Lauren Bialystok: Penn's peace movement looks for the answers

It's been said that the opposite of love is not hate -- it's apathy.

But these days it's worth noting that the opposite of war is not apathy. It's peace.

In a week when American patriotism is about to boil over, the news channels are showing constant images of rescue workers in the rubble and young men in army reserves are being told to prepare for war, it's hard to remember what peace is about.

Yet in the wake of the worst attack in America's history, a group of Penn students banded together to jog their own memories.

You may have seen them on College Green making T-shirts. They may have stopped you on Locust Walk and offered you a flyer that said, "Our grief is not a call for war." They call themselves Penn for Peace.

College junior Lauren Elfant explained that Penn for Peace doesn't represent "one unified stance." They're all concerned students who recognize the complexity of our current situation and think that waging war is not as simple a solution as it sounds.

They're students who are ready to dig a little deeper, who want to examine facts for themselves. And while there are no easy solutions to the current crisis, they know that apathy is not an option.

Before resigning themselves to a flat-out military conflict, they want to pursue all potential channels of a more peaceful resolution.

There are quite a few alternatives they offer. We could respond to the fact that Afghanis -- especially women -- are being held captive by the Taliban and elect to offer humanitarian aid to civilians rather than ground troops and shrapnel. This tactic of empowerment, coupled with anti-terrorist intelligence projects, could save thousands of lives -- as well as America's reputation.

"The important thing is to educate people about why this happened," suggested Nursing junior Fred Watters, citing widespread hatred for the United States.

Watters makes an important point. There's a difference between blaming America for its own tragedy and, more appropriately, acknowledging that American policy has legitimately fostered tremendous resentment.

Waging war on those who hate us certainly won't alleviate the sentiment.

We could also place more faith in organizations of international justice, such as the World Court, and attempt to try Osama bin Laden for crimes against humanity through a sanctioned legal institution.

These strategies are not based on the idea that terrorists can or should be appeased with diplomatic concessions. They're based on a commitment to dealing with terrorism without dragging innocent people into the fray.

"Terrorists are always going to be around," admitted College senior and Red Cross volunteer Jen Moore. But she added, "You can bring individuals to justice."

Moore is one of the many Americans who believes that answering violence with violence will only propagate a devastating cycle.

The first effect of bombing Afghanistan will be to enrage innocent civilians who were otherwise unaffiliated with the conflict. When American bombs land on their impoverished villages, they won't have to think too long about where their loyalties lie.

Second, it will provoke the Taliban and like-minded organizations to take another shot at the United States.

"Bombing is just going to create three, four more generations of terrorists," predicts Watters.

And future terrorists may invoke warfare even worse than hijacked airliners. The potential for biological or chemical warfare in certain Asian nations is well documented.

A third consequence of military retaliation will be internal strife in America.

"Military conflict abroad encourages racism at home," said Lincoln Ellis, a College junior, referring to the persecution of Japanese-Americans during World War II and the McCarthy Communist hunts during the Cold War.

What's in store for Muslim Americans if we villainize everyone who looks like Osama bin Laden? Over 50 attacks on visible minorities in America have already been reported, including murders, beatings and repeated threats.

The cycle is already under way. As Ellis said, "War begets war."

Penn for Peace, as well as Harmony, a national anti-racism group, doesn't want to see America slide further into this dark crevice.

So before pledging your support to the war movement, consider the alternatives.

These days, apathy should not be an option.

Lauren Bialystok is a senior Philosophy major from Toronto, Ontario.

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