Cindy Sheehan: Imagine Peace

[Hissyspit]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/04/4302

Imagine Peace
by Cindy Sheehan

Imagine all the people, living life in peace/
John Winston Ono Lennon
October 9, 1940-December 8, 1980

A dream you dream alone is only a dream/
A dream you dream together is reality.
Yoko Ono Lennon

On October 9th, on what would have been John Lennon’s 67th birthday, his widow, Yoko Ono is dedicating a peace tower in Reykjavik, Iceland in the memory of her husband. There will also be almost a half a million peace wishes buried in capsules around the tower which is a blue tower of light extending up to the sky above us.

I received the link to the Imagine Peace website while I was on a layover in the airport in Las Vegas, Nv. Still reeling from the reports of hundreds, if not thousands of Burmese monks and other humans being slaughtered for protesting against their oppressive government, it was hard for me to watch all the people sitting hypnotized at the slot machines, pulling the handles or pushing the buttons as if the world is not going to hell in George’s hand basket. The dichotomy of business as usual in America compared with genocides in Darfur and Iraq while I am still and always will be mourning my son makes me dizzy sometimes.

- snip -

First of all, imagine a world with no religion. A world where sick and evil people could not manipulate the masses into believing that the set of myths and beliefs that they profess are more important or powerful than the other’s set of myths or beliefs. Israelis could not (with the help of Christian extremists) tell Palestinians that it is okay to occupy them or kill them so that the Jews could claim their “Promised Land.” Land promised to whom by whom? Muslims could not proclaim “jihad” against infidels. There would have been no Nazi holocaust against Jews; no Crusades; no holocaust against our own native population; no black slavery justified by the Christian scriptures; no George Bush saying that his Christian God is like a mob-boss ordering him to “hit” the world. Imagine that!

Secondly, imagine no countries. No jingoistic worship of banners made of mere cloth (not spun gold) or arrogant nationalism that gives leaders the right to kill other human beings just because they do not happen to live within the same false borders that were artificially drawn many years ago by empires that have long ago fallen. In this homeland-istic fervor it is especially correct to kill those other people if they are not the same religion as the religion of your state (and don’t kid yourself that the US does not have a state sanctioned religion). Imagine no armies that in reality kill and get killed for the imperialistic neo-liberalism that has crept around our globe like a flesh eating bacteria since the Reagan years. Imagine that.

- snip -

It was hard for me to imagine or envision peace when I am terrified because BushCo is contemplating even more slaughter in the Middle East in Iran and when Congress, Inc is busy supporting a murderous status quo that hurts humans within all borders, even our own.

Peace will only happen when every member of humanity is guaranteed prosperity, health and security which will not happen when we here in the US can’t even get off our asses to protest a war that is four and a half years and hundreds of thousands of bodies old, now.

MORE

[Totally Committed]

1. Did you see the one reply to the article so far?

Juliann October 4th, 2007 12:13 pm

I won’t go into the obligatory humble prefacing of “I really respect you Cindy but…” I’ll just cut to the chase.

Don’t be so naive. It’s never going to happen. The biggest problem on our planet is overPOPULATION. People will always believe they need more and more crap until they’re lives are clogged with plastic stuff. What we need to do is reduce the number of PEOPLE.

Wait. I have to correct myself. The biggest problem on our planet is TESTOSTERONE.

I am having so many reactions to the reply, the article is almost secondary!

Yikes.


TC

[Cha]

5. Actually the biggest problem on

our Planet is bush.

[Cha]

2. Oh man, I'd love to go to Reykjavik, Iceland

for the Peace Dedication On John Lennon's Birthday! We could check out those amazing hot sulphur waters I read so much about while we're there.

The Dalai Lama is going to be in Ithaca, New York on October 9 and those tickets were sold out before I could get any..guess I'll just have to Imagine Peace at my home..

POWER TO THE PEACEFUL

[Elspeth]

3. How about running in a district where you could actually win?

Just a thought.

[shance]

4. What an amazing, inspiring leader Cindy has become.

And a beautiful writer as well.

I always look forward to reading her next piece.

Like any good leader, she speaks what so many of us feel.

[radiclib]

6. Hey mods! Aren't Cindy's posts automatic flamebait?

Shouldn't she be tombstoned? Just askin'!

[cali]

7. Arggh. Does she not know any history or is she just perversely

twisting it?

First off, if there were no religion is ridiculous as a serious query. And even if there were no religion, sick and twisted leaders, would- and have- find another cause to use as a tool to foment hate and destruction of the 'other'.

Does she actually believe that the Holocaust was rooted in religious ideology? Or how about the killing fields of Cambodia? Or Rwanda? Israeli occupation of Palestine isn't primarily about religion either.

She might as well have said: Imagine there's no human nature.

Another poorly thought out cliche ridden piece from Sheehan.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. In spite of everything contrary, I can still imagine peace with you. nt

[porphyrian]

9. Imagining peace may be as close to it as we ever get. - n/t

[bluedog]

10. Imagine no possessions:

"Imagine no possessions: This is the crux of our problem.

Going back to my brothers and sisters at the slot machines in Vegas, pulling almost catatonically on the lever of the One Armed Bandit, for what?

To win the “jackpot” of course! How nice is it of the State of Nevada to allow gambling machines in their airports, so we can perchance live the American dream of buying higher stacks of stuff!"

same article



Whats Sheehan got against Nevada?.........Some people drop in coins in a slot....to pass time.to hope to hit it big or just to try it...those of us who never did the slot game before.....damn its just fun.........she have a problem with people having fun or what?