USS Texas The cost of peace

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 11, 16 August 1983, Page 8

USS Texas The cost of peace

Fr. B.

Vella,

Catholic Church, Ohakune

The Waimarino is a relatively isolated corner of the world, and isolation can beget apathy over issues that vitally concern us here too. What stand have we taken, individually and as a community, on the nuclear arms buildup? We too should be informed, then

decided, then if necessary articulate and active. Consider the following. 1. A peaceful nation must be prepared to defend itself against a possible aggressor. 2. Unilateral disarmament by the United States would be equivalent to surrender and the loss of our freedom and identity. 3. Given human nature as it is, the most we can hope for as occupants of this planet is peace based on a balance of nuclear power between two or more nations. 4. If we are Christians, however, we can hope for more. Please read on. Where would Jesus have stood in this issue? Would he have been on Auckland harbour protesting at the arrival of the USS TEXAS?

I believe Jesus would be advocating bilateral nuclear disarmament, on these grounds: that peace based on equal opportunity to annihilate one another is just not true peace. "I do not give peace as the world gives it." Jesus would have it: nobody builds up arms, and we respect one another because everybody is a person and a child of God — everybody builds up arms, and we respect one another because if I get you, you will get me too. The film "Gods of Metal" shown recently on television portrayed protestors with banners saying "It's a sin to make nukes." That statement is too simple. What would be a sin would be to use a nuclear arm unjustly. Protestors should realise that the USS TEXAS might be defending us from an aggressor one day. Someone else could equally argue that not to build nuclear arms is a sin, if it promoted nuclear disarmament of one side only. What about the cost? The cost is most regrettable, of course, but wouldn't the loss of our freedom and all we've fought for before, be more costly? May all nations defuse and dismantle all nuclear arms and close the factories.