Perhaps Michael Atherton's gripe with peace is that he is interpreting Peace as Peace At Any Cost instead of Peace First. There are very few people who believe in Peace At Any Cost, and I conjecture that Michael is debating with a rare bird the likes of which are seldom spotted - the complete and total pacifist.
Here is the spectrum of views on Peace: 1. Peace At All Cost 2. Peace First, War Second 3. War First, Peace Second 4. War At All Cost Can we identify the commonly held point of view? Is that not what we are already teaching in history books that discuss both diplomacy and violence? The notion of Peace As Good is commonly held as an apolitical issue not because it lacks any political substance, but rather because most people understand its fundamental benefits. Our society functions from one day to the next because this point of view guides our behavior. Peace teaching is already in our schools and it's not going anywhere. Without it, your kids wouldn't even be able to form a line to walk out to recess. Regards, Jason Stone | Hale --- Brandon Lacy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Teaching young people about peace is appropriate, and if it is a political > agenda...so be it. Also, I currently have a cousin serving in Iraq, and my > little sister is being shipped to Iraq next month, and let me be very clear > that they would love to send any children they may have to a school that > teaches that peace, justice, acceptance, and tolerance are to be normative > standards of behavior expected of each individual, which is exactly what the > pieces outlined on the website are seeking to do. Is that a political > agenda...sure. But more importantly its a humane agenda. Just think of > everone in the world received a like education. > > But let's be clear, any and all education we receive in the public school > system is politically grounded. It is impossible to have a-political > education. Our history books are clearly slanted (often to the point where > they have questionable accuracy) to portray U.S. history (and world history) > from a Euro-centric point of view with little to no analysis of the impacts > of genocide, internment, slavery, etc. etc. etc. except as side notes or > weakened to a level of passivity that makes it seems as if bad things > happened but no one was truly responsible (check out Lies My Teacher Told > Me, A People's History of the World, or any of a number of truly excellent > books that outline just how political public education really is). > > -Brandon Lacy > -Powderhorn Park __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
