Mark S. Blackburn, Veteran USA
The below letter from my RawFood Friend Rhio in New York....another Great American for Peace & Security.
-Mark
Everyone handles and processes terrifying events in different ways -- some people throw themselves into work and activity -- I found myself retreating into my shell, like a turtle. I took to bed with the TV on day and night.
Slowly through the haze, I started hearing on the TV from the news commentators, from the government leaders, something equally as horrible. Everyone is talking of war, retaliation, revenge. The people speaking of love and peace were drowned out or ignored. I switched to the Latin station, many people were calling in, some speaking of restraint, love, peace - they were quickly cut off. I switched to the public stations, here at last a more reasoned voice, but who is listening? Even the ministers at the Washington Cathedral service today said "we must guard against repaying evil with evil", "be careful that by our actions we do not become as one with those who perpetrate evil" -- (I'm paraphrasing from memory). Is anyone listening?
Where are the real statesmen? We ignore our ministers and listen to the military men strategizing war. We pray - but prepare for war. We are told ` people in their sorrow and emotion of the moment are being roused to support the political line. Polls say they support immediate retaliatory action -- but ask them again in a few weeks -- after they've had a chance to calm down, regroup and think clearly. Do we really want to see more innocent people killed and families changed forever? Do we really want a world war that could last for years? In the Vietnam War, the people finally forced a pull out. The people could prevent this "new war" if they would speak out. Are we to perpetuate the cycle of violence forever? Violence begets violence -- if it had ever worked differently, would we find ourselves in this position now?
What are you saying - should we all just sit around and do nothing? Don't you want the perpetrators brought to justice? The terrorists must be brought to justice, but there are other ways of doing it besides using instruments of war, which ALWAYS kill the innocent (called "collateral damage" and shrugged off). The tools for peace (and justice) are at hand -- diplomacy, negotiation, good will, intelligence strategies, plain intelligence, common sense, reason, willingness to change policies that harm, and - dare we do more than just say the word -- LOVE -- LOVE -- LOVE.
Now is also a good time for introspection. Let's find out why America is hated by so many countries (and factions) all over the world. We are told they hate us because they hate freedom and our way of life. But is this really true? Yes, we do represent freedom, but many of our policies throughout the world repress freedom for others. (In my hotline below, written before this catastrophe, I refer the reader to the situation in Jamaica and how our policies have destroyed their economy causing devastating poverty.)
NOTHING justifies terrorism against innocent people but we must look at the terrorism that the US has caused to others. As stated by Mitchel Cohen, NY mayoral candidate of the Green Party, in a recent email: "I remember the 'war on poverty'. I also remember the 'war on Vietnam' (2 million Vietnamese murdered), the 'war on Nicaragua' (30,000 Nicaraguans killed in the mid-1980s), the 'war in El Salvador' (70,000 killed by death squads), the 'war on Drugs' (Panama/Noriega: 7,000 killed by US troops); the 'war on Iraq to defend our way of life' (250,000 killed in the first 2 months; 1 million killed in the follow-up); the 'war against hunger in Somalia' (10,000 killed by US/UN troops); the 'war in Grenada' (US wiped out the progressive forces there); 'war again against Iraq's No Fly Zones' (repeated bombings to this day); 'war against Yugoslavia' (thousands killed, ecology destroyed, water poisoned); the 'War against Sudan's pharmaceutical plant?' (hundreds killed outright) … "
Some misguided people will probably accuse me (Rhio) of not being patriotic. The truth is that this (and former) administration's policies do not represent me and millions of other peace loving and peace-aspiring, American people.
It is time to change "courses of action" that never get us to where we really want to be. War will just escalate the reprisals as represented by acts of terrorism that will more frequently visit America.
I reflect upon the wisdom of teachers that I admire, Mahatma Ghandi, Albert Schweitzer, Jesus, Buddha, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others - what would they say?
The path to a peaceful world will not come through war.
Rhio's Website: http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/
Mark Blackburn
Mark S. Blackburn, MBA
1310 E Street Victorian
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.444.6500
Write to Mark: Mark_Blackburn@Yahoo.com