Mark S. Blackburn, Veteran USA
The below letter come from Arun Gandhi, Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
-Mark
TERRORISM AND NONVIOLENCE
BY Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
Understandably, after the tragedy in New York and Washington DC on
September 11 many have written or called the office to find out what would
be an appropriate nonviolent response to such an unbelievably inhuman act
of violence.
First, we must understand that nonviolence is not a strategy that we can
use in a moment of crisis and discard in times of peace. Non violence is
about personal attitudes, about becoming the change we wish to see in the
world. Because, a nation's collective attitude is based on the attitude of
the individual. Nonviolence is about building positive relationships with
all human beings - relationships that are based on love, compassion,
respect, understanding, and appreciation.
Nonviolence is also about not judging people as we perceive them to be -
that is, a murderer is not born a murderer; a terrorist is not born a
terrorist. People become murderers, robbers, and terrorists because of
circumstances and experiences in life. Killing or confining murders,
robbers, terrorists, or the like is not going to rid this world of them.
For every one we kill or confine we create another hundred to take their
place. What we need to do is to analyze dispassionately what are those
circumstances that create such monsters and how can we help eliminate
those circumstances, not the monsters. Justice should mean reformation and
not revenge.
We saw some people in Iraq and Palestine and I dare say many other
countries rejoice in the blowing up of the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon. It horrified us, as it should. But, let us not forget that we do
the same thing. When Israel bombs the Palestinians we either rejoice or
show no compassion. Our attitude is they deserve what they get. When the
Palestinians bomb the Israelis we are indignant and condemn them as vermin
who need to be eliminated.
We reacted without compassion when we bombed the cities of Iraq. I was
among the millions in the United States who sat glued to the television
and watched the drama as though it was a made for television film. The
television had desensitized us. Thousands of innocent men, women and
children were being blown to bits and instead of feeling sorry for them,
we marveled at the efficiency of our military. For more than ten years we
have continued to wreak havoc in Iraq - an estimated 50, 000 children die
every year because of sanctions that we have imposed - and it hasn't moved
us to compassion. All this is done, we are told, because we want to get
rid of the Satan called Sadam Hussein.
Now we are getting ready to do this all over again to get rid of another
Satan called Osama Bin Laden. We will bomb the cities of Afghanistan
because they harbor the Satan and in the process we will help create a
thousand other bin Ladens.
Some might say, "We don't care what the world thinks of us as long as
they respect our strength. After all we have the means to blow this world
to pieces since we are the only surviving super-power. Do we want the
world to respect us the way school children respect a bully? Is that our
role in the world?
If a bully is what we want to be then we must be prepared to face the same
consequences a school-yard bully faces. On the other hand we cannot tell
the world "Leave us alone..." Isolationism is not what this
world is built for.
All of this brings us back to the question: How do we respond nonviolently
to terrorism?
The consequences of a military response are not very rosy. Many thousands
of innocent people will die both here and in the country or countries we
attack. Militancy will increase exponentially and, ultimately, we will be
faced with another, more pertinent, moral question: What will we gain by
destroying half the world? Will we be able to live with a clear
conscience?
We must acknowledge our role in helping create monsters in the world and
then find ways to contain these monsters without hurting more innocent
people and then redefine our role in the world. I think we must move from
seeking to be respected for our military strength to being respected for
our moral strength.
We need to appreciate that we are in a position to play a powerful role in
helping the "other half" of the world attain a better standard
of life not by throwing a few crumbs, but by significantly involving
ourselves in constructive economic programs.
For too long our foreign policy has been based on "what is good for
the United States." It smacks of selfishness. Our foreign policy
should now be based on what is good for the world and how can we do the
right thing to help the world become more peaceful.
To those who have lost loved ones in this and other terrorist acts, I say
I share your grief. I am sorry that you have become victims of senseless
violence. But let this sad episode not make you vengeful because no amount
of violence and killing is going to bring you inner peace. Anger and hate
never do. The memory of those victims who have died in this and other
violent incidents around the world will be better preserved and
meaningfully commemorated if we all learn to forgive and dedicate our
lives to helping create a peaceful, respectful, and understanding world.
Arun Gandhi, Founder Director, M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, 650
East Parkway South, Memphis TN 38104
* * * * * * * * *
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of
truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers,
and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.
Think of it ...always."
Mahatma Gandhi
Mark Blackburn
Mark S. Blackburn, MBA
1310 E Street Victorian
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.444.6500
Write to Mark: Mark_Blackburn@Yahoo.com