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Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Honor the Vet - NOT

I'm writing this in response to the post that was sent to me (see following my rant!)

What does this mean? The veteran who stands for peace has given this to us? Or is this the veteran who has convinced himself he has committed atrocities against humans in the name of freedom?

It is the CONSTITUTION and the BILL OF RIGHTS the veteran needs to uphold - not a nationalistic symbol that evokes broad emotional interpretation depending on who one is and not necessarily on how reasonable or even patriotic one is.

This is the WHOLE point of our activism against this war - NO ONE is killing for our freedom for anything. Killing is not now & has never been an acceptable way to obtain anything, let alone freedom.

And despite what any person who embraces war as a means to getting what he wants says, war is the most horrific, most despicable, hugest failing of human beings. Executing war & war games - including torture, rape, pillage - is NOT the way human beings are supposed to be existing on this planet.

It is and has always been those courageous warriors, foremothers & ancestors, armed with justice, peace, compassion, love, and dedication to doing what is right that have won whatever freedoms we ever had and have left in this country.

In my book, soldiers are not heroes. They are merely human beings who have turned their backs on their humanity and have allowed themselves to be used by rich men to kill, rape, and plunder other human beings (acts they, as an individual, would never think of perpetrating on a human being) in order for those rich men to become richer.

We all need to be so ashamed of allowing ourselves to be brainwashed into condoning and perpetuating such violence against humans & this earth. Those who are the instruments for carrying out that violence are the ones who most need spiritual realigning & forgiveness - not worship.

As for the guys guarding the tomb, I think it takes much more courage to stand up against this war as Lt. Watada & over 8000 soldiers are doing - risking not a good soaking but jail, ridicule, even violence.



A Peace Activist's 4th of July Veteran's Post

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN , who salutes the Flag

It is the veteran , who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUALLIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.