Peace (And The Lack Thereof)
In JFK's "Strategy of Peace" speech given on June 10, 1963 he had this to say about the United States involvement in helping to bring about world peace:
"What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women-not merely peace in our time but peace for all time."
Today a treaty on banning cluster bombs has been signed by over one hundred countries. And, to no one's surprise, the U.S. government has refused to sign the treaty. I specifically say "the U.S. government" because I can tell you that I am one of many U.S. citizens that vehemently disagrees with this governments decision to not sign the treaty.
It saddens me to realize that a government as oppressive and violent as the one that rules over the U.S. is often seen as some kind of worldwide representation for what it's citizens believe. This government, for the most part, does not represent me nor my interests.
This is, in large part, why I choose to stay as far outside of this system as I am comfortable with at this point in time (that comfort level is being expanded on a fairly consistent basis hence allowing me to venture further and further away from the insane ideologies that many Americans have allowed themselves to believe in and live by). My hope is that I will one day be able to live my life as a complete outsider (within a community of other outsiders) of the despotic government and hollow culture I am surrounded by.
The journey continues...
"What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women-not merely peace in our time but peace for all time."
Today a treaty on banning cluster bombs has been signed by over one hundred countries. And, to no one's surprise, the U.S. government has refused to sign the treaty. I specifically say "the U.S. government" because I can tell you that I am one of many U.S. citizens that vehemently disagrees with this governments decision to not sign the treaty.
It saddens me to realize that a government as oppressive and violent as the one that rules over the U.S. is often seen as some kind of worldwide representation for what it's citizens believe. This government, for the most part, does not represent me nor my interests.
This is, in large part, why I choose to stay as far outside of this system as I am comfortable with at this point in time (that comfort level is being expanded on a fairly consistent basis hence allowing me to venture further and further away from the insane ideologies that many Americans have allowed themselves to believe in and live by). My hope is that I will one day be able to live my life as a complete outsider (within a community of other outsiders) of the despotic government and hollow culture I am surrounded by.
The journey continues...
posted by Corey at 4:32 PM
1 Comments:
What stuns me most is the insistence of the present (and hopefully soon former) government that their way is in line with American political tradition and the ideals of the "founding fathers", and indeed that they are the only "real" Americans ....what!?
Apparently MLK, Eisenhower's farewell speech, Teddy Roosevelt's environmentalism, and the above speech by JFK are not part of the American heritage then.
well, keep writing ... and here's to stepping outside the lines.
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