Mass murder should never be left unchecked. Anyone
who participates in or has knowledge and is a party to such anti-social behavior should be
held accountable.
Who could be proud of such an act?
Who could bring such unwarranted shame and oppression and persecution to
their own people? Why would we trust anyone
who shows such disrespect for human life?
It is clearly the right of the American People, and the citizenry of
at least 62 other nations, to seek justice for the demonstration of inhumanity perpetrated
on September 11, 2001.
It is, if nothing else, appropriate for the world to cooperate with
and join in the effort to end the scourge of terrorism from the world.
But what is the root of terroroism?
What kind of despair and hopelessness leads to such ruthless acts? Terrorism is yet one more facet of our world, and
of human nature, that denies true leadership the opportunity to lead.
The attention of our leaders must respond to this event. But what
attention will be given to contextually understand the problems of all people, and work
toward our common goals? It is our inability to solve problems that lead to such an
aggression. What can we learn about peace from citizens in Rwanda or Ireland? What did it
take from all to bring solutions into reality and peace to all?
Aggression, more often than not, is a desperate attempt to defend
oneself. Aggression and defense, each act and
counteract are subjectively the same. Think
about it. When others think you are getting aggressive, what is real to you, on the
inside, is pure and desperate self-defense. Or survival of your tribe. In the logical
course of human events, the principles from which the desperation arises gets lost in the
battle for domination. Understandably,
predictably, sadly, and sometimes, righteously.
We stand here today righteous in our willingness to do battle and
seek justice. We would not suggest an
alternative. The will of the people should
and will be served. And we will neither
condone or oppose it.
We would like to suggest another possibility. Request that we seize the moment for another
opportunity. Draw a new line in the sand, and
call it accountability.
For, as there always is in cases like this, there is accountability
on all sides, and much to understand. We
have weapons and rhetoric and heroes and villains… what we need is accountability and
understanding. The first war of the 21st
Century is not the future.
It should be seen as a completion of the past, closing the door on
the suffering of injustice and an outbreak of peace as citizens everywhere get involved as
global citizens in solving the most desperate problems in our world.
It should be the opening of a new door as we approach this new world
called globalization.
Ultimately, that is the real issue.
Globalization must be more than a platform for resource
exploitation and economic gains for the purpose of wealth accumulation and power. Globalization must serve the human needs of people
first. All people.
Those wise people who created our Constitution and the framework for
the future of democracy have once again provided us with the answer to what must be done
in the challenges of globalization. Their
wisdom, when received without interpretation, define the principles that must be applied
to make future aggressive defensiveness unnecessary.
When our fore founders declared “all men are created
equal” with the “inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness” they did not say that these
rights were unique to Americans. All people are created equal. Not all whites or male or
Christian are created equal. Not all Americans are created equal, but under God all people
are created equal. Are those values in our policies?
It’s the same reason why it is so relevant in the face of
globalization. We must acknowledge and be
responsible for our power and influence. It
would be easy to demand that the world conform to our standards, and then accept no
responsibility for the outcome while we reap the benefits.
But, we would be a truly powerful nation if we could sit down
with the leaders of the world with grievances, and hear them with the willingness to
understand and the desire to honor their inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. And a like request of
them.
When you take away the rhetoric, the talk of hatred and false
bravado, all that’s left is people. People
with the same desires, the same needs, the love of their children, their God… all
around the world, people want the same things. The same as you and I.
And, so, the true challenge we face
today is that of Shaping the Policies of Globalization such that the world is put on
notice, from this day forward, that the needs of the global community as a whole must and
will be met, that principles of equality and justice and truth will prevail for the good
of us all.
Shaping the Policies of Globalization is more than laws and meetings
and conversations… it will require a spiritual reawakening like never before seen in
the history of people… to take on being accountable to one another for each
other’s well being… with the guiding principal of every discussion and decision
the golden rule… do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
