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ALL OVER THE WEB AND IN BOOKS ABOUT TOM ARE REFERENCES TO HIS ALLEGED "PACIFISM". AT THE LAST TMIF GATHERING,PHIL BERRIGAN EVEN GAVE A TALK ON IT.HERE IS MY TAKE ON IT,TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT. IN HIS LIFETIME,HE WAS NO PACIFIST. HE BELIEVED IN THE POSSIBILITY OF AUGUSTINES "JUST WAR" THEORY.TRUE HE HUNG OUT WITH PACIFIST GROUPS AND BOTH BERRIGANS WERE FRIENDS BUT HIS POSITION ON THE VIET NAM WAR WHICH HAS EARNED HIM HIS PACIFIST REPUTATION IS AN OVER-GENERALIZATION. THESE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN MORE AND MORE WRITERS GET FURTHER AWAY FROM THE FACT OF A PERSON'S LIFE. INDEED,THAT IS MY MOTIVATION FOR PUTTING MY TWO CENTS WORTH IN HERE ON THESE PAGES.TOM'S MAIN REASON FOR HIS SUPPORT OF NON-VIOLENCE(AHISMA). WAS SIMPLY THAT HE KNEW THAT NAM WAS THE BIGGEST,EVEN COLOSSAL ERROR IN ENGAGEMENT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.YES HE FLIRTED WITH THE NOTION,YES HE SUPPORTED DR. KING'S USE OF IT,YES HE ADMIRED GHANDI AND THE ELEMENTS IN BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM WHICH LEANED THAT WAY,BUT HE ALSO MADE IT CLEAR HE WAS NO OUT-AND-OUT PACIFIST.THERE ARE ONLY A FEW SENTENCES IN HIS WORKS WHERE HE DOES THIS AND I CANNOT THINK OF THE SOURCES RIGHT NOW OR I WOULD QUOTE HIM. THESE PAGES OF MINE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE SCHOLARLY,BEEN THERE-DONE THAT,BUT I JUST WANT TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT THIS. IT IS EASY TO MAKE THIS ASSUMPTION AND BETTER SCHOLARS THAN I ONCE WAS HAVE MADE THE PACIFIST ASSERTION ABOUT HIM. SORRY FOLKS,IT JUST TAIN'T TRUE! I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED HOW HE WOULD HAVE REACTED TO 9-11 AND THE IRAQ WAR GIVEN THAT HE CLEARLY HAD NO USE FOR MIND-BUSTING DESPOTS LIKE SADDAM. IT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE TO ASSUME THAT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PACIFIST ABOUT ALL THIS.HE LOVED NEW YORK CITY AND I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IF HE WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED A GROUP OF MORONS CRASHING INTO IT'S BUILDINGS WHETHER HE HAD EVER SEEN THEM OR NOT. I DO NOT REMEMBER IF THE WTC WAS UP WHEN HE VISITED DR. SUZUKI AT COLUMBIA OR NOT AND AM NOT GOING TO RESEARCH TIMELINES TO FIND OUT. I DO KNOW FROM HIS REACTION TO THE SCHOOL BOMBINGS IN LITTLE ROCK IN HIS TIME THAT HE WAS NOT THRILLED WITH SUCH A TACTIC. WOULD HE HAVE SUPPORTED OUR RETRIBUTION? ANYBODY'S GUESS. LIKE BOB LAX SAID SHORTLY BEFORE HIS OWN DEATH;AS A CORRESPONDENT,TOM IS PRETTY HARD TO REACH THESE DAYS. |
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