DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | United Campus Ministry papers, 1970-1972 | 1971-08-03 Daily Iowan Editorial: 'Grokking'

Transcribe
Translate

United Campus Ministry papers, 1970-1972

1971-08-03 Daily Iowan Editorial: 'Grokking'

THE DAILY IOWAN
EDITORIAL
BY ROGER SIMPSON
August 3, 1971

Note: this was done by invitation of D. M. Blake, Editor of the Editorals page, who is seeking weekly editorials from Campus Ministers.

"GROKKING", the title for the editorials, means: "to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes the observed."
From: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

THE DAILY IOWAN
Editorial
August 3, 1971

Grokking

Our State Religion: Militarism

By Roger Simpson
United Campus Christian Ministry

When The Richard has gone to Peking, when the last GI has been killed or addicted in Nam, when a cease-fire is announced in Saigon, when "zero" draft calls occur, when Spiro has gone (period), then "the war will be over, and peace will reign" ... Right? WRONG.  Wrong, because only the symptoms of the disease that afflicts us will have momentarily disappeared.  The disease is the old plague of most societies: militarism that has become a state religion.
Some contned that it is too late to seek control of militarism now that it has become a state religion.  They argue that the military-industrial state has become all-powerful and can silence or banish critics and "non-believers".
Those dissenters, awed by the might of militarism, may choose to don white robes, or doff all robes, and await Armageddon on a Colorado mountain or in an Iowa corn field -- and I'll be strongly tempted to join them.  Yet, maybe, just maybe, the demon of militarism can yet be exorcised, and the fig trees may blossom and vines may bloom again, throughout the earth, as each sits to sing a song of peace and love and friendship and health and joy.
Toward that hope we can move, perhaps, if the nature of the "disease" is grasped.  A first step is to identify areas of life affected.  A second step is to take remedial action.
Step one would include listing evidence of military religion now practiced in our state.  A few items would include: its "temple" is the Pentagon, with satellites at National Guard armories, camps, and installations; its "priests" are the professionals plus draft office personnel.
Other evidence of military-religion abounds: its "believers" are the populace equating patriotism with military service; its "supporters" are the apologists in the legislature, the university, and the areas of finance; its "financial base" is the tithe of the gross national product, paid through taxes, according to a formula worked out in the mid-fifties; its "sacraments" are the baptism of induction, the rituals of basic training, and sacrifices of family, vocation, and often life and health; its "elders" are the grade of previous wars and the ROTC alumni; its "devil" is the enemy, or communists, or those opposed to the American way of life.  Hardly an area of life escapes contact with our established state religion of militarism.
Step two, some remedial actions, would include: voters in actions, supporting only peace candidates, with public pledges to end all wars abroad, dismantle all military bases, delete military items from budgets, displace the Secretary of War with a Secretary of Peace, and replace all National Guard, ROTC and armed services with a few intelligent, highly trained weaponless peace citizens; educations for peace as a priority study in all public schools; vocations for peace that would include study, research, experiments, projects, and the major development of media to communicate the disciplines of peace to all citizens; and as an initial statement of our final resolve to be a peaceful nation, with never another life sacrificed for the religion of militarism, put leaky pontoons on the Pentagon, hoist a rotting sail, and let it find a watery grave off Cape Hatteras.
Ah, well, we can still dream....

Saving...

THE DAILY IOWAN EDITORIAL BY ROGER SIMPSON August 3, 1971 Note: this was done by invitation of D. M. Blake, Editor of the Editorals page, who is seeking weekly editorials from Campus Ministers. "GROKKING", the title for the editorials, means: "to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes the observed." From: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein THE DAILY IOWAN Editorial August 3, 1971 Grokking Our State Religion: Militarism By Roger Simpson United Campus Christian Ministry When The Richard has gone to Peking, when the last GI has been killed or addicted in Nam, when a cease-fire is announced in Saigon, when "zero" draft calls occur, when Spiro has gone (period), then "the war will be over, and peace will reign" ... Right? WRONG. Wrong, because only the symptoms of the disease that afflicts us will have momentarily disappeared. The disease is the old plague of most societies: militarism that has become a state religion. Some contned that it is too late to seek control of militarism now that it has become a state religion. They argue that the military-industrial state has become all-powerful and can silence or banish critics and "non-believers". Those dissenters, awed by the might of militarism, may choose to don white robes, or doff all robes, and await Armageddon on a Colorado mountain or in an Iowa corn field -- and I'll be strongly tempted to join them. Yet, maybe, just maybe, the demon of militarism can yet be exorcised, and the fig trees may blossom and vines may bloom again, throughout the earth, as each sits to sing a song of peace and love and friendship and health and joy. Toward that hope we can move, perhaps, if the nature of the "disease" is grasped. A first step is to identify areas of life affected. A second step is to take remedial action. Step one would include listing evidence of military religion now practiced in our state. A few items would include: its "temple" is the Pentagon, with satellites at National Guard armories, camps, and installations; its "priests" are the professionals plus draft office personnel. Other evidence of military-religion abounds: its "believers" are the populace equating patriotism with military service; its "supporters" are the apologists in the legislature, the university, and the areas of finance; its "financial base" is the tithe of the gross national product, paid through taxes, according to a formula worked out in the mid-fifties; its "sacraments" are the baptism of induction, the rituals of basic training, and sacrifices of family, vocation, and often life and health; its "elders" are the grade of previous wars and the ROTC alumni; its "devil" is the enemy, or communists, or those opposed to the American way of life. Hardly an area of life escapes contact with our established state religion of militarism. Step two, some remedial actions, would include: voters in actions, supporting only peace candidates, with public pledges to end all wars abroad, dismantle all military bases, delete military items from budgets, displace the Secretary of War with a Secretary of Peace, and replace all National Guard, ROTC and armed services with a few intelligent, highly trained weaponless peace citizens; educations for peace as a priority study in all public schools; vocations for peace that would include study, research, experiments, projects, and the major development of media to communicate the disciplines of peace to all citizens; and as an initial statement of our final resolve to be a peaceful nation, with never another life sacrificed for the religion of militarism, put leaky pontoons on the Pentagon, hoist a rotting sail, and let it find a watery grave off Cape Hatteras. Ah, well, we can still dream....