NO doubt Jim Dowling is sincere in his grief at the passing of his friend Bryan Law (Opinion, CL 14/4/13) and his belief in the benefits of pacifism as a philosophy.
However, I strongly disagree with his conclusion that all non-pacifists are sinners.
History and experience have taught us that pacifism works only if your enemy agrees that pacifism is the way to go.
Unfortunately for the world, such people as Kaiser Wilhelm, Adolf Hitler, Hideki Tojo, Ho Chi Minh, and Mao Tse Tung did not subscribe to the starry-eyed idealism of pacifism.
In fact they probably would have regarded pacifists as shirkers, or worse still, as cowards who are prepared to let others do the dying for them.
This latter belief was largely dispelled during the world wars, when unarmed conscientious objectors willingly put their lives on the line, as front-line stretcher-bearers and medical orderlies.
This way they gained the respect of the broader community.
I urge such people as Jim Dowling to pay tribute to our revered war dead, and honour those serving men and women of the Defence Forces who, like Jesus, are willing to die for our sake.
In a perfect world, pacifism would really work, but in the perilous 21st Century, peace-loving Australians are prudently advised to adopt an adage from 4th Century Rome: “If you desire peace, you must prepare for war.”
BERNARD J MAUME
Clayfield, Qld
