Libya & Egypt

"Non-violence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute.  The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might.  The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law - to the strength of the spirit." - 'The Doctrine of the Sword', Young India, 11 Aug. 1920 (from The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi edited by Raghavan Iyer)

It is with sadness but no surprise that I watch the brief civil uprising in Libya crumble.  When the 'protesters' became 'rebels,' the end was in sight.  Gadhafi could claim that he was not killing 'civilians' but 'armed insurgents,' and there is enough truth in that to stymie those who would lend aid. 

In Egypt, the protesters struggled with how to react to violence from the government.  We watched them struggle and we watched them choose non-violence.  This choice opened the heart of the world to the Egyptian people.

The situation in Libya is undoubtedly very different from Egypt.  I am certain that many, many unarmed, peaceful people would have died in Libya before Gadhafi gave up power.  But many people have still died and many more will die.  And which ever side in this civil war wins, my heart will go out to the victims of the fighting on both sides, the women and children caught in the middle, and not the victors.  My spirit does not go out to the armed men on either side.

The spirit of humanity versus the spirit of the brute.