By Philip Siddons
Buffalo, NY – Dan Lenard's April 13th essay "A Definition of Peace" described peace as the absence of military battles - when people aren't being shot or bombed and when we have our freedoms. Freedom to talk about our differences, travel where we'd like and hang out with whom we please. "A lack of fear. The absence of war."
Mr. Lenard, then, created a monolithic image of evil Islamic leaders who are violently committed to enslaving the world by their fundamentalist hatred and tyranny. (How do you spell xenophobia?) He blamed our "weaknesses" and "indecisiveness" on those in the "Peace camp." By that he must have meant those who are committed to bringing about peace in the world through understanding, service in response to need and non-violent direct action in the face of injustice.
After blaming peacemakers for leaving us vulnerable to the fascists, he suggested that we celebrate our freedoms during Passover and Easter with what he hopes would be more serious thought - putting an end to peace workers' self delusions. "The truth is and history has born this out;" he went on, "you must always be prepared for war in order to prevent it. Peace comes from strength. One cannot negotiate with evil; one must destroy it." (I wonder, should we always be prepared for a fight in our marriage or parenting?)
If we take Mr. Lenard's philosophy to heart, perhaps we should restart the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. Both countries put most of their resources into stockpiling armaments to enable "mutually assured destruction." A balance of terror. Was there any learning from the fact that one of the two empires crumbled from such a destructive stewardship of resources?
Why don't we go back to the days when "might makes right." I'm thinking Neanderthal times when the thug with the biggest club got the best chick and the biggest mud house at the top of the hill. (What's the idea of those Arabs building their houses on the sand over OUR oil?) Isn't it a bit ironic that the US gets all huffy and puffy when other nations begin to develop nuclear arms when we have incinerated thousands with our own use of them?
And why don't we return to the days when "the husband is the head of the house" and women were relegated to both a public and private second class citizenship? Why not teach everyone to carry a sidearm? Nobody would mess with us and if the so-called "Islamofascists" ever landed on our shores, they wouldn't have a chance. Elderly women with quad canes and school children would be picking them off and they'd run for their lives.
I am going to reflect on the Passover - a time when an entire culture was enslaved and how they non-violently gained freedom from those who abused them. I am going to reflect on Jesus' compassion and bravery in the face of violent torture and death. Many believe his teachings and non-violent direct action in the face of oppression has changed entire civilizations.
I'm also going to think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi. I am going to try to understand why we are now the most hated nation in the world and seek to learn how we can change that.
Freedom is living in peace with others and changing economic and social injustice with non-violent direct action. The price for my freedom may be a loss of power. I may even suffer violence and death by the hand of those who violently disagree with me.
But think about what it means to "live without fear." If you truly believe that most of the inhabited world is out to get you, you don't have peace or freedom from fear. And check it out: the Nobel Peace Prize was never awarded to the General who had the most notches in his gun handle.
Philip Siddons is a Technology and Communications Coordinator in a non-profit organization in Buffalo and is the author of a book on the equality of women and men.
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