JANUARY 7, 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR
One hundred and fifty-three years and nine months ago the American Civil War began on April 12, 1861.
One hundred years and six months ago World War One began on July 28, 1914.
Seventy-three years and a month ago the United States entered World War Two when the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Since 1943 when I was born in San Francisco my country has been continually in a state of war or in a state of preparation for war.
This period filled with devastation and death has included these major events:
- Atom bombs dropped on Japan ending World War Two: 1945
- The Korean War: 1950 - 1953
- The Vietnam War: 1964 - 1975
- The Gulf War: 1990 - 1991
- Collapse of the Twin Towers: Sept. 11, 2001
- The Afghanistan War: 2001 - 2014
- The Iraq War: 2003 - 2011
- Deaths at a Paris Newspaper: Jan. 7, 2015
Between December 31, 1949, and December 31, 2014, (only one week ago), sixty-five years have come and gone. For thirty-four of those years we lived without being engaged in a major war, at war 47.6% of our time and at peace 52.4% of our time.
This is hardly an enviable record for any who desire world peace as the normal condition of humanity on earth.
Is war the inevitable result of human existence?
The honest person might say, "I don't know."
How often are we honest with ourselves or with others?
Similarly, the honest person might say, "I don't know."
Is it more likely that our picture of existence is an illusion framed and painted by our separate and different feelings and experiences?
Our personal experiences and feelings are never always the same, only somewhat similar most of the time. Not infrequently, what we experience or feel stands alone being almost if not completely unique.
Are we driven by a demanding and unrelenting passion to destroy or to disable anything or anyone that stands in the way of our personal goals and desires?
Does not sound exactly like you or me?
Well then, who is in charge?
