Posted by Pinky.

I just heard back from Mr. Stroud in Syracuse. His e-mail:

Idiots,
So what were we supposed to do? Just let them kill our families as we sit around and do nothing? Do you even know anybody who died at ground zero? Go tell their children how you plan to do nothing to bring those terrorists to justice. I'm so sick of all your whining about peace and consider this conversation over. J. Stroud

You know, I read Mr. Stroud's e-mail several times, and the most striking thing for me is how he apparently sees retaliating with violence as the only ‘real' or ‘legitimate' response to violence - fighting for peace, or understanding, or healing looks a lot like 'sitting around doing nothing' to him. I think his inability to even imagine an alternative to violence is actually a large part of the problem. Of course he's not the only one - we (all of us on planet Earth) wouldn't be in such a giant mess if we'd put as much effort into fighting violence instead of supporting it.

~p.

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Posted by Bunny: This is America. You’re going to have to give some examples of exactly what “fighting for peace” looks like.

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Posted by Kim: I hang out with you guys all the time and even I have a hard time thinking of examples. But punching someone in the nose is super easy to imagine!