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jeanne's sermon right after the exposure of the torture by Americans of Iraqi prisoners (May 7, 2004):

This is a sermon. My wisdom. My conclusions, and I have no more claim to the right answers than any other human. But I feel we must each speak out to those we know, through any forum we have.

It's easy to be complicit when I'm not being aware. My kids can need my attention; but I'm too busy to hear them. My student can be confused; but I've got to finish the lesson, so I don't notice. Kids are being bullied in the school yard, and I do nothing, because I'm not quite sure what to do. Fellow army mates are hurting a prisoner, but I look the other way, because it's not cool to object.

Evil is trite. It only works because so many of us are so consumed with our own agendas we look the other way. That won't do, folks. When we look the other way, we are complicit in creating and maintaining the infrastructure, the social setting, that let's evil happen. Sometimes we can't do much more than be aware. But we must at least do that. Do not let denial blind us.

War is evil; but war is also impersonal. Torture, and exploitation, and humiliation are personal. Complicity lurks. Chase it away. Be alert. Do no harm to living things.

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