PLEASE BRING PEACE -

WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER-  

THINK BEFORE YOU FIGHT-

TS

During one of the Bed-Ins, John Lennon mentioned that the violent establishment doesn't know how to deal with humor. I read Yoko's wonderful piece with its guidelines & suggestions, then cleared my mind of all other rules and boundaries and accepted what came to me. I avoided what Yoko has called "the stuttering of the mind", our own blocking self-censorship of our thoughts. While the result may seem silly, flip, and (I hope!) occasionally humorous, I definitely do not take the subject of war lightly.  The bit about the shoes is a real news item.

ARRIVEDERCI ROMA
or
SADDAM AND GEORGE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

I'd read a news item that both George Bush & Saddam Hussein had recently ordered shoes from the same Italian shoemaker. So I called George & Saddam and asked them to meet me at the Cafe di Pace e Tranquillita (peace and quiet) in Italy. My friend Casper wanted to go with me so I said "Sure".

First we went to Geneva, Switzerland, where we'd
asked 1 leader each of Fundamentalist factions of
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity to meet with us.
Casper & I wasted no time. "Look you 3, you've taken religions based on peace, love, & unity and turned them upside-down, inside-out and made them instruments of division, hatred and murder.

We feel you may consciously or unconsciously be trying to bring about Armageddon, so you 'holy believers' will get swept bodily into your afterlife paradises, leaving we 'sinful unbelievers' on Earth to suffer. A man named John once wrote 'Imagine no religion, no hell below us, above us only sky'. You're free to believe whatever you want, but stop messing about with the rest of us. Divisive religion is over. Divisive beliefs are no more. Casper & I would like to stay here and help settle things between you, but we're late for a meeting in Italy. So get things fixed and be quick about it."

Casper & I arrived at the Cafe in Italy at the same time as George and Saddam. "Hello Mr. Bush & Mr. Hussein - may we call you George & Saddam? No? Well we're going to anyway, we were just being polite.

This is my friend Casper. Some people say he looks pale and cartoonish, but he's friendly and also skillful at helping people become friends.

Waiter?

Can we please have gelatos for Saddam & George? 

Now George you sit on the East side of the table, and Saddam you sit on the West side. A man named John once wrote 'East is West and West is East, the twain shall meet'. He also wrote 'Imagine there's no countries', and there are none. Borders are not real, countries do not exist. All that is over. War is over. You two don't seem to be getting the message. 

A woman named Yoko once wrote 'whether you
dig it or not, we outnumber you in population;
leave your scene of destruction, get down to real
communication'. Yoko wrote that in a song titled
'Yang Yang', and that's just the problem here -
things are out of balance with too much Yang. Too much aggressive action, things have become too inflexible- so dry and brittle that you're both
about to crack up. 

Saddam! Quit slurping your cup, you've finished your gelato! 

George! Quit making paper bomber-airplanes from your napkin! 

Ok, now we're going to go sight-seeing and take some photos."

"First we're going to the shop of your favorite shoemaker, that's one thing you have in common already. Get some sandals, then you're going to buy matching shirts, shorts, and hats - all in white, the color of peace, the color of surrender. No berets or army fatigues, Saddam! No cowboy hats or Armani suits, George!"

"First stop, the Colliseum in Rome. This building was once the site of much useless barbaric bloodshed. Now it's a ruin that's become a home to many Roman roaming cats. Ok, 1st photo - arms around each others' shoulders, smile and wave to the camera! 

While we're in Rome, let's take another picture at the Spanish Steps. Hey, what are the Spanish Steps doing in Italy? Remember guys, 'Imagine there's no countries'."

"Now we're in Pisa in front of the Leaning Tower. For hundreds of years some people have said it's going to fall over, but it hasn't.  Just because people say something bad is going to happen doesn't mean it's true, boys! Smile for the camera!"

"Now you're sharing a gondola ride in Venice. For
years some people have said Venice is doomed to sink beneath the water, but with hard work and cooperation, that hasn't happened. 

George sit down, you're rocking the boat, as usual!  Now wave to the camera!"

"Since you know each other better now, it's time for the most important, and for you guys, the most difficult part. You must clasp hands and look each other in the eyes until you see yourself in the other man. See that you both have hopes, fears, families, and thousands of other things in common. See that you are both humans, standing in shoes from the same shoemaker!"

"Alright Saddam & George, Casper & I have made 3 photo albums with all the pictures we've taken- one for each of you, and one for Casper & me. You both can go back to your homes and take one day off work to show your photos to your families and friends. Then it's back to work because you both have many wrongs to set right in your own homelands. 

John and Yoko, the man and women whose words we've shared with you, said many times 'Give Peace A Chance'. That's what you've both done today, and you'll do even better by making Peace Eternal- with each other, in your own homelands, and everywhere in the world."

When Casper and I arrived home the next day, we were overjoyed to find out that all media all over the world were showing the photos of George & Saddam together and were also proclaiming "WAR IS OVER!"

When we looked at our photo album we noticed that in every picture we could see rainbows. We knew it was going to be alright.

William Concannon - Indiana, USA

Please visit www.respecteachother.com

Jan Lanser

please visit www.tonos.com/evrgrn777 and listen to the track "eyes to the sky" "change".
please take the time to listen.

peaceout
evergreen

The following is a peace event for Yoko Ono:
peace.

Love,
Robert MacNeill Jr.
Bensalem, Pennsylvania, USA

This is why i've always loved Yoko Ono. Peace.
www.stankoart.com

Maybe it seems a bit ironic now, but lets still pray for peace.  As John and Yoko used to say, "War is over if you want it to be. Imagine all the people living life in peace."

Even though it seems sometimes as if peace is an impossible undertaking, we as human beings should never give up.  I hope that someday the world can truly be at peace.  After all, we are all members of the same race of people:  the human race.  We all breathe, think, live and love on this planet called earth.  My vision for earth and all of its inhabitants is a world without any fear.

Vernalea Parks

Dear Mr. President,

     I am writing to ask you to be my pen pal in response to a "Peace Event for John Lennon" by Yoko Ono, New York City, in the Rolling Stone Magazine, April 3, 2003 issue 919, page #36, under the column "Pen Pal: Make pen pals with people of different religion and beliefs from you."

    I am of the Christian faith and believe in the teachings of Jesus about loving one another, forgiving others as we would want to be forgiven, and of universal peace.

    I believe that if we were to support our farmers to grow hemp for food, clothing and especially for all of our fuel, that we would not be dependent on terrorists nations and factions for oil.  Mostly, I believe:

         If you choose PEACE with Iraq...
         ALL HEAVEN'S GOING TO BREAK LOOSE!

What do you believe?  Please write soon!
 
God/Goddess Bless,
Eve   (Ah-hemp)
Mount Vernon, Washington

yes no War. war is over remember love.  we will always support you yoko thanks for still caring .I Met you Both in London in 1970 and  Love to you always.

Linda and Bruce Smith

Wizardandwitch@aol.com

I would like to speak with a pen-pal in Iraq - how do I do this?  Peace is among us now.

Love, Denise

Card Sent to IK!'s Snail Mail Address
From Jorge Artajo - Madrid, Spain


  

Dear Yoko, 

Like Debbie I've believe in peace and also magic
and the power of the mind forever.

As a figurative artist in upstate New York, I 
just got back from Manhattan--I stayed at the 
show, my husband, a former marine who was there during the Tet, marched in the Peace walk. He can see now through the rhetoric and the song and dance is strong in Bush. 

Art creates so much energy and the energy I brought home with me from the show I needed to use to make a piece for my own soul and to share--it's all I can do--share a vision. 

I call this One World, One Womb, One Wish. 

We people of the Earth are so connected, our human nature at it's basest thinks war is the answer, I think the spirit of us knows it never is---connecting through love, art, poetry, music, emotions unite us all. 

The one huge jump in the last thousands of years is this: our method of communication and the ease with which we can connect. 

I will do all I can to connect with other organizations for Peace and work with my art for Peace. 

I wish I could do more and I will. 

I've clipped the page from Rolling Stone and 
have done many of them and will do more. 

Peace and Magic! 

Linda Kertzman 
linda kertzman doll art 
http://www.lindakertzman.com  
http://picturetrail.com/lindakertzman 

I am a spiritual person. 

I believe we are all connected, as human beings.

There is a life energy that lives within and amongst us. 

I respect that energy, and every living creature on this earth. I believe in peace, love and understanding. 

I recently turned 20. I can't think of anything more important in my life, than contributing to peace. Right here, and Right now. 

With every day that passes, i speak out louder and stronger, for what i believe in.

PEACE. 

Amy Philadelphia 
lilax9@yahoo.com

Back - Next