The war achieves only senseless killing
Thank you, Greensboro, for hosting the "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit at The Depot Jan. 23-25, a truly inspired illustration of truth-telling. I will never enter that structure again without seeing the rows upon rows of empty boots and shoes of all shapes and sizes, representing the now more than 1,400 American lives and the tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens' lives lost during the current war.
Although well acquainted with the purpose and general facts of the exhibit prior to working a volunteer shift there, when I entered the main room I was overwhelmed with grief. To look upon tangible evidence of the lives actually lost was almost more than I could bear. As people moved reverently in and around these very personal memorials, we shared a silent understanding that this is not the way things are supposed to be.
This experience strengthens my belief that war, and particularly this pre-emptive war being fought under false assumptions, is a waste of human potential in monumental proportions.
We must end this senseless killing of God's precious children.
Kate Hood
Greensboro
Comments (4)
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The senseless killing is being done by the terrorists roaming around in Iraq and other parts of the world. Let's put the blame where its due, they are the ones committing the senseless killing and we are right in fighting them. If we will not fight back and defeat them, are we willing to allow them to win and further enslave the people of Iraq the way they did in Afghanistan? Trade Saddam for Taliban? War isn't pretty, but sometimes it is necessary and the cause of freedom is the most precious thing worth fighting for.
Posted on February 4, 2005 1:55 PM
DEAR KATE, YES, IT IS A PARADOX OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS THAT WAR RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE VERY NATURE OF HUMANS (AT THIS POINT IN OUR EVOLUTION), WAR IS UNAVOIDABLE WHEN WE, HUMANS, PUT FORTH THE EFFORT AND SACRIFICE TO FREE OTHER HUMANS FROM THE BONDAGE OF EVIL AND TYRANNY. PREEMPTION IS REQUIRED TO KEEPS THE "DOGS OF WAR" AWAY FROM OUR SOIL...AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE SENSELESS LOSS OF LIFE DURING 9/11. KATE, I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR SINCERE FEELINGS OF GRIEF FOR THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES FOR THE FREEDOM OF IRAQIS (AND SUBSEQUENT FREE MIDDLE EASTERNS)AND FOR THE CONTINUED FREEDOMS OF AMERICANS. IN YOUR HEART, PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT:
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. IT IS PAID FOR BY THOSE WILLING TO DO WHAT IS VITAL TO PROTECT FREEDOM AND BY THOSE WHO SUPPORT THOSE BRAVE EFFORTS.
Posted on February 4, 2005 3:06 PM
Senseless killing is indeed a horrible thing. And the sooner we eliminate the terrorists the sooner they will cease their senseless killing of innocent civilians.
Kate, would you allow a murderer to kill your family rather than "senselessly" kill him in self-defense to save your loved ones?
Posted on February 4, 2005 6:07 PM
Thank you all for your postings - I have waited several days to respond because I only want to do it once. It would take too much time to answer each one in full, but suffice it to say that my pacifism is based on my Christian faith and the example of people like Martin Luther King, who actually achieved positive change non-violently. Having never been severely tested, I don't know exactly how I would react if I or a loved one were in mortal danger, but a real person I admire did talk a murderer out of harming him, so it is sometimes possible.
I believe that there has to be a better way to solve problems than to kill each other. It has never made sense to me that we kill people to show them that killing is wrong. That just becomes an endless, senseless cycle of violence. Yes, terrorists are certainly engaged in senseless killing, but so are we. "We" all need to end it!
Human beings put an end to the centuries-old practice of slavery; could we possibly be intelligent enough to someday find that we can abolish war? I sincerely hope so.
Posted on February 10, 2005 10:35 PM