Tonight I am saying a few words at a Peace Vigil here in Boulder(checkout what is going in in your community - see links below for information) in sad memory of 5 years at war in Iraq. I sat down to write out ideas for my talk and this is what came out:
I walked in protest before this war started.
I walk in protest again tonight now five years later.
I ask myself, how has this human insanity called war been allowed to continue?
I find myself wanting to blame our President and Vice President for they are the heartless egos that have created this mess.
I also want to blame the Congress because they have lacked the courage to hold this administration accountable.
But I must end the blaming for it is a non-peaceful way.
Blame after all means I don’t take any responsibility.
Instead I must ask myself, how can I be more peaceful in my thoughts, in my actions, and in my heart?
How can I have more compassion for those who see the world differently than I do?
How can I better understand the suffering of the world?
How can I better walk on the planet and do no harm?
How can I allow my higher nature to guide me to be a more peaceful and loving human being?
How can I better realize that we are all connected as members of the human race and that the misguided ways of my brothers and sisters in DC challenges me to expand what is possible in me so that I might lift them up.
Please look inside – You and I have the power to change the world.
That will be my brief talk tonight. It is different than most peace talks because it invites those participating to move from blame to responsibility. The reason that is important is that in blame we feel helpless, more like a victim. If instead we focus on taking responsibility that means we have the ability to respond. Sure none of us wants to feel like we are responsible for such an awful thing as war but unfortunately the fact is, we the people did not stop it from happening nor have we interceded in a way to stop it these five years. It is important to assign no guilt here to not stopping the war, rather to see that there is potential in us that needs to be expressed if we are to bring about change.
Yes of course there are things to do: beginning with hold Congress responsible, talking to others and getting them involved, writing letters to newspapers and your elected officials, getting involved in groups like MoveOn.org, UnitedforPeace.org and my small peace org Peace-Together.com, start your own blog and much more.
Yes if we come together we can make a difference.