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A Larger View A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Inner Outer Partnership Volume VIII Edition 3 May/June 2003 The Peace Movement Being Constructive in Post-War Times      In Iraq, the military phase is over while new issues and new problems come to the fore. In these "post-war" times, what ought to be the role of the peace movement? It is easy to protest, harder to make a difference. How can it maximize its effectiveness, all the while being constructive? It can make sure all think clearly and have the correct facts. Being a source of accurate information is vital, particularly in times when emotions are high. It can use wisdom, and not give way to the blinded perceptions that seem to have befallen many leaders. It can remember that weapons of mass destruction are not a good thing. The disagreement was not with their removal nor with their containment, but with how they might have been used to justify a war. It can make a distinction between the policies of the United States which are no more imperialistic than those of other nations, and those of the current President whose approach does create that impression. It can focus on the fact that in the United States the ballot box is a powerful tool of protest, and work against the reelection of those who are quick to use war as an answer. It can make sure that the international community is more involved in the post-war rebuilding of Iraq, and that the United States does not appropriate the proverbial lion's share, for that would likely deceive the people of Iraq. In a post-cold war, post-Berlin Wall, post-9/11 world, international cooperation is not an ideal, it is a must. The war on terror, for example, cannot be won save for international efforts. Peace groups and organizations can be agents to work toward that end. It can make sure that the UN is a viable body strengthened by events and not weakened by those who seem threatened by its potential power for good. It can make very sure that protests are not violent and are used to enlighten not alienate. No matter how strongly everyone feels, all must remember that there are those who disagree and have the right to do so. In their efforts to communicate their point of view, all ought not to fall prey to the behavior of those being criticized, for example being smug about believing one is right. It can understand that wanting peace does not mean forgetting the bravery of those young men and women who fought in 100 degrees temperature with sleep deprivation and no adequate food or shelter. They can be honored without compromising principles.      There are of course a number of other issues for the peace movement to tackle, what is peace, for instance. A deeper understanding might lead to an involvement with human rights, with land mines, with other consequences of war. The agenda is substantial and there is much to do. Let it be done with much thought and much compassion. Our Responsibility to the Homeless      As I walked down the steps of the post office, I came face to face with an older woman. She had on a navy blue sweat suit and as she reached a cart at the bottom of the stairs, I noticed that it was filled with duffels, bags and small suitcases. Her hair was that dingy gray of people who have once been blond and the features of her face were so common as to make her a composite of what she represented-the homeless. I stopped not knowing what to do. Then as I crossed the street, I stopped again and turned to discreetly look at her. She had difficulty pushing her cart and was walking very slowly. Hidden in the landscaped area in front of the post office, she must have noticed a faucet. She stopped, washed her hands and again started to laboriously push her cart.      What was my responsibility to her? What is our responsibility to the homeless? Ought I to have invited her to my place? Ought I to have inquired if she was aware of community resources, make sure she ended up in a shelter? Ought I to have given her money, or at least offered? Why was she homeless? With her duffels and clean clothes she looked as out of place as I would have been.      In a society increasingly resistant to the plight of the homeless, knowing how to act is not an easy matter. One human being cannot make up for a societal lack, but neither can that one human being remain complacent or silent. There ought to be no homeless in a country that calls itself the most powerful nation on Earth. Further, if one believes in the spiritual equality of all beings, then it is unjust for anyone at all to be homeless. As individuals, we cannot provide shelter or resources, but we must be catalysts for those means to be found. We must recognize homelessness as a basic injustice, and too we must insist it be addressed. Community Service Before Graduation      The Long Beach School District has just added a high school graduation requirement. It wants its students to complete at least 40 hours of community service before they can be granted a diploma. The program of the third largest school district in California is set to begin with the class of 2007, so as to give the students involved four years to complete the required 40 hours. The service projects can include a wide range of activities. Students can tutor younger pupils, help with cultural events or social ones like blood drives, or even work with Habitat for Humanity.      The Los Angeles school district, one of the largest in the nation, already adopted a similar requirement and so have many other school districts throughout the country. In fact all states have some requirement except Wyoming and North and South Dakota. The aftermath of 9/11 and the push by President Bush towards volunteerism have been catalysts for school districts to reconsider the responsibility of schools to their communities.      Bobbie Smith, Long Beach Board of Education President explained that "Service learning strengthens the relationship between the school and the community, supports better grades, more interest in school and fewer risky behaviors." One can argue with the political undertones of the endeavor but one cannot argue with the benefits of instilling other oriented values in youngsters, or in providing them with a hands on view of a reality they otherwise might not have experienced. God and The Flag      In an effort to understand the place of god in the Pledge of Allegiance, let's forget the legalities and the constitutionality, and let's stick to one narrow question, does it matter if one omits these two words, "under god" when reciting it? At first it would seem that yes it does makes a difference. Under god are words with deep implications, they acknowledge a broad reality that is true for all save atheists. And it was an atheist who filed the recent legal challenge on the ground that the words untrue for him were also unfair to him. If, however, we look more closely, the words under god are as important as the words before them, "one nation", and those after them, "indivisible with liberty and justice for all."      When we ponder and meditate on the meaning of all these words, we slowly become aware that it is as if they repeat themselves. Under god means or ought to mean, and certainly implies, unity, justice, liberty and equality. If, by implication and perhaps also definition, under god means unity, equality, liberty and justice, and if these words are explicitly there, then it looks that whether or not we say the words under god may not be as important as the legal challenge and the ensuing discussions have led us to believe, simply because the meaning is already there, tacitly perhaps, but there. What is important is practicing what these concepts mean. Web Site of Interest: www.stlcourtrecrords.wustl.edu Slavery Made Real      We are all familiar with the Dred Scott case and its importance to U.S. history. It is part of what is called Freedom Suits, a series of law suits in 19th century Missouri by slaves asking for their freedom. Some 300 of these cases were discovered in metal cabinets and have now been logged online for all to share. The site holds many striking features, one being the original documents of these lawsuits, many dating to before the Civil War. The records are so real, it is as if one can hear the slaves' pleas, sense their anguish, rejoice when they win and feel downhearted when they do not.      The site is part of the St Louis Superior Court where these cases took place, but is a joint venture with Washington University, governmental groups as well as with legal and business organizations. While it may have particular significance to legal scholars and to historians, for the rest of us, it offers a rare view into the U.S. past and makes one glad for the Internet. To Ponder On      A small article in the march 5th issue of the Los Angeles Times read as follows: "Seven years after the target was set, the world is far short of cutting by half the number of hungry people by 2015," a new study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned. "The number of hungry people is expected to decline from around 800 million today to about 440 million in 2030," the Rome - based group said."The target of the World Food Summit in 1996, to reduce the number of hungry by half by 2015, will not even be met by 2030."      Would we feel any differently if we or someone dear to us were among the 800 million who suffer from hunger or the some 400 millions who will be left behind for the rest of their lives? A Larger View is published by the Inner\Outer Partnership, a tax-exempt educational organization addressing issues of higher values. We are funded through donations. Please send yours-as well as any comments-to P.O.Box 1293, Pac. Pal. CA 90272-1293. Also contact us by email at innerouter@earthlink.net or call 310-8367710 or visit our web site at www.innerouterpartnership.org To un-subscribe, send an email to innerouter@earthlink.net