A blossoming campaign to reclaim Veterans Day, November 11, as Armistice Day, a day to end all wars, could not be timelier. The apparently deliberate U.S. bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan and worldwide demands for an independent investigation have been met with stonewalling by the U.S. military and a decision by President Obama to prolong the occupation of Afghanistan beyond his presidency. The entrance of Russian warplanes into the war in Syria has been met by Obama’s announcement that U.S. troops (aka “advisers”) will be deployed on Syrian territory. The U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have created a disaster throughout the Middle East, turning millions of people into homeless refugees desperately seeking a safe haven for their families.
Underscoring the urgency of the moment, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and International Red Cross President Peter Maurer have issued what they are calling an “unprecedented” joint statement, condemning the callous slaughter of civilians, including the bombing of hospitals in Yemen and Afghanistan.
“Enough is enough. Even war has rules; it is time to enforce them,” said Mr. Ban. “But international humanitarian law is not a solution,” continued the UN Secretary General. “It is a way to mitigate the damage caused by war. Most of all, we call for greater commitment and effective action to prevent and end conflicts. Long-term solutions lie in treating the root causes of war and in negotiating sustainable peace,” added Mr. Ban.
Recklessly aggressive U.S. military maneuvers in other regions are adding to the sense of urgency. In its “Pivot to Asia” the U.S. is beginning to militarily confront nuclear-armed China in its own neighborhood, while the U.S. and NATO are pressuring nuclear-armed Russia on its very borders. After living under the threat of nuclear war for decades during the Cold War, the people of the world to not want to see the resumption of superpower confrontations. One human miscalculation could lead to the worst disaster ever seen – millions of people killed in multiple countries, along with the destruction of civilization as we know it.
In the meantime, a state of permanent war is taking a huge toll here at home in the United States. Thousands of young men and women have died in war and even more have died since returning home, often by their own hand. Military families are devastated by multiple deployments, and the military itself is hurting.
Increasingly, the militarization of the police is also on display. The Pentagon is providing local police departments – and even campus police – with tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other surplus equipment from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent war veterans are joining police departments that are adopting military style tactics. The virtual occupation of poor communities of color has led to an epidemic of police killings of young African American men. Military recruiters roam freely through high school corridors and classrooms. The war abroad is mirrored by war at home.
It is more important than ever to remember the true meaning of Armistice Day, which was a response to the massive death toll of World War One, “the war to end all wars.” November 11 was meant to be an international day of peace, but sadly, has been transformed into a glorification of war.
Veterans For Peace, with chapters in 140 cities around the country, is organizing Armistice Day actions throughout the country. We are calling on all peace-loving people to join us in a sustained efforts for peace. We must press our leaders to pull back from the precipice, to disengage from dangerous wars and preparations for war, to avoid nuclear war at all costs, and to engage in diplomacy leading to lasting peace.
On the home front, we must take good care of our wounded warriors, and demilitarize our police. We must make the American dream available to all people who live in this country, regardless of their color or what country they come from. It is time to turn away from war. It is time to embrace peace abroad and peace at home.
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, veterans and churches will be ringing the bells for peace. Please join us.