Everyone loves peace. Americans are now being told that the U.S. government, with Colin Powell taking the lead, is proposing a “road map to peace” in the Middle East. It sounds good. Yes, let’s end the violence. Let’s have peace. Peace is good. Let’s put a stop to all that violence. Let’s put a stop to the terrorism. Let’s disarm the militants. Yes, it all sounds very good.
This sort of thinking is simplistic, unrealistic, and disallows the putting of past events in any meaningful context. Worse of all, it ignores justice. It places perpetrators of terrorism as victims, and considers resisters of brutal oppression as terrorists. It says to disarm victims trying to defend themselves. Where is the justice in that?
America has placed herself in a position where she sides with injustice in Palestine, and can hardly now support justice, because to do so would create questions as to how American policies and finances made such monumental injustice a sad part of history. So, America focuses on peace, not justice.
But you simply cannot suppress a people into peace. You cannot repress a people into silence forever. You cannot sow horror and reap peace.
The Bible says that you reap what you sow. If you want peace, you must plant peace, and it helps greatly to fertilize liberally with justice, water with truth and respect.
The U.S. “Road Map to Peace” cannot lead to peace, except by forcible means. That map could lead to a temporary pseudo-peace, a false peace that cannot last and cannot satisfy. We need a road map to justice, and from there we will clearly see the path to peace.
Who wants peace? Who wants justice? America and Israel — the whole world is watching. What do you want?
The writer is a member of several falconry and ornithological clubs and organizations. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from California, USA.
