|
May/June 2006 Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: Just a note of THANKS for your phenomenal March/April issue (“Uplifting the World”) – truly “uplifting”! For years I’ve felt the need to attract more youth to FOR. To read of the successes of so many youth in one issue was, WOW! Fantastic! I hope major space can be devoted to responses from youth; perhaps an ongoing update of activities of your young authors, their friends and co-activists. It’s just what FOR needs! Thank you sincerely, R. Ed Myer Dear Editor: Yes: I am one who needs to have the next May/June issue of Fellowship mailed to me, especially after beginning to read the current issue. Having beloved grandchildren and three great-grands, I applaud the emphasis on young people – and reading Rabia Harris’s “Good News …” I feel a letter to the editor coming on to send to our weekly, The Herald. Thank you for helping this armchair activist be in touch with the world in such a positive, heartening way. Peace, Margaret Poffenberger Dear Editor: How lovely to see the issue of vegetarianism given such prominence in your issue on “uplifting the world” (“Peace People Should be Vegetarians!” by Diana Rozendaal, March/April 2006). As a peace activist for the past 25 years and a vegetarian for 18 of those years, I’mconsistently amazed by the defensive and often unkind response of some peace and social justice activists to those of us who suggest, like Gandhi and Tolstoy, that advocating peace while dining on corpses is incongruous. It is a fact that eating meat supports cruelty to animals, wastes and pollutes our natural resources, contributes to global poverty and worker exploitation, and often makes us fat and lethargic. The response of peace and social justice activists who attempt to defend meat-eating doesn’t even bother to respond to these facts, probably because no response is possible. I visited the www.GoVeg.com Web site recommended by Ms. Rozendaal, and am deeply impressed by the breadth of information. Again, thank you for including this important issue among the other essays on making the world a better place – I agree with the author that it’s empowering to live my values at every meal. Sincerely, Bruce G. Friedrich
I am an orthodox priest living in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am also the coordinator of the Cosccet Interconfessionnel pour la Paix et la Réconciliation. Please send us your magazine for us to use as a resource for our work. I strongly embrace your efforts. (The Rev.) Angelos Nyembwe Dear Editor, I was sad to read that Fellowship cannot put out the usual number of issues, due to lack of funds.
Fellowship arrived today. The emphasis on young people brought joy to my heart. I appreciated your editorial, “Being Led by the Next Generation.” I read the “important message” [Ed.: this refers to the May/June issue being published online]. I wish I could send some money but the reality is I don’t have any extra. I don’t have access to e-mail or the Web either. I would appreciate a copy be mailed to me. I can pray for Fellowship and you. Sincerely, Arthur Kinsella, O.P. Dear Editor: In his first inaugural address, President Bush said, “America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal, instead, is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.” If this is indeed our goal for Iraq, then we must immediately end the occupation and withdraw our troops. Concurrent with our exodus, the U.S. must declare to the world that we will establish NO permanent military bases in that country nor will we seek to control Iraqi oil. These actions would give credibility to the President’s words! Nation-building is always a daunting challenge for which it seems none is ever “ready.” But one thing is clear: the responsibility must rest with the Iraqi people themselves. The process may be painful, perhaps even involving a civil war; but it would be the creation of the Iraqi people themselves. And, if they fail to meet the challenge, that is the price that they alone must pay. (The Rev.) Bernard Kern Dear Editor: I just sent FOR a contribution for your excellent work for peace with justice. In the national election scene, what person will have the conscience and courage to follow democratic Costa Rica and democratic New Zealand, who in 1948 changed their war economies to peace economies? Our U.S.A. today has armed forces in 100 foreign nations – many of them there without their support. The U.S.A. badly needs to lead our one world in nonviolence and disarmament. We need a radical change from the present war economy, which gets 50% of the money approved by our Congress each year. This only adds to our present national debt of over $7 trillion! Our wealthy companies and individuals are now securing tax reductions and tax breaks, which adds to our terrible national debt. We must stop this to prevent another terrible 1929 financial crash. The work of FOR is most useful in this challenging time. Sincerely grateful, Art Emery, Jr. Dear Editor: Twenty indigenous peoples from across North America are participating in a cross-country "Spiritual Run for Peace and Dignity." The run began in early March in California and is scheduled to conclude in New York City on May 5th. The run is seeking to call attention to the need for immigrant rights, and is being sponsored by the National Day Labor Organizing Network and People United in Defense of Earth and Her Resources. I met the group on March 31, 2006, halfway through their 2,500 run; the group stopped in Brenham, Texas for food and lodging. With increasing attention to immigration issues, I hope that Fellowship readers will support this important initiative. Sincerely, Brenda Hardt
©2006 Fellowship of Reconciliation |