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Coalition for Peace with Justice
Letter to Greensboro News & Record [to CPWJ Letters page] [ to CPWJ home page] September 11, 2002Dear Peace/Justice People, I submitted the following to the News & Record(Greensboro) in their call for "How has my life changed since September 11th of last year?". It was published, though abbreviated. The full text follows the published. fjp, martin News & Record Your Voices On September 10th, I visited the Elon Police Department seeking a permit to hold a peace rally in conjunction with the January visit of Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel, to Elon University Campus. I hoped to raise public awareness of the fallacy of Barak s "generous offer" to the Palestinians. Then came September 11th. I did not see the attack, as we choose not to have a television in our home. The next day I did see and read about it in print in the News and Record. The sad reality of violence had found its way to our homeland. Our country had been somewhat sheltered from the up close realities of war. We had been insulated from actions and reactions to our military engagements all over the world, but not this time. On September 12, I received a call from the police chief granting permission to hold the peace rally. That night my wife Suzanne, pastor of Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Burlington, held a quiet meditative service with candles, prayers and simple chants for peace and understanding. The full version with the words in bold italic that were left out. I really have to begin with Feb. 21, 2001. I was in Beit Jala, a Christian village next to Bethlehem that Israel had shelled the night before. I stumbled around the broken homes of humble Palestinian Christians. What I thought I knew and believed about the Middle East was forever changed. This place of thousand-year-old olive trees, spent shell casings (with made in the USA stamped on them) and stony hillsides where Jesus walked, taught and died can never be remembered as "The Holy Land" in my mind. On September 10th, I visited the Elon Police Department seeking a permit to hold a peace rally in conjunction with the January visit of Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel, to Elon University Campus. I hoped to raise public awareness of the fallacy of Barak s "generous offer" to the Palestinians. Then came September 11th. I did not see the attack, as we choose not to have a television in our home. The next day I did see and read about it in print in the News and Record. The sad reality of violence had found its way to our homeland. Our country had been somewhat sheltered from the up close realities of war. We had been insulated from actions and reactions to our military engagements all over the world, but not this time. On September 12, I received a call from the police chief granting permission to hold the peace rally. That night my wife Suzanne, pastor of Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Burlington, held a quiet meditative service with candles, prayers and simple chants for peace and understanding. A visitor prayed that our country not react with revenge and violence. So here I am seeking the truth, speaking about justice and trying to walk the path of peace. Martin Shoffner Burlington, NC [to CPWJ Letters page] [ to CPWJ home page] |
