The Great CR Peace-nik Sit-in

During the beginning of Gulf War II the sequel, I had the benefit of working downtown DC adjacent to the White House. James Twyman organized Peace Vigil's on the Ellipse at noon. I was able to go over during my lunch hour and sit or stand in the circle bathing the White House and executive office building with positive thoughts and energy, prayers for good decisions. As we realize that we create our world with our thoughts and attitudes it becomes apparant that by indicating someone or some body of individuals has certain positive or negative traits we influence that outcome of being true. Rarely were there over 30 people holding the space of positivity while the US and the world we sending completely devisive energy....hard to overcome the collective consciousness it is...(bad affirmation/cancel that)....be the change.
 
wil said:
During the beginning of Gulf War II the sequel, I had the benefit of working downtown DC adjacent to the White House. James Twyman organized Peace Vigil's on the Ellipse at noon. I was able to go over during my lunch hour and sit or stand in the circle bathing the White House and executive office building with positive thoughts and energy, prayers for good decisions. As we realize that we create our world with our thoughts and attitudes it becomes apparant that by indicating someone or some body of individuals has certain positive or negative traits we influence that outcome of being true. Rarely were there over 30 people holding the space of positivity while the US and the world we sending completely devisive energy....hard to overcome the collective consciousness it is...(bad affirmation/cancel that)....be the change.
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Excellent post wil. I so agree that we create our world with our thoughts and attitudes. You know, I can't say that I agree with our President about many things, but he was elected to lead and I pray for him and for all of our world's leaders and soldiers.

Now that we are a couple of weeks into this sit-in, I'd like say why I started this thread. It was three years ago that I saw our country rumbling slowly but surely along the path to an invasion in Iraq. I was frightened by the rhetoric, but I still did not feel we had good cause to enter that country. Now that we are in Iraq I do not think it's right to leave until there is some sort of stability established, although sometimes I wonder how that will ever come to be, and how we will ever be able to disentagle ourselves. I fully supoort our troops over there doing the necessary work, and I pray for them daily as well. I hope that in the end we leave it better than we found it.

Today I see the same thing happening with Iran. There are rumors and fear-mongering going on trying to drum up support for a war there. Perhaps the signs are not as clear as they were for Iraq, but the rhetoric is there and growing. There are problems in Iran, problems that threaten the region and problems that are hurting the citizens of that country. But I do not think that the answer is to keep going to war, bombing the heck out of the place, sending our children over there to kill and die or come back wounded one way or another. There has got to be another way, and I believe that way is going to involve some sacrifice of power and wealth on our part.

And I just wanted to say that.
 
You guys send out the positive thoughts, I'm too angry. I hope, I hope, I hope the Dems take back at least the house in November.

Chris
 
Namaste Lunamoth,

just an aside... the invasion of Iraq and all of the Middle East, for that matter, has been something which the United States military has been planning for quite a bit of time. in what seems to be a life time ago, i was personally involved in drawing up said plans.

the United States, and other militaries around the world, plan invasion scenarios for nearly every other nation on the globe. this is a time tested method of strategic planning which is found advocated in several Taoist texts on martial strategy.

it just occurs to me that i should start a different thread to complete the rest of my thoughts on this.

sorry for the tangent :)

metta,

~v
 
Vajradhara said:
Namaste Lunamoth,

just an aside... the invasion of Iraq and all of the Middle East, for that matter, has been something which the United States military has been planning for quite a bit of time. in what seems to be a life time ago, i was personally involved in drawing up said plans.

the United States, and other militaries around the world, plan invasion scenarios for nearly every other nation on the globe. this is a time tested method of strategic planning which is found advocated in several Taoist texts on martial strategy.

it just occurs to me that i should start a different thread to complete the rest of my thoughts on this.

sorry for the tangent :)

metta,

~v
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Hello Vaj,

That does not suprise me. I'm sure that our military has plans for lots and lots of scenarios, probably including invasion by interplanetary aliens (I'm not joking). What worries me is when the propaganda starts to leak into the media. This signals that these plans might soon become reality and the public is being prepared for it.

Your Cambodia thread has certainly hit home for me but I do not think I will be replying in that thread. It is so tempting to think yes, lets send in the troops and save those people <start sarcasm> because that has worked so well for us the past <end sarcasm.> I think there are times when that is the right thing to do and your Cambodia example may be one of them, but it really needs to be a united world effort. The current example in Darfur shows just how complicated these cases can be. Not only are some of the 'big gun' countries like Russia, the USA, France, and Britain tied up with conflicting interests, but the surrounding African nations are ambivalent about stopping the violence.

It's not a matter of preventing war. Sadly, the wars are already started. What is needed is a strategy for peace. And that's going to take some sacrifice on our part.

lunamoth
 
"To everything There is a season And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything There is a season And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything
There is a season
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything
There is a season And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!"

the Byrds, inspired by the Book of Ecclesiastes

my sentiments

v/r

Q
 
lunamoth said:
...It's not a matter of preventing war. Sadly, the wars are already started. What is needed is a strategy for peace. And that's going to take some sacrifice on our part.

lunamoth
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The war never ended, not since 1914. (oh my G-d, where have I seen that date before) :rolleyes:

There has been interludes, and regrouping. There has been big countries going against big countries. There has been big countries fighting eachother with little countries doing the dirty work. This will go down in history as the latest hundred years war (if we survive that long). There is one more war to be fought. It will not be stopped, as history has shown us, top dog must be established with man. Even here in this thread, there is anger and promise of retribution. Man is not a peaceful being. Or else he is, and will stop at nothing to regain that sense of peace.

It is far easier for a civil man to act the barbarian, than it is for the barbaric man to act civilized...the difference is only in the aftermath of the battle. Only the civil man will cry for what happened, because he knows what was lost and grieves for that loss...

my thoughts

v/r

Q
 
Quahom1 said:
The war never ended, not since 1914. (oh my G-d, where have I seen that date before) :rolleyes:

There has been interludes, and regrouping. There has been big countries going against big countries. There has been big countries fighting eachother with little countries doing the dirty work. This will go down in history as the latest hundred years war (if we survive that long). There is one more war to be fought. It will not be stopped, as history has shown us, top dog must be established with man. Even here in this thread, there is anger and promise of retribution. Man is not a peaceful being. Or else he is, and will stop at nothing to regain that sense of peace.

It is far easier for a civil man to act the barbarian, than it is for the barbaric man to act civilized...the difference is only in the aftermath of the battle. Only the civil man will cry for what happened, because he knows what was lost and grieves for that loss...

my thoughts

v/r

Q
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Thank you for your words here Q. I think you and China Cat are the only two posting so far that have actually seen battle, and Vaj apparently has also been involved in the military.

I appreciate that the relative security my family and I have comes at the expense of other's lives. War does seem to be part of our nature and constantly with us as your quote from Ecclesiastes says. I refuse to believe that war is our only choice, our only destiny. And I absolutely refuse to believe that war is good. Just because there can be great human virtue expressed in the midst of war does not mean that war itself is a virtue. Fighting for our lives and the lives of others is sometimes a necessary evil, and those who come home deserve honor (most of them), but war is not something to be sought or glorified.
 
Vajradhara said:
Namaste lunamoth,

there is no strategy for peace, peace is the strategy.

metta,

~v
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In order to have peace, there must be agreement between the parties involved. We can have the sit-ins, bed peace, set ourselves afire, stand in front of tanks, and stomp around Washington with our peace signs all we want, but how much does this really influence those actually involved in the peace process?
 
Dondi said:
In order to have peace, there must be agreement between the parties involved. We can have the sit-ins, bed peace, set ourselves afire, stand in front of tanks, and stomp around Washington with our peace signs all we want, but how much does this really influence those actually involved in the peace process?
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Namaste Dondi,

seemingly, very little. of course, there doesn't seem to be any sort of objective measurement by which we could really determine these things. perhaps an individual is greatly influenced yet, due to various factors, cannot initate the changes that they would like.

from our point of view, no action is no action.

metta,

~v
 
Dondi said:
In order to have peace, there must be agreement between the parties involved. We can have the sit-ins, bed peace, set ourselves afire, stand in front of tanks, and stomp around Washington with our peace signs all we want, but how much does this really influence those actually involved in the peace process?
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I think it does influence the process. Now marching and screaming epithats that promote violence (I've seen too much of this in peace marches) to me has a negative affect. But peaceful nonviolent opposition...makes people think. And sometimes those folks may respect the methodology, may consider taking part...and as it grows more consider the options...

It may take two parties to create peace...but it also takes two parties to decide to fight. Isn't it possible to point to Switzerland? Or the achievement of Ghandi and MLK to see that drastic changes can happen even if the majority are not for it?
 
Peace...is when one soldier throws a turkey (cooked), into the trench of the enemy on Christmas Eve, and the enemy responds by throwing a bottle of congac back...the next thing you know, they're all standing in no-mans land exchanging chocolates, pictures, stories and games of soccer, while the opposing Generals blow their stacks in rage...;)

That is peace, even if for one day.

v/r

Q
 
Yes, I have some acquaintances that have had stories of encounters, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia....all of which interestingly enough are when solo or small groups encountered the opposite side...both lost or off trail away from the larger contigent...and worked together till one was ready to head back...none ever knew who they were with...most had complete language barrier...all walked away with fond memories of the encounter...
 
Quahom1 said:
Peace...is when one soldier throws a turkey (cooked), into the trench of the enemy on Christmas Eve, and the enemy responds by throwing a bottle of congac back...the next thing you know, they're all standing in no-mans land exchanging chocolates, pictures, stories and games of soccer, while the opposing Generals blow their stacks in rage...;)

That is peace, even if for one day.

v/r

Q
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Excellent story Q. Like war, peace starts with small steps.

luna
 
lunamoth said:
Excellent story Q. Like war, peace starts with small steps.

luna
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;) 24 December 1914, when WW I stopped for a day...it is historical fact. :D

v/r

Q
 
Dondi said:
In order to have peace, there must be agreement between the parties involved. We can have the sit-ins, bed peace, set ourselves afire, stand in front of tanks, and stomp around Washington with our peace signs all we want, but how much does this really influence those actually involved in the peace process?
Click to expand...

We can't control the larger picture, but we can resolve to be a chanel for peace in our own lives. As in the prayer attributed to St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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luna
 
lunamoth said:
Ciel, I am grateful for your peaceful spirit and approach. I pray you remain steadfast in this. At the same time I think it is right to express anger at injustice, and it is important to face very clearly the reasons we are opposed to war.

If we gloss over the brutality of war and detach it from the cold hard violence and the practical evil manifested during war it seems like we are opposing merely an idea. Well, just go look at Juantoo3's thread on the Warrior Philosophe' to see what can happen when war becomes just a philosophy. When you are not faced with the torn bodies and broken souls it's all too easy to say war has an upside, a benefit to humankind. When all is ideology someone at the top has an easier time sending your children off to die on the bloody fields, or drop the bomb from afar. It is all to easy to forget flesh and blood.

luna
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This I quoted is from June 8, 2006. This thread began May 26, 2006.

Kum ba Yah.

This is my first post in this long buried thread, but this was a crucial thread to my way of thinking.

Lots of old friends here. Lunamoth, Path of One, China Cat Sunflower, Dondi, Dauer. Flowperson. InLove. I never responded back then...and the only one here that understood (that wasn't Q) was Ciel.

June 6, 2006 I wrote the Warrior Philosophe.

I feel that is one of my better works; it made my point regarding people demanding "peace" in violent ways...Ciel understood perfectly. China Cat had a pretty good understanding too. Q lived it, daily. Pay attention to who attacked whom...
 
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