It is my belief that whereas the twentieth century has been a century of war and untold suffering, the twenty-first century should be one of peace and dialogue. As the continued advances in information technology make our world a truly global village, I believe there will come a time when war and armed conflict will be considered an outdated and obsolete method of settling differences among nations and communities.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
I wish President Obama would have spent some time with the Dalai Lama before making a decision on Afghanistan. To say I'm deeply disappointed in the decision to send more troops would be an understatement. His decision didn't come as a surprise; this is the position he articulated during both the primary and general elections. I knew he'd likely support a prolonged war effort in Afghanistan and voted for him anyway. Did I sell out my personal commitment to peace. I think I did? Having a son who is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in about five months, I'm feeling more than a little conflicted.
