Nonviolence Begets Nonviolence

Yesterday in the news the USA reported that with 100 Special Forces it had invaded Syria and killed an important ISIS leader and taken his wife into custody. Today the news in USA reported that despite intensive airstrikes by the US, ISIS had a great victory in Iraq taking over the key city of Ramadi, with over 500 civilians being killed.

The Mayor of Milwaukee announced Sabbath Ceasefire for this Sunday. There were nearly a dozen shootings in the 24 hours leading to this Sabbath Sunday. The Mayor asks “how do we change this?”

I know doing more of what we are doing in the Middle East is not making the situation better but worst. In Milwaukee I would answer the mayor’s question with something like I wrote on Facebook tonight in response to article on shootings.

“Milwaukee has created a horrible environment in North Central Milwaukee where unemployment is over 50%, young black man are incarcerated, mostly on nonviolent action including probation and parole violations, imprisoned and released in same area, poorest area in second poorest city in USA, housing stock is bad, hunger is great, public education is underfunded, guns a plenty, people lack basics like stoves and refrigerators, children are taken from parents and breakdown of families, the most racially segregated area in most racial segregated city in USA. I am not saying we should not hold people accountable for actions but I am saying we can change the neighborhood environment. Governor Thompson’s task force on prisons and prisoners said long ago: prisoners and prisons “are bound to grow as long as the root cause of crime—poverty, lack of education and lack of family support—go unaddressed.” Or as Peter Maurin,co-founder of the Catholic Worker, said” “make that kind of society where it is easier for men to be good.” “The answer Mayor “is blowin in the wind.”

I do not know all the answers for violence in Middle East and Milwaukee but I do know that doing more of what we are doing only will increase the violence. When will we ever learn that violence begets violence.

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