July 08, 2005
Dear George
Dear George,
The problems faced by the world today are complex and will require complex solutions. We believe waging war against Iraq was an incredible misuse of power. As a result there are over 30,000 people dead, many more seriously injured and much of a country destroyed and in turmoil. We cannot invade countries because we are afraid. We must communicate our beliefs to those we disagree with and over time (possibly decades) we will come to an understanding and resolve our differences. If we fight a war to prevent a war, we've lost before we ever had a chance to win. To have peace is to win. To celebrate our commonalities and to discuss and understand our differences is to win. War is a failure of diplomacy and a failure of leadership to find peaceful solutions. People from all cultures are not that different. What we need is a fundamental shift in the ideology of our leaders. True bravery is being wronged and having the strength to forgive. If we wish to make peace with those that want to harm us then we must explore and remove the underlying motivations that fuel their aggression towards us. Positive change often takes a long time and may require lengthy discussions and many concessions on all sides. The strongest force must concede the most in order to bring balance and provide an example for others to follow. There will always be adversity, but how we react to it demonstrates our character. Acts of aggression polarize us while acts of kindness unite us.
In the words of a great leader, John F. Kennedy "Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. Those who make peaceful revolutions impossible will make violent revolutions inevitable." He also said "So, let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."
Yours truly,
Benjamin Rouse
Author: Benjamin Rouse
Posted on July 8, 2005 12:56 AM