September 2002

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Responsibility in Hard Times

Pat Clark, newly appointed director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in the US, for a number of years led criminal justice and anti-death-penalty programs at AFSC.

"Mom, are we in the beginning of World War III?" My fourteen-year-old son had been glued to the television as he watched the planes crash into the World Trade Center. The images were played over and over again at different angles and different speeds. He had been sent home early from school to an empty house and spent the next two hours trying to comprehend the incomprehensible. Although I persuaded him to turn off the television, I had to resist the impulse to tune in and find out what theory or speculation was being offered to explain the unfathomable. Like so many others, I made the round of phone calls to family and friends making sure they were physically safe, although psychically we were all reeling.

Government Center, Boston, Oct. 8 2001, protesting start of bombing of Afghanistan © Ellen Shub

The next morning when I went outside, there was an eerie calm. As I walked down the street, I saw a taxicab with an American flag waving on the antenna. Through the window, I saw a man of Middle Eastern descent, and I wondered, was the flag a protective shield, an entreaty--don't fear me--or a source of patriotism?

At the time of the September 11th attacks, I was fortunate to be working at the American Friends Service Committee, an organization with a long history of working for peace and justice. I had a built-in community of friends and colleagues who realized that these acts of terrorism had not occurred in a vacuum. It was clear what our organizational response should be. What was not clear was whether it was permissible to admit that this time it did feel different. That most of us had had the luxury of working for peace and justice by telling people somewhere else how they should respond to acts of terror and violence. Dare we admit that many of us were experiencing fear, insecurity, and powerlessness and for the first time questioning our own resolve?

As we sat in countless meetings, we struggled with how to challenge the mandate our government seemed to have to suppress our civil liberties, while remaining sensitive to the tragic loss of so many lives. It became obvious that we were not prepared to match the zeal of our government's "War on Terrorism" machine. It was easy to be discouraged by the way public opinion seemed to be manipulated and the way many leaders pandered to our collective fear.

Although the most obvious fallout from the September 11 attacks has been in the ultimate bombing of Afghanistan and the targeting of Muslims living in the United States, many communities of color already under siege in this country found that the oppressions we faced had intensified. Issues like racial profiling and detention of immigrants which we were exposing and challenging became immediate casualties of the "War on Terrorism." As the whole country seemed to be rallying around the flag, it became difficult to discern what the role of the peace community should be. There seemed to be an assumption, even among folks who had worked on peace and justice issues for ages, that in this situation maybe some concessions would need to be made.

Recently I was at a meeting of peace activists who were trying to come up with ways to respond to the upcoming September 11th anniversary. People were concerned that we who care about peace find a way to offer alternatives to the call for more support for military buildup and solutions. As we went around the room, people began to throw out ideas about different activities and responses. Finally, one woman, with a bit of hesitation and trepidation, stated "You know, 9/11 is not the worst thing to ever happen." She waited for the reaction of horror, and when none came, preceded to talk about atrocities that have occurred in our world, far too many perpetrated by our country.

We have to remember that before September 11 there were--and there continue to be--wars and conflicts where thousands of people have been killed, children live in fear, communities have been occupied, and freedom is an elusive concept. In this country, prior to September 11 poverty was too prevalent, communities were being decimated by the build-up of the prison industrial complex, access to decent education was becoming remote, and immigrants were living in fear of being targeted. As horrible as the September attacks were, we can't fall into the trap of tailoring our convictions and responses to the polls of the day. If we had to rely on mainstream media to get out our information and our views, we would have given up the hope a long time ago. We have to remember that peace and justice continue to be intertwined; we have to resist the tendency to focus on peace when injustices continue to plague us.

Recently I went to work for the Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace organization whose mission is to replace violence, war, racism, and economic injustice with nonviolence, peace, and justice. FOR envisions a beloved community where differences are respected, conflicts are addressed nonviolently, oppressive structures are dismantled, and where people live in harmony with the earth, nurtured by diverse spiritual traditions that foster compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation. The events of September 11 have not changed that vision. The hardest thing to remember is to remain steadfast and constant, to continue to lift up alternatives to violence and vengeance. Our work has not been changed by the September 11th attacks. It's made more difficult as we sort out our own mixed emotions, but the vision is critical and the mission is solid.

And there have been rays of light. Even in the midst of the anger and terror, there was a desire among some people to understand why--to learn about Islam and Muslims. At a time when it would have been easy to fall in lock step with the general mood in Congress, Representative Barbara Lee cast the lone vote of conscience opposing the Bush response to the attacks against the US. Representative Cynthia McKinney has challenged the Administration's military budget, and Representative Dennis Kucinich has called for the creation of a Department of Peace. In April of this year more than 100,000 people marched for peace and justice. Peaceful Tomorrows, a group of victim family members was created to reject the bombing of Afghanistan as a valid response to their grief. Some even traveled to Afghanistan to reach out in solidarity with Afghani families who were becoming victim family members as a result of the US "War on Terrorism."

It is our responsibility to support, elevate, and enhance the actions of those who have been willing to take risks and act on principle and counter to the general mood in the country. It is our responsibility to help people explore ways to live and teach nonviolence. It is our responsibility to work with people who continue to experience oppression in our own midst. It is our responsibility to understand how US policies negatively affect countries around the world. It is our responsibility to look for ways to replace the culture of war with a culture of peace.

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