CASUALTIES OF WAR

A. THE P.O.W.'s

Their eyes tell the story...

There is so much of Fear and Suffering there.

How desperately they long for a gentle touch, for some sign of

Hope in their tormented World. Once they were important, they

had some meaning for their lives, some higher purpose for

Being...once they were Loved. But now they have become

nothing more than wretched objects of ridicule and scorn.

Someone worthy only of physical abuse.

Who will care for them?

Who will offer them redemption? Who will reach down into their

Souls to soothe away their Fears? Who will hear their Cries for

Help? Who will care for the Prisoners of War?

How will we handle the captured Enemy Combatants?

Some people argue that there is need for coercion and torture --

they claim it is necessary for our National Security. As if we could

improve our Security by making our Enemies hate us even more

or by bringing more pain into our world. As if we can base our

Security on the suffering of others.

There is no tactical value in a persons tears.

Nothing to be learned from their humiliation.

As a matter of compassion, we need to remember that each and

every Soul is important; not one should be treated with contempt

nor needlessly harmed. In the treatment of Captives we should;

INFLICT NO SUFFERING --

CAUSE NO HUMILIATION --

PROVIDE ADEQUATE FOOD, SHELTER,

EXERCISE, AND MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL --

These people are now our responsibility and we must see to their

needs. By our conduct, we can help to set guidelines for the

humane care of Prisoners of War all around the World. And in our

kind treatment of others, we will encourage ... kindness towards

ourselves. Making this a better world for us all.

B. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

It is the Innocent Ones who suffer the most.

The Farmers who want nothing more than to plant their Crops

and attend to their production. The Children who are restless and

want to go outside and play; the Teenagers who are looking

forward to Graduation and going on to College or their Careers;

the young Couples who are thinking about getting Married and

settling down; the Grand Parents who are waiting to hear some

Blessed News from the Newly Weds; the Factory Workers and

Shop Keepers who need to return to their Place of Employment

and earn a Living; the Teachers who are longing to go back into

their Classrooms and help provide an Education for their

Students; the Hospital Staff, the Nurses and Doctors, who want

to return to work and care for those who are suffering.

It is all of these people, and many more like them, who make up

the Living Substance of our Society. And it is these people who

suffer the most because of War. They are hoping that all of the

carnage and destruction will soon come to an end and they can

return to a normal Routine of Life. These are the common, every

day, people who have had their World turned upside down, and

their lives completely disrupted, by some petty Tyrant who

doesn't care about them and whose only concern is his own

personal Glory.

How long must this continue? How many times will we allow

some selfish, mean spirited, "War Lord" to drag us down into the

depths of yet another War? Why do we allow this to happen? We

don't have to live like this ... we don't need all of this turmoil and

confusion and we can have a more tranquil Political System, one

that would regulate our affairs in an orderly manner ... we don't

have to live with the recurring trauma of War! We could establish

a Society where attending to the needs of the People is more

important than satisfying the demands of some power hungry

Dictator.

We can do this. We can change our lives.

We the People have the Right to decide what type of Government

we will have. The choice is ours. We could create a Government

that will truly represent us; that will protect our Rights; and that

will be our Servant -- not our Master. We don't have to ask

anyones' permission to make the necessary changes in our

Government, we can do this on our own. We can have a World

without War, and we can know lasting Peace. This is possible ... it

is all up to us.