Michael D. Knox
Michael D. Knox, PhD, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida*,is Founder and Chair of the US Peace Memorial Foundation: https://uspeacememorial.org/ since 2005. His biography is included in current editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World, Wikipedia, and at www.uspeacememorial.org/Knox.htm.Dr. Knox’s antiwar activities are listed in the US Peace Registry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
After Nagasaki, the U.S. Did Not Choose Peace [but only war] by Michael D. Knox August 10, 2020 On August 9, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, I attended a ceremony at Ashley Pond, Los Alamos, New Mexico. This is the place, geographically, where the first atom bombs were constructed. As I prepared my remarks, I realized a personal connection that had never registered before. on this date in 1945, our military bombed Nagasaki. Precisely nine months later, on May 9, 1946, I was born. I have tried to imagine how my parents, stationed at an Army Air Force base in Texas on that day, must have felt. Perhaps there was some hope for peace; time to get on with their lives, start a family, and conceive their first child. Unfortunately, peace is not the direction the U.S. chose to take after World War II. I say “chose,” because war is not a natural phenomenon like a hurricane or pandemic—it is aberrant human behavior. It requires thought, planning, public support, resource allocation, training, and implementation. The U.S. has bombed no less than thirty countries since the end of World War II, killing millions of people, maiming tens of millions more, disrupting and destroying education, healthcare, housing, businesses, infrastructure, the environment, and creating untold numbers of refugees. Since 1946, no other country has killed and injured more people living outside its borders. If people refuse to support, fund, kill, or participate in the process at any level, there can be no war. We must change the course that our country has chosen to take during much of its existence. We need to reset and have a fresh start. If you want peace, your first obligation should be to demand that your own country stop destabilizing, invading, occupying, and bombing other countries. Join the US Peace Memorial Foundation and help us to honor Americans who stand for peace. We publish the US Peace Registry, award the US Peace Prize, and are fundraising for the US Peace Memorial in Washington, DC. We recognize thoughtful and courageous Americans and U.S. organizations that have taken a public stand against one or more U.S. wars or have devoted their time, energy, and other resources to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts. We celebrate these role models to inspire other Americans to speak out against war and to work for peace. Visit USPeaceMemorial.org. Join the debate on Facebook More articles by:Michael D. Knox Michael D. Knox, PhD is the founder and chair of the US Peace Memorial Foundation and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida. @DrMichaelDKnox knox@uspeacememorial.org Original: https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/10/after-nagasaki-the-u-s-did-not-choose-peace/ ----------------------------------------------
Dear Michael,
Many thanks for your wonderful, honest and courageous article: "After Nagasaki, the U.S. Did Not Choose Peace" [but only war], which was published on your page here: https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=928 We admire it and highly appreciate your great contribution to anti-militarism and global peace. Your ingenious visionary demands: "We must change the course that our country has chosen to take during much of its existence. We need to reset and have a fresh start" find the answers in our Anti-Nuclear Manifesto with your participation (https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=908). Here we propose a global scientific paradigm of the nuclear weapons renunciation and renewal of the world order based on the Gandhian spherons and the Gandhian democracy of non-violence, in order to provide a global security/peace system to exclude any war and violence. If would the United States found the intelligence, humanism and political will to do this, USA would become the leader of a new, non-violent world order. But have these worthy qualities been preserved in militaristic America able "to reset and refresh it" with the Gandhian nonviolence of the spherons on the Just Spheral Third Way? Heartily, Best wishes of peace from spherons harmony through their innovative science and their Gandhicracy in our Anti-Nuclear Manifesto Leo 12-08-20 ---------------------------- Дорогой Майкл, Большое спасибо за вашу замечательную, честную и смелую статью: «После Нагасаки США не выбрали мир» [а только войну], которая была опубликована на вашей странице здесь: https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=928 Мы восхищаемся ею и высоко ценим ваш большой вклад в антимилитаризм и глобальный мир. Ваши гениальные провидческие требования: "Мы должны изменить курс, который наша страна избрала на протяжении большей части своего существования. Нам нужно перезагрузиться и начать все сначала" находят ответ в нашем Антиядерном Манифесте с вашим участием (https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=908). Здесь мы предлагаем глобальную научную парадигму отказа от ядерного оружия и обновления мирового порядка на основе Гандианских сферонов и Гандианской демократии ненасилия, чтобы обеспечить глобальную систему безопасности/мира, исключающую всякие войны и насилие. Если бы США нашли в себе интеллект, гуманизм и политическую волю для этого, они стали бы лидером нового, ненасильственного мирового порядка. Но сохранились ли эти достойные качества в милитаристской Америке, способные «перезагрузить и освежить ее» Гандианским ненасилием сферонов на Сферном Справедливом Третьем Пути? Сердечно, Лев 12-08-20 ------------------------------------------------------
Militarism and COVID-19 by Michael D. Knox July 22, 2020 Military-related activities are the highest priority of the U.S. I don't usually share my personal opinions using this medium, but the failed response to COVID-19 underscores the fact that military-related activities are the highest priority of the U.S. government. The need to honor and encourage those who work for peace is more important than ever. Please read my article in today's CounterPunch "Militarism and COVID-19." After six months of enduring this tragic but preventable COVID-19 pandemic, there is still no national leadership. More than 200,000 Americans will die, and hundreds of thousands will suffer through the disease process, and then continue to have debilitating symptoms long after. Compare the response to how quickly our nation mobilized for war after less than 3000 died on 9/11; war that we continue to fight in the Middle East and Africa. The inadequacies of our healthcare and public health systems and the persistent shortages of equipment, supplies, hospital beds and timely testing underscore the fact that military-related activities are the highest priority of the U.S. government. Its 2020 military budget is $738 billion. That’s over $84 million an hour for war. That’s where our tax dollars go and that’s where the resources are—spread around the world to intimidate and do harm, rather than good. The President’s recent extravagant patriotic speeches and ceremonies ignore the pandemic and instead, extol the virtues of “law and order” and the largest military budget ever. Flyovers of fighter jets, used as a way of showing appreciation to healthcare workers treating COVID-19, demonstrates an effort to tie all aspects of our life, even this most desperate public health situation, into the U.S. war culture. Obviously, the cost of these nationwide military tributes and ceremonies, which is significant, could have provided medicine, testing, facemasks, and other items that are still desperately needed to help stem the spread of this disease. Perhaps these expensive public relations stunts were an effort to distract us from the government’s continuing failed leadership in handling the COVID-19 crisis. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if war was deemed a non-essential activity, and our country focused instead on eliminating healthcare disparities, systemic racism, aggressive policing, poverty, and this heartbreaking pandemic. These are the things that are terrorizing Americans. Join the debate on Facebook Michael D. Knox, PhD is the founder and chair of the US Peace Memorial Foundation and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida. @DrMichaelDKnoxknox@uspeacememorial.org Original: https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/07/22/militarism-and-covid-19/
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Ending U.S. War by Honoring Americans Who Work for Peace Michael D. Knox, PhD Preface I travel frequently and have seen the many monuments to soldiers and to wars that occupy our city squares and parks.In the summer of 2005 my son James and I visited Washington, DC after he finished his first year of college.We made the standard tour of the city, visiting museums, the White House, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the newly dedicated National World War II Memorial.
These memorials exist to reinforce the notion that war efforts or activities are highly valued and rewarded by our society.In this and other visits to the National Mall, I have encountered dozens of war veterans discussing their combat experiences with their children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends.I imagine that most of the listeners were proud of the speaker’s military service and some viewed the war veteran as a potential role model.
Suddenly, with my son present, I realized that all of my own personal memories and stories in this realm were of antiwar activities.I was immediately struck by the fact that there are no National Monuments here to convey a message that our society also values peace and recognizes those who take action to oppose one or more U.S. wars.There is no public validation of antiwar activities and no memorial to serve as a catalyst for discussion regarding courageous peace efforts by Americans over the past centuries.This realization led to the organization of the US Peace Memorial Foundation in 2005 and my retirement in 2011 so that I could devote the remainder of my life to creating this monument, initially online and later as a physical structure in our nation’s capital.
It is time to dedicate a National Monument to peace and those who work for it.Our society should be as proud of those who strive for alternatives to war as it is of those who fight wars.Demonstrating this national pride in some tangible way may encourage others to explore peace advocacy during times when only the voices of war are being heard.
By presenting the antiwar sentiments of many American leaders - views that history has often ignored - and by documenting contemporary U.S. antiwar activism, the US Peace Memorial will send a clear message to our citizens that advocating for peaceful solutions to international problems and opposing war are honorable and socially acceptable activities in our democracy. (Read more: https://www.uspeacememorial.org/the_idea.htm) ABOUT US
Since 2005, the US Peace Memorial Foundation has directed a nationwide effort to honor Americans who stand for peace by publishing the US Peace Registry, awarding an annual Peace Prize, and planning for the US Peace Memorial in Washington, DC. These projects help move the United States toward a culture of peace by recognizing thoughtful and courageous Americans and U.S. organizations that have taken a public stand against one or more U.S. wars or who have devoted their time, energy, and other resources to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts. We celebrate these role models to inspire other Americans to speak out against war and to work for peace… Our Board of Directors, Founding Members, andVolunteers are the mainstay of the US Peace Memorial Foundation.
CONTACT US
US Peace Memorial Foundation 334 East Lake Road #136 Palm Harbor, FL 34685-2427 Telephone: 202-455-8776 E-mail: Info@USPeaceMemorial.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/USPeace Twitter: @USPeaceMemorial YouTube: www.youtube.com
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