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We cannot both kill and end killing.
But unless someday somebody trust somebody, there’ll be nothing left on Earth excepting fishes!
— The King of Siam (Yul Brenner) in The King and I. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
It’s true that, in many conflicts, both sides have legitimate grievances. But so what?
As a species, we need to learn to deal with grievances — genuine or imagined — without violence. Why? Well, first of all, violence is wrong. But also, violence is stupid. Violence, as we have seen, begets violence. It is a cycle and, as long as we behave stupidly, a never-ending cycle.
The excuses for retribution, to a rational being, would be embarrassing. For example, somehow World War I was billed as “the war to end all wars.” And millions of young people killed and were killed under that ridiculous and bloody slogan. As absurd as it was tragic.
The stupidity continues to this day. Right now, we have people picking sides in the latest Middle East blood-letting event deciding who is right to murder and who is the victim. Well, here’s the thing:
Everyone who fires a weapon, inflicts wounds, or kills is guilty. Nobody is morally immune from their actions even if they or their loved ones are also victims. Every NEW…
