© Oscar Peterson |
Transcription:
Essay Written by Oscar to Celebrate the
International Year of Peace
Letter to Douglas Roche, followed by the
Essay on Peace
Oscar E. Peterson, CC, LL. D., D. Mus.
2421 HAMMOND ROAD,
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO L5K 1T3
MARCH 17, 1986
Mr. Douglas Roche,
Ambassador for Disarmament,
Department of External Affairs (ID),
Lester B. Pearson Building,
125, Sussex Drive,
Tower A, Room 173, 8th Floor,
Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 0G2.
Dear Mr. Roche,
Enclosed please find my document on the subject of “PEACE”
which I would like to contribute in correlation with 1986 being
proclaimed International Year of Peace.
I trust that the length is sufficient, in that it is well
within the requirement of 800 words.
Should there be any queries or further discussion needed, you
can reach me at my home address, which I believe you have.
Trusting you will find all in accordance with
your wishes.
I remain
Yours sincerely,
Oscar's signature
Oscar E. Peterson, CC, LL.D. D. Mus.
OEP/kd
PEACE
by Oscar Peterson
It is not unlike the state of good health. Something that we
all seem to take for granted, and wait too long to do something
about, until we are in dire pain; WAR. We expect it to be with
us at all times whilst doing nothing to constructively insure
this. We try our best to ignore others that may be suffering with
bad health and seemingly only intercede when it is blatantly to
our advantage.
For all of us to participate locally in the quest for peace it
would seem to me, forestalls the chance of a world wide epidemic;
WORLD WAR.
My vision of peace encompasses an awareness of the rights of
our fellow man irrespective of race, color or creed. Words
spoken and repeated many times on many occasions, political or
otherwise, and by many individuals; but so often only used to
fill spaces on paper. I believe that if mankind could honestly
embrace the true embodiment of those misused words, the world
would be much farther along the road to good health.
Over the last years, I have followed with extreme interest,
man’s (and women’s) struggle to expand the frontiers of our world
to include the unknown and voluminous reaches of space. During
this time there have of course been varied speculations about
what type of life possibly exists out there, and whether we could
comprehend them and their mode of life. My own concern has always
been slanted more towards what they would think of we humanoids
and our warring ways. Should any visitors emanating from a
peaceful society enter our galaxy, they must certainly diagnose
us as a terminal species.
We can stem the tide of the epidemic by taking the time to
recognize our brothers and sisters as humans that have been
willed the right to exist anywhere in this world that they should
so choose. That they also have the right to work and earn a fair
and equitable wage. They must have the opportunity to raise
their families without fear of the hate squads and the purveyors
of bigotry and oppression. They must retain the right to choose
their own system of government so long as all people remain free
and equally represented. They must have the right to worship in
their own private way without forcing their own religious beliefs
on their neighbors.
We can look on these inalienable human rights as the vitamins
and antibiotics that keep our present day civilization healthy
and productive. They are at times to some of us bitter pills to
take especially when we have prospered on our brothers and
sister’s illness. However, it has been proven beyond all shadow
of a doubt that we can only have a healthy world if we are able
to throw off that perennial yoke of selfishness and oppressive
decadence.
We are the primary architects of our future destiny, and as
such, can also be the physicians that are capable of initiating
the healing process that our world so desperately is in need of.
To myself as a citizen of the same world, I look forward to the
time when the medication of brotherly understanding and respect
begins to make its effect felt, and the world is on the road to
good health! PEACE.
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