A point I'd like to make:
I know Muslims. And Jews. And Buddhists. And Christians and Hindus (and prolly a few Hyundais). I also know some Quakers.
One thing I'm not well-attuned to is pacifist-bashing. Quakers, Ba'hais and a few other faiths consider pacifism to be a requirement of their God. The comparison of pacifists to terrorists, socialists or simply as 'wrong-headed, is far from valid for those who practice it out of faith.
We grant that not all Muslims are terrorists; where is the grant for pacifists?
Beyond that, pacifists may include the young and naive; can't we grant them the joys of their youth without demanding they become hard so soon?
It is true, as well, that some choose pacifism out of cowardice or other reasons that are misguided. But when we kneejerk emotionally and cast stones at all pacifists, we are assuming too much and may be attacking them for their religious faith, their particular life or family experiences, or other reasons that may be valid if explored.
Many times pacifists have been imprisoned in times of war. Knowing this may happen, some choose to maintain their beliefs. Imagine what happens in the dens of wolves that our prisons are, when known pacifists share cells with truly evil, violent prisoners.... choosing pacifism with that known result is not cowardice, but great moral courage.
There is a war underway with enough battles to fight. There are enough people willing to fight them, by far. I don't see signs of appeasement in our government or the overwhelming majority of US citizens. So let's take a deep breath, go fight the real desperadoes and quit bullying the pacifists. Nothing is gained by it. |
