"Blessed are the peacemakers on earth" -William Shakespeare
New table
Who has the power to end war? When should we
end it? Has it worked? Is the world more peaceful because
of all the war in which we participate? Juxtapose the two
following statements of leaders of people:
"War is the way to peace" - President of the United States
"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way" - Mahatma Gandhi
Which speaks wisdom? Which answers the heart? Nearly 30 military conflicts are occuring today.
It hasn't changed since yesterday, yesteryear or yesterdecade or
yestercentury. Obviously war has not brought peace to the
world.
The United States habit for war has propelled military conflict over the last four decades in twice in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Sumalia, Panama, Grenada, Vietnam and Cambodia. Laos, Nicaragua and Colombia have faced U.S. covert operations. All this conflict hasn't brought us peace.
The government has made a list of every organization - no matter how
small - who speak-out against their war and violence, including small
community churches. Speaking out against war meant suicide and
anti-patriotism. The U.S. government has persecuted American
citizens for
criticizing war in the name of security. The president is the first in
history to admit to commiting impeachable crimes. He is even
insulted being questioned for illegal domestic espionage.
Paranoia and fear have infiltrated the mindset and with it liberty and
justice for all has been foresaken.
"A man who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither," - Benjamin Franklin
We must change the habit of how we react to fear.
"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind," - Mahatma Gandhi
Deepok Chopra stated:
"we must not think of ending one war or 20,
we must think of ending the idea of war,
which has become the habit of war,
which has become the numbing constancy of
war."
Chopra offers the fundamental measures of replacing the immediate
reaction to war with that of peace by replacing all the advantages war
gives us such as:
Satisfaction of the demands of fearPower to the victorSecurity to the homelandAn avenue for getting what we want by force
with all that peace provides us:
Ability to breath easilySpace for greater connection with other peopleRespect for all sides
Chopra sums up the significance for establishing a peace habit instead
of a war habit with the following from his magnificant book "Peace is the Way:"
"Peace can end suffering and oppression by bearing
witness to wrongs, by allowing sympathy and common humanity to do their
patient work. War smothers all that. Nelson Mandela, Mother
Teresa and Mahatma Ghandi have defeated violence and all it’s
oppression with the action of peace. War’s gifts always prove
bitter and empty in the end, but it hasn’t stopped it’s habit.
The 20th century found 100,000,000 people dead from
war. We still turn to it because we think it did some good.
Violence is not the essence of our nature, though it is
prevalent. So too is love. The way of peace is love in
action. Violence is not more powerful than love. That is like
saying death is more powerful
War continues because of lack of response
otherwise. The way of peace is a way of action. We must
produce a leap in consciousness. Today you and I awoke and found
it easy to not kill someone--our society cannot say the same. We
must change the direction of our this conscious and have out society
conform to individual wants. There is no excuse for living
comfortable lives embedded in a culture of mechanized death and
violence. We must stop our dependency on war politically,
economically and socially.
The more people who join us the faster war will
end. Instead of wishing others would stop killing, we must become
a force for peace.
SHIFT YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO PEACE and WAR ENDS FOR YOU
TODAY! This happens one person at a time. A million small
earthquakes move ground than one cataclysmic quake. Help evolve
the wave of evolution by ending war, along with the idea, habit and
numbness of war today. If your consciousness follows these
words--war is over for you and will never return."