Peace Is Always An Option

I consider myself a peace loving person. I try hard to practice this principle in all my affairs. Sometimes I fail. Regardless, I continue to try, and I keep this thought as a Sacred one. I grew up in the sixties/seventies faced with the Vietnam War - the images of war, the evening news with Walter Cronkite and the body count reported each night. I always wondered why things had to be this way. As I matured I came to understand that conflict, in regards to human nature, is only natural. It seems to be based in fear and there are three basic fears everyone experiences: 1) fear of losing something you have; 2) fear of not getting something you want or feel you deserve; and 3) fear that someone will find out something about yourself that you wish to keep hidden. I know that war seems sometimes to be inevitable. However, I like to think that as we evolve as a species that our thinking evolves and that conflicts can be solved in a manner other than war. I can understand that when a people are frightened, or their basic human rights are denied, or they are starving, or unfairly treated because of their race, religion or creed that the only way they feel they can deal with the oppressor(s) is by rising up in violent opposition. HOWEVER, I do not believe that this is the reason for the United States to have taken upon itself the start of a war with a foreign nation as we have with Iraq. It is very clear (and if you speak with any Kurdish person from Iraq they will confirm this) that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and has been a vicious, hideous individual in his reign over the people of Iraq. But our government is in no position to make the decision to create the current conflict - our government has dirty hands when it comes to dealings with Iraq and a number of other countries in that region and it seems a clear hypocrisy that we should be ousting Iraq's current government. I say this to make it clear to my government and the entire world that this war is fought NOT IN MY NAME.

I heard one brave reporter in Iraq make a statement that has stuck with me. She said, after a bombing in Baghdad, that the bombings were incredibly scary. She went on to say that she was thinking about frightened children, huddled in their shelters being reassured by frightened mothers as best they could -- what it must be like for them. Those words and the images that they created for me have stuck in my mind to this day, and it's been hard to sleep, in the comfort that I can, accepting that this is the reality of life for these poor people in Iraq. I feel terrible about it and thus my reason for my thoughts here and for saying that I find this war in Iraq totally unacceptable. Remember, it is much easier to support a war when you live 5,000 miles away and aren't right there beside them, with them huddled in a shelter with your children, praying for your life!

In keeping with the first thought of this page, I am trying not to hate. I do not agree with Bush and his cronies in Washington, and for that matter, ALL of the politicians and corporations that have been supportive of this war. But I am determined to undermine all of this by exerting my most powerful tool that I have - to Love rather than hate ALL of these individuals regardless of my strong feelings against their shortsighted actions. My hatred of them would only feed into what has already been created and I do not wish to be a part of that. If this is the only statement I ever make regarding this then I will be very happy. I will pray for George Bush and all of the misguided individuals that have chosen to deal with Iraq in this manner.

With my most sincerest wishes for peace and love for all the people of our planet,

Bob Dee

bd@bobdee.com