Pax

Before the Iraq war started, I sent an email to a number of people and informed them of my intent to stand on a local street corner every Sunday from noon until one until the madness passed. That first Sunday I approached the corner with a lot of fear and a "No Iraq War" sign and to my relief, I was joined by 5 other stalwart souls. My inspiration was the Women in Black of Palestine, whose 20 year protest of the occupation had earned them a Nobel Peace Prize. But from the beginning, it was clear that this wasn't going to be a silent protest, and soon the corner became a place for likeminded folks to talk to someone who thought this mess in the middle east was going to be a disaster. It wasn't long before the growing group attracted attention and spawned another group of corner standers - patriotic Americans who felt the need to counter our message with their own. And "the corner" took on a life of it's own.

"The Corner" turned five this past October, but it did so without me. I removed myself from the conflict over two years ago and have really never looked back. Most of the people out there now don't know who I am and I'm more than okay with that. I know that to some I gave up on the cause. I have been asked outright if I'm doing anything at all. This is another way of saying "if you aren't with us, you're against us," I'm afraid, but I don't take it personally. I just stopped buying into the idea of "us" and "them." I've come to see that it's just us. Period.

I don't imagine that it's an easy thing to stop seeing someone else as pigheaded if they don't agree with you. I don't pretend that I don't have opinions. I just don't assume that my opinion is "right" and that makes every other opinion "wrong." I try to practice respect. That is something sorely missing on that corner. Trying to see all people as equally deserving of respect often puts me at odds with almost everyone. It's the moral equivalent of Switzerland. Nobody hates Switzerland, but nobody loves them either. Neutrality makes you no ones friend.

It is lonely to refuse to participate in "us" against "them." It isn't easy. It's tempting to wax eloquent on the sanctity of life and then feel superior to those who think we should wipe our enemies off the face of the earth and be done with it. But all the senselessness of war is based on the idea that this ideology is better than that one. All the death comes of wanting power over someone. All the killing is done by the righteous.

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.