The Sin of Silence

Dear Reader, This is an email message I received from my Aunt Eleanor:

"Dear Dick: Last night at our Yom Kippur dinner ["Day of Atonement," a Jewish High Holy Day], Uncle Gene read a portion of the booklet they read at temple which spoke about the sin of silence which we have regarding the war[s]. You speak so eloquently about it but I don't see marches any more, speaking out against the war[s] any more. For shame! On all of us. Love, Aunt Eleanor." [9/29/09]

For shame is right! Even the temple, like other religious institutions across America didn't speak of the wars as a sin of silence, nor take action to stop them, nor have they gotten involved to help those so desperately in need from those wars. They are silent.

Here was my response to my Aunt Eleanor:

"Dear Aunt Eleanor, Thank you for raising this grave issue of the sin of silence.

The sin of silence let the Nazis take control of Germany and then as the silence continued, it allowed them to end the German democracy and commit horrific mind numbing acts of mass murder and torture upon mankind.

Ultimately, the price of that silence was paid in rivers of blood and tears and starvation and homelessness and financial collapse as Europe had to be rebuilt. Japan and China also suffered massive death and destruction and were also left in ruins.

Then there is today. A time when confronted by two wars, American religious leaders of all persuasions sit in silence as do most of the American people.

Following 9/11, the U.S. illegally invaded and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. Silence.

These wars were committed and justified by a President and his Administration that lied to the American people. Silence.

Thousands upon thousands of men, women and children killed and injured, while millions of others were forced to flee their homes. Silence.

Iraq and its ancient culture destroyed. Silence.

U.S. soldiers killed and injured and their families left to fend for themselves. Silence.

A huge U.S. mercenary Army is formed for the first time [in U.S. history], seemingly answerable to no-one, and it commits horrific crimes. Silence.

Seizure and torture of foreign nationals by the U.S. becomes common. Silence.

Because of the "War on Terror," the [the protections of the] U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights are suspended as the President chooses. One of his first acts is to spy on the American people. Silence.

A new charismatic President is elected partly because he promises to end the Iraq War. Instead, once in office, he adopts the former President's Iraq policies while escalating the Afghanistan War and further spreading it to Pakistan. Silence.

In this din of silence, can there be any reasonable expectation that events will turn out well?

Perhaps we should ask the Iraqis, Afghans and Pakistanis what they think. But wait, we don't listen to them. To us, they are silent.

One day, we may finally find all of this unconscionable and raise our voices. But who will be there to listen? Who will care? The answer we receive may be silence.

Dick"

When One Nuclear Weapon Is Far Too Many

"Show us your nuclear weapon facility," the U.S. tells Iran. "Your actions to build a nuclear weapon threaten the world and it must stop immediately."

This from a nation with nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons and the missiles to fire them, in a heart beat destroying any enemy and potentially taking the world with it.

"We don't have any nuclear weapons," repeatedly replies Iran. And they have offered to allow United Nations officials to inspect their facilities.

But the U.S. demands "unfettered access" to Iranian facilities an unnamed Obama Administration official told the Los Angeles Times, in "U.S., allies to press Iran for free access to facility."

[For more details, please see http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-obama27-2009sep27,0,2677915.story?track=rss]

To understand Iran's perspective, reverse the names in the title so it reads, "Iran, allies to press U.S. for free access to facility."

The U.S. government would call such a demand, outrageous and the Pentagon would never comply as a matter of "National Security." It's all top secret.

In any case, nuclear weapons are spreading everywhere. In addition to the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and Russia have them, as the arms race continues.

And ironically, if the Shah had stayed in power, Iran would have gotten them from the U.S. With time, any government or organization with the money to pay for it can have nuclear weapons, as North Korea just demonstrated.

This is a golden opportunity for the U.S. to stop this madness by ending the arms race as it destroys its own arsenal. Until the U.S. does, most others won't either.

If you think having first strike or retaliatory strike capability keeps you safe, picture a fanatic detonating a mini form of one of these devices.

It could be in an oil or chemical facility or in some other toxic tinder box that could compound the force of a nuclear explosion and level or poison a city.

To end the arms race you as an American must speak up. Otherwise those in power will continue the endless race for a "proper strategic deterrent." Your voice could make a difference if you have the courage and the will to use it.

Dick