Monday, November 11, 2013

Musings: On Armistice, Peace

It's my favorite kind of weather, with the trees sighing and shaking, rain splattering against windows, squalls floating across the mountains like lacy curtains opening and closing, all driven by a ferocious wind that reminds us nature is bigger and tougher than all of us, though not our enemy.

Happy Veteran's Day,” I said to my favorite kupuna, 95-year-old Miss Gennii, one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, back in World War II.

I remember when it was called Armistice Day,” she said with some distress.

Most people don't. Most people don't remember the horrific “War to End All Wars,” which left 20 million dead, nor do they remember the ceremony on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 that officially marked its end, at least on Europe's western front.


Nor do they remember the resolution that Congress passed on June 4, 1926:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed.

[This day] should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations."

Another act of Congress, approved May 13, 1938, made Nov. 11 a federal holiday, "dedicated to the cause of world peace.”

But all that changed after the slaughter of World War II, which left 50 to 70 million people dead, followed closely by the Korean War. In 1954, during the height of the “cold war,” Armistice Day and its crucial emphasis on peace became Veterans Day, a time to honor everyone who participated in military service.

Which is fine, they should be honored for their service, their sacrifice.

But in an era when the U.S. is still waging a full-on hot war in Afghanistan and drone wars in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and who knows where else; fighting its own citizens in the decades-old war on drugs, and engaged in an unending battle with a nebulous enemy under the catch-all “war on terror,” don't we need at least one day dedicated to peace — to the attainment of peace through good will and mutual understanding — more urgently than ever before?

In the absence of an official holiday or celebration, I'll share these words from Peace Pilgrim, a woman who “lived to give, rather than get,” and walked thousands of miles over 28 years, spreading a message of peace:

"When an evil is attacked, the evil mobilizes, although it may have been weak and unorganized before, and therefore the attack gives it validity and strength. When there is no attack, but instead good influences are brought to bear upon the situation, not only does the evil tend to fade away, but the evildoer tends to be transformed. The positive approach inspires; the negative approach makes angry. When you make people angry, they act in accordance with their baser instincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people, they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly and rationally. Also, anger is transient, whereas inspiration sometimes has a life-long effect.

Or as she stated, even more succinctly:

"This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, 
and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love."

Because, of course, world peace begins within.

Mahalo to my friend Mollie Osborn for sharing Peace Pilgrim's book with me.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some men just want to see the world burn.

No amount of love and inspiration will impact their behavior.

Combined with the persuasive power of money, charisma and a real or invented "common cause" masses of people will be persuaded to follow.

Love does not conquer all. There are too many psychopaths among us, from country leaders to the people next door.

Anonymous said...

"When there is no attack, but instead good influences are brought to bear upon the situation, not only does the evil tend to fade away, but the evildoer tends to be transformed."

No ideology - including the ideology of pacifism - is right for all circumstances. Love did not overcome the Nazis, and the ones who tried it were slaughtered. The diplomatic approach was tried from 1936-39, and not only did the evil not fade away, it strengthened so greatly that it took the lives of 50 million people instead of the 50 thousand people it would have taken to stop it in 1936. Put a religious fanatic up against a pacifist, and all the pacifist's tools will be useless against the fantatic's beliefs. Probably most of the time love will conquer all -you just have to know that sometimes it won't.

Anonymous said...

I hear what you're saying but true diplomacy was not used in 1936-39. That was appeasement, with France, England and US hoping the Germans would knock out the Russians.

Anonymous said...

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
George Orwell
Wars start because someone wants to take your stuff, and you want to keep your stuff.

Anonymous said...

THOUSANDS OUTSIDE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE 14TH! LET'S DO IT!!!!

Anonymous said...

"Wars start because someone wants to take your stuff, and you want to keep your stuff."

Thus has been the human condition from the start and shall be forever after.

Mankind is basically bad, but most try to be good and fail a lot of the time.

Mankind is not basically good but some fight against this and become bad.

We shall be as we've always been until all is ended.

Just find a personally comfortable spot to watch life's grand pageant pass by.

And embrace the horror.

Anonymous said...

war is only necessary within the very unevolved paradigm of empire

Anonymous said...

And there will always be empire builders.t

Face it...we cannot "just get along" for more than short periods of time.

Look at the hundreds of "mini-wars" that have taken place all over the world through time and the extremely few short periods where the entire world had no wars going on anywhere. No "empire" thinking there.

Anonymous said...

I have known people who tried to build empires in their neighborhoods. Plenty unevolved reptilians brains still out there. Our job is to contain them, not put them in positions of power.

Anonymous said...

A word of hope to the neo-violent anti-GMOers, the Bolsheviks in Russia and Castro's commies won their revolutions with only 200 followers when they tipped their countries over. Of course, the Bolsheviks didn't declare war, but they did kill approx 50 million of their fellow countrymen through "law and order".
-There is something to that old saying that hate injures the hater, not the hated.-
Peace Pilgrim

Anonymous said...

We're all fucked.

Just accept it and enjoy the ride.

I do from my so-far "impregnable fortress".

I'll probably die before the circliing-the-drain ends in "the big flush", but I certainly will have enjoyed the ride.

Anonymous said...

Yup. A million little fists are still a million fists.

Anonymous said...

My fave war quotation, edited for 2013:

"War is old men and women talking, and young men and women dying"

Epic of Troy The Illiad HOMER-updated by me.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

A word of hope to the neo-violent anti-GMOers, the Bolsheviks in Russia and Castro's commies won their revolutions with only 200 followers when they tipped their countries over. Of course, the Bolsheviks didn't declare war, but they did kill approx 50 million of their fellow countrymen through "law and order".
-There is something to that old saying that hate injures the hater, not the hated.-
Peace Pilgrim

November 12, 2013 at 4:24 PM

Why what a lovely sentiment. So you are calling unarmed Men, Women, and Children, peacefully marching and assembling, although occasionally emotional, like when someone cries under the age of seven, and needs to go to the bathroom, or people get outraged with antics they see when the cameras are off in council chambers, stuff like that. yes, the citizens of Kaua'i are exactly like you have portrayed them. Oh wait. That whole mass killing off of people already happened. It is called the Hawaiian Genocide. Now, Hawaiians are standing up for the 'Aina, and other good stuff. But wait, don't let me stop your rant, you were sounding so lucid, coherant and sane. where have you been sleeping, under a rock? Get a grip on yourself for God sakes! Please...get help...seriously.

Anonymous said...

Miss Gennii, whose last name is the one I use when I want the pizza guy to spell correctly (while still maintaining my ethnicity!), is an old friend of mine.
I'm glad to know you have had the pleasure of her amazing company!
Regards,
Pete Antonson

Joan Conrow said...

Yes, Pete, she's an inspiration to me and many others!