Preemptive Peace

I feel much anxiety toward the possibility of military action against Iran or North Korea.  I cannot imagine how the escalation of military action would play out, how many thousands, hundreds-of-thousands, millions would loose their lives in the end.

I can imagine, however, what the end result of diplomacy and peaceful resolution would be - a world in which each and every one of us is safer, more at ease, more peaceful.

So to that end, we CANNOT remain silent!

This madness must stop!

This administration knows no constraint, no end to the display of arrogance.

This administration has disrespected not only the American people who it is supposed to serve, but the entire world community.

I think I'm helpless and cannot change anything, yet I know that if I remain silent, I am condoning the actions of this administration. 

If I wait until after action has started, I have done nothing to help prevent it.  If I wait until AFTER action has started, it is too late.

Instead, I will make my voice heard.  I will speak up and by doing so, am asking each and every one of you to do the very same.

WE cannot remain silent!

This administration, for the first time in our history, preemptively attacked another nation, not only killing the armed forces of that nation, but unknown thousands of civilians.  A preemptive attack, and we stand at the doorway of yet another such action.  So BEFORE military action against Iran starts, I say let's wage a PREEMPTIVE PEACE.  This means now, starting today, we let our government and the world know that what we, the people, want is peace.  That we stand for, promote, encourage, and model peace.  That we let our leaders and representatives know we want diplomacy instead of demands, negotiation instead of negation, respect instead of rejection, and peace instead of provocation.

How do we do this?  In every possible way!  There are websites dedicated to signing petitions for peace, for letting your wishes be known about not wanting war.  These will be highlighted later.  In addition, there are suggested letters you can use to write to congress, senate and the president.  Please send as many as possible, and get your friends and neighbors involved, too.

I am reminded that peace takes work.  You know, its easy to drop a bomb on those you think are against you; it takes work, dedication and courage to sit down with your so-called adversary and come to an agreement, understanding and mutual respect.  I am reminded by the words of Oscar Arias Sanchez, from his 1987 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech:  "Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions by many people in many countries. It is an attitude, a way of life, a way of solving problems and resolving conflicts. It cannot be forced on the smallest nation or enforced by the largest. It cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests. It requires us to work and live together."

Let's work and live together for the betterment of the world.

-Len

Here are some actions you can take:

1. Sign the Peace Action "No War With Iran" petition online:

http://democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/Peaceact/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=358

Copy, print and mail the letter below to your representatives and Pres Bush.  Make copies for your friends and neighbors.

2. Watch the 3-minute video from American Friends Service Committee:

http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=UtCjGbf4ueAjaT-RfNysDQ

3. Sign the AFSC letter to Congress:

http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=jPJLMnkzmQGFCQ0yOBAvWA

4. Participate in the Peace Alliance goal to establish a Department of Peace; letter writing campaign to President Bush.

www.ThePeaceAlliance.org

5. Participate in the Vote For Peace Campaign:

Collect Signatures on the Voters for Peace Pledge: This pledge doesn't end on November 7th. Our work to turn this country toward peace is only beginning -- and will continue well into 2008! Collecting signatures is a first step toward keeping up the pressure for peace, and getting more people involved with your ongoing work.

To: US Senator and Congressman

I strongly oppose any U.S. military action against Iran. Such military action would inevitably kill large numbers of innocent people, foster even more hatred and international condemnation of the U.S., and dramatically increase the instability of the region. Our own intelligence agencies have concluded the Iraq war has worsened the terrorist threat, and a war against Iran would add immeasurably more fuel to the fire.

Even if Iran decided to build a nuclear weapon, experts agree that it would take several years.  There is no crisis, and our government should not create one with inflammatory rhetoric or military threats. The U.S. has both the time and obligation to work with the international community to fashion a diplomatic resolution to the situation, and the current refusal of U.S. officials to talk directly with Iranian officials cannot possibly help.

Therefore, I urge you to take all steps necessary to reach a peaceful resolution to the current situation, including direct negotiations without pre-conditions. This is the only way to prevent yet another war, one that would be a calamity of truly global proportions.

Respectfully,

 (sign your name and mail it to all your representatives, including Pres Bush)

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