I am anti-war

[kpete]

I am not anti-Zionist, anti-Lebanese, anti-Iranian or anti-Iraqi

I am not anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian or anti-African

I am not anti-European, anti-Russian, anti-Asian or Anti-American

I am not anti-Buddist, anti-Hindu, anti-Catholic or anti-Latino

I am not anti-Immigrant, anti-Agnostic, anti-New Age or anti-Wiccan

I am not anti-black, anti-White, anti-Brown, Red or Yellow

I am not anti-this or anti-that...

I am, however, anti-war


kpete

[stellanoir]

1. I'm with ya totally

Why is this so hard for some people to get through their clogged and befuddled crania. . .?

Is mind numbing really.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Can't we all just get along?

Can't we look at the situation with compassion for those who are suffering? Can't we discuss ideas of what can be done peacefully to try and ease tensions?

Thanks for posting, kpete.

[neojohnr]

3. I like it

politics and poetry are two of my favorites

[gratuitous]

4. I will fight

I WILL fight injustice.
I WILL fight hatred.
I WILL fight racism.
I WILL fight to make sure that everyone has what they need to live as God intends.
I JUST WON'T FIGHT TO KILL.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

5. I too am anti-war. I had higher hopes for humankind, but alas,

most of us are still wild animals.

Pity.

Peace

[DanCa]

6. I don't care who started this. I just want it too stop. K&R (nt)

[theHandpuppet]

15. Ditto that, DanCa!

K&R!!

[Klaxon]

7. I agree

And I feel that I must add that I am Anti-Authoritarianism as well.

[mmonk]

8. Ah

A thread I'm totally for and speaks for me.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. I'm with kpete

K & R

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Me too!

[ixion]

11. well said, kpete. I'm with you

:applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

[cigsandcoffee]

12. As long as you're anti war when the rockets go in the other direction...

...then I don't see a problem. But too often I see folks who claim to be "anti-war" make excuses for terrorist attacks against Israel because "that's the only choice left open to these poor, disaffected, and desperate people."

[Joe Fields]

13. And you sir are young and naiive. And I don't mean to disparage you.

Idealism is for the young. As you get older, you realize that you cannot change the dynamics of basic human behavior. Therefore, you can do little to nothing to change the world.

Fence sitters get steamrolled. As long as bad people do bad things to other people, wars must be fought. (I am definitely against our past involvement in Korea, Vietnam, and our present war.) But, there are times when war must be waged, and in the course of those tragic circumstances, innocents will die.

Hezbollah has been trying to destroy Israelis for decades. Palestinians didn't even want the land that Israel occupies, when Egypt and Jordan claimed it. The West Bank and Gaza were uninhabitable, until Israelis worked to drain swamps and make the land halfway livable.

You seem to be unable to even try and put yourself in the shoes of a people who have been persecuted for thousands of years, nearly wiped out by the Germans and warred against, since WWII. The arguments that this is not an excuse for their behavior doesn't hold up, because you cannot separate the mindset from the actions. If the countries that surrounded Israel had Israel's firepower, Israel would no longer exist. I do not excuse what appears to be the systematic destruction of Lebanon, but I do understand the mindset that has triggered Israel's actions. Israel needs to pause,, cease fire, allow the U.N. to step in and negotiate with Lebanon to drive Hezbollah out of their country. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that needs to be rooted out, and if Lebanon won't do it, either the U.N. must, or Israel will do so, under great human cost.

[kpete]

16. I am not what most would call "young"

I am not saying that war is NEVER justified,

I am just trying VERY HARD to say that I HATE what war has done to our planet.


I am old and wise enough to KNOW that wars have ALWAYS been fought

I am trying to say - I DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT.


I DO NOT LIKE WAR!!!

Isn't it okay to say this without having to take sides?

[Joe Fields]

22. By not condemning Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, you

lend legitimacy to their cause. It puts them on an equal footing with Israel, which is just plain wrongheaded.

[kpete]

23. Because I am anti-war

---does not mean
I am pro-anybody or anything that kills innocent humans, animals, plants, and our planet for that matter.

Yes, I am an idealist. I want this to end. Do I think it will anytime soon - NO F__KING WAY!

BUT, I will remain an idealist
Because - I must have hope...

kpete

[Mandate My Ass]

17. you said:

"I do not excuse what appears to be the systematic destruction of Lebanon,"

You could have stopped right there because that pretty much sums up what was stated in the OP. As progressives we can all put ourselves into the shoes of the persecuted, whoever they may be, hence the litany of "I'm not anti-abc, or anti-xyz." We're also anti-persecution, but we're evidently talking past each other.

[nosillies]

19. I think some of us would rather be steamrolled fence sitters any day

than responsible, directly or indirectly, for the death of any innocents.

[Joe Fields]

21. And that is your right. Don't expect too many people to follow, though.

It's not human nature.

[go west young man]

26. and in the process Israel will create more terrorists with

the killing that they do. Hence an endless cycle of stupidity. The children of those killed today are tomorrows terrorists. It goes nowhere. Killing is not the answer. The irony is that it's all these folks that believe in God (if there is one) so passionately that are destroying his creation, man and woman.

[liberalmuse]

14. That may be, but if you disagree with Israel's tactics...

This means you are an "Anti-Semite" or "Jew-Hater". Since when do we have to justify being horrified at an overwhelming act of agression towards a civilian population? Why do we have to apologize for being angry that our tax dollars are being used to blow apart human beings (in both Iraq and by Israel)? I'm disgusted with Israel, and the a-holes in Iraq who are now kidnapping and torturing their fellow citizens because of a belief system, and at being a citizen of the country that has pretty much obliterated Iraq so it's elite can put a few more million dollars in their already full bank accounts. I don't hate Jews. I hate homicidal assholes who want to continue the superstitions and tribal warfare that should have gone extinct thousands of years ago. I'm so sick of it all. The world has gone mad. A few years ago, I had hope that human civilization would evolve and choose peace, but that dream is being flushed down the crapper. Thank you, Mr. Bush. We started with great men like Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, etc. only to end up with this mass-murdering fucktard?

[nosillies]

18. Thank you

:applause:

[deaniac21]

20. You are anti-republican, surely...

[TreasonousBastard]

24. Yes, you speak my mind, and...

perhaps you might goggle around a bit for the Lamb's War, an old Quaker concept of fighting a war with spiritual weapons.

Sounds silly? Try this-- http://www.ufppc.org/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=2256&pop=1&page=0

Chuck Fager is the director of Quaker House, and a leading modern Quaker historian and thinker.

I am wandering about a bit from my Quaker home and talking with UUs and UCCs, who have recently become Peace Churches. It's easy to be a pacifist here and now, since the worst we can expect is a Homeland Security file and some hassles at the airport. Maybe someone giving us the finger for our bumper stickers.

But, there were Mennonites in Germany who maintained their pacifism as the Gestapo broke down their doors looking for hidden Jews. Quakers in England who remained pacifist as it rained bombs on London, and American Brethren who remained pacifists after Pearl Harbor. Most of us aren't tested like that, and we merrily go along on our idealistic way. But we have to learn from them how they survived, and how their fundamental pacifism helped in any small way.

These historic pacifists, who still fought slavery, injustice, and war, were not pushovers or fools.

[berni_mccoy]

25. Peace be with you kpete

peace

[hippywife]

27. Thank you, kpete and all the authors

of the recent peace threads. I've recommended each of them. It's time some sanity is injected into this argument. :hi: