A war-scaled crime against innocent civilians occurred on September 11. We grieve their loss and extend heartfelt condolences to their families and friends.

We honor our soldiers on that front - the police, fire personnel, EMTs, and civilian heroes who responded with courage and selflessness - many of whom lost their lives trying to save others.

Our response was to turn to the world community for concurrence in the use of our military to extract some form of restorative justice. It was hoped that our response would also restore our sense of security.  

We question whether this response will make us safe in the long term.  Because the paradox is that violence begets violence, then strike leads to counter strike, and vengeance to retaliation in an ever-widening spiral.

Our craving for security pushes us into further isolation. We create more and more barriers in our airports, our ball parks, our borders, and in our hearts.

And yet our long term safety is not served by bombs, bullets, force, and suspension of liberties and due process. Our military response to paramilitary fanatics inflicts so much "collateral damage" to civilians that it creates more paramilitary fanatics. The violence spirals relentlessly outward into more fear, scarcity, instability and isolation.

The very values of our American heritage are threatened by our responses to terrorism. To reverse this trend requires great personal and collective courage and selflessness. In our search for solutions, we need to look inward as well as outward.

Long term security relies on a return to the traditional values that have made this country great. Fear should not a reason to relinquish our freedom, security, justice, concern for the common good, pursuit of happiness, and equality.

Will this "war on terrorism" be effective? Or is there more we can do?

The way to lasting peace and long-term security, in our observation, begins with positive relationships between persons and peoples. What works best in our homes and neighborhoods also works best in our nation and the world. We all must act with courage in the face of perceived enemies.

September 11 opened our eyes more to the conditions in the world. We are now more aware of the spiraling injustices of the Middle East. We are now more aware of decades of suffering and suspension of Human Rights for the Afghan people. The recent events woke us up to opportunities to stop seeing things only through the lenses of military and market power. If we choose to see the world only through these lenses, we will continue to focus on the short-term decisions which have brought us to this point. In the words of Gene Sharp, it is imperative that we develop effective nonviolent alternatives to military struggle.

If we choose to don the lenses of relational power, we will focus on long-term decisions to create secure and lasting peace among nations and peoples.

Relational power is grounded in positive personal relations and in genuine community at both the individual and the international levels. This is the opposite of isolationism.

Spying is covert intelligence gathering for isolationists; friendship is overt intelligence gathering for

To build such relationships requires interaction, respect, understanding, acceptance and hopefully appreciation of each other. Meaningful relationships require truthful and open communication which builds trust and a recognition of our shared human connection.

Relational power begins within each of us and then can be observed externally:

·        In the home at the kitchen table and on the bedroom pillow. We model power sharing in relationships and decision-making, (rather than punishment to control and limit).

·        In the school, relational power shows up in the classroom and on the playground when the students, supported and respected by parents, teachers, and administrators, are empowered to learn, to make their own life a learning experience, and to accept responsibility for their learning

·        In the community, relational power happens across backyard fences, over coffee cups, and neighborhood barbecues where we create neighborhoods of friendship and safety.

·        In the workplace, relational power occurs when we use best practices to allow people to succeed and excel in supplying the world's needs (instead of in battles for dominance).

·        In the nation, relational power happens when we accept responsibility to be informed and involved citizens, holding our leaders accountable to adhere to our basic American values in the policies and practices.

·        In the international arena, relational power is exercised when we take into account what benefits the peoples of the nations with which we engage (rather than only what benefits us).

We see the exercise of relational power as best addressing our long-term security needs. It is also more honorable, humane, principled, and in keeping with the highest and best of our American values.