War didn't begin with the American Revolution, nor did it end there; many soldiers who fought against the British rose up in "Shay's Rebellion" against wealthy colonists who were taking their land and throwing them into debtors prison. Soon after, another war against the British erupted.
Then came the Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War and War in the Philippines. And then, the so-called "war to end all wars", WWI, soon followed by WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War and now, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Spaced among this long sad bloody list of war after war after war, were several slave uprisings, a long drawn-out war against Native populations and many smaller wars and battles. There have also been many "uprisings" within the U.S. population, including mob murder of African-Americans, Irish, Jews, Mormons, Chinese, Latinos, adult and even, child workers on strike.
Yet today, after all this bloodshed, we find ourselves at war, yet again. In spite of the overwhelming historical evidence, a morally bankrupt American population remains quick on the trigger and very slow to understand, that war will never "secure the peace". Is President Obama acting any wiser than Bush by continuing to stay the course in Iraq and increase troop levels in Afghanistan?
Some people claim Gandhi was wrong because he ended up a martyr. Yet, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez and a great many others claim to have been inspired by him. Did Gandhi lose in the great historical war between pro and anti-human rights forces, the only war that really matters?
According to Jesus, the solution to war is to put down our swords. A small child can easily grasp this crystal clear logic of Jesus, yet we find people today pretending to follow him, who still promote war as the solution to somehow secure the peace. The life of Jesus has inspired millions of people to promote peace and goodwill. Thus, he won a far, far, far greater victory than all of the military generals in history combined.
It is entirely logical, that if I promote peace and goodwill, I will help humanity and leave a positive legacy for others to emulate. It is likewise, entirely logical that if I promote war as a solution, I will hurt humanity and extend the trail of tears for others to emulate.
We as individuals have little choice what our leaders or other people do. However, we each have a personal choice to make, to either stand up for peace and goodwill or, to bow to peer pressure and promote war and other violence.
It takes courage to stand up against one's own society, which is why Isaiah and Jesus continue to be revered by millions. It takes only a victim of societal pressure to promote war. It is mature to promote peace and goodwill; it is childish, historically and patently absurd to promote anything else.
Is Obama any smarter than Bush? You decide.
