This week’s Commentary touches on the Maine Walk for Peace and a Sustainable Future. This group walked many of the 125 miles from Rangeley to North Berwick to draw attention to Maine’s increasing dependence on military production for jobs.
What do the Climate March and the Maine Walk for Peace have in common? Both are about people taking a stand; regular people who have paid attention to critical issues and have decided to spend time and significant effort to bear witness, to speak up in hope of raising additional awareness. Sufficient awareness is, after all, essential to creating change. The fact that the military adventures of the American Empire have the heaviest of all carbon footprints makes it hard to separate issues of militarism and environment.
Quoting Bruce Gagnon of Bath who organized the Maine Walk: “We are walking across parts of Maine to call attention to this growing militarization of our state and nation. The Pentagon has announced that Rangeley is one of four sites being considered for an expensive and unproven missile interceptor base. In Saco, gun barrel kits are built for the Army. In North Berwick engines for the controversial F-35 fighter are made. In Bath billions of our tax dollars are spent making more destroyers. Eventually Congress will have to cut military budgets. What happens then to our State economy that has become so dependent on the military? Last year, Connecticut passed legislation creating a statewide planning commission to begin the process of moving away from its heavy reliance on military production.” Might Maine be wise to do the same? ‘Studies show that military spending creates the fewest jobs – while spending on solar, rail, education, health care, or fixing our roads and bridges creates more jobs with the same amount of money.’ (Political Economy Research Institute, UMASSAmherst) Please see more about the Maine Walk at http://space4peace.blogspot.com
What struck me most as I read Bruce’s blog is this story. One of the people who joined in the walk for part of the time was a tourist from Montana. She walked with the group for two days pitching right in to the spirit of things. As she reflected on the experience she said: “If only I’d known.” That comment has stayed with me. I feel sure that many more of us would respond in the same way, wanting to know more about what’s going on in our names.
What are some of the things we’ll wish we had known?
That the balance of our Earth’s systems is really in danger?
That each of us has a role in realigning that balance?
That it is the labor of working people who create the wealth of our society?
That rules keeping wealth at the top of the hierarchy are not only unfair but ultimately counter-productive?
That the cruelty of war is not in the interests of people or planet, only of empires and rulers and those who gain wealth by following them?
That instead of violence we might try, as William Penn recommended, to “See now what love can do?”
Does that word, “love,” seem out of place here? We know, I’m sure, that love is the way in all our endeavors, in relationships with children, with colleagues, even especially in thinking of ourselves. Why, then, not in world affairs? What is the lure of national leadership that has us doing their bidding? It’s fear, not love.
Are we so susceptible to fear that we believe what we’re told about “others” as “evil”? Can we listen, day after day, to supposedly grownup people broadcasting the news of our latest bomb strike as if it’s all in a days work? Are we numbed to considering what it’s like on the receiving end of those strikes? How do we not rise up in horror? How do we not see that war is an ugly business with huge profits for weapons makers that begins and ends with greed? In their Vision for 2020, the U.S. Space Command has announced with pride: “We will have Full Spectrum Dominance over Land, Sea, Air and Space to protect military and commercial national interests and investments.”
I am grateful to those who stand up and speak out, who organize and march in order to help each of us to know how vital we are to creating peace and a sustainable future.
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Rosalie Paul is a member of PeaceWorks. She lives in Topsham.
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