[Peace] a plea in light of tragic events

[James Buell]

Marc Sanson, a friend who's in the Springfield Greens, wrote and sent the
following message today. It's the best writing I've seen yet making the
case for peace, to people whose grief, fear and rage have led them down
the path to supporting the unimaginable global violence demanded by our
country's leadership. I checked with Marc and he's happy to see this
forwarded widely. Please read it and, if you wish, pass it on to others.

peace,
Jim


Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 15:05:30 -0500
From: Marc Sanson <msanson at email.com>
To: Marc Sanson <msanson at email.com>


Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 15:05:30 -0500
From: Marc Sanson <msanson at email.com>
To: Marc Sanson <msanson at email.com>
Subject: A personal plea in light of tragic events

Dear Friends,

I hesitate to write to you today, because I know what I am about to say
runs
contrary to how many of you may be feeling and reacting to the recent
tragedies in Pennsylvania, New York and Washington, D.C.  However, despite
my trepidation, I think a larger tragedy lies ahead if people like us give
in to our hatred and fears and turn our backs on the ideals and
convictions
that serve us in our everyday lives.

The tragedies that occurred last Tuesday are not an act of war.  Nor does
it
mean that our country is in a state of war.  This was a crime; A most
heinous and brutal crime of mass murder and destruction that demands
justice.  And as a free, civilized and peace loving country, we must treat
this as such.

Currently there is no state in the world that will own up to this group.
There is no country in the world that can protect these individuals should
we supply the evidence implicating individuals in this crime and proving
to
the world their guilt.  And as a country of laws and codes of justice,
this
is how we should proceed.

I know many throughout our country, including myself, are angry and
afraid.
I know many do see this as an act of war and demand revenge.  My question
is: "Revenge against whom?"  Individuals committed these grave acts, and
individuals can be brought to justice.  When Timothy McVeigh bombed the
Alfred
P. Murrah Federal Building, we did not declare war on either his home
state,
the institution that trained him, or the many and diverse groups
throughout
our country calling themselves militias or patriots.  To do so would have
been folly and unjust.  Instead he was accused, tried, found guilty,
sentenced, and a form of justice was attained.

In the same respects, we cannot allow ourselves to become the 'evil' we
abhor by resorting to indiscriminate acts of vengeance sure to take
thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent civilians' lives in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi
Arabia
or the many other states where these networks exist and enjoy some form of
freedom to operate, including our own.  In addition to more grief and
suffering, we can only expect to generate more hatred against the western
world, more despair in coping with daily life, and more sympathy for these
terrorist organizations.  We can also expect less stability in the Arab
world as domestic opposition grows for regimes that aid us in our quest
for
vengeance.

Please understand, I believe it is totally appropriate for us to take
every
reasonable precaution to ensure these types of acts can never again happen
on American soil, and to work with states throughout our world to assist
them in the same endeavor.  I also believe we cannot let these acts go
unanswered and that we need to respond.  But we need to respond in a way
that is consistent with our long held beliefs in justice and the rule of
law.  Any anti-terrorism plan needs to include an effort to understand the
conditions and sentiments that allow these groups to grow and flourish.
Otherwise we are resorting to nothing more than vigilante justice on an
international scale, the very type of act we hope to combat.

We also need to turn this tragedy into an opportunity to reevaluate our
position and policies throughout the world.  I agree with many that we
must
reconsider our role as world policeman. We need to understand why people
hate us so much that they are willing to give their lives to hurt us. Do
we
act in ways that would offend us if other countries were doing them to us?
Is our foreign policy one which we would ever allow one U.S. state to hold
against another U.S. state? Are we operating under the rule of law? Are we
carrying out the instructions of a court? Are we taking sides in conflicts
that don't involve us? Or are we acting as judge, jury, and executioner?

None of this will be easy.  But the ways of peace, justice and freedom are
never easy.  Lives will be lost.  Future tragedies will occur.  But we
must
now ask ourselves whether we will use these events to satisfy our
bloodlust
and need for revenge, continuing this deplorable cycle of violence and
suffering, or if we can somehow let this act stand as memorial to future
generations and act now to create a more equitable and just society that
doesn't reward violence, hatred and power.

I know that many of you are religious and worship a common God, whether
Christian, Jewish, Muslim, B'hai, or one of the many other diverse and
peace
loving religions in the world.  I myself, as I'm sure were many of you,
was
raised to value peace and live non-violently.  Many of us attend service
weekly where we learned from the words of our prophets and leaders that
real
love, practiced universally and unconditionally, can conquer hatred.  We
have seen it work at the hands of courageous leaders like Mohandas Gandhi,
Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa, Caesar Chavez, the Dalai Lama and Jesus
Christ, to name a few.  These just aren't sentimental words thrown out for
kids in Sunday school or civics class; they are a call for each of us to
summon the courage necessary to solve our problems in new ways that don't
necessitate death and destruction.

I too mourn with my country and the world.  I too feel that life has
changed
in a way that will affect us for generations to come.  Luckily I have not
personally lost anyone close to me, so far as I have yet to hear, but I
have
friends and fellow citizens that have been hurt deeply.  And if the words
I
write today contribute to that pain and suffering, I am truly sorry.  But
these words must be spoken now, and by others more courageous and
respected
than I, before we take any hasty action that we cannot undo.

I urge you all to summon the courage to stand up and speak of your
convictions and beliefs.  I urge you to call your members of congress and
our President urging restraint in our response, and in signing a petition
to
that effect. (Petition can be found at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/224622495).  I ask you to join
me
in standing up and pledging unity with our friends in the Arab and Muslim
communities, and to encourage others to speak out against signs of
prejudice
and violence toward our neighbors.  Finally I plead with each of you to
recognize your anger and fear for what it is and attempt to overcome it.

It is up to each us to take the first step in breaking this cycle of
violence, hatred and misery.  I firmly believe that cannot be done through
force, intimidation, death and destruction.  Only through understanding,
courage and positive action can we hope to prevail.  Only by taking a long
hard look into our own souls, and our own contributions to the
perpetuation
of this cycle, can we possibly hope to attain anything resembling a
victory.

Yours in peace, unity and every bit of courage I can muster,
Marc Sanson
Springfield, Illinois