That bumper sticker has adorned our vehicles since late 2001; now it has become a truism. For 5 years it was foremost in the minds of some hundreds of thousands of Quakers, but just now filtering down to the consciousness of the general public.
War always inflates patriotism, and the propagandists have successfully implanted in the public mind the identity between patriotism and a war like spirit, plus the false assumption that patriots don't criticize the war leaders.
But the worm turns, and now the war leaders have become unpopular, and the people want peace or at least surcease from American blood. Pity American blood can mean so much to the people and ten fold Iraqi blood (largely civilians) can mean so little.
Will people ever learn to love the world like God did? Or does patriotism involve hating the foreigner? Are the people just sheep? Or have the best people just anaesthetized their minds from unpleasant realities.
2 comments:
Nice post Dad.
"Will people ever learn to love the world like God does?" That is, will the Kingdom of Heaven ever be realized on earth? Can even those of us who aspire to it love the world like God does? Of course not... but we can strive toward such love; and even our imperfect love can be transformational, of ourselves and others.
My bumper sticker says "Peace Please".
Arizona had about four propositions on the ballot aimed directly at Mexicans. Unfortunately, they all passed.
In reality, Iraqi lives are not as valuable as American lives. The needs and hopes of Mexicans are not as important as American wants and wishes.
This will never change as long as we identify with political parties, countries, denominations and ethnic groups.
We need to see ourselves and others as people -- just people.
No, war is not the answer nor is isolationism.
I wonder how much good could have been done if the money and efforts expended on the war had been used for third world education and infrastructure?
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