Tonight I had to put out an email that the Public Town Hall Meeting to Hold Congressperson Accountable for War Spending was canceled. The reason is internal peace politics. For those of us who, for some time, have been wanting to hold Gwen Moore accountable for war spending, it was not worth fighting our own people to do so. The peace people, working with Gwen Moore’s staff to have this meeting private not public, won and gave me a chance to practice being a Weedy Worm of Man. Be careful what you wish for.

Tomorrow, a small group of us will gather for a Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras dinner featuring Indian Food and then sit down and discuss possible nonviolent actions to get Marquette to be faithful to the Gospel and not host training for the military on campus. This effort might not be successful, but like our efforts to stop more war spending, no more teaching war on campus is worth the struggle. Basically what choice do we have? Some of us cannot be silent or support more military spending or more teaching war in our education system.

Being gracious in failure can make us stronger in our struggle for truth, but being gracious is difficult. It is the time for some advice to peacemakers from Thomas Merton, that at times we need to accept failure and the fact that we are imperfect instruments, yet continue our resistance.

Some years ago when my wife was laid off from her part-time library job at a private school my grandson, then 7 years old, said she was ‘canceled.’ Being canceled turned out to be a blessing, for she went on to get a job she had always wanted, being a full time children’s librarian at a public library. So our meeting to hold Ms. Moore accountable for her war spending was canceled but it might lead to something greater.

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