Hmm, how can I express my thoughts on this topic? I read your last blog entry and didn't know then either how to express what I was thinking, so I remained silent. Suffice to say I agree with Old Bob.

In general I think "fighting for peace" is about as sensible as "f***ing for abstinence"

I am a pacifist though and undoubtedly biased.

I think there's an individuality here that both points might be missing. If you have needed the fight, the conflict to keep going, then that's excellent and I'm glad you've had it. If on the other hand one needs to accept things as they are and resolve themselves to a peaceful, non-aggressive approach to find their inner harmony then that's a difference in personality and natures.

There actually seems to be a sort of stoic acceptance on both sides. You accept that peace will not occur in your lifetime but that it is worth fighting for. Old Bob (and myself) accept that things just are and that our feelings on them are more readily and worthily changed.

For me it seems painfully simple. If we all simply quit fighting and committing acts of violence then war would cease and peace would reign. No, I can't stop everyone else from committing acts of violence, but I can decide to do my part by being non-violent myself. I accept that as a whole the rest of humanity probably won't take on this philosophy any time in the near future. I accept that strife will continue. However, I don't have to add my own fists and guns to it. I will defend myself and I will defend my loved ones from direct physical threats. That's as far as I'm willing to take it.

I'm not willing to fight for any abstract possibility or even as a general defense. I'm only willing to behave violently as a defensive reaction to a direct and personal threat. That means if I'm walking down the street and someone attacks me, or my friends, I'll fight back, and I'll fight quite relentlessly and viciously at that. I will not go to war on the principle of some ideal or even because of any kind of terrorism which comes from a target too vague to strike at. If I'm going to 'fight' then I need a physical face to be looking at, and I need that face to be snarling and attacking. Otherwise I'm going to sit in my living room and espouse the value of peace and diplomacy.

Anyway, as I said, I'm sure it's largely a personal difference; I can certainly see where you're coming from

As a poem it's lovely and powerful

Take care,

Kevin