Pacifist Posse

How about a Pacifist Posse Party?

No, not a political group (well maybe), a shindig, a get-together.

Anyone who can’t attend physically could phone, IM, video-chat, or participate in some other way.

We could maybe even hatch a plan or two.

Here are a few more links that have content relevant to pacifism or non-violence.

• Shaun Groves’ SHLOG
• Greg’s Kendall-Ball (nacent non-violence section)
• Peace Meme
• Peace Blog (affiliated with Peace Action)
• Sok Blog’s This is Zimbabwe

After suitable review, we can decide which of these, if any, to add to the lists in the right rail.

As he has done in previous sessions of the US Congress, Representative Dennis Kucinich has proposed legislation to establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence in the US government—House of Representatives Bill 808, 5 Feb 2007. Here’s a link to his office’s press release about the bill and here’s one to a PDF of the bill, itself.

Fifty-nine other representatives co-sponsored the bill. Here is a list of the co-sponsors:

• Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] - 2/14/2007
• Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 2/13/2007
• Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] - 2/5/2007
• Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 2/16/2007
• Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Green, Al [TX-9] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] - 2/13/2007
• Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] - 2/13/2007
• Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 2/5/2007
• Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] - 2/13/2007
• Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Oberstar, James L. [MN-8] - 2/14/2007
• Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 2/13/2007
• Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Scott, Robert C. [VA-3] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Wu, David [OR-1] - 2/5/2007
• Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 2/5/2007

Thanks to soul1383’s Flickr photostream, I found peacebuttons.info.

Perhaps peace is more an ethic and a spiritual goal we are wanting to progress toward.
Perhaps this is just my view!
When I hear/read Tibet held up as a nation of people living in peace for centuries, I am struck by the need for (some) to idealize something we cherish.
Certainly, as a practicing Bon/Budddhist, peace is something to which I aspire and the principles of non-harming an essential method on the path. However, in reading further about the history and culture of Tibet, I find the following:
….caution to those traveling the vast central plains of Tibet as it is inhabited by the Khampas who are renowned for their capture/kidnapping/murder and thefts of unsuspecting travelers.
….a feudal system of jurisprudence in which punishments are meted out according to laws requiring for instance, loss of a hand if one steals, (seems violent to me), and other more gory punishments described in The Golden Letters.
….wars with the Chinese at different periods in history.
I think it would be more realistic to recognize that we pursue something desirable and attainable but not already existing anywhere other than in an awakened heart.
Let it begin with me…