Vitual Kennedy on Peace
In his 1000 days in office, President Kennedy was pressured to go to war in five different countries, more than any other president, yet his dedication to peace remained profound.
His response to the urgings of his staff and advisors was…
“Together we shall save our planet or together we shall perish in its flames, save it we can, and save it we must, and then shall we earn the eternal thanks of mankind, and, as peacemakers, the eternal blessings of God.”
“Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many think of us it is impossible, too many think that it is unreal. But that is a dangerous defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable, that mankind is doomed, that we are gripped by forces we cannot control.
We need not accept that view. Our problems are man made and therefore they can be solved by man.
The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war, we do not want a war, we do not now expect a war. This generation of Americans has already had enough of war and hate.”
As peacemakers for generations have taken their stand with strength and conviction and courage for all mankind against “the evils” of war, each time the words of each hero for peace are resonating yet today throughout the world as we continue to represent peaceful reconciliation, understanding, tolerance, cooperation, love, compassion, prayer, and non-violence to those who would insist on aggressive responses to threats.
The tragically heartbreaking legacy of our generation is that they chose to kill the peacemakers, King included whose mentor was Gandhi himself. But someone, sometime, in some way has to have the courage to tell the truth about the condition of man and his downward projection as he completely forgets he was made in the Image of All That Is. Now is the era to return to our divine essence, love, which is just as surely a part of us as is our human self.