The following is adapted from remarks given at the Vigil to End the Nuclear Danger, a peace witness outside the White House on March 8, 2025. The vigil was co-sponsored by the Consistent Life Network, as well as the American Solidarity Party of DC and Maryland, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, and Rehumanize International. We are … Continue reading Turning Back the Nuclear Threat: Some Practical Steps
Author: JohnW
Seeking an End to a Catastrophic War: The Ukraine War after Three Years
The Ukraine-Russia war is now in its fourth year. The war has become, in one sense, a relatively static conflict, with neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces advancing dramatically and battles being fought over very small pieces of territory. However, in another sense, the war has changed significantly over time by becoming ever more costly and … Continue reading Seeking an End to a Catastrophic War: The Ukraine War after Three Years
“This Legalization of Racism”: Remembering the Korematsu Decision and Japanese-American Internment after 80 Years
A grave injustice in American history marks its 80th anniversary this December. The US Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case Korematsu v. United States on December 18, 1944. The decision helped ratify the federal government’s 1942 decision to remove roughly 120,000 people of Japanese heritage, most of whom were American citizens, from … Continue reading “This Legalization of Racism”: Remembering the Korematsu Decision and Japanese-American Internment after 80 Years
Overlooked Conflicts: Haitians’ Struggle to Survive
Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent conflicts recently. In this ongoing series, I highlight contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. Haiti remains under the domination of feuding criminal gangs, while the Haitian government is unable to assert effective control … Continue reading Overlooked Conflicts: Haitians’ Struggle to Survive
A More Hopeful Path: Working for Peace in a World at War
The following is adapted from remarks given November 9, 2024, at the quarterly peace vigil in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Consistent Life Network. We are here today to witness for peace and for the protection of human life. We are here today to oppose the greatest threat to peace and human life in our … Continue reading A More Hopeful Path: Working for Peace in a World at War
The Costs of an Unwinnable War: One Year after October 7
The violence in the Middle East sparked on October 7, 2023, has now continued for a year and shows little sign of ending. The Israeli military assault on Gaza, initially begun in response to the Hamas attacks in Israel that killed 767 civilians and 376 security personnel, continues to wreak devastation on Palestinians in Gaza.[1] … Continue reading The Costs of an Unwinnable War: One Year after October 7
The Consistent Life Ethic and the Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice
A recent op-ed in the New York Times reminded me of how policymakers, journalists, and activists can be selective in the injustices they pay attention to and how this selectivity can attract criticism. How useful is this criticism, and what can we learn from it? I think criticism of such selectivity can be worthwhile and … Continue reading The Consistent Life Ethic and the Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice
“The Single Largest Humanitarian Crisis on the Planet”: Sudan’s Fall into the Abyss
Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent conflicts recently. In this and other pieces, I highlight contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. The civil war that broke out in Sudan in 2023 still rages in the summer of 2024. The … Continue reading “The Single Largest Humanitarian Crisis on the Planet”: Sudan’s Fall into the Abyss
Apocalypse Imagined: The Urgent Message of “Nuclear War: A Scenario”
Among the recent signs of renewed attention in the United States to the threat from nuclear weapons, perhaps the most important is the book Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen.[1] Published in early 2024, the book was a New York Times best-seller for several weeks and the focus of a well-attended webinar organized by … Continue reading Apocalypse Imagined: The Urgent Message of “Nuclear War: A Scenario”
A Slim but Real Chance for Peace: Seeking a Diplomatic Solution to the Ukraine War
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be interested in pursuing a cease-fire in the Ukraine war, Reuters reported in late May. According to sources close to Putin, he is willing to stop the fighting and maintain the current frontlines between Ukrainian and Russian forces. As one source reportedly said, “Putin can fight for as long as … Continue reading A Slim but Real Chance for Peace: Seeking a Diplomatic Solution to the Ukraine War
Peacemaking for Life 