On War and Enemies

A pacifist’s reflection on hatred and aggression

Detail from Medact poster against nuclear weapons. Licensed CC BY 4.0, Wellcome Trust.

Some people say we should love our enemies. Some people claim to agree with this advice, but take actions that suggest otherwise.

As for me, I neither love nor hate my enemies, because I have no enemies.

This is from my perspective only. Many people consider me to be an enemy, for any number of reasons: my race, my gender (or lack thereof), my religion (or lack thereof), my politics, my citizenship. They might not use the word “enemy” — they might even claim to love me — but their actions suggest otherwise.

I won’t pretend it doesn’t bother me when I’m told I should be sent to an internment camp or killed, had my gender declared invalid by the federal government, or seen people of my race portrayed as apes. I’m no stranger to serious depression and suicidal ideation. I don’t love the people who harass and oppress me, but I don’t consider them to be my enemies. I don’t wish death, harm, or even imprisonment on them; I simply want them to stop.

This is how I feel on a day when President Donald Trump openly threatened to annihilate an entire civilization. I am no fan of Trump or the people who support him, and I don’t blame other oppressed people for fantasizing about his demise. I see him as a deeply flawed human being, but human…