This writer remembers better days for America where generous people performed acts of mercy and generosity, not for personal gain, but to pay it forward to the next generation.  We all basked in the warm glow of acts that ‘payed it forward’.  Those more generous times were not perfect by a long shot, but they were better.  We now have leadership that apparently forgives itself daily and shows mercy to themselves alone even when their mistakes evolve into blood on the streets around the world. As Americans we still live in a society that has been trained somewhere in the past that their spirituality is built on forgiveness and mercy as well as power and defense.  What it seems we have forgotten is that mercy was not originally taught as an “executive privilege” for the rich and invulnerable.

Current foreign and domestic policy seems built by foolish and naive people who don’t realize across cultures how strong the generational the urge for revenge and retribution can be. These supposedly “won wars” initiated by our current leader are not so much won wars, but postponed retribution by cultures for whom forgiveness either doesn’t matter or is interpreted differently.  Long after our President has passed on there will be mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews who will remember the deaths and the intimate stories of those people who died when indifferent bombs and anonymous drones brought the walls down on their loved ones. It is a tragic joke to think we win wars and a profoundly naive argument that we are fighting for future safety.  Human memory carries todays poison well into the future and takes its toll with interest. 

Modest Proposal for Good

War should be nothing more than a defensive measure to assure the safety of the population. Our safety relies on forgiveness and safety for all sides.  If forgiveness is not part of the spiritual heritage of our opponents, than at least meeting the basic needs of all humans involved, friend and enemy is the only map to peace. Only peace  within and without is safe. Our  children and future generations will need to cope with today’s new generational warriors with poisoned memories looking for retribution. Good can only be Congress taking the responsibility for assuring war must be a defensive event, renaming the Department of War once again the Department of Defense. Our leaders right now are not so much warriors as voyeaurs of violence. Our balanced government must once again become the peace seeking warrior in the world.  That would be good