Marcus -
I can only answer this for myself. To the extent I am pacifistic, and
identify with pacifism as a principle, I will state my own
position/experience:
While I do value consequences, I value intentions yet more, there has
been a lot of ambiguity and ambivalence in my life because of this duality.
*Personal Choice*: For me, pacifism is a personal choice and it is about
who I choose to be/come. I can offer advice and opinions to others
about their own personal choices, about where their line between
violence/non might be and what to do with it, but I don't presume to
know what their context and choices are better than they do... to do so
would be it's own form of violence.
*Vegetarianism*: At 14 I chose not to eat any meat from any animal I did
not kill or butcher myself. This made me a vegetarian as a matter of
practice. I held that line for nearly 20 years. I am no longer a
strict vegetarian, but am very sympathetic with the ideals of those who
choose it on moral grounds, and even moreso those who choose vegan
lifestyles. I may return there. I considered this my first
significantly pacifistic decision in life.
*War*: I chose (but was relieved of acting on it) to refuse military
service to my country and was prepared to leave it and never return to
it as I came of 'conscription age'. This was neither because I was a
coward (though the reality of war WAS deeply threatening) nor because I
believed the Vietnam War to be patently *wrong* (though there were
plenty of indicators and I think time proved them correct for the most
part). I simply did not want to become a killer, especially one who
killed on the orders of others, or put himself in a situation of
kill-or-be-killed for arbitrary reasons.
*War Profiteeting*: I also *chose* to work at a nuclear weapons
laboratory (eventually) in support of MAD and came close to working for
the more conventional Military-Industrials, because I believed that
"somebody has to have the big stick, it might as well be 'us' ". I
also liked the pay, the benefits and the presumed prestige. But I never
adopted a hawkish stance and took no more than passing *technical* pride
in the products of my efforts, many of which were far from exclusively
or even mainly military in application. The fall of The Wall/Soviet
Union helped me understand that MAD may always have been truly
unnecessary (ill conceived?) madness, and a few choice words of Wisdom
by the Dali Lama soon after, about the nature of violence/non helped me
understand all of that a little more. Some time supporting the National
Intelligence effort helped me appreciate how slippery the slopes were
and how much *I* didn't want to tread anywhere near that line of no
return. Fortunately I ducked the "Edward Snowden" bullet, I saw plenty I
didn't like, but nothing beyond the pale.
*Spare the Rod*: I chose to raise my children without giving over to the
"spare the rod, spoil the child" mentality handed down by my parent's
generation and held by more than a few peers. I never struck nor
threatened to strike my children, nor used abusive language toward
them. I recognized that the violences I DID perpetrate (witholding of
approval, of resources, timeout/grounding) were acknowledgements of my
own failure to guide/support them well enough and/or a failure in my own
patience. As far as I know, this worked out very well with them. They
might tell their intimates (or therapists) otherwise.
*Intervention*: I still have strong opinions about others' behaviour and
the consequences of that behaviour and have been known to actively
intervene when I felt inaction would allow significant harm to occur.
These actions are never easy to come to, to execute, nor to be smug
about afterwards. The few times I have taken significant interventive
action (physically, verbally, legally, economically) were pivotal to my
evolving character and I doubt I will ever feel with certainty that "I
did the right thing". There is nothing I feel acute regret about, but
my judgement remains open on them. I think that ambiguity/ambivalence
is key to my continued pacifism.
*Capital Punishment*: Your point about capital punishment is well taken
and I align with it for the most part. I'm not willing to be a party
to state-sponsored vengeance. I accept that individuals DO take
vengeance and accept that as part of "the human condition" and can
imagine my own participation. I accept that sometimes organizations
(e.g. states) choose practical over ideological decisions (capital
punishment as a way to avoid the expense and inconvenience of lifetime
incarceration) but seek other alternatives.
*War Again:* Similarly, I don't like nor endorse the violence of war but
accept that sometimes it is a point that groups arrive at, but I will
not be party to the "vengeance" part of it. Vilifying the enemy only
makes war "easier", it doesn't make it "better". True "self defense" is
a practical admission of failure of all other means, and nothing to be
proud of, merely to be exercised as effectively, thoughtfully and
compassionately as possible. Sadly I find very little of this in those
who promote the death penalty nor war. I hope there are truly
"compassionate warriors" and suspect that some of my friends who have
"been there" may have a significant component of that in them, it is not
something easy for them to talk about and I respect that.
Peace Out Man...
- Steve
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