| Recently I was involved in the largest, collective | | | | going to Iraq would open up the possibility of his |
| anti-war art exhibit in the United States since before | | | | participating in war crimes. |
| the fall of Saddam Hussein. We actually didn't realize it | | | | As an officer and a gentleman, this he would not do. |
| was so significant until 10 days into the three-week | | | | He said "No!" and has now put himself on a collision |
| exhibition in Makawao, HI. | | | | course with a world power that, like every other |
| With over 100 artists participating, more than 209 | | | | world power, depends on its military officers' blind |
| pieces on display, and a huge room filled with over | | | | obedience to further its interests. |
| 600 prayer flags made by Hawaii schoolchildren for | | | | My point about Lt. Watada is simple: He did not get |
| the Dalai Lama's visit to the island of Maui, the 4,000 | | | | an immediate directive that told him to refuse |
| sq. ft. exhibit space quickly became a supercharged | | | | deployment to Iraq, he was only told to begin |
| container for community gatherings focused on local, | | | | following a trail of inquiry that would help him come |
| as well as global issues. It has become a model for | | | | to his own conclusion. |
| other communities and is now going on the road! | | | | He followed that trail and now is declaring what he |
| Lately, on the most creative and productive streak | | | | believes to be true. In doing so publicly, he is taking a |
| of my life, however, I've been anything but politically | | | | stand that may have devastating consequences on |
| active. I'm appalled, like so many others, by this | | | | the rest of his life. How could he be called anything |
| miasma that is Iraq, but the best way I've identified | | | | but a valiant soldier? |
| to contribute to peace has been to focus more and | | | | It dawned on me that the only way that wars can |
| more of my attention on what I can create that | | | | be fought is if bunches of people listen to the |
| offers healing. | | | | directives of others over their own still-small voices. |
| My photographic images record a sort of | | | | Does that mean we would cease to have wars? Not |
| world-between worlds where there the familiar and | | | | necessarily. Even though it's a fair assumption that no |
| real is intertwined with the surreal and metaphoric. In | | | | one wants to die on a battlefield, in some cases, |
| the sacred space of the gallery, I contemplated this | | | | many people would find themselves guided to put |
| and looked for something that I could connect my | | | | their lives on the line, or even take others' lives for a |
| art with on the theme. It didn't take me long, for my | | | | strong enough cause. This is not my endorsement, |
| art was being displayed close to a table with | | | | it's just my interpretation of the way things are. |
| information about Lieutenant Ehren Watada. | | | | Even Lt. Watada stated he would accept deployment |
| Lt. Watada is the first commissioned officer in the US | | | | to Afghanistan to lead his troops. The important point |
| military to refuse deployment to a war that he | | | | is that he took personal responsibility to discern for |
| believes is illegal and immoral. The way he came to | | | | himself what role he was willing to play in the |
| that conclusion is very illuminating. | | | | involvements of his country. |
| A highly respected soldier, Lt. Watada was preparing | | | | The evidence is there to say that if everyone began |
| for deployment to Iraq. He began conducting | | | | paying more attention to his or her still-small voice, |
| research on the country, its culture, and the reasons | | | | there at least would occur a subtle shift in the |
| for the U.S. involvement in Iraq. He simply heard a | | | | actions we allow our leaders to take for us. Our |
| still-small voice inside him say there was something | | | | healing could start there. |
| off-balance, so he did more research to find that | | | | |