I realize that by acknowledging and especially by writing about this, i’m basically saying i should get off my ass for this… But i would be remiss if i didn’t say what was on my mind.
As I write this, the United States is involved in ten distinct military conflicts (although several of those are part of the larger War on Terror).
Ten.
Several of those conflicts are nearly ten years old, and one of them began as recently as five months ago.
I’m not up on current news — Netflix doesn’t give me the news, nor do I take the paper — but it seems as though most people I know — including myself — have accepted these wars as status quo.
Hell, i had never even heard of Operation Odyssey Dawn, but it’s been underway since March, never mind the War on Terror, which is twice as old as our kindergartener.
But where are the peace protesters? Where is the anti-war movement? Where are the Dr. King’s & Ghandis of this generation?
I know my circle of influence is smallish, but i don’t recall war even being a topic of conversation for at least a couple of years now.
Have we learned to ignore it? Or have we been conditioned to accept it as necessary?
As normal?
I take back what I said about not recently hearing any war conversation; that’s not entirely true. I have heard folks condemn the antiwar Wikileaks rather vehemently.
Our streets are not lined with propaganda posters, so how has this predominately Christian nation so thoroughly accepted the ongoing conflicts with nary a whisper of offense?
People are dying, and we concern ourselves with homosexuality, economics, abortion, the rights and limits of government, and so forth.
People. Are. Dying.
On the list of priorities, that seems like it should be right there at the top. End the wars. Now.
Consider this: By my estimate, the United States has enjoyed only around twenty-one years of peace. Twenty-one.
America has been at peace for less than ten percent of its history.
Maybe war & conflict is status quo after all.
Blessed are the peacemakers…