I had to send this e-mail to one of my relatives today. He and few others of this clan are flag waving pro-military people who insist on sending me e-mails to try to "wake me up"! Well, instead of just deleting them all the time, I decided to answer one today:
Dear XXXXX,
I respect your right to have your opinion, but I am afraid I have to disagree.
I refuse to keep living in fear. Creating fear is a tactic used by many powerful nations to keep
their people concentrated on that, and not on the injustices that are happening every day.
The way I see it, wars have been happening since time began, and they have never really solved anything, and they are still happening today. The middle east has been at war since forever, and what have they really gained? And plenty of other countries don't like countries whose foreign policies favor the rich, but ignore and exploit the many poor and suffering people all over this planet.
After I travelled to a few countries, usually as a volunteer, helping with literacy and other teaching projects, I came back with a whole new perspective. I learned things from teachers and in books and on the news that nobody ever taught me in school or college over here in my own country. Do you know about all the military actions that were taken in Central America? Many innocent people were slaughtered. Labeling people "evil" is a very dangerous thing.
First the communists were all "evil", now it seems we are told to think of middle easterners as evil. I wish I could count how many times the word "evil" has been used in certain politician's speeches. If you say it enough times, people start to believe it is true. That is rule number one of advertising! I'm not talking rocket science here. (Lucky for some politicians who can barely speak their own native language properly).
I refuse to label everyone that way, and I don't think in terms of black and white. Most of life is gray. I know very good and kind hearted people from middle eastern countries. I worked with them for six years, because I was an interpreter in an office with people of many different nationalities. I also know a few interpreters from communist countries. They are intelligent and kind and good hearted, also.
I know some really great people in this country, and some really awful ones, too. Timothy McVeigh was a white terrorist, and there are lots more like him right on "our" own soil (which we took from the natives). All poor, white men are not terrorists, though. Labelling, generalizing and stereotyping any group of people is unfair and dangerous.
I am not saying the USA is not a good place to live. I am very fortunate to have been born here and to have the freedom and opportunities I have had. I am saying, however, that most wars are more about greed and money than anyone really wants to believe. And my heart aches for the poor mothers in other countries who have lost their innocent children, just as it aches for the young American soldiers who have gone over there to serve their country, and come back in wooden boxes that we were not allowed to see on TV. I cry for their mothers and loved ones over here just as much as the ones over there. All humans feel the same anger, grief and loss.
I guess I may be the only member of my extended family who feels this way. I am just being honest. I think my immediate family feels much the same as I do.
I am asking that you just take a moment to pray on this (yes, I am deeply spiritual, and I pray a lot). Why do all those people in other countries really hate us? They don't hate you and me because "we are free". They hate the idealogies of our leaders. They hate the greed we have and what our leaders are willing to do to others to keep amassing more wealth and power.
I also respectfully ask that you don't send me more e-mails about fear and war. They make me sad. I see and hear that every day in the corporate owned media, and even on the independent stations i listen to. I am trying to concentrate on the good. I want to hear more about programs and policies that promote justice and peace.
Thanks, and take care,
your crazy relative
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