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Peace Movements, Then and Now

By Robert Soloway

In 1968, I saw the Vietnam peace movement first hand. We had demonstrations for civil rights, women's rights, the environment, anti-war and sometimes all combined under the umbrella phrase “anti-establishment”. I participated in many such campaigns in good conscience, thinking that whatever we did was in the name of peace and freedom. Could we fail with beliefs like that? Wouldn't God be on our side?

To a hippie pacifist, there was the “Us” and the “Them”. Us being the hip, the doves, the flower children. Everyone else was “Them”; establishment hawks, right wing, greedy capitalists. We assumed that Them hated Us, and We hated Them. We liked it that way. So did they. We had our uniforms: naturally worn-out denim; they had theirs: suits and such. Each side believed that they were right, and the other side was wrong.

For a peace movement, it was all a recipe for failure.

In New Age lingo, the 60's peace movement was trying to solve the problem of war at the level of the problem. We were fighting for peace. We preached love, and hated the establishment. In fact, the peace movement was more frequently called “an anti-war” movement. Many of the anti-establishment groups even took on the names and look of a militia, making war against the status quo.

We now believe that wars don't make peace. Peace makes peace. Gandhi, MLK, and Jesus knew it. Shouting “Pig” in the street only brings more hate into the world. Even in the name of peace, hate can only bring hate. Especially in the name of revenge, it must bring hate. The ability to love your enemy is crucial to lasting peace.

It is important to see the terrorist as a manifestation of the worldwide consciousness. There is too much hate, fear, and greed on this planet. If we thought we could keep the third world in its place forever, ignorant of our wealth, content in their misery, September eleventh ended that belief forever. Everyone's business is our business. Spiritually we have always been one. The terrorists just reminded us.

Neither a war on terrorism or an anti-war movement can bring the peace we seek. Opposition is opposition. It is time to begin a new peace movement. “Armed” with what we now understand, let's do it right.