04 Sep Are You a Civilian?

Today’s post is called “Are You a Civilian?” because my country, the US, is debating whether to bomb another country, Syria, which will inevitably result in the death of many civilains.

We will be killing innocent people (that’s what civilians are) in order to punish a dictator for killing innocent people.

Am I crazy, or is there something insane about that?

Most people, myself included, are horrified by the use of chemical weapons anywhere, anytime. But there are many other ways to address that issue, and even to address the Syrian civil war, than bombs.

All bombs, even the so-called “smart” ones, are dumb. By “dumb” I mean they can only kill and maim, not discern guilt, or even differentiate between those taking part in a fight and those who unfortunately just live in the area.

Even drones, with their vaunted precision, are constantly killing civilians; for that we use the inhumane term, “collateral damage.”

If some kind of action is required as a response to what’s happening in Syria, the US is not where such a response should come from. While we’ve done some wonderful and heroic things around the world, to be sure, our record when it comes to interfering in the wars of other countries, and acting as the world’s policeman, is abysmal.

So I choose to raise my hand and say, “No. I don’t support this course of action.”

And I choose to share my thoughts on this topic with my email list about personal growth and spirituality because our mutual interconnectedness is not just theoretical. When a mother and her babies are killed in Damascus by a US bomb, I, in my heart of hearts, also bleed. While they actually lose their lives, all of us are wounded.

If we don’t speak up about issues like this, and shout a loving “No!” whenever and however we can, then something about our spiriituality is cut-off, disembodied.

One last thing. Imagine what would happen if any other country in the world decided that the US needed to be punished because of the way we imprison millions of our citizens in prison for victimless crimes. Or the way we routinely let corporate polluters off the hook when poisoning our air, land and water, and slowly killing countless civilans in the process.

Imagine the US response to a nationwide debate in China, India, Brazil, Mexico, or even Syria, about whether to drop bombs on our soil to make a point.

Recall, if you will, what happened in this country the last time others attacked it.

In a couple of days I’ll be back to my usual sharing about ways to enhance your inner well being. For now, though, please accept my thanks for allowing me a few brief moments to shift my gaze outward.