Letter to Editor, TownHall.com: "Be careful with words"
October 1, 2001
I caution Michael Kelly to be careful with words.
Reason is not pacifism, which Michael Kelly's September 26, 2001
editorial, "Pacifists are not serious people," perceives as
"immoral... on the side of [] murderers, and [] on the side of
letting them murder again." Where Mr. Kelly deviates from many
who consider themselves peace-seeking people is the concept of
"eye-for-an-eye." The killers must be found, jailed, and
understood. But killing an innocent-for-an-innocent makes us all
monsters.
These heinous actions were by people who, for one reason or another, had
learned to hate the United States. It would be wise to try to
understand why. Perhaps the propaganda of a warped cleric has
exacerbated these people's anger. But why were they angry in the
first place?
A reasonable person whose next-door neighbor has decided to bulldoze a
path across one's yard might already know why the neighbor is so
upset. Undoubtedly U.S. leaders also know why some of these people
may be ready to kill themselves in such an insane statement of
rage. Perhaps they grew up in Lebanon, where U.S. warplanes flown
by Israeli military bombed refugee camps for a whole generation.
Perhaps they saw members of their family die in Iraq, Bosnia, or Kosovo,
where U.S. depleted uranium munitions still clutter and irradiate the
land. Perhaps their baby sister or brother starved to death in
Iraq, where U.S. planes and ships keep an embargo in place and every few
days drop some bombs on people. A reasonable person might think it
would be kinder and more useful to parachute crates of food and medicine,
and VCR's and videotapes, to counter the propaganda of Saddam
Hussein.
I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that there are
reasons people are so pissed off, and there are ways to fix that
problem. We just have to learn how to be good neighbors instead of
bullies.
Now, I don't consider myself a strict "pacifist." If
someone strikes me, I'll try to find the least painful way to subdue him
or her. I do consider myself a peacemaker, and am particularly
intrigued by the concepts proposed by Jesus at his Sermon on the
Mount:
- Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth:
- Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
- Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also.
- Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain.
- Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow
of thee turn not thou away.
- Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
- Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you;
- Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
- Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do
not even the publicans the same?
- Mat 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than
others? do not even the publicans so?
- Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect.
I've gone so far as to test these suggestions, when confronted by
hostile people (which happens fairly regularly, since I'm an active
peacemaker). And I've found that, when I stop reacting and start
asking questions, people calm down. Because, whatever the message,
people want to be heard. And who's been listening, here in our fat
country, to the words and needs of these people? Who's been trying
to truly fix the problems? And how many orphans are there out there
who have decided they'd rather die than continue living in hell?
Mr. Kelly's announcement, "Pacifists see themselves as obviously on
the side of a higher morality, and there is a surface appeal to this
notion, even for those who dismiss pacifism as hopelessly naive,"
causes one to wonder whether he thought Jesus was hopelessly naive, or
here to warn us about changing our ways, or else. Certainly the
"or else" has begun. Let's not make things worse.
As Mr. Kelly rightly described it, "Two wrongs don't make a right;
violence only begets more violence."
Mr. Kelly claims, "The American pacifists wish the Americans to not
fight." Having read reams of emails from peace activists all
over the country, the message that has evolved is "Seek Justice, Not
Revenge." Catch the killers and prosecute them. And
start dropping food and medicine near the communities of Afghanistan,
Iraq, and every other country where Osama bin Laden's henchmen are sowing
seeds of hate. Teach the people that Americans don't want to kill
them, nor do we want them to kill us. We must find another
way.
That is one peacemaker's position, and it is not evil.
Sincerely,
Ellen Thomas
Proposition One Committee
PO Box 27217, Washington DC 20038
202-462-0757 -- fax 202-265-5389
***
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