‘Women in Black are a courageous bunch'

To the editor: Response to Wendy Dembeck letter to the editor, Action promotes peace, not ‘little theatricals:’ Your views on the Women in Black are entirely emotional, rooted in the tired and maddening notion that demanding the best for our troops, those who have had the guts to enlist, somehow impugns their honor. The silent and stark nature of their protest is profound; when we see them, we are forced to cope with the reality that we desperately try to avoid; that we have stood by silently and allowed our young men and women to perpetuate this tragedy, where they are caught up in killing innocents by the thousands as they die themselves. The Women in Black provoke discomfort and feelings of guilt in us all; some, like you, react by lashing out at the messengers. The sad but inevitable truth is that many of the terrorists’ and insurgents’ grievances are legitimate, hence their ability to garner support in much of that part of the world. It is their methods that are inhumane, dastardly and evil. We are not hated because of our “freedoms;” they hate us because we exploit them. Eighty percent of the world’s resources are consumed by 20 percent of its people; while we become a nation rife with obesity, the vast majority of the planet languishes. You have asked us to read history. I suggest you read Henry L. Stimson’s (Secretary of War, 1940-45) memoirs, where he comes to the conclusion that war is immoral. And MacArthur? Though eloquent, he was relieved of his command precisely because he couldn’t stop himself from promoting war, not promoting peace. The Women in Black are a courageous bunch and they deserve our respect, not snide and misinformed dismissals. James Weatherstone Warwick