Peace Begins with You

Mr. President,

Since the attacks of 9/11, even those of us who place their ultimate focus on the invisible world, the world of faith and the sacred, are feeling the pain of this world more keenly. Wherever we go after death, this visible world is where we live now, a world of suffering and people who want to cause it. We are called to work against such needless harm.

No responsible and compassionate person condones the actions of terrorists who bring death from the sky. No responsible or compassionate person enjoys the development and stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction. Yet death from the sky is a common event in many countries, and weapons of mass destruction are more than common, at home and abroad. We as Americans must acknowledge that we ourselves have brought both death and weapons to many lands—indeed, we are now threatening to do so again. Since 9/11 we've burned with the fever of a worldwide disease from which we seemed previously immune. It may be we can no longer live without the touch of terror; this is now our lot, as it is for the rest of the world. But if we cannot live with terror, we truly cannot live without freedom. On this, all Americans agree.

Our true question then, is "How do we best counter terror and support a free country and a free world?" Given an ongoing threat from Iraq, you, Mr. President, would choose war for us. But we counsel you, a choice for war is a choice against freedom for ourselves and surely for Iraq. Choosing preemptive attack, we enter a cycle of revenge that will outlive us. On this bitter path we will first lose our peace of mind, next our safety, then our tolerance of others, and finally our freedom, for the freedom to differ is the very basis of our nation.

Our choice—your choice, Mr. President—can begin a redefinition of our country and the world that sustains it. The plague of violence we have seen for so long in the Middle East is now ours to accept or reject. We must reject it. We have borne a blast of terror and may bear others, but nothing can shake the foundation of this strong nation but our own weak choices. Neither terrorists nor dictators can achieve their goals unless they draw others into foul and violent action. The devil always gives us a choice, doesn't he? Well, here is ours.

Mr. President, you have cautioned that the war on terror is endless. Yes, so from the moment we enter such a war, we have already lost it. The swift and certain destruction of Iraq will be merely an early scene in a long chronicle of suffering. We beg you not to make this terrible choice.

What will be the legacy of George W. Bush? Let it be turning from the wide and easy road of violence and taking the straight and narrow path of peace. The powers of peace make allies across continents and religions. Mr. President, you have the chance to command these powers to defeat terror, a foe the powers of war can never overcome. The path of peace is long, Mr. President, and not without sacrifice. Sanctions take time, inspections never reveal everything. But you speak for us all when you demand we prevent Iraq from using weapons of mass destruction. And this, sanctions and inspections absolutely guarantee. Let these be the beginnings of a new policy of defeating terror and oppression through the irresistible force of unity. The united peoples and nations of the world want you to stand strong, but, for God's sake and humanity's, stand for all of us, stand for peace.

We have recently been working on applying Buddhist wisdom to our lives at work. Your work, Mr. President, is now the central work of the world. Let us offer you the Buddha's words:

"He insulted me, he beat me, robbed me!"

Think this way and hatred never ends.

"He insulted me, he beat me, robbed me!"

Give this up and in you hatred ends.

Not by hate is hate defeated; hate is

Quenched by love. This is eternal law.

     Dhammapada 3-5

This love has overthrown oppression and built nations, and will again. Use this love for peace as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. did, as the Dalai Lama does now. Mr. President, your favorite political philosopher is Jesus. Walk with him. The world will follow.

Franz Metcalf

BJ Gallagher Hateley

Dr. Metcalf and Ms. Hateley are the co-authors of What Would Buddha Do at Work? and the authors of several other recent books.