Journalist, professor, author and political activist Colman cCarthy addressed Amnesty International on Tuesday night, discussing topics ranging from the importance of non-violence education to the United States’ excessive military budget.
“I am both a pacifist and an activist,” McCarthy said to a group of over 40 students. “I figured you might as well do both if you’re going to do either one.”
A syndicated columnist and editorial page writer for The Washington Post from 1968 to 1997, McCarthy founded and now directs the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington, D.C.
He discussed the center’s nonviolence programs for prison inmates. “Many of you may think that that’s an odd place to be teaching nonviolence, but why not? They have a right to know about those theories as much as everyone else. Maybe if we [had] taught people on death row about other ways to solve conflicts than by using fists, guns, bombs and nukes, they wouldn’t be on death row.”
McCarthy said that people often view Amnesty International as solely focused on petitioning foreign governments to release political prisoners, but said the U.S. is equally guilty of incarcerating political prisoners.
“Prisoners in the U.S., which account for 25 percent of the world’s prison population, are political prisoners also. ost have drug problems or are mentally ill. They need to be treated, not punished,” he said.
McCarthy now teaches at two local public high schools. “I began to wonder about 20 years ago if you can teach peace . All students are required to learn algebra and geometry, but how many of us are required to take peace studies or conflict resolution? If this was a rational, ethical, peace-loving, peace-affirming, peace-building, peace-keeping society, everyone would,” he said.
McCarthy said that much of violent culture is rooted in government attitude toward the problem. “We are living in a violent society. What does D.C. stand for in `Washington, D.C.?’ It stands for `death capital.’ That may be a little harsh, but the Congress here only cares about one thing – [deciding] where the money goes.”
According to McCarthy, 47 percent of every federal tax dollar goes to the Pentagon, which he called the “American war machine.” McCarthy said the average American family pays about $5,000 a year to the Pentagon, and that the U.S. spends $900 million a day, or $11,000 a second on “war making and war preparation.”
“There are 59 conflicts in the world today. And who are fighting in those wars and dying? The poor. It’s the poor killing the poor,” McCarthy said. “The wealthy rarely go to war. George W. Bush was all for the Vietnam War, but not for him. He went into the Texas National Guard to defend downtown Houston,” he said. “Richard Cheney got five deferments. He was for the war, but not for him. Bill Clinton was opposed to the Vietnam War and didn’t go, but when he became president he sent other people’s kids to war.”
McCarthy told students to stand up against power by organizing and mobilizing as a group. “Smart folks don’t take on power by themselves. [By going as a group] you can’t be ignored – look at Gandhi and [Martin Luther] King [Jr.]. You have more power than you realize,” he said.
Nonviolence, McCarthy said, is more effective than common stereotypes would have one believe.
“Everybody always says, `Nonviolence is a great idea, but that’s just for those tree-huggers and high-tide-full-moon people.’ No it’s not,” he said. “It works. Look at history.”
McCarthy recommended that students who choose to study abroad should go to a third world country. “London and Paris are nice, but if you really want to learn something go to Lima, Jakarta or Sierra Leone,” he said.
Students who attended the speech reflected on McCarthy’s advice and thoughts. “His idea that the mark of a true figure of authority is to treat and not to punish is a good lesson not only for policemen and teachers, but also for individuals and how we conduct our daily lives,” Nick Mosca (COL ’06) said.
McCarthy is the author of five books, including I’d Rather Teach Peace and two anthologies, Solutions to Violence and Strength Through Peace: The Ideas of People of Nonviolence.
McCarthy teaches at the University of Maryland, American University and the Georgetown University Law Center. He will begin teaching a class on peace studies at Georgetown’s main campus next semester.
