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thermodynamics101 · 4 months

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“Ah Love! Could you and I with Fate conspire To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire, Would we not shatter it to bits - and then Remold it nearer to the Heart’s Desire?” The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, translated by Edward Fitzgerald

The idea that time is a fourth dimension - on a par with the familiar three dimensions of space - is a cornerstone of the “New Physics.” But if time is really just another kind of space, why can’t humans move back and forth in time as easily as they move around in space? Unlike our sense of spatial dimensions, we experience time as a one-way street. Is this familiar way of experiencing the world everlastingly fixed or is it, like so many other human experiences, subject to change through technical innovation?

The existence of a time machine would transform our lives beyond all present modes of description. No longer would there have to be a “road not taken.” In a time traveling society, our actions would no longer be irreversible. Released from our formerly one-track lives, we could have our cake and eat it too.

A time machine would open every moment in history to scientific scrutiny, conferring on its users a kind of temporal omniscience. If it operated like H.G. Well’s classic science-fiction device, the time machine would provide more than mere knowledge of past events - it would actually transport its occupants bodily into an earlier time period, where they could experience past events directly, enjoying a potential omnipresence beyond the reach of those still caught in time’s usual one-way flow.

Disembarking in the past without warning, uninvited guests from the future would be free to change crucial events, the effect of these changes rippling through time to modify the present drastically. The ability to willfully change the past amounts to a virtual omnipotence over human history. Omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence are the traditional attributes of divinity. The power to execute U-turns on time’s one-way street would make time travelers nothing less than gods.

Ironically, despite the formidable conceptual barrier to time travel, another aspect of special relativity strongly suggests that time travel is not an unreasonable possibility. The major motivation for time travel in fact stems from a way of looking at relativity devised by Hermann Minkowski, one of Einstein’s physics teachers at the Zurich Polytechnical Institute.

Many people had speculated before Minkowski that time is the fourth dimension, for instance the popular writer C.H. Hinton (What Is the Fourth Dimension?, 1880) and novelist H.G. Wells (The Time Machine, 1895) but Minkowski was the first person to justify the concept of fourth-dimensional time by showing how it is implied by the laws of physics.

Minkowski’s version of relativity as a fourth-dimensional physics fixes the shape of all future scientific laws. If it’s not formulated in tensor form, it will not look the same to all observers, and consequently cannot possibly be a correct law of nature. Today no physicist considers his theory complete until he has been able to express it in tensorial form, as a set of relations between four-dimensional objects. Minkowski’s intimate new union of space and time - the arena in which the New Physics operates - is termed space-time.

Taking the notion of space-time seriously led Einstein to the greatest discovery of his scientific career, the general theory of relativity. Starting with Minkowski’s flat space-time, Einstein introduced the more general notion of space-time curvature. In 1915, he announced a radically new theory of gravity in which gravity is no longer a force but a measure of the local space-time curvature.

General relativity now forms the basis for our understanding of all gravitational phenomena including the motion of the planets, the expansion of the universe, and the birth of black holes. The beauty and success of Einstein’s theory adds considerable weight to Minkowski’s claim that despite its three-dimensional appearances, the world we live in is in reality four-dimensional.

The most radical consequence of Minkowski’s four-dimensional viewpoint is that the past still exists (and so does the future). Minkowskian space-time is a kind of frozen snapshot of eternity. The predictive success associated with this peculiar space-time viewpoint is a strong motivation for believing in the possibility of time travel. If the past in some sense still exists, then one can seriously consider schemes for paying it a visit.

from Faster Than Light, Superluminal Loopholes in Physics, by Nick Herbert, Ph.D.

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comixconnection · 5 years

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Counter Monkey John Arminio reviews ‘Spider-Man: Life Story’

Writer Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil, Invaders, Sex Criminals) won the Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot for his Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #310 (Zdarsky did the art on that issue as well) at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. It was much deserved, as the issue wrapped up that series with a story that was as humorous as it was touching, about not only the effect one man can have on those around him, but on the effects random encounters can have on our own lives. It also addressed the difficulties of being Spider-Man, how his public face can be so divisive; a hero to many, a villain to others, and how the ripple effects of his every action can have unforeseen, infinite destinations in a city as interconnected as New York. To be able to encapsulate all this in a single issue spoke to a deep and profound understanding of the character, so it is both fitting and tragic that issue #310 was the last of the series (but don't worry, you can currently pick up that issue, contained in Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 4: Coming Home at Comix Connection right now!). While Zdarsky has certainly stayed busy writing a wide swath of characters for Marvel, as well as several creator-owned projects, he is still plying his unique brand of brilliant superhero insight on the miniseries Spider-Man: Life Story. The comic is a sort of "What If?" series in which, as in the original Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider in 1962, but instead of staying perpetually youthful in the style of comic book storytelling, he ages through history as a normal person (as does the entire Marvel universe).

What does life hold for a middle-aged Peter Parker? An elderly Spider-Man? How does our perception of a teenage Peter change knowing we will see him grow old? In Life Story, he only has one chance to be a high school and college student, a young professional, and a newlywed, as opposed to the thousands of Spidey tales we've seen of those particular times in his life since the character made its debut. Each action is more precious in Life Story, so when Peter is late for a date with Mary Jane or misses an appointment to take Aunt May to the doctor because being Spider-Man has, once again, ripped him away from his duties as part of the Parker family, it's forever, as opposed to next month when he'll get another chance. Peter's relationship to historical events is given added weight as well. The first issue deals largely with his decision on whether or not to enter the Vietnam war, especially considering the added power his spider-abilities give him. Of course, his classmate and rival Flash Thompson has signed up to fight, but Peter doesn't even know if that is the correct decision. This is his generation's conflict, both on the battlefield halfway around the world and at home, in the hearts and minds of human and superhuman alike. Zdarsky is able to crystallize that conflict via superheroes, and it's an original, compelling take on a story so many have told before. Seeing how the stories we know so well change or stay the same as Peter acquires both age and wisdom is fascinating to read. The famous Black Suit, for example, acquired during the industry-changing comic event that was Secret Wars, has an entirely different context if the Peter Parker donning the suit is well into adulthood, a family man, even approaching middle-age, as opposed to a young man. Faced with the inevitable diminishing of his physical abilities because of age, the added responsibility of having a family, and the knowledge of the unfathomable, cosmic threats the events of Secret Wars revealed to him, the powerful enhancements afforded him by the Black Suit are put in a completely different light. Sure, the suit infects his mind, is a living thing with its own agenda and therefore causes him to act more violently towards criminals and his family alike, but how can he afford to abandon it? He's a hero. He has to make sacrifices. How long before his body fails him? Won't he need that extra boost of power to defeat whatever is... out there, waiting to kill him and everything he loves?

Special attention should also be paid to the stellar artistry of Mark Bagley on Spider-Man: Life Story. He is a modern artist, to be sure, one in line with the sensibilities of comic books in the 21st Century, but there is something so classic and timeless about his art that seeing him work his magic on events written in past decades, about past decades, is incredibly striking. It certainly helps the reader transport themselves to the era the story takes place in. His line work certainly does not call to mind Spider-Man's co-creator Steve Ditko, but the reader can feel Bagely's connection to Peter Parker's comic book DNA in every line he draws. Bagley's style is very representational, but that does not limit his expansive imagination. His changes to character costumes, some subtle and some drastic, always feel true to the characters who don them. Perhaps his greatest achievement here is how he ages his characters. Bringing Peter Parker from adolescent to middle-age while bringing, for example, Tony Stark from middle-age to senior citizen, while keeping true to the design aesthetics established in the book (and their respective histories) is a monumental task. Oh yeah, and he has to tell an exciting, emotional super-hero story set in a new time period every issue. If all that doesn't deserve an Eisner nomination in 2020, I don't know what does.

What Zdarsky and artist Mark Bagley are able to achieve with Spider-Man: Life Story is nothing short of remarkable. Comic books is a medium particularly given to nostalgia, especially with a character so iconic, so beloved, and, frankly, so old as Spider-Man. We all want our new Spider-Man stories to make us feel like they did when we were first getting to know the character. We all know how he "should" be written, and we all have different notions of what that ideal Spider-Man is. So retelling the events of Spider-Man's past, from his awkward youth to the Clone Saga to the Inheritors, seems like it could be an empty nostalgia exercise, one that could be totally unoriginal or anger fans who hold those stories sacred. Life Story avoids all such pitfalls, forming a narrative that uses what the reader knows (or what we think we know) about the character and creating new, emotionally rich tales that move us. Even with more modern stories, or ones that we might not look back on as fondly as others, are put on equal footing in Zdarsky's writing because they play an equally important part of Peter's life. From Vietnam to psychic vampires, Peter's trauma (and the trauma of his family) from being a superhero is on display in every issue, not just the ones with the "real" Spider-Man stories. The conflicts between friends and family are given added weight as well. If Peter has a disagreement with Tony Stark, Reed Richards, or Aunt May, it's doubly tragic because, just like in real life, that person might be dead in the next ten years (i.e. the next issue). Funerals are forever in Spider-Man: Life Story, but that makes every day Peter spends with his family all the more precious. Accordingly, Zdarsky and Bagley might not have hundreds of issues to tell their spider-epic, but that makes each of these six precious as well.

I wanted to get this review completed and posted before the last issued came out to give people a chance to catch up. Issue #5 of Spider-Man: Life Story was just released on July 17th, and the final issue is set to arrive on August 28th. If you missed an issue and want to catch up, most of the series went into 2nd or 3rd printings, so it is still readily available as of this writing. If you want to make sure to get the series all at once, the complete miniseries will be collected in trade paperback and released on October 23rd, available for pre-order now. 5 *thwips* out of 5

#spider-man #spider-man life story #Chip Zdarsky #Mark Bagley #spider-man: into the spider-verse #vietnam #black suit #symbiote #eisner awards #clone saga #secret wars #Marvel Comics #comic review #john review

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bhvonbaseball-blog · 5 years

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Why Baseball's Hall of Fame Must Stand Firm Against Steroids

From: B.H.V., a baseball fan in Lawrence, Kansas. To: HOF Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, HOF Board of Directors, Living HOFers, and Writers who Voted for Clean Sport

Dear Chairman Clark, Thank you for taking time to read my letter.

I’m writing you because I’m deeply concerned about the Baseball Hall of Fame and its continued integrity and relevance.

Known steroid users are approaching imminent induction.

Clean sport is essential, and I fear that these inductions will disgrace, shame, and scuttle our cherished institution. We also stand to lose the integrity of the game and the reputation of the Hall of Fame.

In this letter I’ll lay out briefly the context, problem, and a possible solution.

CONTEXT During the 2000s baseball had its first major reckoning with the Steroid Era. The rippling effects of the BALCO investigation, Congressional hearings, and Mitchell Report highlighted and captured that decade’s prevailing outrage from fans, media, and the government. We believed that baseball’s home run records, batting titles, and MVP awards were earned by clean and legitimate play on the field.

This outrage prompted reforms including drug-testing and penalties.

It was unthinkable that steroid cheaters one day would reach striking distance of Hall of Fame induction. But that’s where we stand today.

I am saddened and angered that we’ve reached this point only a decade following investigations which uncovered the truth.

AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS Our Hall of Fame faces the gravest existential crisis in our 84-year history.

Please consider the harm in honoring steroid users alongside existing baseball greats.

Do we want living Hall of Famers skipping induction ceremonies, as Vice Chairman Joe Morgan has asked? Do we want Induction Weekend turning into a media spectacle and a farce? This could brew discontent and division among those who cherish baseball.

How can parents warn their children not to take steroids, when steroid cheaters are glorified with plaques in the Hall of Fame Gallery?

Can we condone the Hall of Fame’s fading into cultural irrelevance, as fewer visitors pass through our gates and jeopardize our financial stability?

TELLING BASEBALL’S STORY AND HONORING BASEBALL’S GREATS Steroid apologists advance straw-man arguments including the following: “Should the Hall of Fame be a museum where we document and tell the story of baseball, or should the Hall of Fame be a shrine where we honor baseball’s greats?”.

To me, this argument is binary, misleading, and dishonest. It also shirks us of our responsibility to be custodians of the game.

To clarify, the Hall of Fame has two sections.

One section is a museum, which tells baseball’s story.

The other section is a plaque gallery, which honors baseball’s greats.

The museum features un-scrubbed, asterisk-free, and raw numbers. It showcases equipment and artifacts from players who acquired 762 home runs, seven Cy Young awards, batting titles, MVP honors, and eight-figure contracts. The museum lists records and makes no distinctions between records obtained by steroid use and those earned by hard work.

The museum cannot tell baseball’s complete history by excluding steroid users. So it includes them. The museum tells the unvarnished story — good and bad — of a 150-year-old sport. Virtually no one voices serious complaints about the museum and its exhibits. The museum provides a showcase for and a narrative about the game. This is as it should be.

On the other hand, the plaque gallery features players upon whom we bestow honors. Traditionally, admission to this plaque gallery has been selective. Admission has been granted after careful deliberation over honorees’ adherence to the spirit and principles of the game.

The plaque gallery is not a shrine, and its honorees are not saints. Some honorees are highly flawed yet decent individuals. Other honorees, by today’s standards, are beyond redemption. These honorees carried out deeds and bore attitudes in conflict with good sport and human decency. But the mistakes of our forbearers don’t absolve us of the responsibility to get elections right during our time. Just as we are required to do in our criminal justice system, we are charged to handle HOF elections justly today, even if elections were handled wrongly in the past.

To reiterate, our Hall of Fame does two things: It tells baseball’s story, and it honors baseball’s greats. This is a tradition worth keeping.

RECENT HALL OF FAME VOTING Since 1936, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has handled HOF voting privileges.

Five years ago, the BBWAA gave less than 36% support to steroid cheaters. Cheaters’ candidacies seemed dead.

Since then, writers have advanced arguments like the straw man argument I mentioned earlier. Many others have parroted and adopted these arguments to justify voting ‘yes’ for steroid cheaters. In addition, the larger voter base has turned over, as newer writers acquire voting privileges, and older writers lose voting privileges.

Here’s where we stand: Baseball’s two most infamous steroid cheaters have attained a supermajority of nearly 60% of BBWAA votes. They are barreling toward the 75% they need for election. Weak newcomer classes will debut in 2020 and 2021, and as a result the two steroid cheaters will be elected – soon.

After that, in 2022 a three-time MVP will debut on the ballet. In the 2013 Biogenesis scandal he confessed steroid abuse to criminal investigators representing the Drug Enforcement Agency. His 2022 ballot debut will compound the Hall of Fame’s steroid crisis. Voters, having elected the first two steroid cheaters, will find it difficult to deny this newcomer the same honor.

In all, BBWAA voters have been driving this march toward inducting steroid users. These voters are driven by groupthink, peer pressure, and false logic.

PRIVILEGE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND RESPECT FOR THE PROCESS For years BBWAA voters have been abusing and disgracing their election privileges.

Some BBWAA voters submit blank protest ballots, lowering voting percentages for all Hall of Fame candidates. Other BBWAA voters ‘trade horses’ with fellow writers by snubbing surefire HOF candidates in order to boost viability of down-ballot candidates. Other voters select only one or two candidates, an irresponsible voting practice when recent ballots have featured seven or more deserving candidates.

These BBWAA voters – and there have been many – dishonor HOF voting and make a mockery of the process.

How can we defend continuing this 84-year tradition, of entrusting BBWAA voters with HOF-voting honors and responsibilities?

PROPOSAL: HALL OF FAME VOTING COMMITTEE We should establish a hall of fame voting committee. This will align our process with those of other sports’ halls of fame.

This voting committee ought to be large, balanced, and averse to cronyism. Its mix should include Hall of Famers, executives, and people who study, write about, and broadcast baseball for a living.

In addition the committee must include analytics experts, who can champion players undervalued by traditional baseball statistics. In today’s game all 30 MLB teams employ analytics to drive their scouting, drafting, and payroll decisions. Analytics devotees on the committee can help us re-assess and promote players overlooked by the Hall of Fame. Already, analytics devotees have championed the causes of Ted Simmons, Lou Whittaker, Kenny Lofton, Billy Wagner, Bert Blyleven, Ron Santo, and Alan Trammell. Because of these efforts, the latter three players gained long-awaited and well-deserved elections to the HOF.

Committee members must be pledged to clean sport. The HOF should clarify guidelines regarding steroid use, and it should secure signed commitments from members to weigh steroid use with disfavor.

---------------

Committee voting is far from unprecedented. The halls of fame for basketball, football, and hockey all vote by committee. These halls of fame are well-attended and prosperous. And we have every reason to believe ours will be too.

Today’s active baseball players have high upside and Hall of Fame potential. These players will provide future committees with viable candidates for future HOF elections. By following other halls of fame, we will ensure that our Hall of Fame can survive and thrive. We will continue drawing visitors and flourishing for generations to come.

IN CLOSING Steroid users have stained our game. Steroid users have obscured and overshadowed accomplishments of clean teammates. Steroid users have banished clean teammates to languish in minor leagues, because clean players won’t cheat to gain an edge. Steroid users have perpetrated federal crimes involving FDA-controlled substances. After all, the U.S. government launched criminal investigations into the BALCO and Biogenesis scandals.

I ask you to act reasonably and as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the sooner our Hall of Fame will face an existential crisis, a crisis we’ve feared but not openly discussed.

We already might have inducted steroid users. We don’t know who – if any – they might be, and we can’t annul past mistakes.

But we can address the present. In going forward we can get it right by our fans and by our game. As best as we can, we can uphold the ideals of the sport we love.

Again, I sincerely thank you for reading my letter and for taking my suggestions into consideration.

Respectfully yours, B.H.V. in Lawrence, Kansas A fan of America’s greatest team sport

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alienbuddhism · 7 years

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Mindful Memorial Day

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

“We who are left how shall we look again Happily on the sun or feel the rain Without remembering how they who went Ungrudgingly and spent Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?” ~Wilfred Wilson Gibson

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the Summer holiday season. But, it’s primary purpose is to remember and honor those men and women who have died in wars. As such it’s a somber occasion and a reminder of the human cost of warfare. This is usually a day celebrating patriotism and the righteousness of the country’s cause. Some may think that I’m being a little discourteous to the honored dead. But, I believe that the greatest honor we can provide is to work tirelessly to insure that no one else has to die for their country in warfare.

Some wars are regrettably necessary. At times, pacifism and nonviolence just can’t work. It requires a minimally just society. For example, in 1938 Adolph Hitler advised the British government on how to protect their empire from the threat posed in India of Mahatma Gandhi: “kill Gandhi, if that isn't enough then kill the other leaders too, if that isn't enough then two hundred more activists, and so on until the Indian people will give up the hope of independence.” Fortunately, the British did not follow this advice and Gandhi’s nonviolence triumphed. But, if this had been Hitler’s empire, pacifism, no matter how well led or intentioned, would have failed miserably.

Even the Buddha who taught love, compassion, and nonviolence, also taught that we should defend ourselves. There are sects of Buddhist monks who practice martial arts and are celebrated for their skills. When under attack, we have a right and perhaps an obligation to stand up and resist violent assault. If non-violent means aren’t successful, then violence and aggression may be necessary. This is never a good thing, but at times necessary. There have been far too many wars, most unnecessary. We should honor the courage, valor, and commitment of those who died in war by doing our best to make sure that unnecessary wars are never fought again.

It is right that we honor those who died in warfare, not just soldiers, but also civilians and merchant marine who often perish in massive numbers. They too should be remembered. We should always remember that what we have and enjoy, including peace, was paid for dearly. But, we should honor all who perished. This doesn’t mean just those who belonged to our side. We should remember that the vast majority of combatants entered into battle with the finest of intentions, believing that their cause was right and just, and that they were fighting for their families and their countries. Regardless of whether they were misled by unscrupulous, evil, or incompetent leaders, they entered into battle honorably and deserve our respect.

It is sometimes difficult to see, but their sacrifices have paid off for the rest of us. Since World War II, European countries and similarly, the Asian countries of China, Korea, and Japan, who had been at virtually constant war among themselves for thousands of years, are now peaceful and there has not been an armed conflict between them in over 70 years. So, even with all of the conflict in the world, there is less warfare now than at any time in recorded history. We have the honored dead from the terrible conflict of World War II to thank for the peace and prosperity that has been enjoyed since. We don’t need this reason to honor them, but it is reassuring to know that their sacrifices were not in vain.

To prevent these horrors in the future and honor our dead by abolishing warfare completely, there are a number of strategies that may be helpful. We should view our past, present, and future enemies, as the great sage Thich Nhat Hahn did during the Vietnam War, as people whose lives, backgrounds, training, and beliefs put them into the roles they are playing. If we lived in their shoes, we would likely make the same choice they did. No matter how despicable we may think they are, or how horrible their deeds, we need to understand that what they experienced in life, led them there. If we truly place ourselves in the shoes of our enemy, do we honestly believe that we would make different decisions. The terrorist, so despised in the west, may have been brought up in poverty, with little education save for religious indoctrination, that taught him that his god demands that he kill the infidel and that he will be rewarded in the next life for doing so. If we were raised similarly, would we act differently. This kind of understanding can lead to actions that may help to prevent future violence. Seeing the enemy as intrinsically evil can only lead to more warfare. Seeing them as human beings whose situation dictated their behavior can lead to peace.

A key strategy for preventing future wars is forgiveness. Violence begets violence. Retribution demands that the people who killed your family members must themselves be killed. But, this is a never ending cycle as the families of those you killed now seek to kill you. The only way to break the cycle is forgiveness. This can be very difficult. But it is the only way. Nelson Mandela, when he took over leadership of South Africa from those who oppressed and imprisoned him and his people for decades, didn’t enact retribution. Instead he launched a massive campaign of forgiveness and reconciliation. He understood that this was the only way to heal his country. He was amazingly successful and South Africa, although far from perfect, has become peaceful and prosperous working for the betterment of all of its citizens.

Most people look at creating peace and preventing war as a massively difficult task that is beyond their capabilities to resolve. As a result, they do nothing waiting for a Ghandi, Mandela, or King to lead them. But, this is a grave mistake. We can all honor our fallen by contributing to world peace. We can do this if we stop looking for grand solutions and instead, contribute in the ways that we can during every day of our lives. By leading peaceful, nonviolent lives we contribute. We create ripples on the pond of life spreading out to the far horizons. “If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Communications is a key to peace. By engaging in non-violent communications, what the Buddha calls “Right Speech,” we not only produce peace in ourselves but in the people we’re communicating with. Their peacefulness then affects others, who affect others, etc. interpersonal ripples of peace. We also become role models for our children who then become role models for their children, etc., producing intergenerational ripples of peace. If many of us practice non-violence the ripples will become build and sum into tidal waves of peace washing over the earth. “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.” ― Thich Nhat Hahn

Practicing mindfulness can similarly promote peace and create ripples. By being focused on the present moment non-judgmentally, we are fully present for those around us. This produces the deepest kinds of human communications based upon understanding and compassion. In human communications there is great power in non-judgmental listening. It has a tremendously calming effect on people, particularly when they are highly agitated. In a leadership position I once held, I would quite often have people come into my office and just rail on about the injustices they’ve experienced and the horrible people around them. I would just listen and occasionally acknowledge their emotions. At the end, they would almost inevitably thank me and tell me how much that helped. I had done nothing other than deeply listen and this by itself had dramatic effects. Over time, I could see how the ripples moved outward and affected the entire organization. Listening is a powerful tool of peace.

Another key method for promoting individual, societal, and planetal peace is practicing compassion. This is simply looking deeply at ourselves and others to understand their suffering. First we must have compassion for ourselves. Unless we do, we cannot have true compassion for others. We have to acknowledge that we are flawed human beings and not scold ourselves for it, but compassionately understand and forgive ourselves. We are essentially good. But, sometimes our background, indoctrination, humanness, and circumstances conspire to produce harmful acts. Rather than looking at the actions as good or bad, think of them as skillful or unskillful; bringing greater or less harmony and happiness. We need to understand this about ourselves, forgive ourselves with the intentions to do better, to be more skillful, and look upon ourselves with eyes of kindness and caring.

It is important to also recognize and congratulate ourselves for all of the good we do. Celebrate our goodness while having compassion for our faults. Once, we can do this. We can then move on to others. Being compassionate to our enemies involves looking deeply into their suffering, looking deeply into their background, indoctrination, humanness, and circumstances that conspire to produce harmful acts, and then being forgiving, kind, and caring about them. This is essential to healing wounds and developing world peace.

So, on this Memorial Day, let us resolve to honor the fallen for what they have done. But let us truly honor them by working to make their sacrifices not in vain, to do what we can to develop peacefulness in ourselves and others, and to let their deaths be the foundation not of more war but of lasting peace.

“On Memorial Day, I don't want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live.” - Eric Burdon

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