THERE IS NO PEACE IN VIOLENCE...EVER

Why is it, when there's a disagreement, the one who wins seldom looks or sounds happy about it? Gets the last word, and usually ends it with the equivalent of SO THERE, YOU TWIT! with a fierce scowl on his/her face. Now, where's the happy in winning there?

I thought of this recently when I saw the jailhouse picture of a man who had walked up and stabbed a total stranger to death...he did not appear pleased with himself. Matter of fact, the only one I ever saw who looked happy in his jailhouse picture was Tom Delay...but there's a whole 'nother prayer card.

I've been pondering this, and I've had enough experience with getting my tail feathers clipped by another that I know whereof I speak. The clipper never ever looked, sounded or acted pleased about "winning." And who's kidding whom, I've been in the clipper's seat, and I invariably walked away in a rigid, righteous and right huff. Here's the kicker for me...without fail, guilt will follow. That feeling of good-about-myself-cause-I-put-another-down never lasts. Which, count on it, will lead to another round of kick butt/cry like a baby.

Geez, I have just now flashed on the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and of Martin Luther King, Jr., both of whom learned and taught the power of nonviolence. I believe they each learned it through the grace of inner enlightenment which is how they were able to teach it with such authority. Nonviolence is not a head trip. It may be caught by the reasoning mind, but it cannot be held by the reasoning mind.

The personal enlightenment of each of those two men formed their individual outward cause...both of which movements changed the world. Interestingly, both have statues and streets in their honor all over the world...cosmically, each died by an assassin's bullet, Gandhi in 1948, King in 1968.

There is our paradox: They are honored to this day, remembered by many as saviors in the flesh, their movements live on...yet each died by violence. It is that paradox that proves the truth to me...the truth that nonviolence is the only answer for lasting peace in this world, and, unless we become willing to change our mind, there will be someone stuck in self who opposes it.

Thank you.