Ending U.S Wars by Honoring Americans Who Work for Peace (SOAPBOX PODCAST DECEMBER 11, 2020)
December 11, 2020
TOPIC: MAKING PEACE NORMAL
GUEST: MICHAEL KNOX
In this new book, Dr. Michael D. Knox, founder of the US Peace Memorial Foundation and Distinguished University Professor, says it’s time for Americans who work for Peace to be honored as national heroes. From war epics that portray American soldiers as unfailingly noble, to public monuments that glorify war-makers, to a national education curriculum that rarely asks students to debate the value of war, the U.S. is a nation that venerates its warriors above all others.
The U.S. has bombed 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. Knox, who practiced clinical psychology for over 40 years, describes a behavioral approach to ending U.S. war. The book also documents the actions of hundreds of role models for peace in hopes of inspiring other Americans.
ENDING U.S. WARS by Honoring Americans Who Work for Peace aims to change the U.S. culture to one that celebrates its peacemakers. “In a culture that funds and esteems war-making, respect for peacemaking must be taught and modeled. We can change our cultural mindset so that it will no longer be acceptable to label those who speak out against a U.S. war as disloyal, anti-military, or unpatriotic. Rather,” says Knox, “they will be recognized for their dedication to a noble cause and to saving lives.”
Chapters include A CULTURE OF WAR, A CULTURE OF PEACE, and:
THE US PEACE PRIZE. Recipients of the US Peace Prize since 2009 include Chelsea Manning, Medea Benjamin, Noam Chomsky, Ajamu Baraka, Dennis Kucinich, and Cindy Sheehan. In 2020 the US Peace Prize went to Christine Ahn “for bold activism to end the Korean War, heal its wounds, and promote women’s roles in building peace.” Detailed profiles of all 12 recipients are included.
THE US PEACE REGISTRY. A collection of 270 American individuals and organizations who work for peace, demonstrating a broad range of peace and antiwar actions and activities. The Registry appears for the first time in print.
THE US PEACE MEMORIAL. The Foundation’s most ambitious goal is to establish a monument on the National Mall. ENDING U.S. WARS offers a sneak peek at this exciting project. Plans include an inspiring and creative design that features a peace sign that can only be seen aerially and aims to serve as a reminder to government officials who fly over the Mall. As the US Peace Memorial is currently envisioned, twelve walls, or facets, will contain engraved peace quotes from famous Americans such as Jane Addams, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr., and Margaret Mead, and a variety of U.S. presidents who are not widely known for their antiwar statements. Until it is built, this book is the US Peace Memorial.
“Many years ago, Michael Knox saw a need in this violent empire of the USA for a memorial to peace workers in a country where war is glorified and recklessly memorialized. I was honored to be the first recipient of the US Peace Prize and do highly recommend this book as a furtherance of Michael’s quest for peace. I hope it inspires the next generation of peace workers.”—Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey Austin Sheehan, KIA Iraq: 04/04/04.
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