"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate, In fact violence merely increases hate.
So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Former Democratic presidential candidate, and true progressive politician, Dennis Kucinich has sponsored bill HR 1673 which implements a Department of Peace into our government and provides a different way of looking at the world. This legislation is a step towards a world where violence does not become the only solution towards international and domestic affairs. By showing support for the Department of Peace, you are saying that peace is a valuable and effective method towards the consistent and escalating violent means which we now consider our best and most powerful option. With the creation of this organization, America can change it’s path of murder, bloodshed, and reactionary destruction of life and begin to set the example we all too often proclaim as the most civilized nation in the world.
SUMMARY OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE LEGISLATION
Legislation introduced today by Congressman Dennis Kucinich to create a Department of Peace includes the following:
* Establish a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the Federal Government dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.
* Headed by a Secretary of Peace, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
* The mission of the Department shall: hold peace as an organizing principle; endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking; promote the development of human potential; work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from armed conflict and develop new structures in nonviolent dispute resolution; and take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict and structured mediation of conflict.
* The Department will create and establish a Peace Academy, modeled after the military service academies, which will provide a 4 year concentration in peace education. Graduates will be required to serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated to domestic or international nonviolent conflict resolution.
* The principal officers of the Department, in addition to the Secretary of Peace will include; the Under Secretary of Peace; the Assistant Secretary for Peace Education and Training; the Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace Activities, the Assistant Secretary for International Peace Activities; the Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace; the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Disarmament; the Assistant Secretary for Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution; the Assistant Secretary for Human and Economic Rights; and a General Counsel.
* The first day of each year, January 1st will be designated as Peace Day in the United States and all citizens should be encouraged to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace in the coming year.
To read the entire Bill, click here.