I Am Not 'War- Weary'
By Kelly Rae Kraemer
06 September, 2013
Countercurrents.org
I am not 'war-weary'; I'm angry
... angry at those who used sarin in Syria
... angry at those who think more killing is the answer
... angry at all presidents with blood on their hands
... angry at the talking heads who distinguish worthy from unworthy victims
... angry at politicians who care more about 'credibility' than about human life
... angry at those who call for war any time the flag is waved
... and angry at the endless headlines that claim we're just 'war-weary', as though one good head-clearing nap would make Americans see the wisdom of killing to punish killing.
I am not 'war-weary'; I'm sick
... sick at the sight of so many dead from breathing poison in Damascus
... sick at the thought of so many dead or damaged by uranium in Fallujah
... sick at the thought of Afghans massacred in Kandahar
... sick at the memory of Japanese vaporized in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
... sick at the memory of all the young soldiers sent to kill and die
... sick at the thought of all those shot, bayoneted, bombed, gassed, and nuked in war
... and sick at the thought of those who will die in a US attack on Damascus, because a 'limited' attack is still an attack.
I am not 'war-weary', but I am tired
... tired of peace prizes going to warmakers
... tired of politicians who play games with people's lives
... tired of presidents and legislators who ignore the laws they've sworn to uphold
... tired of war drum beating that passes for journalism
... tired of the claim that war can be 'humanitarian'
... tired of indoctrination into the false belief that war can bring peace
... and tired, so tired of hearing there will be "no boots on the ground", as if a war that
only kills foreigners is morally acceptable.
I am not 'war-weary'; I am anti-war
... because war is always a failure
... a failure of diplomacy and understanding
... a failure of will and effort
... a failure of imagination and creativity
... a failure of ingenuity and investment
... a failure of compassion and morality
... a failure to invent and practice real, nonviolent humanitarian action.
I am not 'war-weary'; I'm hungry for peace.
Kelly Rae Kraemer, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Peace Studies at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University in central Minnesota.
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