I wanted to express a public thank-you to Rachael Bliss and the other organizers of Asheville’s observance of the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21 at the lovely Elder and Sage Garden downtown. It was a beautiful event that helped to keep alive the dream of peace in our homes, our communities, our nation and our world. Sadly, most of our national treasure is still spent on weapons of war and preparations for war, and the U.S. remains the largest arms seller in the world.
This is not resulting in a safer, more peaceful world, but it is inflaming resentment, aiding in the destruction of societies and nations, and is a strong reason for the rise of nonstate terrorist actors. Continuing along this route will only reap more of the same. It will never result in the beloved community dreamed of by the prophets. And it will continue to prevent our communities from having all the resources they need to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Imagine if the money Asheville taxpayers contribute to the war paradigm were instead used to uplift our community, to eradicate poverty, to provide physical and mental health care, to support efforts to make our community climate-change resilient, to make sure all our children have what they need to thrive!
Those of us who believe that humanity could achieve this may be dreamers. But there is a quote painted across the wall of a church in Tennessee that struck me as I drove past it: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” What vision do we want to have for our children and our children’s children? Thank you, Rachael, for believing in a positive one. Let’s work to make it a reality.
— Anne Craig
Asheville
Anne, poverty can never be eradicated in the world. Kumbaya.
Anne Craig’s words do bring to mind a totally pleasant world, complete with singing birds, blue skies, constant smiles, babbling brooks, ample flowers, happiness, etc. but unfortunately the world is sometimes of a different reality. Ms. Craig and others of like mind must remember that to maintain good chances of peace it’s necessary to maintain a strong defense. There are countries with leaders intent on doing harm to the United States if they believe it can be accomplished and a significant deterrent is for us to maintain a strong military and the capability to retaliate against such possible hostile actions. President Ronald Reagan made this a wise attitude via a frequent mantra. If we cancel or reduce our spending for weapons and a defense adequate for sound protection , our country may become a target for a despot. Having weapons available does not indicate we are desiring war to occur, but instead that we wish to deter those who would do us harm.
As far as diverting national treasure to “uplift our community, to eradicate poverty, to provide physical and mental health care”, what’s often needed is for those affected to simply get up off their backsides and take action via education and the acquiring of skill sets to improve their situation. All too often life’s problems are due to past mistakes, wrong actions taken, laziness, and a reluctance or refusal to admit that one’s difficulties are due to past personal attitudes and preferences. As has been said, “Life is tough……… get a helmet”.
To my Earth brothers, Rick and Enlightened Enigma: If I could solve a problem (ineffectively and expensively) by killing people –or– I could solve the same problem (effectively and cheaply) by not killing –which option should I choose? The second option…
We used to think armed responses were our best options. However, we’ve learned an incredible amount about conflict resolution over the last few decades. There are now methods like Unarmed Civilian Protection which can be scaled up to replace armed responses to conflict. As Annie says, armed methods create more resentment than they remove. Our 800+ U.S. military bases on other nations’ soil (26 of them circling the border of Iran) make others think we’re an empire.
As activist Paul K Chappell says, we may see ourselves as the world’s police officer, but what police officer permanently moves into your yard after being called to help you? We must adapt with the times, and guide the misguided of the world–not imitate them. With peace and respect, brother Charles
This is terrible. What Prophets are you referring too? And if you really think Asheville can have any significant impact on climate change, you are completely delusional of all scientific principles. This drivel is why nobody likes the left anymore.
rofl, jason! great point! lol>>> (not sure what our earth brother CJ means about the cops moving into my yard is all about…) ???
Hi brother Enlightened Enigma, ;) my police statement was about how the U.S. military has set up permanent shop in more than 800 locations on other nations’ land, which makes many nations suspicious of us, as we would be if a police officer responded to a 911 call to our property, then stayed there for good. Paul K Chappell is a peace activist who doesn’t demonize the military– in fact he served tours of duty in Iraq–however, his point is that strategically, our military’s approach is way behind the times. Instead of maintaining a ballooning military budget, we could close those bases, stop selling weapons to dictatorships, and redirect our resources to waging peace worldwide (for example through Unarmed Civilian Protection, which addresses root causes of conflicts instead of hacking away at the branches.)
All these ideas may sound pie-in-the-sky, but once upon a time so did ending segregation, giving women right to vote, and so many other things we’ve accomplished. As they say, if peace is pie-in-the-sky, violence is pie-in-the-face. :-D
Letters like this is why Trump was elected and will likely be reelected. You people are living in a fantasy world.