"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.  Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  This is easy.  All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.  It works the same in every country."

--Herman Göring, Nazi leader, 
recorded for Gustave Gilbert's book Nuremberg Diary (1947)

Be this as it may, in every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords; and one of these, for the most part, must prevail over the other for a longer or shorter time. Perhaps this party division is necessary to induce each to watch and relate to the people the proceedings of the other. . . . A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolved, and the people recovering their true sight, restoring their government to its true principles. It is true, that in the meantime, we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war, and long oppressions of enormous public debt. . . .If the game runs sometimes against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost. For this is a game where principles are the stake.  Better luck, therefore, to us all, and health, happiness and friendly salutations to yourself.

--Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1798

--Cuba 2003 and 2004 Experiential Trip

Hannam University's beautiful campus.

Our group outside the Sokkulam Grotto.

--William Carlos Williams

"Human history is part of something larger, more eternal and more infinite.  But ours is the laughing part of the story, the sorrowful part, the evil part, the compassionate part, the noticing part, the reverent part, the irreverent part, the conscious part.... 
It is an utterly unsupernatural story, an evolving, unfinished story; our part in it is the making of meaning, the making of questions and celebrations, and these too evolve and expand without end."

--The Rev. Victoria Safford