9/11 and Ribbons of Resistance
Comments By
The Rev. Susan Manker-Seale, Vince Pawlowski, and Libby Johnson
September 11, 2005
Introduction by Rev. Susan:
We are a welcoming congregation in the broadest sense of the word: we welcome you as you are, not requiring adherence to a creed or set of beliefs or particular world-view. The people gathered here represent the range of political view as well as religious outlook, but underlying our differences are common values of love and respect and compassion, and an open and responsible search for truth and meaning.
Sometimes, people get carried away and forget that everyone is not just like them and make statements to newcomers that define our congregation in a particular way, usually just like them. But more often than not, others step forward with reminders to respect the truth of our differences, even as we have many things in common about which we care, not the least of which are goals toward making the world a better place for all.
Today’s service focuses on the teaching that war is not the answer; that peace is the way. Vince Pawlowski, co-chair of the Social Action Committee, and Libby Johnson, co-founder of the Ribbons of Resistance Project of that Committee, will be sharing their views along with me this morning, and Daniel Sobel will be singing two of his songs. You may or may not agree with our words, but in the spirit of the values of this congregation, we ask you to practice civil behavior toward one another in sharing your disagreements during the service or after during the lunch. Remember that it is easier to hear someone’s viewpoint when it is conveyed with mutual respect. Let us all promise to keep open minds and hearts, and practice compassion for one another even as we work toward that goal in the larger world.
“9/11 and Katrina Victims Memorial Prayer,” by Rev. Susan:
Hand-in-hand, touching hands, holding hands…
Becoming more than a single person alone,
More than even two or three,
Hand-in-hand we acknowledge our common humanity
And our interdependence upon one another
In our quest to walk in beauty with justice
and a common faith in the goodness of the world.Four years ago on this day we witnessed
Unimaginably evil acts perpetuated upon our
Brothers and sisters in New York City and Pennsylvania
And Washington, DC, which killed thousands
And shattered our illusions of safety in this country.
Let us remember those whose lives were destroyed in those actions.We call it a chain of events, like the chain of our hands,
Linking the events of 9/11/2001 to today, to Katrina,
To the ways our government was disabled from responding
With foresight and resource and compassion.
Consider how they are linked, through Afghanistan and Iraq
And a focus on war, the lives taken and not just our own children.
How are these events linked like our hands?And what can we do?
Hand-in-hand, touching hands, holding hands…
Becoming more than a single person alone,
More than even two or three,
Hand-in hand we acknowledge our common humanity.
Hand-in-hand holds violence at bay,
And reminds us that healthy communities depend on peace,
That beauty depends on peace,
That justice depends on peace,
That goodness depends on peace,
That the world depends on peace,In this way we dedicate these hands to peace,
Always to peace,
In memory of those millions who have died without peace.Peace is the way.
Poem: “Act of God,” by Ric Masten
Rev. Susan’s Comments: “9/11 and Ribbons of Resistance”
Disasters like 9/11, like last year’s tsunami, like Hurricane Katrina, are practically unimaginable to those of us who have not been through such in our lives. War is unimaginable, even when we see images of it on TV and in newspapers. Tragedy of such magnitude is hard to conceive and therefore, remains somewhat at a distance from many of us, at least, until it is our turn. Some of you know first-hand.
Still, we all grieve. We think of those who lost their homes every time we get out a glass of water, every time we lay our head upon a pillow, every time we remember and feel grateful for the peace that is our unaffected lives. Privileged we are. So we remember and we grieve and we give in whatever ways we are asked if it is within our power. I know some of you have been spending many, many hours down at the convention center helping out, and many of you have given money to the cause. We want to help, and have to resist the urge to race down there to New Orleans or Biloxi and say, “Put me to work,” because they wouldn’t have a place for us anyway, nor water for us to drink, nor a place to stay. It’s hard to help from afar.
What we can do, though, even as we give what we can of our money and time, is to consider once again how these things are related, how the slow response to Katrina is related to the absence of the National Guard or the drain of monies to the War in Iraq. I hear people ask it, and I wonder, too. Maybe Ric Masten is right in saying that this was just an off-the-wall act of god. On the other hand, such pain and suffering demands we look at our responses with a magnifying glass, even to the very important points of racism and classism and the blinders they may create in the structures of our government’s actions or non-actions.
I am a pacifist. In remembering those who died in 9/11 or Iraq or Katrina, I want to take the opportunity to say once again that war is not the answer to our social ills. I can see the convoluted path from 9/11 through Afghanistan to Iraq and now to Katrina – there have to be other ways to solve the disagreements, even the genocides and terrorisms, that are occurring all around the world. War cannot be OK. Whenever I waver on that, and occasionally I do, I remember the words of Mohandas Gandhi: “Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our very being.”
Curtiss and I will be joining Vince and Libby and eight others from our congregation in Washington D.C. the end of this month to protest the war in Iraq and the use of torture. United for Peace and Justice and several other national organizations have been planning this for months and it promises to be the biggest protest and rally we have had in many years. Vince and Libby will be telling you about what our Unitarian Universalist Service Committee has planned for that weekend and about our own Ribbons of Resistance Project. Hopefully, you all have ribbons in your laps and will be writing on them later during the meditation.
I was going to speak about the relationship between religion and violence, but in researching religious teachings, what I found were statements upon statements advocating for peace. Violence is a distortion of religious teachings the world-over. The wisdom of the ages teaches peace. If you don’t believe me, do the research. You can start with Luke 6:27: “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.”
In this time of turmoil, it is good to keep focused on what is meaningful and essential to do. The protest against war will never lose its importance, no matter what else is happening in the world. Carry peace in your hearts and we can change the world.
Vince’s Comments: “UUSC campaign seeks to end U.S.-sponsored torture worldwide”
Before I begin, I would like to remind everyone that the latest UUA General Assembly chose "Moral Values in a Pluralistic Society" as the Study/Action topic for 2006-8. In that vein, I would like you all to think about our topics for the next few minutes, the concept of a "just war" and about torture as a political tool. Then I'd like to tell you about the following information that I have adapted from the Unitarian Universalist Services Committee's Stop Torture Permanently Campaign. No matter what you think about the morality of the war in Iraq or our use of torture there specifically, please listen carefully to the moral foundations of what is said.
Remember, the public response to the grim photographs of the detainee torture at Abu Ghraib was one of universal rejection. Although "we the people" of the United States face many divisive issues today, from social security to family rights to the war in Iraq, we must stand united on the question of torture. It is abhorrent to our national values, it is illegal, and it sows dangerous seeds of hatred against us abroad. Striking back in anger is never an appropriate response to a wound against our great society.
In response to the human rights crisis created by the U.S. torture and abuse of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo, UUSC initiated the STOP (Stop Torture Permanently) Campaign in 2004. The STOP Campaign focuses primarily on the official authorization and use of torture, whether mental or physical, direct or "by proxy".
The STOP Campaign is coordinating an intensive domestic drive to end U.S.-sponsored torture. This includes national call-in dates, grassroots education efforts, and the formal mock trial of three Bush administration officials in Washington, D.C., on September 25, 2005. We will also work to support human rights groups in the affected countries. Learn more about these efforts by visiting uusc.org.
The use of torture has been banned in this country since the days of the framers of the Constitution. Our courts and society have remained firm on this issue, as reflected by our various laws and treaties. As American patriot Patrick Henry himself pointed out in the 1700s, the rack, the screw, and the Star Chamber were left behind in the Old World for good reason. If permitted here, even for national security reasons, then, as he said, "we are lost and undone."
As we cast aside the protections of the Geneva Conventions, we leave our own service personnel at risk of serious abuse should they themselves fall captive. Worse yet, instead of increasing our national security, U.S.-sponsored torture may well engender further violence against our citizens. UUSC is firmly committed to the abolition of U.S.-sponsored torture. Together, we can end these abhorrent practices and strengthen our national values and laws. Join our STOP Campaign and work with us toward these goals!
Finally, if the moral absolutism of not ever using torture is too much for you, think of the practical side effects, or "blowback". The use of torture and humiliation simply foments rage and hatred against the United States. Saddam Saleh Aboud was tortured by U.S. personnel in Abu Ghraib prison. When he was released, a journalist asked if he planned to join the insurgency. He replied, "What would you do if I occupied your country, tortured your people, and violated all the laws of your country? Would you resist?
Ribbons of Resistance Address by Libby Johnson
Good Morning. My name is Libby Johnson and I believe I am the newest member of this congregation, having signed the membership book in the welcoming presence of Reverend Susan just this morning. For me membership is a personal act of faith emanating from the Unitarian Universalist Covenant. How each of us chooses to act on UU principles may differ among us, but this great UU community clearly embraces a way of living that loves the world.
Today I am before you to share a way that some of us have found to express our inner convictions about war, injustice and human dignity. In June a national antiwar organization, United for Peace and Justice, called for a massive mobilization against the war and occupation in Iraq. New revelations were surfacing about administration fact-fixing, use of banned substances in Falluja, torture at Abu Ghraib, extraordinary rendition, and detention without the protection of the Geneva Conventions. We learned about enormous civilian casualties, skyrocketing Iraqi unemployment, the loss of civil rights for women, increased terrorism from the U.S. presence, the looting of priceless Iraqi cultural archives, and the bombing of entire towns. We couldn't account for billions of military and reconstruction dollars while funding here was slashed for environmental projects, social services and vital civilian infrastructure. We witness these tragic and topsy turvy priorities in New Orleans. How can we stand silent? How can we not raise our voices?
Martin Luther King, who was heavily criticized for his opposition to the Vietnam War, said that the nonviolent resister has a deep faith in the future - that the moral arc of the universe is long, but bends toward justice. What perils await us cannot be solved by individual action, but by communities of change. This world of unending war and brutal repression being crafted for us is surely on a trajectory to grief and disaster. Even those who live comfortably now will surely see their grandchildren suffer unless we work in common to align our nation with truthfulness, intelligence and compassionate action. The time is urgent and there is much to do.
In early July we launched the social action committee project, Ribbons of Resistance, to encourage our congregation and other UU's to raise their voices in dissent against this war and occupation in Iraq. We began an ambitious peace odyssey designing, distributing and collecting Ribbons of Resistance from UU congregations all across Arizona. We have now distributed hundreds of ribbons to 10 of the 14 UU congregations and fellowships in Arizona as well as to UUC's in California and Washington State.
We will travel across the country to the Capitol to join the United for Peace and Justice mobilization against the war, seeking the hospitality and participation of UU congregations along our route. Emily Ricketts, Helen Wilcox, Galina DeRoeck, Cleo Johnson and I head out next Sunday morning with all the collected ribbons. Our first stop is Albuquerque UUC, which completed 250 ribbons and will greet us with a peace rally. Then come stopovers with Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Nashville, Roanoke and finally Fairfax UUC's. All of these congregations have extended marvelous warm welcomes to us, opened their homes and enthusiastically participated in our Ribbons of Resistance project. We will present them with commemorative Ribbons of Resistance, a special letter from Rev. Susan and handmade chalice pins for our hosts.
When we arrive in Washington September 24, we should have one thousand Ribbons of Resistance. We will happily meet up with Susan and Curtiss, Vince and Terry, and Betty Meikle, all of whom will join us for the massive peace march Saturday. We will be holding a special Ribbons of Resistance banner and if Helen has her way, wearing identical Ribbons of Resistance t-shirts. Early Sunday we will enjoy interfaith services at All Souls UUC moderated in part by Rev. Sinkford. Later we will attend a large outdoor interfaith service moderated by Danny Glover and other special people, including Cindy Sheehan. On Monday we will lobby Congress and participate in a solemn procession to the White House. Some of us may engage in organized nonviolent civil disobedience. Most importantly, we will try to deliver our Ribbons of Resistance to the President. We invite you, our religious community dedicated to justice and compassion, to join us in raising our voices to create a strong chorus for peace. Thank you.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Northwest Tucson