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Pacifism in a Time of National Pain by Wendy Schwartz
My say in how the United States responds to the attacks in New York and Washington is no less than anyone else’s, though, and, having seen up close the devastation wrought by hatred, I find some of my thoughts on nonviolence, and the pacifist movement, becoming even clearer than before. Like all pacifists, I have frequently sensed that our views on nonviolent alternatives to war are rejected as irrelevant to a serious debate on foreign policy; our conviction that nationalism is a destructive force considered naive; and our support for sharing the bounty of this rich country communistic. Such beliefs seem to be under even greater attack now, as the bloodshed on our soil gives a patina of legitimacy to a military response and curtailment of civil liberties and checks all questions about the new availability of large sums for the suddenly bereft while the everyday poor remain hungry. The flag is everywhere these days, turning the entire country into a single supersized Veterans of Foreign Wars post; for some, it is a benign expression of unity, comforting people whose sense of security has been stripped away, but for others it is an arrogant assertion that the United States must maintain its world dominance no matter what the cost. For pacifists, the flag is a symbol of the thinking that has led to so much misery all over the world and, for the first time, here at home. We pacifists may feel even more alienated from the mainstream than usual—colored green while the rest of the country is red, white and blue. But, we know, too, how important it is that our voice of reason, of peace and of caring be heard as the response to the attack unfolds. As always, we must be clear and forceful in presenting our position that killing anyone—no matter what their country, no matter what their beliefs, no matter what their actions—only dishonors the dead. But we must not ignore that this time those who perpetrated the violence are unquestionably evil, their victims are local, and their mourners are our neighbors. The pain of our community members needs to be felt, their catharsis from demands for in-kind retaliation needs to be acknowledged, their newfound patriotism needs to be put into perspective, and their reliance on religion needs to be respected. The stridency, self-righteousness and disdain for the beliefs of others which in the past may have mitigated our feelings of isolation and inoculated us from the wrath of the majority can only prevent our message from being heard now. Over the 30 years that I have been an active pacifist, I have seen the movement, myself included, be cavalier about the legitimate values of others: people whose livelihood depends on the status quo, poor youth who see the armed forces as a career stepping stone, families of the war dead who do not want to hear that loved ones died in vain, decent and caring people who love God and country and even those among us who are less able to commit to pacific movement values. We have spent countless futile hours debating with serious conservatives and lunatic fascists just to show off our great stores of knowledge, debating skills and tenacity. We have spent time even less productively focused inward: congratulating ourselves on our good sense, arguing esoteric ideas that have little relevance under the threat of a real war and grading each other’s purity. While we pacifists have long considered the Pentagon and the World Trade Center two symbols of what is worst about our country, their destruction not only left holes in the sky but holes in many hearts. Thousands of people who came from nearly a hundred countries paid the price of American values as few pacifists have. We have no cause for celebration or even satisfaction. It is time now to reach out, to build alliances with the families of victims who want the deaths of loved ones to be, ultimately, for the cause of peace and mercy; to support political leaders like Congressmember Barbara Lee, who demonstrates faith in nonviolence; and to introduce our different vision to those who want swift and violent retaliation. For a while at least, it makes sense to let the American flag share space with the peace symbol. Wendy Schwartz became a WRL activist during the Indochina War when she was a teenager. She has written widely on women’s and peace issues. |
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live close enough to the World Trade Center tragedy to be always aware
of it. The stench of the last function of the Twin Towers—as a crematorium
for thousands of people—clings to me. The funereal wail of official vehicles
under my windows—first for rescue, albeit futile, and now for clean-up—is
constant. I still prepare for a trip to Battery Park City, where Gigi
the puppy and I spent sunny afternoons, only to realize as we are nearly
out the door that rescue workers now occupy our favorite bench, the bookstore
we visited on the way is gone, and the subway stop closed. But, clearly,
my pain is minimal, my inconvenience small, compared to the suffering
of others.