Letters - 03 July 2015
From militarisation to grieving
Militarisation
It was good that the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme on 28 June drew attention to the new Quaker film challenging the government’s promotion of a military ethos in schools, The Unseen March. But I thought both the speakers missed a crucial point. At the heart of militarism is the belief that conflicts demand a win/lose approach – and that victory comes through violence or the threat of it. For over fifty years Quaker peace education in schools has been proposing the alternative view that conflicts are best resolved through mutual understanding, negotiation and win/win solutions. These two messages for young people are not compatible. But the BBC discussion did not explore which of them serves society and its children best.
Diana Lampen
Trident
In July 1996 the International Court of Justice in The Hague declared that ‘the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is contrary to… the principles and rules of humanitarian law’. This makes me think that those advocating the renewal of Trident, with its nuclear weapons, are supporting an illegal enterprise – and those proposing it should be prosecuted.
Tim Brown
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