Written by Washington Peace Center   

By Sarah Dobson
When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 1991, I was one and a half years old. I didn’t know much about the world, much less about U.S. foreign policy. I have grown quite a bit since that day, and now anticipate our withdrawal from Iraq as a 21 year-old graduating from college. But how have we grown as a nation? The U.S. is still an adolescent. We’re a bully. We fight to stay on top and we steal lunch money because we can. We are impulsive, aggressive, and reckless. We are an adolescent with a large arsenal of weapons and a suitcase full of cash. And we’ve been irresponsible. So do we crash and burn? Or can we get our head on straight and grow up? How can we stop the current wars and prevent future wars?

1. We must redefine security. Relinquish the idea that safety means controlling others through force and fear. Security is cooperating with others to achieve mutual survival and prosperity. Violent foreign intervention damages our security. We must educate for peace. If people don’t understand that peace is possible and in their best interest, they will not work for it. Let us teach that peace is education, health care, employment, housing, environment, security — a higher standard of living.

2. We have to work together. Duh. The war machine is too powerful to tackle alone. We need communication and respect between local, national, and international levels for a successful peace movement. If the peace activists can’t get along, how can we expect others to? So we need stop acting out of fear and insecurity, educate ourselves, and work together. That seems achievable for mature adults. Don’t you think?
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Sarah Dobson interned with the Washington Peace Center and recently earned a
B.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland