[amc] WWIII: Whose Side Are You On
- From: rgingerich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: Austin Mennonite Church <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2006 17:30:46 -0500
Friends,
Karen Horst Cobb is a member of our tribe.
Ray
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Published on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
WWIII: Whose Side Are You On
by Karen Horst Cobb
They may have been hit by an Israeli bomb, but they are victims of the
Hezbollah. We have to create a reality where those Lebanese children would have
been at school today instead of being sheltered and held hostage in that
building, and where Israeli children in Shemona could go to school without fear
of Katyusha rockets. It is our enemies who specifically target women and
children, and when we do it, we apologize.
-- Dan Gillerman, Israeli ambassador to the UN, Sunday on Meet the Press
What I heard Mr. Gellerman say in response to the killing of the children of
Qana was similar to the words of other abusers.
It isn’t my fault I beat my wife. She was asking for it … she never knows when
to shut up. Anyway I am not an abuser because I always apologize afterward. As
far as the rape? Well, she was asking for it because of the way she looks.
This is a more easily accessible framing of the forces of evil unleashed in the
world. "World War III" is a world war on children and the citizen soldiers in
all locations, conducted with psy-ops propaganda using blame, excuses, and the
insistence that the world remain an impotent silent witness of religious- and
state-sponsored terrorism.
The “precision guided missile” found its target just like the manufacturer
promised. It was launched by Israel with precision, satellite intelligence, and
forethought but the ambassador explained it wasn‘t their fault. Another
precisely guided missile hit the UN target a few days earlier killing four
innocent peacemakers who had called all day to report their location was being
targeted. Sunday’s target was a house where poor children and their families
huddled in fear. How can the world be manipulated to support more killing of
innocent people and refuse to hold the perpetrators responsible in the court of
public opinion? The US Republicans and Democrats both of whom claim that taking
responsibility is a a core value of their party refuse to speak out. Sunday
July 30th 2006 I decided whose side I will be on in World War III. It became
crystal clear. I am on the side of the Children! I am on the side of all
children EVERYWHERE! This politically motivated World War III is a wa r on
Children.
As an ambassador for the children I would like to negotiate a ceasefire. It
might not be lasting in your frame of reference, it might not be strategic, but
if it lasts 6 months that will be half the lifetime of the youngest one who was
killed on Sunday. If it lasts four weeks it will be the entire lifetime of the
one month old lying in the morgue. It might give some older children a few more
weeks to play another game with their cousins, or celebrate one more birthday,
or learn their multiplication tables all the way up to the twelves. As an
ambassador to the world’s children I want to begin by clearly defining the
meaning of the word "child." Child: a viable maturing fetus living outside of a
womb. Perhaps this clarification will cause Christians in the US to value these
little human lives whom Jesus referred to as the least of these among us. After
all, it was weapons and weapon technology of the US purchased by the taxpayers
and gifted to Israel which killed the children o f Qana this Sunday. Qana, the
place where we are told Jesus turned water into wine.
The repetitive drip of the media faucet reminds us that Israel has a right to
defend herself. If one follows that reasoning then the people of Lebanon now
also have the right to defend themselves. If Lebanon has the obligation to
disarm Hezbollah then it stands to reason that the US has the obligation to
disarm its contract military in Iraq. They are not official members of the US
military but are a violent group who are part of an ancient religious sect who
worships the god mammon. This logic also would conclude that the US is
obligated to disarm all the members of the NRA if our nation is ever invaded
and occupied.
If the definition of a terrorist is one who targets civilians to create terror,
then the “shock and awe” perpetrated on Iraq was also an act of terrorism. The
daily military activity over Palestine, sonic booms in the middle of the night,
and the ominous presence of the heavily armed guards who stand at the
checkpoints in the prison known as Gaza is also terrorism. Some can argue that
all forms of sanctions which deny food, water, power, and medical care to
children are designed to terrorize the innocent. Some are sponsored by the
state and some are sponsored by individuals and rogue militia who are
desperate. In Israel this logic would extend to the well-organized group of
settlers who dress in black with ski masks and use wooden clubs, chains, and
rocks to harass Palestinian children on their way to school while the military
stands by and does nothing. Recently two members of the Christian peacemaker
team who escort the children to school to protect them and offer themselve s as
human shields were severely beaten in the village of Al-Tuwani in the southern
Hebron hills. The police did nothing, the military did nothing, and the militia
remains to target and terrorize Palestinian children in the future.
In the US the “potential child” the size of the dot at the end of a sentence
was protected by the US government last week supposedly by moral Christian
republicans. Yet this same lobby denies the call for a ceasefire because it
will not be a “lasting” solution. Life is filled with temporary solutions
because we are mortal. Life is temporary. The behaviors of the abuser are well
known. There are cycles of abuse and profuse lame apologies accompanied by
self-justifying explanations of why the victim “deserved” it. In the case of
Israel and Lebanon we have the US playing the role of the family friend who
turns his back and bites his lower lip waiting for the thug to finish his
violence. It is similar to the “brown shirts” who kicked and beat an innocent
person while a conflicted comrade turned his back. Or perhaps also like the
loan shark who has his underling break the knees of a debtor while he enjoys a
peaceful dinner with his family.
Jesus explained that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against
powers and principalities. (politics and land holders). And spiritual
wickedness in high places (political/religious leaders controlled by lust and
covetousness). The nature of evil is to dominate, control, and possess. There
is the test for exposing the evil nature of the abusive spouse as well as
abusive national leaders. The test questions are: Does this entity seek to
dominate? Does this entity seek to control? Does this entity seek to possess?
As an ambassador for the children I implore all good people in all countries to
take the side of the children in WWIII-- the Lebanese children, the Iraqi
children, the Israeli children, and the children of the Sudan and all other
regions where children are being killed and wounded by those who worship power.
No religion supports the murder of children except for those who openly worship
evil. If Judaism worships an honorable and just God and the Torah teaches
righteousness then prove it by your actions. If Islam means peace and a
commitment to social justice then prove it by your actions. If Jesus is the
Messiah with good news based on grace then prove it by your actions. If
religions of the world must engage in competition let them compete in outdoing
each other in acts of kindness toward children.
God creates, builds, sustains, and regenerates, but men are addicted to
destruction. In the past men fought the battles with similar weapons. The
winner of the competition won the spoils. Today however the men use women and
children and disproportionate weaponry. Israel and the US have hundreds of
thousands of the most advanced weapons while their opponents have home-made
explosives and suicide bombs. If Israeli men and men from the surrounding areas
and men from the United States want to continue competing for land and security
and use the power of their religious leaders, let them do it away from the
children. In satire I might suggest a designated area of land set aside for
military men and religious leaders to carry out their ineffective, violent
problem solving . As the male descendents of Ishmael and Isaac wrestle over who
daddy God likes best, the women and children are left in peaceful areas where
they are free to pray, worship, learn, grow, dance, and create. The sig n of an
internationally accepted demilitarized zone is the presence of a child.
As the ambassador for the children of the world I beg all men to put aside
their vengeance, desire for land, and score cards of righteousness. A war on
children has been declared. Thousands each day in the world are aborted from
the Earth. On Sunday many very very late term abortions occurred and US
Christians for the most part remained silent. Israeli children sitting in a
café may be blown to bits. The lives of Arab and Persian children appear to be
of little regard to those who give the commands and carry out orders. People
who consider themselves kind do nothing, turn their backs, go shopping and
remain silent. Jesus said “a child shall lead them;” he also explained that
unless you become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Let it be on Earth as it is in Heaven is my prayer. Immediately After 911 many
agreed with the sentiment, "we are all Americans now." Many American
politicians agree with the often-repeated sentiment "we are all Israelis now."
Th e global cry of all kind people in Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, the United States,
and all other nations of the world can instead be "we are all children now!"
As an ambassador for the children I call for a permanent ceasefire and an
immediate end to the war on children. Blessed are the peacemakers; let us
boldly stand together for the innocents.
Authors comment: I went on record Oct 25, 2004 as one who is "No Longer a
Christian" due to the substituted GI-Joe Jesus for the Prince of Peace who
delivered the Sermon on the Mount. I am a member of the “church in exile.” I
can not worship at any church which does not actively oppose the killing of
children. With this article I now pledge my allegiance and declare my primary
citizenship to the Kingdom of Heaven. My religion has been stolen and
increasingly I am becoming a refugee in America as the Constitution is replaced
with Imperial power and the Bill of Rights is erased. If I am to remain ethical
and committed to kindness I must be willing to stand alone. I know there are
many others who are standing alone. I can be contacted at cairnhcobb@xxxxxxxx
###
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