Dunkirk-Fredonia Center for Peace and Justice -

"Empty Bowls" fundraiser slated for December 6

admin — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:25:00 -0400

The Fredonia Potter's Co-op will be raising funds for the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry's Friendly Kitchen on Saturday December 6 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. This effort is to help feed the hungry, as attendees buy homemade soup in handmade bowls, which they can keep. Bowls will range in price from $10.00 to $30.00. The event will be held at St. John's United Church of Christ, 733 Central Ave. in Dunkirk. (Parking is at the rear entrance on Eagle St.)

"Peace and War - and Peace Poles," column by Dan O'Rourke

admin — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:07:58 -0400

CPJ member Dan O'Rourke writes a regular column for the Dunkirk Observer. The following, "Peace and War - and Peace Poles," was published on October 9. 2008

A few weeks ago I participated in a peace walk and rededication of the peace pole on campus of the local university. A peace pole is a handcrafted monument carrying the multi-language message and prayer: “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” There are more than 200,000 Peace Poles on every continent in different countries around the world. They link the human family with one another and are reminders to work and pray for peace.

Peace poles can be found in town squares, parks or places of worship. There is, however, no more fitting place to erect one, than at a university which fosters studies bridging the human family. The university teaches foreign languages, history, philosophy, political science and psychology. Wherever the location, however, the pole makes it a holy place dedicated to peace.

Peace poles have been planted at the Pyramids in Egypt, at the Magnetic North Pole in Canada, in places of conflict like Sarajevo and the Allenby Bridge between Israel and Jordan. President Jimmy Carter and Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa have dedicated them, but so have many ordinary people interested in world peace.

Let’s think about the peace to which the poles point -- and conversely to the wars they seek to prevent. I write here about war not wars. I want us to reflect about peace and war itself and what down through history some insightful men and women have believed.

Let’s start with Jesus. When he said to Peter, “Put your sword back into his place: for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52), he was also speaking to the nations. George Bernard Shaw agreed. He warned that, “Nations are like bees; they cannot kill except at the cost of their own lives.”

Moreover, the wonderfully versatile author Wendell Berry, has observed, “Wars never end, really. “The Crusades aren’t quiet over yet. Our Civil War certainly isn’t over.” Berry is right, of course, wars continue long after the surrender documents are signed and the ceasefire enforced. The two wars he cites are powerful examples for in subtle ways they still continue.

Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Montana, the first woman elected to the US Congress wrote, “"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." Many will disagree, but a careful reading of pre and post war histories will tell us that she was on to something perceptive and astute. As was Thomas Mann, the German novelist and Nobel Prize recipient when he wrote, "War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace." Or listen to Mahatma Gandhi, “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

Consider too the words of President John Kennedy who with realistic insight told us, “War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” Kennedy said that almost fifty years ago but that day sadly is still distant. Kennedy’s wry insight echoes the words of the war historian Paul Fussel, who has written vigorously against the popular romanticizing of war. Dr. Fussel believed, “If we do not redefine manhood, war is inevitable.”

This is not to denigrate the contribution of our military men and women, but as the Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick said in the exclusive language of his day, “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” Listen too to Rev. Martin Luther King. "Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." Hasn’t history given us many depressing examples of that?

Lao Tzu, a philosopher of ancient China probably wrote this in the 4^th Century BCE, but like all great truths its wisdom is eternal.

“If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.”

If you don’t cotton to the insights of clergy or politicians, then listen to the words of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. His insights are as true today as when he uttered them – and if our world can survive, they will still be true in ten thousand years. “I know war as few other men know it, and nothing to me is more revolting, because I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friends and foe has rendered it useless as a means to settle international disputes.”

Golda Meir, the Prime Minister of Israel, would agree. “A man who does not hate war is not fully human.”

Finally President – and General – Dwight Eisenhower, “I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”

That’s the wisdom of the ages on war and peace, from Lao Tzu to Eisenhower, from Gandhi and Fosdick to Martin Luther King and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. But what do these insights from spiritual masters, clergy, politicians and Generals say to you and me? They call us back to the message on the peace pole: “May peace prevail on earth.”

It is that for which we should be praying and working.

Daniel O'Rourke is a married Catholic priest. Retired from the administration at SUNY Fredonia, he lives in Cassadaga, NY. His column appears in the Observer in Dunkirk, NY on the second and fourth Thursday each month. He has published "The Spirit at Your Back," a book of previous columns. You may purchased it or send comments to orourke@netsync.net.

"Prejudice against Gays and Lesbians," column by Dan O'Rourke

admin — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:37:04 -0400

On September 14, Judy Shepard, mother of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, spoke at SUNY Fredonia as part of its "Human Rights: With Liberty and Justice for All?" convocation series. After Mrs. Shepard's presentation, CPJ member Dan O'Rourke wrote the following for his regular column in the Dunkirk Observer. This was published on September 25, 2008.

“Prejudice against Gays and Lesbians”

“Guns, Gays and God” are hot button issues again. They are the preferred distraction of the political right. For the common good you’d think today they’d be rallying instead for peace, energy diversity, health care and sanity in the stock market, but they prefer simplistic slogans about “values.”

I’ve written on homosexuality before and received anonymous hate mail because of it, but after hearing a talk by Judy Shepard, mother of a gay son murdered because of his sexual orientation, I am writing again. There are some things we need to hear over and over. This is one such topic.

Some readers will recall Judy Shepard’s son Matthew, a 21 year-old gay student who in 1998 was tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming, tortured, pistol-whipped by gay bashers and left for dead in near freezing temperatures.

Ten years after his death, Judy Shepard admits that society has grown and that things are getting better. No longer would any politician refer publicly to homosexuals as “fruits and queers” as, God help us, the Mayor of Buffalo, NY did in 1983. The support given by Vice President Cheney and former Congressman Gephardt and their wives toward their lesbian daughters are positive examples of progress. The enthusiastic welcome Shepard received on the university campus and the success of Matthew Shepard Foundation are also proof of the improved climate, but as Shepard reminded us we have a long way to go.

Why are things improving? I think a quick answer is openness and longevity. The young are more comfortable speaking of sexual orientation and coming out – although still it is often painful. At the same time their parents and grandparents are living longer. They had always loved their children and grandchildren and when confronted with their gayness they are forced to reconsider their generation’s prejudices. Then they come to the inevitable conclusion that sexual orientation is not really that important and continue to love their gay children. The issue now is no longer abstract; it has a human face – a young man or woman whom they cherish.

But as Shepard reminded us, on homosexuality our society is too often SIC (pronounced “sick”): silent, indifferent and complacent. The straight community needs to show concern and speak out against this mindless prejudice whenever it lifts its ugly head. We should speak up at the family supper table, when chatting with neighbors, and always voice disapproval of demeaning jokes and hateful words. “No words, no jokes, no laughter,” Shepard told us.

In his little gem of a book, “The Four Agreements,” Don Miguel Ruiz tells us that the most important agreement with ourselves is “to be impeccable with your word.” A word can heal or hurt, reject or welcome, give life or bring death. The old childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is wrong. Words often hurt deeply -- and sometimes irreparably. Many a gay child has learned self-loathing because of an insensitive adult’s hurtful put-downs or mean-spirited remarks. We should always speak kindly and gently about all people.

There are two major political and legal issues concerning homosexuals. They are gay marriage and homosexuals in the military. Same-sex marriage is an attempt by many to provide official recognition and all its attendant legal rights to gay and lesbian couples. Many countries such as Belgium, Canada, Norway, South Africa and Spain already do this. Some in this country have suggested that the word “marriage” be confined to a religious context and prefer the term “civil unions” for the legal contract. Religious communities then according to their own beliefs, rules and degree of openness can, if they choose, perform same sex marriages as do Spiritus Christi in Rochester, New York and Unitarian Universalist Congregations.

Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz argues that a clear distinction between a religious marriage and a civil union (even though a couple could certainly have both) would “strengthen the wall of separation between church and state by placing a sacred institution entirely in the hands of the church while placing a secular institution under state control.” Many disagree, however, claiming that equating marriage with a legal agreement would diminish heterosexual marriage. Politicians playing to the prejudice of voters like to say that same sex unions would threaten the sanctity of the traditional marriage of a man and woman. That hasn’t happened in Belgium or Norway, but if politicians are so anxious to preserve the sanctity of marriage why not sponsor legislation to allow divorce only after a waiting period and mandatory marital counseling? Don’t hold your breath. Such legislation would not fare well in focus groups.

Another practical issue is prejudice against gays in the military. President Clinton attempted to change it. He couldn’t. His “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was no change at all. Shepard said it was a bad policy with disastrous consequences. It forced homosexuals and bisexuals in the military farther back in the closet. Unlike the United States most western militaries accept gays. Of the twenty-six countries with armed forces in NATO, more than twenty permit homosexuals to serve openly. Canada after an extensive study has dropped its military ban on gays. Israel allows gays and lesbians to serve openly. None of these armed forces have experienced the lack of cohesion and demoralization that our military brass claim would happen if we allowed gays to openly serve. Ironically, as recruitment for the military becomes more difficult, the army is accepting recruits with less education and more with criminal records -- but not gays and lesbians if they are out of the closet.

Judy Shepard has made her son Matt's crucifixion redemptive. The entire world has repudiated the hate crime that murdered him. His mother has channeled her grief into an educational crusade to replace hate with understanding, compassion and justice. She has established the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Visit its website at www.matthewshepard.org.

Daniel O'Rourke is a married Catholic priest. Retired from the administration at SUNY Fredonia, he lives in Cassadaga, NY. His column appears in the Observer, Dunkirk, NY on the second and fourth Thursday each month. He has published "The Spirit at Your Back," a book of previous columns. You may purchased it or send comments to orourke@netsync.net.

Column by Dan O'Rourke, "Sarah Palin: Who? Why? When?"

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:43:29 -0400

CPJ member Dan O'Rourke writes a regular column in the Dunkirk Observer. The following, "Sarah Palin: Who? Why? When?" was published on September 11, 2008.

As the whole world knows by now Sarah Palin, the former mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage, and Governor of Alaska is the candidate of the Republican Party for Vice President of the United States. An attractive, plainspoken self-defined hockey mom, her speech at the Republican convention energized her audience of true believers. It had them leaping to their feet cheering wildly. She brought excitement and passion to John McCain’s dull and listless campaign.

But what do we really know about her? Her talk carefully crafted by the McCain campaign staff and skillfully delivered from a teleprompter told us little. We learned about her appealing family, of course, but her lists of accomplishment, such as her on-again, off-again opposition to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, her implication that she sold the former governor’s jet on eBay, the nature of her opposition to the oil companies in Alaska, her hiring of Washington lobbyists to bring home pork to Wasilla has raised many eyebrows and questions. Up to now, however, she has been shielded from the public and press like a contagious patient in an intensive care unit.

Republican strategists are quick to accuse anyone in the media who raises disturbing questions of gender bias. There is, however, a lot to investigate. Palin’s allegedly vindictive termination of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, because he would not fire state trooper Michael Wooten, ex- husband of Palin’s sister, is currently under bipartisan investigation by the Alaska Legislature. The Associate Press has reported that Palin attended five different colleges in six years before graduating in 1987 from the University of Idaho. Why did she change colleges so often? When Mayor of Wasilla, she attempted to ban books in the local library. The town librarian Mary Ellen Emmons now Baker resisted; Palin tried unsuccessfully to remove her. What were the titles of those books? Rumors are bouncing all over the Internet. I hope the threats and bluster of the McCain campaign will not intimidate the media from investigating all this – and more.

Let me say clearly, though, what Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton and every woman know: there is a double standard for men and women especially when they run for high office. No one would ever question a male candidate like Barack Obama on how he would be able to perform the duties of his office and at the same time take care of his young children. The criticisms of Palin that she would be neglecting her Down Syndrome baby or her pregnant teenaged daughter clearly reflect this bias.

To his credit Obama has stated that the children of candidates should be a campaign no-no. I thought his comments were pitch perfect. “Let me be as clear as possible. I think people’s families are off-limits, and people’s children especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Governor Palin’s performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president.”

But why did McCain choose her as his running mate? Many suspect it was a desperation move to galvanize the dispirited Republican base. (It has clearly worked.) But did McCain actually think she was qualified to be Vice President of the United States of America? (I doubt it. Don’t you?)

Two high ranking Republicans, speechwriter Peggy Noonan and McCain strategist Mike Murphy were caught criticizing Palin as they kept talking after an NBC interview when they thought the mike was dead. Murphy said the choice of Palin was cynical. Noonan who had previously praised Palin in print said, “It’s over,” and added “Most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bull****.” After her comments surfaced, Noonan apologized for her barnyard language and said her “it’s over” comment was taken out of context.

Political candor is rare. I guess it takes an unsuspected open mike to tell us what politicians really think. Whenever I hear political professionals twist and spin the facts, I think of Lyndon Johnson who said, “A good politician can make chicken salad out of chicken****.” Johnson like Noonan spoke the same barnyard vernacular -- and they both were right.

We’ve heard a lot of that vernacular about Governor Palin and her thorough vetting by John McCain. The McCain campaign has adamantly refused to answer any more questions about her vetting. Apparently, McCain only had met her twice, was charmed by her personality and maverick nature and impulsively picked her as his running mate. No one at Palin’s many colleges, for example, remembers being contacted in any vetting process. Neither do any officials in the Alaska State legislature. What does this say about McCain’s character? NY Times columnist Frank Rich has answered that, “His [McCain’s] decision making process is impetuous and, in its Bush-like preferences for gut instinct over facts, potentially reckless.”

Instead of gushing over Sarah Palin and hailing her like the messiah coming to Washington, we should withhold final judgment and let the press do its work. I personally think her choice has been a disaster for an election based on the issues but when the McCain campaign discharges her from her isolation ward and allows her to answer questions from ABC ‘s Charles Gibson later this week, we should know more. That is if Gibson has not agreed in advance to limit his questioning and to avoid hot-button topics.

We will see. I’d like Palin to appear on Face the Nation and Meet the Press as Obama, McCain and Biden often have. Then the press could do the vetting which the McCain campaign has failed to do. Until then her good looks, her folksy demeanor, or her appealing family should not seduce us.

SUNY Fredonia's 2008-2009 Convocation Theme "Human Rights: With Liberty and Justice for All?"

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:10:33 -0400

Human rights, justice, and peace will be addressed in the series of events making up SUNY Fredonia's 2008-2009 Convocation program.

For details on this program, see http://www.fredonia.edu/convocation/.

"Mother's Day - Its History and Meaning," column by Dan O'Rourke

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:48:00 -0400

The following article, "Mother's Day - Its History and Meaning," was published on May 8, 2008 in Dan O'Rourke's regular column in the Dunkirk Observer. While its title refers to Mother's Day, it profoundly addresses the unending struggle for peace.

Funny isn’t it how celebrations stray from their original purpose. Christmas initially intended as the spiritual commemoration of the birth of Jesus has become a stressful, materialistic shopping frenzy. Labor Day originally meant to honor the unionized workforce, has evolved into a gigantic end of summer cookout – even at country clubs! Mother’s Day too has wandered far from its origins.

In the beginning, Mother’s Day was intended to be a Mother’s Day for Peace, but we have long ago forgotten its initial intent. We honor mothers – as indeed we should – with flowers and chocolate and breakfast in bed, but we seldom think about mothers and peace. Recently, "CODEPINK – Women for Peace" reminded us, "Instead of lavish brunch buffets, the mothers of Iraq are faced with malnourished babies and contaminated drinking water; breakfast in bed is not an option when there is no home to return to."

The story of the origin of Mother’s Day’s is intimately connected to three visionary women: Julia Ward Howe, Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis and her daughter Anna Jarvis. Julia Ward Howe is best known for her inspiring Civil War hymn, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Its rousing words and music have stirred patriotic fervor for over a hundred years. We all remember it.

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,

He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword

His truth is marching on."

Julia Ward Howe, however, had seen the dehumanizing effects of that war. She saw the death, the physical and mental suffering of the soldiers, the grief and incomprehension of wives and mothers, the disruption of families and family life. It prompted her to move on from her patriotic hymn. In 1870 with America’s Civil War ended and the Franco-Prussian War between Germany and France raging in Europe, she called on mothers the world over to rise up and oppose all war. She issued a proclamation but failed in her effort to establish an official Mother’s Day for Peace.

Today her 1870 proclamation in the flowery prose of her day does not read easily. Allow me to paraphrase parts of it. "Women, unite to disarm and oppose war! The questions we raise are too important to leave to governments and politicians. We no longer want our husbands to return to us from combat reeking of carnage with their bodies and souls forever wounded. We will no longer allow our sons to be taken from us to be trained as killers and unlearn the charity, mercy and patience we have taught them. Let us meet in an international conference to mourn and commemorate our dead and then to work out ways so our great human family can live in peace."

Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis had influenced Howe’s idea for a Mother’s Day for Peace. Reeves Jarvis was a social activist who during the Civil War proposed Mothers’ Work Days to improve sanitary conditions in hospitals for both the Union and Confederate wounded. After the war she organized meetings of mothers from the North and South to promote peace-making and social justice. Historians consider her and her daughter Anna Marie Jarvis the founders of Mother’s Day in the United States. Like Julia Ward Howe, Reeves Jarvis wanted the holiday to emphasize the work for peace and justice.

After Reeves Jarvis' death, her daughter Anna Marie Jarvis began a campaign as a tribute to her mother to make Mother’s Day an official holiday. The politically popular idea was eventually enacted by forty-five states. Following a joint resolution of the Congress, in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared it a national holiday. Wilson called on the nation to display the flag "on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."

Wilson’s proclamation was more about flags than flowers and chocolate. Furthermore, it was more a patriotic display than peace-making. So even from its official proclamation the holiday had strayed from the original vision of Julia Ward Howe and Anna Marie Jarvis’ mother. They had intended it as a day when mothers would unite to decry war and work for peace. By the 1920s, Anna Jarvis herself had soured on the commercialization of the holiday and spoke out repeatedly against it.

Certainly on Mother’s Day we should remember our mothers in loving ways, with candy, cards and flowers, with prayer and phone calls. After all our mothers gave us the gift of life, but neither should we forget the historical traditions of the holiday. Mother’s Day is a reminder for us all to affirm the preciousness of life itself and condemn the horror of war.

What would Julia Ward Howe and Anna Reeves Jarvis say today about this damnable war in Iraq? Is there any question what their reaction would be? They would cry out in anguish, "For the love of God’s stop this pointless bloodshed and return the troops to their families."

Daniel O'Rourke is a married Catholic priest. Retired from the Administration at SUNY Fredonia, he lives in Cassadaga, NY. His column appears in the Observer in Dunkirk, NY on the second and fourth Thursday each month. He has published "The Spirit at Your Back," a book of previous columns. You may purchased it or send comments to orourke@netsync.net

Letter to the Editor regarding treatment of female prisoners

admin — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:34:52 -0500

CPJ member Dan O'Rourke submitted the following letter to the Buffalo News, which was published in the March 4, 2008 issue:

Dear Editor,

Congratulations to the Buffalo News (2/25/08) and to Charity Vogel for her courage in spotlighting the horrors female inmates suffer in our prisons.

I hope the Buffalo News will continue to shed light on the treatment of the incarcerated. I once worked in prisons and know the difficult job correction officers have, but I also know that they, like all with controlling authority over others, are tempted to abuse that authority. Like some educators, clergy, psychologists and doctors, some guards delude themselves into believing they can misuse those in their care for their own purpose and pleasure. In a horrible perversion, they can debase and abuse those they are meant to protect and help.

Senator Hubert Humphrey once said that the quality of a society "is measured by how it treats those in the dawn of life, in the dusk of life, and most importantly in the shadow of life.” These women are in the shadows of life. What does their treatment say about the quality of our society?

Daniel O’Rourke
8002 Frisbee Road
Casadaga, NY 14718
595-2704

New email addresses and websites in the "Links" section of the CPJ website

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:30:46 -0500

Please see the "Links" link at the left side of the screen to see some newly recommended resources.

Western New York Peace Center events

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:40:59 -0500

The Western New York Peace Center in Buffalo announces the following events for the upcoming weeks:

- Every Weds. evening, 4:00 pm - War Resisters League holds a weekly anti-war and counter recruitment picket at the Armed Forces Recruitment Center Downtown Buffalo, in the square near the library – need support. (Mostly on Wednesdays, but the day is subject to change.) It is almost always at 4:00 pm. To confirm contact Louis at louis@pce.net or 716-881-3546

- Every Sat. - Buffalo War Resisters League meets at different locations on a rotating basis to protest the war. For more information contact Louis at louis@pce.net or 881-3546

- Every Sat. afternoon, 12:00-1:00 pm - Women in Black demonstrate against the War in Iraq, Elmwood & Bidwell, Buffalo.

Chiapas Dental Clinic Update from Dr. Tom Potts

admin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:53:52 -0500

DFCPJ has supported the work of Dr. Tom Potts, a dentist who has volunteered for many years to help the poor in Chiapas, Mexico. In October 2006, he and Dr. Bill Jungles gave a presentation at a DFCPJ meeting about the dental clinic in Chiapas. The following was received from Dr. Potts on December 22, 2007:

Chiapas Dental Clinic Update

The Latin American Solidarity Committee (a task force of the Western New York Peace Center) has been operating a dental clinic in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico for the last 20 years. In the beginning the clinic served primarily emergency needs, with the majority of services oriented toward the treatment of infections and extractions. Subsequently, we have enlarged our services and now deliver a full complement of restorative services (fillings).

This year about 75% of our services have been oriented toward saving teeth rather than extractions. This represents a major change in the nature of the services and an improvement in our ability to deliver a higher quality of health to this impoverished community. This year also was the first time that we have provided for root canal treatments, and this was only possible because of the X-ray machine installed in 2005 by one of your members (Bill Stock).

A Mexican dentist is at the clinic on Saturdays throughout the year, while I am there for five days a week usually for the months of November and February. However, this year we plan to start helping a clinic in El Sauce, Nicaragua in February, and for that reason I'll only be in Chiapas for a week.

The clinic in Nicaragua is currently only doing extractions, so we hope to accomplish some improvements in the equipment and services there as well. This work is only possible because of the generous donations to the Dental Clinic Project by many individuals and groups like the Dunkirk-Fredonia Peace and Justice Center. Thanks again for your generous help!