War Not In My Name

Life in Times of War~ What are we willing to do?
JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO ON PEACE
(Source-John Lennon Dream Site)
Question: I remember you saying you thought we'd have peace by the year 2000. Do you still believe that?John: I'd sooner say 1970. You see, I believe in positive thinking. I think we'll get it as soon as people realize that they have the power, and it doesn't solely belong to Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Wilson, or Mr. Nixon. The people are the power, and they can have whatever they want. And if it's a case of people not knowing what to do, then let's advertise and let them know they have a real option.Question: But what can they do?John: They've got the vote haven't they? I mean, the youth will be the establishment soon, so there's no point in breaking it down, because we'll have to build it back up again. That's all we're saying.Question: Are there any circumstances in which you personally could support a war?John: No. I don't believe in killing, whatever the reason.Question: What is the possibility that your manner of clothing and hairstyle will tend to alienate more people than it would ever convince to come over to your side?John: Yes, I understand that. Many people say to me, "Why don't you get a butch haircut and a nice suit." [Laughter] But that's what the politicians do! I just try and be as natural as I can under the circumstances. We both do.Question: John, you are now endowed with more influence over young people in the young people in the world than all the bishops, rabbis, and priests put together. Do you ever feel any sense of fright at the power you have?John: It's a very abstract power though. Say we wanted to plug a certain product that wasn't peace, and I contacted the press people I know and tried to get it over, there's a good chance it wouldn't work. So I haven't really got a power I can get hold of.Question: Do you believe in God?John: Yes, I believe he's like a vast powerhouse, but he's neither good nor bad nor left, right, black, or white. And that we can all tap into that supreme source of power and make of it what we will. With electricity, you can kill people in an electric chair or you can light the room. I think God is.Yoko: Also, we talk about having a great belief in youth, but you know youth includes everybody that is mentally or spiritually youthful.Question: It has been said that Jesus made the mistake of trying to save the whole world as one man. Is this why don't believe in leadership?John: I just believe that farther figures are the big mistake of all the generations before us, and we can't rely solely on Nixon or Jesus or whoever we tend to rely on. It's just a lack of responsibility on our part to expect someone to do it for us. The Beatles were never leaders, you know but people imagined we were, and now they're finding out the truth.Question: Could you give us your personal definition of peace?John: Peace? Just no violence, and everybody grooving, if you don't mind us using the word. Of course we all have violence within us, but we must learn to channel it. We have a hard time making people think we mean what we say in Britain. It's like telling your parents, "Look, I want my hair long." We consider this like our Cavern period now. We haven't really gotten out of Liverpool with this campaign yet, and we've got to break London and America. It's like that. I don't care how long it takes or what obstacles there are. We won't ever stop, you know.Question: Is there one particular incident that got you started on this peace campaign?John: It just built up over a number of years actually, but the thing that really struck it off was a letter we got from a guy called Peter Watkins who made a film called The War Game. It was a very long letter stating just what's happening - how the media is really controlled, how it's all run, and everything else that people really know deep down. He said, "People in your position have a responsibility to use the media for world peace." And we sat on the letter for about three weeks thinking, "Well, we're doing our best. All you need is love, man." That letter just sort of sparked it all off. It was like getting your induction papers for peace!Question: Are you still as involved in eastern philosophy as you once were, John?John: If I'm involved in anything, it's Yoko's version of Zen Buddhism. All the philosophies have good basis, and all the religions are right. But just haven't the time or capability of reading through two million years of philosophy. Because to me the only answer is "yes" and "now".Question: How about meditation?John: Occasionally I use it. I'm not really very good at getting up in the morning and doing my exercises, you know. Meditation is a mental exercise. It works all right, it definitely does all they say.Yoko: And our mantra is "peace" thankfully.Question: Do you think the peace movement could be a solution for the problems that a lot of young people are having today with drugs?John: Everybody seems to need something, the way society is, because of the pressures. I know the only time I took drugs was when were without hope. If we can sustain that, then we won't need drugs, liquor, or anything.
Gandhi once said we have to be the change we wish to see. Easily said.
We have a moral obligation to open our eyes and wake up to our complicity in the suffering that is
happening within and outside our own borders.
You can choose to use your Bush Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate to support those working on the front lines for political and social change and buy local, fair trade products, from organic farmers markets and support a different dream.

You can CHOOSE to educate yourself on the basics of treaties we have signed onto:
These are your legal instruments to utilize as a citizen and a taxpayer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Principles
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/declar.htm

TAKE ACTION
WAGE PEACE CAMPAIGN http://www.afsc.org/iraq/default.htm
Wear a Shirt that states your stand for Peace:
http://www.emmasrevolution.com/merch.cfm

http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?id=1825

The Not In Our Name Pledge of Resistance was created collectively by artists and activists in April 2002 as a means of inspiring protest and resistance. It is at the heart of the Not In Our Name Project.
The Pledge was not intended to be signed, rather, it is a tool to be used by individuals, organizations and communities to inspire and strengthen individual and group resistance.
Pledge Pledge of Resistance
We believe that as people living in the United States it is our responsibility to resist the injustices done by our government, in our names
Not in our name will you wage endless war there can be no more deaths no more transfusions of blood for oil
Not in our name will you invade countries bomb civilians, kill more children letting history take its course over the graves of the nameless
Not in our name will you erode the very freedoms you have claimed to fight for
Not by our hands will we supply weapons and funding for the annihilation of families on foreign soil
Not by our mouths will we let fear silence us
Not by our hearts will we allow whole peoples or countries to be deemed evil
Not by our will and Not in our name
We pledge resistance
We pledge alliance with those who have come under attack for voicing opposition to the war or for their religion or ethnicity
We pledge to make common cause with the people of the world to bring about justice,freedom and peace
Another world is possible and we pledge to make it real.