There is a haunting line repeated twice at the end of each verse in the song “Where have all the flowers gone” by Pete Seeger. The line is: When will they ever learn?

There was a moment in 2001 after the tragedy of 9/11 when some, including the Pope of the Catholic Church was asking why. Without justifying any of this horrible crime some were asking where this deep seated hatred of USA came from that men would die to kill so many innocent people. I remember attending a forum at the local technical college where the question why was being asked and we trying to learn from this horrible event. However, soon the why question was put aside and we went to war in Afghanistan, a war that continues today. Using 9/11 we also went to war with Iraq, who had nothing to do with 9/11. When will they ever learn?

Since World II the military has been teaching its soldiers to kill without thinking and without conscience. Now after 15,000 suicides by soldiers since 9/11 and many more suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a terrible brain disease caused by this way of fighting and killing, when a soldier kills 16 innocent Afghan people maybe we can ask: When will they ever learn?

The Catholic Church is rocked with sexual assault scandal but still refuses full disclosure, forbids members from even talking about women serving as priest and refuses to take a moral stand on a war and military training that conflicts with its one teaching and values. When will they ever learn?

Today we planned to have our weekly hour of prayer in Lent to stop teaching war and killing at Marquette University, a Jesuit Catholic University, inside the student union. When we did not see many students around we realized it was spring break at Marquette. So we went to Wisconsin Avenue the main street of city that crosses the campus and stood in front of the Jesuit residence. Jesuits came in and out of the door and many cars came by and our message “Marquette, Be Faithful to the Gospel, Stop Hosting Military Training” was ignored as it has been over the last 44 years. When will they ever learn?

The weather is becoming warmer every year, the arctic ice is melting and much coast land in the USA is predicted to be flooded, yet a few say that climate change is a hoax. When will they ever learn?

I cannot answer this question but must remain faithful to my own conscience and being. Today we took our three grandchildren to a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game. I noticed the new slogan on the score board and throughout the building. It was “Be Milwaukee”. I am not sure what it means but like it better than “We are Milwaukee”, “We are Wisconsin” or We are Marquette” a few of the many slogans build on the “We are” statement. “Be” is simpler. Maybe it is a sign that we are starting to answer the question: When will they ever learn?

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