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I Pray that there be No War. …For my response to Shiva’s this post, …
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Tag Archives: War
putin and the taliban
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Let me say at the outset that I do not know, or see, the difference between the #taliban, the #isis and/or the #mujahideen.
#BBC, which had been speaking extensively on #putin, was on the #mujahideen this morning; interviewing some of them, who pointed out the damage done to buildings by the #US.
Are We to compare that to #putin’s damages?
To me, the #mujahideen/#taliban/#isis had/have to be controlled, because of:
- Plunging Planes through Civilian Towers,
- Destroying ancient, historical statues,
- Denying Rights to Women, and Worst,
- Barbaric Killings. Warning… Extremely Sensitive.
What did the #Ukranians do to #putin, that would give him the right to do this?
I see more here, too.
…
I just have to add two more pics.
To conclude, #putin, #taliban, #isis, #mujahideen, #rss, the sooner We see them contained, the Better for the World.
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PS:
Friend Rajiv has this to say:
So, Ok. The US, and Allies, bombed the crap out of Saddam. Had Saddam not needed that? That, as far as I remember, is the Most recent. …Afghanistan, both the US and the USSR/Russia were there.
From NatGeo or BBCPlanet Earth, had watched how the US had shelled the coastal waters of some S American country, polluting it Severely, nonetheless, and have taken No corrective measures to date, despite repeated appeals. That is just One example. This is to show that I take the Middle stand, seeing that I am a Christian.
In my opinion, the US should take steps to put putin in his place.
It all comes down to this? Can We trust putin? Had he not said that Russia was Not going to invade Ukraine till the very end?
He calls this a (special) military operation. This? Killing Civilians in Bread lines?
Forget the BBC and CNN. India Today is On the Spot. Would We believe them? Are NDTV, and bjp-leaning Mirror Now saying any different?
Are We to let putin destroy Ukraine with IMPUNITY?
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Reblogging Mick’s Exquisite post
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How motivate a person to go and die!
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In my post: Needed: Educated Soldiers, Friend Ankur Mittal ( http://en.gravatar.com/darkofficehumour ), had commented…
Ankur Mithal
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 AT 8:33 PM
Difficult message. Have often wondered what it takes to motivate a person to go and get himself killed.
…
And my reply might just have some weight, as below:
Now that is a Beautiful thought, my Dear Ankur.
…In genuine situations, where and when Freedom and Welfare were at risk, as in the movie ‘300,’ fiery speeches and good leadership were needed for that.
…In many other instances, it is taking advantage of the circumstances of a person, who had merely joined for economic reasons, or maybe even out of a love for Country, and turn this around for personal gain. Much of this is happening today.
And to motivate (though this might be a wrong word, more like ‘force,’) a person to go and get himself killed, all it needs is a …Heart of Stone. 😦
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The Horrors of War
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Do Read this, on the Horrors of War.
Sharing Bojana’s post this way as I could not find a reblog button.
https://bloggingwithbojana.com/2018/11/30/im-afraid-i-cant-help-it/
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Violence is a Very Poor Answer!
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We could start with the Incident at Uri. India seems to have ‘Avenged,’ Retaliated against the attack by a ‘Surgical’ one.
In connection with all this, showing their Anger against pakistan, the MNS (a branch of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra) and the VHP (the Vishva Hindu Parishad, an organization of rather right wing in nature), have Banned pakistani Artists from working/performing in India.
Salman Khan, a rather popular and eminent actor of North India has spoken out, saying that the Arts and Terrorism cannot mix, and should be kept Separate, meaning all thereby that the Imposition against pakistani Artists should Not be there. He is being criticized for it, and We could say, being Isolated. Foolish and Sad.
In one of the many so called TV debates over these issues, the spokesperson for the ruling party Blithely said that the Surgical strikes in particular should be seen as a matter of Pride. He further went on to say that Surgical, Overt, Military, Minimalist and Major, All sorts of Military operations should be considered against Pakistan.
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I am a person who considers even Jailing somebody as Violence. And that Severe Actions should be taken against Drug Dealers, Rapists and Acid Throwers. I would even recommend that Nails (one inch ones would be Enough!) – be driven into the bodies of these Criminals. And that I support Pain (Torture), and Not Death, for these.
I further go on to say that JUDGESÂ in particular Must be made to Realize what Real Life Is.
In the Olden days, Kings, even Emperors, used to go out of their Palaces, leaving off all vestige of Royalty, like a Commoner, and came to know of the Problems and Pains of the Subjects. Indian History tells us that they even visited Military Camps. They used to Aid the Needy, and Punished the Wicked.
King Harshavardhana, one of the Last Emperors of India, who reigned between c 606 and 647 AD, was Famous for doing the above.
Today No politician, judge nor officer knows of the Pains or Problems of the People. Which is Why People’s lives or lots do not change, and We get No Justice from judges.
My contention is that they should be Made to Realize Real Life. That, Alas, would take what Much of world, from its Comfortable Armchairs, calls Violence. First, on Violence. People speak about Peaceful Means, and Rousing up the ‘Conscience‘ of the Oppressors, through Ahimsa.
They are Easily Silenced. I would like to know if Hitler, or Saddam Hussein, to name just two, could have been brought to ‘See their Ways’ through Any Peaceful means. These few lines should be able to End the argument. The ‘evil’ Are going to be there. And Violence Is a Necessary, though Sad Means of Containing them.
Violence, in the sense of Force, is Not the Problem. The problem is, ‘WHO’ is going to Wield it.
And for Heaven’s sake, Let’s Kill off Drug Lords and such. Makes No sense in building Expensive containment facilities for them, only to have them living there as Kings, and to escape at will, to continue their merry business once again.
Above: Peru’s Guzman is a notorious example. Said to be Guilty of having ordered the death of 60,000 people(!), this is how he was transferred to his place of incarceration. He had escaped from even that place, but was thankfully captured again. There he is, sitting like a ‘lord;’ a war ship, special commandos, and very special underground cell, and the attendant guards, all chalked up to Our expense. While Billions go Hungry and Homeless. …What a waste. Spend it on a Single Bullet.
As You would see, I Advocate Sufficient Use of Force to Contain evil, as Corrective Punishment.
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FOR – ALL – THAT, to come back to Uri, many people all over India, and the Indian Media in particular, calling for ‘Teaching’ pakistan a lesson through Military means, (the media does not do this directly, of course), just have No Idea of what War is.
A picture I have Already used. But one of the Very Best for Our purposes. An Injured Indian Soldier. Salutations to Him. …More text follow the graphics, in continuation.
On the Field, they do not get Bandaged up Immediately. They fight on, amidst Death, the Blood and Gore.
He must have been a Very Handsome looking Young man. We are speaking about ‘Looks’ only here. The Trauma he has suffered, and that will shake him up on a Daily basis, are Well and Truly Hidden.
African, Or…
In this case British, …they All look the Same when they get Maimed and Injured.
These are the ‘Effects’ of War.
Their Friends try to drag them to Safety.
Statue of Injured, Battle Weary Soldiers. Created especially for the Emotions pictured on their faces and in their Eyes.
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So far, I have shown, and been able to show, Only pictures of What happens to Soldiers. The effects of Battle on Ecology, the Land, Houses and Habitation, and Particularly on People And On Children, is Devastating. You are Invited and Requested to pay attention to footage’s of Bombings and Shellings shown on Your TV. They give a goodly idea indeed.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ONLY TO THE ‘OTHER’ SIDE. SOLDIERS ON BOTH SIDES GET MAIMED, TRAUMATISED, AND KILLED.
And HUNDREDS of Soldiers Die in case of War.
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If After all this somebody still wants India to Initiate Military steps and actions against pakistan, then…
…
But the Main Problem of the World is Not Violence. It is Apathy.
Happy Gandhi Jayanthi to You All! May the recalling of his Birth remind Us and Encourage Us to search for Ways to Peace.
All graphics from the Internet.
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Violence and the Christian
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Preamble
Violence is of Concern for All. Everybody views it Askance. From their upbringing, I know that many Christians have questions about it. Many people make a Blanket statement that Violence is Wrong. But it is Only a Method. An Instrument, like a knife. A Surgeon uses it and We call it a Scalpel, and We find nothing wrong in it, though, Strictly speaking, Violence has been performed. But that same Scalpel can be used by the ungodly to take out Your eye, or in Intimidation and Torture. And here We call it Wrong, which it Is, of course. So Violence should Not be the Question. How it Used should be the one.
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More Commonly, and more Simply, Violence has two elements: Offence, and Defence. Most of us forget this, which is why there is so much confusion. Many Christians (among others) Freeze at the word Violence.
Violence is to be Strongly Deplored, and its use in Aggression, Attack and Offence is Never Right.
On the other hand, the use of Force, even Armed Force – which is Nothing else but Violence – is Allowed in Defence. Violence is Not the Issue, but Aggression is. That is the essence of this article.
I am Not saying that We Stock up on guns. Nor am I saying that You take up arms against Your government. Interestingly, the BEST way of protesting against one’s own government is through Absolutely Non-Violent and Peaceful means.
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Let us consider:
- A person gone berserk and holding school children as hostage,
- An attack by Red Indians on a small household in the days of the Old West,
- An unknown aircraft refusing to respond even to visual signals and entering restricted air space,
- saddam hussein when he was bombing his own countrymen,
- his attack onto Kuwait,
- pakistan’s frequent shelling across the border into India…
Would any of these have put down their guns if a White Flag was showed to them?
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This post is further presented to You under the following Headings:
What is Violence?
The Most Common Thoughts on Violence.
Instances of Violence in the Bible.
Right and Wrong, with reference to Violence.
The Case of War.
Offence as the Best Defence.
Conclusion
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A. What is Violence?
Violence is Not just an Act, an Action. AÂ threat of Aggression is Violence too.
The mere presence of police force armed with semi-automatic weapons and APC-like vehicles where Unarmed Civilians are gathered is Violence. This is Aggression.
Too many Girls run away from their homes in India. They reach cities hoping for opportunities on the silver screen. Many times they find themselves on the railway platforms or on streets, not knowing where to go. That is when ‘uncle figures’ turn up, and with kind voices, sweet talk and promises of help, take them to the red light areas (houses of prostitution). There, the mere presence of the rowdy elements, or, if that fails, beatings or burning with lighted cigarettes, etc, breaks their spirit. After that, The Threat of Violent consequences keeps them in their place, and they do not even dare to go to the police or such.
Putting a person in Jail is Violence. So is shooting a Mad Dog.
Frequently, You will see that My Kind of Writing is Violent, Haha! Well, when I see Ecology and Mother Earth getting Raped, when I see Our Tax money disappearing into a few pockets – so much so that maybe a Quarter of the World does not get a Square meal, when Quadrillions are taken in loan – to be paid back by the Future generations, when Rivers are diverted to make Soft drinks at the cost of Drinking Water and Irrigation, anybody who thinks I would be keeping an even 22 degrees centigrade of temperature like an air conditioner has another think coming!
Thus We will see that Violence is Not the culprit, but Aggression Is. Armed Aggression is to be Deplored, whereas Armed Defence is OK.
B. The Most Common Thoughts on Violence.
As soon as a Christian hears the word ‘Violence,’ the following sorts of thoughts fill his head.
Christ Allowed Himself to be arrested, man-handled and much worse, to the point of Crucifixion. He did not even Resist it, as He could have done in the earlier instance of Disappearing from the midst of those who wanted to push Him down a cliff, (Luke 4:29-30).
When Peter had hit the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear, Jesus had said to him: “Put Your Sword Back in its place. All who take the Sword will Die by the Sword.” (Matthew 26:52).
We have heard that the Lord has said: “Vengeance is Mine.” (Deuteronomy 32:35). That means that HE would Avenge, and that We are Not supposed to that.
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C. Instances of Violence in the Bible.
Let us come to the Other side of things. Just moving along through the Bible, We have that Phinehas drove his Spear through both the man and woman as they were having Sex. Before anybody goes off in a huff, here is the reference. It would be too long to quote it. Numbers 25:1-9. Reading this, it would be good to remember that Catholics, of whom I am one, see to the Deeper meaning of things, what is called ‘Sensus Plenior.’ Phinehas was not punished. He was The Lord’s Punisher in this case.
Let us now come to The Time when the Hebrews returned to their Homeland. They had dwelt there after the time of Moses, circa 1250 BC, to the Fall of Jerusalem, circa 587 BC. That makes it about 700 years. From about 587 BC to about 445 BC, they had been Slaves By the Rivers of Babylon, first to the Assyrians, then to the Neo-Babylonians, and at the end to the Persians. It was Cyrus of Persia who gave them permission to return. Prior to all this, they had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred off years. Altogether, they had been Slaves, since the time of Abraham, to the time of Christ, for Centuries. No Wonder they hated the Idea of Slavery, and that they still do! These details are just by way of Background and Interest.
Safety, in those days, meant living within Walls. The crops were raised outside the Walls, and if attacked, they lost, at the most, the Crops. So, upon the return from slavery, building the Walls of Jerusalem was one of their priorities. And Naturally their ‘neighbours’ did not want those walls raised. The Hebrews would build, and their enemies would pull them down. What were they to do? Build or Fight?
What is More Important is What they were Inspired to do. Nehemiah, whom We can call the leader of the Hebrews at that point, writes: “Our enemies thought (of) Killing Us and Putting an End to our Work. …So I armed the People with Swords, Spears and Bows… Even those who carried building materials worked with one hand and kept a Weapon in the other.” (Excerpts from Nehemiah 4:11-17). You know, they were not there at some Fancy Dress Contest. Those Weapons, were to be Used, if Necessary. Image:Â www.artbible.net
THE ABOVE IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST EXAMPLES THAT EVEN ARMED SELF DEFENCE ISÂ ALLOWED IN THE BIBLE.
There are two very Strong examples of Corrective Punishment in the Book. A Leader is Responsible for the Well Being of his People, for Justice, and the Upkeep of Values, etc. To Keep these Up, both Peter and Paul Uttered, and people Suffered, even Died. Acts 5:1-11, and 13:9-12.
D. Right and Wrong, with reference to Violence.
So Finally, What is one supposed to Do, and Not to Do? In other words, What is Right and What is Wrong, with reference to Violence?
If I am Insulted and Even Physically harmed, I am Not supposed to Retaliate. I am Not to keep going Tit for Tat, as they were doing during the time of Romeo and Juliet. In these things, I Keep my Peace.
But, if Loss of Property is involved, I Defend myself. This might sound Very Mundane, Gross, Untrusting.
Let us take a case. Supposing somebody enters Your house and, at Knife point (they use more of knives in India!) demands that You give him what little jewels and cash You have. What would You do? Give him Your cash and jewels hoping that he would go away? Next, supposing You have given him that, and he tells Your wife to disrobe and get down on the floor, What would You do? Crude and Gross of me? Do Excuse me. These things happen. Most of the time they tie up the man and do things right in front of him and the children. Anyway, What would You do?
So, in the case of Property, Life and Limb, and in cases of Outrage of Modesty or Worse, We see that We do Defend Ourselves and Ours, Tooth and Nail.
The Main question should be: Is Resistance Allowed? What kind, and to What Extent? Ineffective and Amateurish handling of a situation will only end in a Worse Scenario. If somebody wants to try Gandhian tactics, When the Safety, Life, etc, of One’s Wife and Children is involved, how can I stop him? An Armed and Unwanted person in the house or the street can be stopped Only by a Hit on the head or something, if that were possible.
Interestingly, I have read that Gandhi had said that the attacker was NOT to be resisted, even by crossing one’s hands on one’s head, etc. His followers were supposed to receive the blows without offering any resistance. And many had done that, and got their skulls broken open, and got hit between the legs. History cleverly hides the details of the aftermath of the many such attacks. And, People like him tend to forget, or conveniently forget, that they are extremely public figures, and even the most foolish policeman would not crack their skulls open, or hit them on the crotch. So, since it does not happen to them, they think it will not happen to others, OR, they do not know the shocking pain, the disabilities, and the consequent loss to the person’s family. I mean, that person ceases, to all practical purposes, to be any kind of provider or contributor to his family. On the contrary, he has to be provided for. So, people who keep shouting ‘Non-Violence, Non-Violence, Non-Violence,’ of this Gandhian type, are Inexperienced bunglers.
With regard to the Gandhian scenario, I would have said that We at least protect our Heads with our hands. Better broken hands than a Head Injury.
Coming back to my earlier point, I say that One Has to put an Attacker Out of Commission. Whether the Attack is on one’s Person, the Family or a Nation, the Attacker has to be Unarmed and Disabled. Whether the Ladies use a little Pepper Spray, or one uses a stick or a gun, We see that this involves Violence. Even in Jiu-Jitsu, the so-called Gentle art of self defence, after the person is thrown (gentle!), he is ‘Held’ in such a way that movement would cause him serious injury indeed. It is that fear that keeps the defeated assailant at bay.
No, I do not agree with Killing the person. Most of the time that should not be Necessary.
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Yes, Paul had said, in effect: “…Let Yourselves be Wronged, …Let Yourselves be Cheated.” (1 Corinthians 6:7, JB). But in the end these words are Hyperbolic, challenging Us to heights, telling Us NOT to get into Unnecessary and Mundane fights.
The Early Christians sold their All, and brought it to the Community. But they saw that it was Not practical. It is Not continued now. So We should not go by Hyperbola. Nor their Over-Enthusiastic Interpretations.
Even during the time of Christ there were Soldiers. They were Not told to give up the Army. All John the Baptist told them was: “Don’t take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be Content with Your Pay.” Luke 3:14, TEV.
It is Not the weapons, the Swords or the Guns. It is the Black Heart of man, the greedy Arms Manufacturers, the bad generals and the worse politicos.
Violence and Crime might not be touching Your individual lives. So Rejoice! May it Ever be So. But if it does enter Your Individual life, Learn to Deal with it Effectively. It would not be a Boxing Match. It would be a matter of Rape or Your Throat getting Cut. Do Not Shadow Box. It is Not too difficult to learn Self Defence techniques. Ladies Should Carry Chilli or Pepper Powder, and more that, learn to Use it, and Be Ready to do so.
It becomes a question of giving the evil minded a little Thrashing, or handing over Your Hard Earned money to ruffians and see Your Family Suffer. It could also be a case of coming away with a Child in the Womb. Society would say, “You were Violent.” The church would say, “No Abortion.” And I Agree with it too.
G. The Case of War.
Most of the time, in War or Armed Insurgency, One is the Aggressor, and the Other is the Victim. During Biblical times, both Egypt and Assyria/Babylonia, both super powers of that age, had clashed with each other. In Modern Times, the Threat or Violent Retaliation keeps adventurism in check. Yet people try, as putin is doing it in Ukraine.
When many people write against Violence, they speak against war. But War is a Two sided thing. If a country attacked or encroached, and no resistance was offered, there was No War at all! It is only aggression, attack or encroachment. It becomes war Only when one fights back. And Alas, One has to!
If all people were the same, if the next ruler was similar to the next one, the Citizenry would not mind. But if adolf hitler had succeeded in his conquests, what would have been the count of the dead? If putin were such a good ruler, Why are the People of Ukraine resisting him? I know that plenty of people criticize the West. But if that is such a bad country, just Why is there No Mass Exodus to putin’s russia?
When saddam was bombing the Kurds, what was the world to do? And today, when the ISIS is trying to take hold of Syria, (though the world is tired of that news), what are we to do? Say the Syrians, “What is the big deal? Let them rule You?”
If putin has not taken hold of Ukraine, it is because he faces the threat of retaliation. People are always going to be different. There will be mad dogs like hitler, saddam, pol pot, putin and the ISIS. And just like mad dogs, they will not desist until they are put down. And that is called War.
H. Offence as the Best Defence.
First of all, if You find a man forcing himself upon a woman, for instance, he is not going to give up because of words, threats or posturing. You have to take him down. And If You are going to do that, the world would say, “You should not take the Initiative in Violence.” Stupid world. It was like that in the Old West, was it not? The Law man had to draw after the crook. Otherwise it was called ‘Gunning a man down.’ Yes, the Lives of Our Law men have been So Cheap. For us.
It is like that in India. People keep dogs. These come out onto the streets and growl and bark at You. You are not even supposed to throw a stone at them! (Useless kicking them, as too many of us wear rubber slippers). If the dog bites You, the owners would be Deep inside their houses, hidden from You.
Make Sure Your Heart is Pure. That You do not Harbour Hatred and Rancour. Do Not take Personal revenge. But if You find Injustice or Aggression, Be Ready to Kick the Backsides. Hard. It is OK to do that.
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Psalm 137:8-9
Posted under Relevant Biblical Verses.
[Part of] A Lament. A Song of Mourning. Gruesome. Psalm 137:8-9, TEV.
“Babylon, you will be Destroyed.
Happy is the man who pays you back for what you have done to Us –Â who takes your Babies and Smashes them against a Rock.“
The Israelites make the above as part of a prayer against the Babylonians, because these had done the Same to them. See Ezra 9:7, (in preparation).
These things happened, and they still happen. That is the Horror of War.
Violence, and the Christian
Everybody in their Right Mind Hates Violence. And Everybody cries out ‘Peace, Peace, Peace,’ Everybody says: “Down with Violence.” Can a Christian Use Violence? Even to me the question sounds peculiar! But it is a query that Many People have! And, I have used the word Christian as I am a Christian Priest, and cannot really answer it for those of Other religions.
Violence is taken as a Dirty word. As far as possible, it Has to be Avoided, of course. And its use in Aggression, Attack or Offence is Never Right.
On the other hand, the use of Force, even Armed Force – which is Nothing else but Violence – is Allowed in Defence. Violence is Not the Issue, but Aggression is. That is the essence of this article.
Defence is something ‘Of the Moment.’ If I am beaten up, I cannot come home, pick up a stick, and go back and beat up my attacker. That is Not Defence, that it Attack. And Violence in this situation would be Wrong. That is what the Lord calls ‘Vengeance’ in the Bible.
At the same time, if the fellow(s) are lying in wait and in ambush, it would not only be Necessary, but Right, to Defend Yourself and Yours. You would have to Encircle them and put them out of commission.
The example that springs to mind for this is that of Red Indian attacks on small settlements. In a situation like that, Proper Defence would have been to Fire the Shots First, if possible. I see No Wisdom in getting Your house set on fire, just because they had not fired the first shot! For background notes on this Please see below.
The Red Indian had been cheated, and No Proper Settlements/Arrangements were made for them. This was Violence against them. And just because certain peoples had advanced with reference to Iron weapons and guns, etc, they had seen fit to Enslave, carry away, and Sell practically whole nations. That Same method of Force and Violence is used in running houses of Prostitution today.
Going back to one more example of Offence (first) as the Best Defence, I would say that the Idea that the Law officer in the Old West was supposed to draw only after the ruffian had done so was Idiotic and Wrong. Whether a man volunteered to be a Law officer or whether he took a salary, How Long did We expect him to keep up the speed of Draw? When he got old, what was he supposed to? Be the Victim of Revenge? We have held the lives of Our Law men cheap. We made them Spectator Sport. It was Criminal on the part of those who drew up such laws.
I am not saying the above with reference to the Ferguson affair. Darren Wilson firing off TWELVE LIVE ROUNDS at unarmed Civilians was Criminal.
In the situation that followed, the mere presence of police force armed with semi-automatic weapons and APC-like vehicles where Unarmed Civilians are gathered is Violence. This is Aggression.
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Was just watching the movie, ‘The Next Karate Kid.’ Two things there are Noteworthy. One, that physical instructor says at one point: “If You find somebody throwing a Candy wrapper, make them Eat it,” or words to that effect. I am Not commending or suggesting Violence like this. This is Stupidity. The other is the instance where Julie goes into a store to buy some things, and there are three men there, who set their dog upon her, and later come out and try to Grab her. Here I would I ask YOU a question: “If You were the Girl’s Guardian, What would YOU have done at that point?”
If one could at least Run and Escape, the discussion would be over. But would three men let a Young and Beautiful Girl Escape? The question is Not whether We know how to fight. Rather, it is, Whether We think pulling up a few chairs and starting a Counselling session would work here! Are these Impossible scenarios? Let us Not be Naive.
Came across the travails of one Gopika, who travelled by train and had some Nasty experiences. Upon Great Insistence from her and her companions, police did arrive, but went back after scolding her and her companions! To read her account, please click here.
I have read some Great peace-lovers writing just How they had allowed themselves to be beaten up, and never raised a finger. As I said, Great, Super, Wonderful and Marvellous! But the Question comes when one of Our Family members is Threatened. As Julie was.
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Next, with regard to War. Do We Really think hitler would have stopped his mass murder, his ethnic cleansing, with just Germany? Had he not attacked even that giant, russia? If Everybody had gone around waving White flags, do We think he would have desisted? What about saddam hussein bombing the Kurds, People of his Own land? Or when putin is sending tanks into Ukraine, are We to start making passionate speeches in the UN? putin is going to stop by that? 🙂
Or is the ISIS going to lay down its arms if the pope, the dalai lama or the shankaracharya asks them?
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I am Not saying that We Stock up on guns. Nor am I saying that You take up arms against Your own government. Interestingly, The BEST way of protesting against one’s own government is through Absolutely Non-Violent and Peaceful means.
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Let us now come to The Time when the Hebrews returned to their Homeland. They had dwelt there after the time of Moses, circa 1250 BC, to the Fall of Jerusalem, circa 587 BC. That makes it about 700 years. From about 587 BC to about 445 BC, they had been Slaves By the Rivers of Babylon, first to the Assyrians, then to the Neo-Babylonians, and at the end to the Persians. It was Cyrus of Persia who gave them permission to return. Prior to all this, they had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred odd years. Altogether, they had been Slaves, since the time of Abraham, to the time of Christ, for Centuries. No Wonder they hated the Idea of Slavery, and that they still do! These details are just by way of Background and Interest.
Safety, in those days, meant living within Walls. The crops were raised outside the Walls, and if attacked, they lost, at the most, the Crops. So, upon the return from slavery, building the Walls of Jerusalem was one of their priorities. And Naturally their ‘neighbours’ did not want those walls raised. The Hebrews would build, and their enemies would pull them down. What were they to do? Build or Fight?
What is More Important is What they were Inspired to do. Nehemiah, whom We can call the leader of the Hebrews at that point, writes: “Our enemies thought (of) Killing Us and Putting an End to our Work. …So I armed the People with Swords, Spears and Bows… Even those who carried building materials worked with one hand and kept a Weapon in the other.” (Excerpts from Nehemiah 4:11-17). You know, they were not there at some Fancy Dress Contest. Those Weapons, were to be Used, if Necessary. Image:Â www.artbible.net
THE ABOVE IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST EXAMPLES THAT EVEN ARMED SELF DEFENCE ISÂ ALLOWED IN THE BIBLE.
It becomes a question of giving the evil minded a little Thrashing, or handing over Your Hard Earned money to ruffians and see Your Family Suffer Want. It could also be a case of Your coming away with a Child in the Womb. If You Fight there, Society would say, “You were Violent.” The church would say, “No Abortion.” And I Agree with it too. So, Let society say what it will. Defend Yourself, with Force, if Necessary.
As Mr. Miyagi had said, “Fight to Win.” If You had to fight, and If You had to be Violent, in Defence, No need to have a party, but have a Good night’s sleep, and Carry on with Your Life!
Peace, War, and Other things
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Nobody in his Right mind could Like, or Want War. Yet there are some, who, without knowing the effects of War, call for it. For example, if reports can be believed, pakistan has been firing shells across the border of India. And again, it is reported that chinese troops have/had made numerous incursions into Indian territory. In these instances, there are a group of people who want the Indian govt to ‘take on’ these countries. Meaning, military engagements.
As I said, these people seem to have No idea about The effects of War on the Families of the Soldiers, often rendering them Orphaned and Widowed, and the Soldiers themselves Maimed and Traumatized.
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All that being so, the call by ‘Armchair Philosophers’ for Peace is Laughable. One needs the Experience of Beatings, Pain and Shame before One can even speak, or write on Philosophy. And a Person should have a Care for the Victim. In Mooooost cases, this is Lacking.
There are Many words that are Akin to War: Fighting, Violence, Vehemence, etc. A Person who resorts to these is also considered ‘Not for Peace.’ Let us take a few cases.
I have seen many instances where Mothers had tied their infants by clothes, to keep them out of harm’s way, yet allowing them movement. It is like the ‘Crib.’ Is this not Violence? (And I am not talking of Badly manufactured cribs). Just hold somebody by her Wrists and MAKEÂ her sit by your side. Is that Violence? What is the difference between the two?
Putting a person in Irons or in Jail is Violence. Concluding with Just these instances, – except for the ‘Wrist case!’ – We see that these are Accepted as OK, Necessary, and even Good, by Society.
There are enough cases of the Weak and the Poor getting Oppressed, Taken Advantage of, being Subjected to Violence. In India, Bus Conductors would oftentimes Load Up their buses, taking Passengers on willingly (More Passengers means More Bonus), yet Shouting at them while they are getting down. “Get down, Get down, Get down,” they say, and “Hurry, Hurry, Hurry.” So Undignified. And Violent. After all, Just Who wants to Remain in the blessed thing? And if some Poor Soul wants to get down at some particular spot, the answer from the conductor is: “The bus does not stop here.” The Creature has taken a mind of its own, and just refuses to stop. What is he to do, the poor fellow?
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SPOKEN OUT FOR THE VICTIM?
Have We ever said: “Let this Old Woman (Or the Woman with Small Children) get down. Why should they walk back so far in the Sun? How much Time would We lose, after all?” etc. No. We have paid for the Journey. And We should not get late. And when the driver stops to pick up members of his family, Nobody objects. No complaints when the bus is pulled over for 15 or 20 minutes for tea and things. And No complaints at all when held up by traffic or ‘Bandhs’ (Political Protests), for Hours on end.
We Want Peace. And that is What I am talking about. If We have Love in Our Hearts, We Would Speak out.
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Serious Thought has to be given to the Question if Gandhi’s ‘Ahimsa,’ Non Violence, would have worked if it had been hitler and not the british who had occupied India!
The ISIS is one such creature. So it putin. Think of Ukraine. There is a saying in Hindi: ‘Laaton ke Bhoot Baaton se Nahin Maante,’ which means, roughly, ‘There are some who will Only be Controlled by Kicks; they will not Listen to Reason.’ Mad Dogs Have to be Put down.
So We Will Fight, Will Have to Fight, If We Love Our Fellow Human Beings.
You can read here how a Soldier fought to save a Girl from getting Raped.
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lovehappinessandpeace 