging peace means spending less; not only less on weapons, but less on demonizing those we don't like, and less on the materialism that subjugates children, women and men throughout the world and destroys their cultures.
Where is the discussion for a peace option? Diplomacy is laughed off. Getting at the root of the hatred towards the U.S. is simplified to the worthless phrase: "They hate our freedom." Remember that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, many of whom the United States has armed and supported. The mainstream media reports the information they are given by the Bush administration and the Pentagon, and little is reported of opposing facts and positions.
Personally, I struggled with what I should do, especially because I felt I was in the minority in opposing revenge and war, and believe the interests favoring war are so far-ranging (political, military, business). Even some religious leaders are already calling this a just war (even while some American generals are saying it is unjustified). What can I do? I can write or call the President (202-456-1111) and my congressional representatives to express my opposition to war, to say that I favor the reduction of American weapons of mass destruction and elimination of policies that harm people and their cultures. I can boycott the companies that manufacture weapons and thrive on a war economy. I can protest and demonstrate, a freedom guaranteed under the Constitution, against the policies and actions of our government that I oppose.
Recently I have chosen to attend the peace vigil in Winsted. I am impressed with the amount of support received from passers-by, which appears to have grown over the past few weeks. Getting the message of peace before the public may be the best and easiest thing any of us can do to reverse our country's drive to war. Please join us any Sunday from noon until 1 p.m. at East End Park in Winsted to make a statement for peace through non-violence. For more information about the peace vigils organized by Winsted Area Peace Action, call Barbara at 860-370-5262, or Ann at 860-379-7858.
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