We view the problems within our society and many times we choose to react differently to them. Sometimes those choices can be as far opposite as one might think humanly possible. Living in a reactionary world we sometimes endure a harsh reality where reactions multiply and rule the day. And within that same reality, we’re also conscious and instinctual beings living for love and compassion, living in a world of growing fear while continuously searching for our way back to love.
War, with its continuing death and suffering, is responsible for one of the worsening fears affecting our planet right now. And in my opinion, one step toward ending war is to quit allowing our young people to learn from those who think a warrior, blindly obeying orders without thinking, creates a safer world.
It was brought to my attention that recently a veteran of this continuing war was allowed to speak to a second-grade classroom, leaving the children and/or the teacher with the impression that the world is a much safer place because of their service. As a concerned grandparent, I feel this impression left with our youngest mandates a veteran from those same continuing wars to share the opposite opinion that our world is indeed not safer. We created a “War on Terror” where too many in the world now see us creating the most terror and the biggest threat to peace. And with our “Regime Change Wars” and our now admitted wars for oil it’s increasingly difficult arguing they’re wrong.
Since our creation as a nation, we have been at war over 90 percent of the time, now with more than 800 military bases worldwide in over 40 percent of the world. I think it’s way past time we find an exit strategy from this kind of thinking. And I think glorifying war to innocent children seven years old is wrong and only leads us in the opposite direction. If we kill everyone who disagrees with us, and control everyone else, the world will definitely be less populated and more fearful, but I doubt any safer.
If we want to find peace and teach our children, maybe Veterans for Peace might be a better choice, or perhaps a field trip to a VA Hospital.
John Cook
Orcas Island
