Mid-Week Mini: "We Ain't Gonna Study War No More!"
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” ― Ernest Hemingway
“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
Will the inhabitants of this great world EVER realize the insanity of War? When will they lay down their lethal weapons? A single deranged, charismatic leader can shift the minds of a common class of people until they are ready to die for the cause. The leader is always heartless and cruel. They are sociopaths and psychopaths. They are intrinsic egocentrics. As the death tolls of troops ramp up, they do not care. The soldiers are weapons as much as guns and tanks. They can be replaced as mothers and families grieve their fallen children. The innocents who die are collateral damage—simply an inconvenience. The infrastructure destruction is the work of the bombs. Homes, buildings, and landmarks all fall as symbols of dominance.
Tolkien, above, recognizes that sometimes War must be waged “while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all.” War can be conducted as a moral confrontation. Any person or nation may protect his/herself from an invader. “The just war theory is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics which is studied by military leaders, theologians, ethicists, and policymakers. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that a war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just.” (Facebook definition) Torture of war prisoners is prohibited. A Just War shields civilians and innocents from physical harm.
Why am I talking to you about War today? Because in our present-day world, it is ubiquitous. The energy that propels and strengthens a war-like, worldwide state of mind is evil and hateful. Individuals surrender their ideas to the cause of the conflict. The brutal netting of authority traps individuals who commit allegiance to the motive of its driver.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out DarknessDarkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The point of today’s essay is that people of good-heart and moral compass can unite and push back against that which is hateful and evil. In my previous essay, “The Ripple Effect of Kindness,” we questioned the dynamic energy that flows between people and how it is passed on to others. Most people in America (and probably all over the world) desire “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” What a tragic sorrow it is when War destroys a serene community’s home, villages, relationships, and industries.
Do you remember this jingle from decades ago?
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company
I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
For peace through out the land
As I write, I imagine people’s positive intentions for our world’s future. It is an ever-expanding spirit. It feels tremendous! It feels uncontainable! It extends compassion to every living person. It is writing the poetry of truth and goodness!
We are all part of the effort to end the evil empire of War. Pray! Protest (peacefully)! Provide for the needs of the war-stricken! Keep your Shine shiny! One more song before I sign off:
“We AIN’T gonna study war no more.”
“Let’s all lay down our swords and shields. Let’s all breathe. Shall we?”