The Evil of War

The Evil of War

Postby Oscar » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:10 pm

Sent for publishing on January 5, 2009

To the Editor,

The Evil of War

On the eve of the New Year, St. Paul's in Saskatoon sponsored a "Peace" Assembly. January 1st, 2009 would be the 42nd year designated as a World Day of Peace.

This Year of Peace had hardly begun when the world received the news of the inexcusable military exchange between Palestinians firing rockets into Israel and the deadly bombing by the Israeli Air Force, followed by the ground invasion of Gaza.

Peace is more than just the absence of modern day warfare. But war is clearly deliberate and obvious.

Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, whom many have named the Prince of Peace.

It is almost 2000 years since the birth of Christ. Looking back through the centuries, a great sadness fills our hearts for the millions of humans beings - men, women and children - who have been killed, tortured or mutilated, but also for the millions who have participated in that slaughter, or have allowed that to happen through omission.

Throughout the centuries, there have been many others, who, in their yearning for peace for all people on Earth, wondered and even proposed suggestions about what could be done to avert the cruelty and heartlessness of war. I will quote only a few of these famous people, not necessarily in historical order. Dear readers, I hope their wisdom will make it possible for us to see war for what it really is - the wanton diminishment and the desire to kill those we decide are our enemies, or simply to seek power over other human beings.

"What kind of a society is it when someone is left defeated? What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is made in the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy? What is a war criminal? Was war not a crime against God and humanity, and therefore, were not all those who sanctioned, engineered and conducted wars, war criminals?

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty." - Ghandi - assassinated in 1948.

" People have been horrified by war to a sufficient extent. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige as the warrior does today." – John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

"Our only hope lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit is to go into the sometimes hostile world, declaring hostility to poverty, racism and militarism" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The pioneers of a warless world are the youth that refute military service." - Albert Einstein

"To fight poverty is to build peace." - Pope Benedict XVI - January 1, 2009

Leo Kurtenbach,
Box 268, Cudworth, Sask., S0K 1B0
Phone: 256-3638.
Oscar
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Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

War is Evil - Part 2

Postby Oscar » Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:13 pm

War is Evil - Part 2

July 8, 2009

To the Editor,

Canada has a Department of Defence.

At this time in our history, perhaps the title of our military forces should be The Department of International Offence.

In researching David Orchard's book, The Fight for Canada, I learned that it is 196 years ago since Canada was invaded by another nation. And that took place at the Battle of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams, June 5-6, 1813. The 3500 America troops were told by their military leaders that Canada would be a push-over. However, 700 Canadian and British troops surprised the Americans in a counter attack and drove them out of the region of the Niagara Peninsula.

The above was not the first attack on Canada, but it was the last American military invasion. Since then, American efforts to control Canada have been carried out through economic means. More relatively recent endeavours have been negotiated with the help of the Mulroney government through the FTA and NAFTA which was ultimately not disputed by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien. However, in his political wisdom, Mr. Chretien would not send Canadian troops to assist in the war against Iraq.

The 1990, US invasion of Iraq was followed by the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, which included NATO forces. And then, in 2003, the bombing of Baghdad preceded ground attacks by mainly American and British troops.

Despite the brutality and warmongering of leaders like Saddam Hussien and Osama bin Laden - allegedly responsible for 9/11 - the primary reason we are at war in the Middle East is to secure access or control of their oil-rich resources.

Since 2003, over 1 million Iraqi civilians and insurgents have been killed. Approximately 4,321 American soldiers have been sacrificed for oil. One hundred and twenty-four Canadians have died in Afghanistan in support of US military objectives. Thousands on both sides of this horrendous war still suffer physical and mental injuries.

Canada is a democratic nation, therefore we the citizens, [perhaps without full knowledge] are complicit in aiding the war in the Middle East.

For example, between 2003/05, Canada's military exports to Afghanistan amounted to about $5 billion. For the same period, military exports to Iraq amounted to almost $5 billion.

So much for Canada's tarnished global reputation as peace-keepers! War
is evil.

Leo Kurtenbach
Box 268, Cudworth, Sask., S0K 1BO
Phone 256 3638
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm


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