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3 -- Peace Talks
NOTE: This blog is a continuing dialog between the two faces of rilla. The identity crisis is explained (if such a thing is possible) in the first edition. Click here to read: 1 -- Introduction
rilla: Peace does not work.
Rilla: Huh?
rilla: Shame on you if you are naïve enough to support peace.
Rilla: What? I didn’t realize…
rilla: No, no, it’s just something I’m writing.
Rilla: That makes it better?
rilla: A speech -- I’m writing a speech.
Rilla: You surprise me. I didn’t know you spoke publicly.
rilla: It’s not for me, it’s for our Muslim activist friend.
Rilla: Ah, Muslim, that explains it.
rilla: Explains what?
Rilla: The call to arms, the rhetoric against peace. Shame on you.
rilla: You don’t understand.
Rilla: You can say that again. I’m on the verge of disowning you…
rilla: You don’t own me.
Rilla: Thank goodness, saves me the trouble.
rilla: If you would hold on a minute and listen…
Rilla: I’m not liking anything I hear.
rilla: That is not the message I … they’re the words of a group of people who are trying to create support for war. The speech I’m working on points out the fallacy of such a…
Rilla: Did you say you are writing for a Muslim activist.
rilla: Peace activist.
Rilla: I thought you were an atheist.
rilla: I am. I’m just…
Rilla: Well, if you’re an atheist, what business do you have writing speeches for…
rilla: What are you?
Rilla: Huh?
rilla: What are your beliefs? Atheist, agnostic, religious, immoral?
Rilla: So what is the message?
rilla: Message?
Rilla: I THOUGHT YOU WERE WRITING A SPEECH!
rilla: Keep your wig on. Here's a bit from the speech. "If we teach our children war, they will grow up to fight, but if we give them peace, they will learn to share it."
Rilla: Tragic!
rilla: I also say that the world is not divided so much between races, religions or genders, but more importantly between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, us and them.
Rilla: Darling!
rilla: Sorry?
Rilla: What exactly do we have? You are a penniless writer who hasn’t published a word?
rilla: We have peace, and equality, justice, education, opportunity and the freedom to pursue happiness.
Rilla: Phew! All that! Amazing!
rilla: To say nothing of the house…
Rilla: I was wondering when you would get to that.
rilla: It was your idea.
Rilla: Aren’t you overstating…don’t make me laugh. Peace HAH! Justice HAH! Equality HAH! Education HA HA HA! Which country do you live in? Lucky you didn’t mention having health care or I would have really gotten steamed.
rilla: As opposed to going red and punching in the wall...
Rilla: HOW CAN I SHARE WHAT I DO NOT HAVE?
rilla: You see, that's the attitude.
Rilla: What attitude?
rilla: The one that leads to war.
Rilla: You still haven’t told me what an atheist is doing helping write speeches for an imam…
rilla: You still haven’t told me what exactly it is you believe.
Created after having helped write a sermon on tolerance delivered by Gulten Ilhan, professor and peace acitivist, in a Unitarian Church. Gulten was a delegate to the Democratic Convention 2004 held in Boston, representing the state of Missouri. She is very active nationwide in promoting inter-faith and community discussions and understanding. Hear her speak in an interview on NPR
Some links Gulten finds of interest:
Little Mosque on the Prairie - for a laugh!
We cannot afford to maintain
Children's Evangelical Camps
A Biographical View of the Koran
Rosie O'Donnell on YouTube
Is it For Freedom?
A Neglected Report from Europol
You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women. 
2 comments:
Rilla and rilla,
Thank you for creating this blog. It is a pleasure to read your views on different topics. I am sure your readers will appreciate your efforts. I am also sure that many of them will reflect on the social issues mentioned in your blogs. Please discuss current issues in your writings. Ultimately, we each have a responsibility to correct wrongs! Thank you for your passion and keep writing.
Dear Ezgi,
Thank you for your comments. I will continue to reflect on current issues in my blogs as you ask. I hope you have had an opportunity to look at the thought-provoking links Gulten provided as a backdrop for this post.
Thanks again from both of us. ;)
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