Dear Editor:
My name is Daniel Zwickel. I am a professional musician, a game designer and a writer of
fantasy and science fiction short stories. I moved to the Bay Area from Southern California in
1971 and have been a Pittsburg resident since 1979.
I have just created a Website called Pacifist Nation (www.PacifistNation.net) in conjunction with
launching my Millennium Jubilee Project
(www.hexadec.com/PacifistNation/mjp.html).
I read recently that you are seeking columnists. I have just had a letter published (July 5th) and
have been contemplating the expanding of my horizons.
I'd like to write a column on pacifism. It is a subject that is under-discussed and, I believe,
largely misunderstood. While I am no expert, I do have credentials: I was born of pacifist
parents: my father, Abraham, served as a conscientious objector during WWII and my mother,
Jean, was living in a pacifist, Christian commune, the Harlem Ashram, when they met on a civil
rights march in 1943. I, myself, served as a C.O. during the Vietnam war.
Since high school I have defended and dealt with a number of issues, many times in a very
public way: nuclear disarmament, vegetarianism, capital punishment, racism, the farmworker
movement, war and peace. Today racism is nearly universally deplored; vegetarian fare is
ubiquitous; capital punishment, despite its seeming popularity, is out of favor throughout the
civilized world, save in the United States (the Pope, himself, has declared it incompatible with
the Christian faith.) Pacifism, alone, seems to remain in the closet. Few in the popular media
appear willing to bring it into the arena of public discourse.
I propose to change that.
No one wants war. No one wants nuclear or biological weapons threatening their health and
welfare. And yet we continue to feed a vast military machine out of fear and ignorance. We rant
against violence and glorify it at the same time.
Put in its simplest terms, the military's only job is to defend us against invasion. The pacifist's
job is to see that that invasion never takes place by dealing with social injustice and providing
non-violent alternatives to armed conflict. Now tell me, logically, which task is most cost-effective in both money and lives?
See my point? Why are we not expending as much money, time and energy towards the
prevention of war as in preparation? It's like spending billions on building medical treatment
facilities and virtually nothing on the R & D of disease prevention, quarantine protocol and the
funding of the C.D.C.
It is just those questions I wish to address with my column, Pacifist Nation. You can bet it will
be controversial, provocative and a lot of fun.
I am not a published writer. I believe I am a good writer, but I am aware that my writing
requires the disciplined hand of a good editor. If you are willing to provide that then we may do
business. Pacifism may not be locally topical, but its implications certainly impact on every
facet of our lives how we express and live our individual faith, where our taxes go, the posture
of our legal and legislative processes, our local police, and penal system, foreign trade and
relations, not mention, obviously, our military presence throughout the world and how that
impacts on peoples of many nations (a major instance is our continuing colonial presence in
Puerto Rico.)
But neither am I an expert in any of those areas, though I am conversant on the Puerto Rican
issue. And everyone has opinions. I am willing to stick my neck out if you aren't reluctant to
feed the paranoia of those yahoos who foam at the mouth over the all-pervasive "liberal press".
Heck, be honest and declare it a Columnist Conspiracy!
Attached is a proposed first column. I could follow it up with a less belligerent manifesto, then
address the following questions:
Why isn't a pacifist willing to risk his life for his country?
What about Hitler?
What if we were all pacifists? What if there were no military? Who would defend the
country?
What about terrorists? What about our national interests? What about our allies?
What if I'm not a Christian? Why should I be a pacifist?
I am a Christian. What about Satan? How do we defend ourselves against his
armies?
What constitutes original thinking, and why is it vital to the survival of
our society
Heady stuff, eh?
If you want to see more, go to www.hexadec.com/PacifistNation/film.html and check out the
"book" for my proposed digital film. It includes text to my Oratorio-in-progress and the short
story, "Puebla", which gets to the heart of all of this. In fact, if you like it, you may serialize it as
part of my column. That'd be good for another few weeks of right-wing counter-invective.
Hope to see you in the trenches, even if yours is across from mine.
Sincerely,
Daniel B. Zwickel
P.S. In late August of 1999 I penned a letter to the President (I dated it September 23rd
in honor of the Puerto Rican celebration, el Grito de Lares.) My family has
been involved in the Puerto Rican independence movement for over fifty years.
My mother has testified before the United Nations Committee on Decolonization; I
almost had the oppportunity myself, and hope to do so in the future. Actually, I
hope that I no longer need to.
If you truly believe in liberty then you must read and consider what my letter has to say.
It goes to the heart of need for the spiritual emancipation of our governmental representatives
from the arrogance in their tacit support for the form of slavery called colonialism.
Please click on the Puerto Rican flag below and walk with me.
[Photo courtesy of www.corbis.com; used with permission.
A teenage boy wears a Puerto Rican flag draped over
his shoulders at a celebration of Grito de Lares Day,
a day commemorating Puerto Rico's uprising on
September 23, 1868.]
