I was somewhat disturbed when I read Jim Devereaux’s letter (CR/April 10) in which he almost ridicules peace activists. Since when are peaceful demonstrations frowned upon in the U.S.? Where in the Gospel does Christ say sell your cloak and buy a sword? The Gospel I read says, “Sell your cloak and give to the poor.”
Christ never carried a sword. He emphatically said for us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. Christ was a peacemaker. Both Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict XVI have persistently condemned the Iraqi war and our invasion.
Peacemakers don’t ignore the evil in the world. Is the only way to confront evil to kill people, drop bombs and destroy the infrastructure of a country?
Since our invasion, there has been a human disaster, with thousands of civilians killed together with thousands of Iraqi soldiers and Americans either killed or wounded. The huge refugee problem of Iraqis fleeing their country is a world disaster.
The cost of the war is astronomical. Some theorists say it cost almost $20,000 or more to each household in the U.S. Some estimates figure close to $12 trillion if we prolong our stay in that country.
How many hungry mouths could we feed with this money? How many hospitals and how many schools built?
There should be more peaceful demonstrations.