All this justification for guns and war, all of this justification for killing people, I wish it would stop. Why can't we spend more energy justifying peace?
Violence begets violence. For the religious folk, isn't your premise that an eye for an eye was replaced for the love and peace and forgiveness in the New Testament?
While I am not religious, I nevertheless, do not want people killed in my name. I wish the entire world could enjoy peace and love, for there is far too much killing and hatred.
That might strike some as a naive position, reminiscent of the 60's hippies. And admittedly, I am a hippie. I am one of those far left, democratic socialists from way back when I lived in Canada and voted for the New Democratic Party, a party where Bernie Sanders would have been at home.
But politics aside, and naive as my position may be, if we give up on even hoping for peace then surely we have already lost. And is it really a bad thing to want peace? Is it not a good idea to love people, to wish for a life without poverty? Do we not want a world where children are safe and grow up educated? Is it really a controversial idea to try to accomplish these goals without resorting to war and violence?
These are difficult times, yes, but we've faced hard times before.
Let us face these problems as one people, a peaceful people. Let's unite in a global initiative of world citizens unencumbered by political division and superpower braggadocio, to stop the killing, stop the hurting, and find peaceful solutions to the problems of income inequality, climate change, diminishing resources, poverty, educational opportunities and health issues, that plague us all.
Violence begets violence. For the religious folk, isn't your premise that an eye for an eye was replaced for the love and peace and forgiveness in the New Testament?
While I am not religious, I nevertheless, do not want people killed in my name. I wish the entire world could enjoy peace and love, for there is far too much killing and hatred.
That might strike some as a naive position, reminiscent of the 60's hippies. And admittedly, I am a hippie. I am one of those far left, democratic socialists from way back when I lived in Canada and voted for the New Democratic Party, a party where Bernie Sanders would have been at home.
But politics aside, and naive as my position may be, if we give up on even hoping for peace then surely we have already lost. And is it really a bad thing to want peace? Is it not a good idea to love people, to wish for a life without poverty? Do we not want a world where children are safe and grow up educated? Is it really a controversial idea to try to accomplish these goals without resorting to war and violence?
These are difficult times, yes, but we've faced hard times before.
Let us face these problems as one people, a peaceful people. Let's unite in a global initiative of world citizens unencumbered by political division and superpower braggadocio, to stop the killing, stop the hurting, and find peaceful solutions to the problems of income inequality, climate change, diminishing resources, poverty, educational opportunities and health issues, that plague us all.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peace filled Christmas.
Stephen Lonsdale
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