Friday, October 05, 2007
Pacifica Commentary For October 4, 2007
An Appeal To Our Troops
I was very impressed with a letter sent by Jonah House which is a center of heroic resistance to war. The letter is addressed to men and women in the military. Here is the text:
Brothers and sisters in the military: "Refuse to fight! Refuse to kill!
You are being ordered to war in the footsteps of veterans, who, more than ten years ago, were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Many of those vets returned with severe and unacknowledged illnesses. Many gave birth to severely deformed children and most were abandoned by the Veterans Administration.
You are being ordered to war by the most powerful nation on earth. You are being ordered to war by a nation with the most destructive weapons ever conceived, developed, deployed or used. You are being ordered to war by a nation whose self-acknowledged posture is that of world domination, mastery, and control. This nation has no moral justification for war.
We, the undersigned, are convinced that war is the greatest evil on earth. We believe that humankind must end war, or war will end humankind, and in fact, all of creation. Our convictions have driven us time and again to the Pentagon, White House and Congress in acts of civil resistance to war.
Now, we bring our plea to you, sisters and brothers, in the armed forces.
* Refuse to kill.
* Refuse the order to go to war.
* Leave the military before it is too late.
We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage. But please reflect:
* Is it more difficult than fighting in war?
* Is it more difficult than being a pawn of corporate greed?
* Is it more difficult than living with a violated conscience?
* Is it more difficult than living with the poisons of war in your body and spirit?
Do what your heart says is right.
We plead with you, as Bishop Oscar Romero pleaded with Salvadoran troops saying: "No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God.
In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much and whose laments cry out to heaven, I beseech you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression!"
If you choose to leave the military, please know that our hearts and homes are open to you.
<www.officeoftheamericas.org>
And please listen to WORLD FOCUS this Sunday at 10:00 AM.
I was very impressed with a letter sent by Jonah House which is a center of heroic resistance to war. The letter is addressed to men and women in the military. Here is the text:
Brothers and sisters in the military: "Refuse to fight! Refuse to kill!
You are being ordered to war in the footsteps of veterans, who, more than ten years ago, were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Many of those vets returned with severe and unacknowledged illnesses. Many gave birth to severely deformed children and most were abandoned by the Veterans Administration.
You are being ordered to war by the most powerful nation on earth. You are being ordered to war by a nation with the most destructive weapons ever conceived, developed, deployed or used. You are being ordered to war by a nation whose self-acknowledged posture is that of world domination, mastery, and control. This nation has no moral justification for war.
We, the undersigned, are convinced that war is the greatest evil on earth. We believe that humankind must end war, or war will end humankind, and in fact, all of creation. Our convictions have driven us time and again to the Pentagon, White House and Congress in acts of civil resistance to war.
Now, we bring our plea to you, sisters and brothers, in the armed forces.
* Refuse to kill.
* Refuse the order to go to war.
* Leave the military before it is too late.
We know your resistance to war will be difficult and require great courage. But please reflect:
* Is it more difficult than fighting in war?
* Is it more difficult than being a pawn of corporate greed?
* Is it more difficult than living with a violated conscience?
* Is it more difficult than living with the poisons of war in your body and spirit?
Do what your heart says is right.
We plead with you, as Bishop Oscar Romero pleaded with Salvadoran troops saying: "No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God.
In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people who have suffered so much and whose laments cry out to heaven, I beseech you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression!"
If you choose to leave the military, please know that our hearts and homes are open to you.
<www.officeoftheamericas.org>
And please listen to WORLD FOCUS this Sunday at 10:00 AM.
