THE
IDEA
I travel frequently and have seen
the monuments to soldiers and to wars that
occupy our city squares and parks. In the summer of 2005 I took my son
James to Washington DC after he finished his first year of college. We made the standard tour of the city,
visiting museums, the White House, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean
War Veterans Memorial, and the newly dedicated National World War II
Memorial.
In this and other visits to the
Washington Mall, I encountered dozens of war veterans discussing their combat
experiences with their children, grandchildren, other relatives and
friends. I suspect that most of
the listeners were proud of the speakerŐs military service. These memorials exist to reinforce the
notion that war efforts or activities are valued and rewarded by our society.
Suddenly, with my son present, I
realized that all of my memories and stories were of anti-war activities and
there was no monument anywhere to indicate that our society values peace and
those who take action to oppose US wars.
There is no public validation of anti-war activities and no memorial to
serve as a catalyst for discussion regarding peace efforts. This realization led to the
organization of the US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc.
It is time to dedicate a national
monument to peace. Our society
should be as proud of those who fight for alternatives to war as it is of those
who fight wars. Demonstrating this national pride in some tangible way may
encourage others to explore peace advocacy during times when only the voices of
war are being heard.
Through the display of anti-war quotations by American
leaders and the documentation of US anti-war role models and activities, the
US Peace Memorial will make it clear to our citizens that advocating for
peaceful solutions to international problems and opposing war are honorable and
socially acceptable activity in our democracy, and that our nation has a long
history of patriotic citizens who have opposed wars.
A national monument to peacemakers
can change our cultural mindset so that it will no longer be acceptable
to label those who speak out against war as un-American, antimilitary,
traitorous, or unpatriotic. The memorial
will help decrease the social barriers that citizens must overcome before they
publicly oppose a war. If just a small percent of our citizens were to publicly
speak out against a US war, it would end quickly.
I hope that you will share my
enthusiasm and become a Founding Member of the US Peace Memorial Foundation.
Michael D. Knox, Ph.D.
US Peace Memorial
Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.
The IRS has
determined that donations are tax deductible.
Copyright 2005 - 2008, US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc.