Letters.

• Position: Letter to the Editor

Dear Synthesis/Regeneration,

You are to be commended for your continuing publication of articles on what is perhaps the most difficult and elusive of the 10 Key Values, nonviolence. In the Winter issue (#21) this reached both high and low points with essays by Ron Ouellette and Wade Rawluk. Oullette's Nonviolence was an eloquent masterpiece, brilliant in both its comprehensive simplicity and in the keenness of its philosophical insight. Rawluk's Against Bourgeois Pacifism on the other hand, was in this readers mind, simplistic condescending and extremely verbose. If the writer had given some specific examples of what he was trying to say rather than throw at us a critique that was obscure and overly theoretical, he might have come forth with some challenging criticisms. What, for example, is a "libertarian socialist?" And who are "bourgeois pacifists?" Such name calling degrades Rawluk's arguments to a low level that adds nothing to real dialogue. Nevertheless, thank you for including this piece, if for no other reason, to show students of pacifism how wide the gap between us and some of our comrades really is.

Nancy Oden's piece Where Does All This Violence Come From and What Can We Do About It? was also very good in its practicality and great number of specific suggestions, although her reliance on guns and police protection seemed somewhat exaggerated and applicable to only the preliminary stages of a peace-oriented society.

The greatest difficulty in popularizing nonviolence as a key value or personal ethic, is, I feel, that the emotional and psychological maturity which are its prerequisites, cannot be nurtured in the impoverished environment that most human beings are born and raised in. A charismatic leader such as King or Gandhi can inspire people to overcome such handicaps, but when none are around, we falter and grope in the darkness, applying reformist band-aids here and there because we can do no better. To know that capitalism and patriarchy are fundamental evils is not enough. But joyful struggle in causes that are obviously just and worthy of our commitment will at least keep our spirits alive until the "promised land" or classless society can be seen more clearly. And here, nonviolence, as both goal and means, is extremely useful. But we must be patient about what we are about and why. Let the discussion continue.

Sincerely yours,

Al White

Orange County Green Party (southern California)

Dear Synthesis/Regeneration,

Thank you...