Peace
A single word with thousands of meanings, however, the primary one in most dictionaries reads as follows and I quote, “the state of existence during the absence of war” or “period of time in which there is no war or violence” or “freedom from war and violence.” However, there is one dictionary that gives a slightly different meaning. Merriam Webster Dictionary's version is “a state of tranquility or quiet,” but then is followed by this example, “peace of 50 years before the war broke out again.”
I find it disturbing that peace is portrayed as an abnormal state that finds itself present when the natural state of war is absent. I was raised a pacifist. I believe that 'peace' is a right, a human right, and not a privilege to be enjoyed when the powers of the world decide to allow you to enjoy it.
I believe that murder committed on the streets of our cities is no different than the killing of humans on the fields of war. Just because a president, or the ruling power of a country, has the unqualified power to send our children to kill others, does not make it right. It is still murder in my eyes and the murderer is that person that sent your child or mine to die for a cause that makes no sense.
The belief that war is a natural state is wrong and we need to start to change the way we raise our children. Many countries teach children, from the day they are born, that to die for one's country is honourable. It is not. There is no honour in going into a strange country, where you have no right to be, pointing a weapon at another human, whom you've never met, and killing him.
I used to think that if women ruled the world we would have no wars, but I was wrong. Many women that have held that kind of power have created wars and sent our children to die on their behalf.
If peace is to be attained on this planet, we need to stop the insanity. Women, we need to change the thinking of everyone around us. We need to instill into our children's minds and hearts that killing, regardless of its form, is wrong and has no place in mankind's society. Our children are being brain-washed that war is honourable, that being a soldier is glorious, that killing the enemy is the right thing to do. But we have no natural enemies. The powers of the world create our enemies and we allow them to do so.
Women, step forward, stop the insanity and let's start teaching our children, our friends, our neighbours, anyone that will listen, that we have to stop the powers of the world from killing humanity.
It starts with us, one person at a time.
Talk to your teachers, your school boards, any place where your children spend time, that you do not want them to be taught that war and killing for your country is acceptable.
Social media has taken over our minds and our hearts and we need to stop the unknown outsiders, who create this media, from being the ones that teach our children the values of life.
We as parents need to step up, we need to be involved every second of the day, we need to teach the upcoming generation that peace is not the absence of war, but that peace is a natural state of tranquility and quiet, it is contentment, serenity, lack of ego, compassion and harmony. Women, mothers, we have a voice; we can no longer be silent.
Peace. Peace for me is when I walk down the street and fear nothing; when I smile at someone of a different colour and they smile back; when I go to sleep at night and know that all of mankind feels safe.
My word for that feeling is 'freedom.'
By: Virginia Svetlikov.