By Amy Moss Strong Editor
Thursday, November 05, 2009 | 4 comment(s)
Photo by Amy Moss Strong -
Veterans ride for peace - Josh Stieber, 21, left, and Conor Curran, 25, both veterans of the Iraq war, have ridden their bikes across the country for the last six months to promote peace. They were in Bandon last week and welcomed by the local Veterans for Peace before they headed down the coast, where they will end their journey in San Francisco. Their travels and message can be viewed at www.contagiousloveexperiment.wordpress.com.
Josh Stieber and Conor Curran know what it’s like to go to war. Both served their country in Iraq and saw first-hand that conflict’s effects on civilians as well as enlisted personnel.
Now, armed with only bikes, the two young veterans are delivering a different message across the country — one of peace.
The two were in Bandon on Oct. 27, and before heading down the coast with an end destination of San Francisco, they had breakfast with a group of about 15 local veterans, many of them members of Veterans For Peace.
Stieber, 21, a native of Gaithersburg, Md., began his journey six months ago, after leaving the service as a conscientious objector. He joined the military right after high school in 2006, with memories of Sept. 11 still fresh in his mind, believing he could help his country as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.
Soon, however, he began to question what he was doing there.
“I saw that these assumptions I had, that violence solves problems, really, when practiced, only made things worse,” Stieber said. “We were using some pretty brutal tactics and it was admitted by our leaders that we were trained to out-terrorize the terrorists.
“At that point, I realized that forcing someone to agree with you at the point of a gun doesn’t change much, when that force is gone, nothing has changed,” Stieber added. “What does matter is the internal condition, which can be guided by love just as easily as fear.”
Stieber petitioned to be relieved of his duties as a conscientious objector and after 14 months, left the service. A short time later, he began his journey across the country and dubbed it the Contagious Love Experiment.
Stieber’s goal was simple: take a journey to learn about, promote, and invest his military pay in peaceful alternatives. Along the way he has spoken with different groups about his experiences, including high school students, veterans and others, as well as volunteering for and donating to local charities.
He started the cross-country journey on May 28 and walked 1,300 miles from Maryland to Cincinnati, where he began cycling, adding another 2,900 miles to his trip.
He was joined in Ohio by Curran, a U.S. Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq before his discharge in 2008. Now a peace activist, Curran felt compelled to join Stieber after learning about the project.
Curran said during his second tour in Ramadi, Iraq, an Iraqi man changed his life by demonstrating how to love your enemies. As he and his patrol were ransacking the man’s house and well-kept courtyard garden, looking for weapons, the man came out of the house with a tray of tea and served it to the soldiers, asking them politely, in perfect English, about their lives and backgrounds.
“Seeing the power of non-judgment and love this Iraqi man showed transformed my life,” Curran said. “I decided that by exercising the same qualities, I can change someone’s life as well.”
Both men have said their families are supportive of their mission. Curran, who is married, said his wife had hoped he would be home after his two tours in Iraq, but understands his need to make the journey. Stieber’s girlfriend is supportive, as is his family, though he is not sure they completely understand his reasons why.
“Some people say that this trip is just me working off my guilt or something and that I simply don’t understand how the world works,” Stieber said.
He has learned a lot along the way and part of that lesson was once again gaining faith in humanity.
“It made me realize that people want to be in a community where they share and lift each other up instead of an individualized society,” he said.
Curran said he has especially enjoyed interacting with the various organizations. Both hope to continue their message of peace after the journey is over. Stieber hopes to make a documentary film of his trip and get involved in education, possibly as a history teacher. Curran also plans to attend college.
“What we’re doing probably won’t change the world overnight, but hopefully more people will act out love instead of fear,” Curran said.
The comments above are from users of bandonwesternworld.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The Bandon Western World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Comment Policy
The Bandon Western World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
No deliberately false information.
No obscenity or racially offensive language.
No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
No information that invades another person's privacy.
No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.
Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The Bandon Western World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Francis can't you read, what made you come up with that I ment anything other than Bandon Western World would print an article about a conscientious objector on Veterans Day. To answer your questions: The facts that you think you have in any of those incidents are only half truths. Maybe you should do better research. The German and Japanese soldiers did it freely because they bought into the philosiphy of leaders to commit atrocities. In My Lia the soliders followed a man idea not the government. And your statement at the end talking about what a person thinks is morally right, I bet Calley thought he was right. Yes it may have been orders but it was the Lt. on the ground. Your definition of torture must be different than mine. Photos and pig grease aren't torture to me. You and others like you think that peace can be attained with the likes of Iraq, Iran, or any other terriost country. They even kill their own for what they think is right. You don't think the US has done any good for peace? If you have the answer do something about it. Good Luck.
Gary, you seem to be saying that it's a shame for soldiers to follow their conscience. Do you mean one should just obey orders and never think for himself about right and wrong?
Would that apply to German or Japanese soldiers in WWII who were sometimes commanded to commit atrocities? Would it apply to American soldiers ordered to shoot unarmed women and children at My Lai during the Vietnam War?
Does it apply to soldiers who tortured prisoners at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo in the belief that is what their superiors expected them to do?
It takes a lot of guts to stand up for what you think is right when everyone else goes along with the kinds of atrocities that happen in every war. The saddest thing, Gary, is that you and many others seem to think it a shame to act according to what one believes is morally right.
Josh Stieber served 14 months in Iraq with the U.S. Army. Conor Curran served two tours there with the U.S. Marines. They saw first hand that war is the ultimate evil, and that it produces only horror, suffering and more war. Their experiences in Iraq convinced them to dedicate themselves to the cause of peace. They deserve our greatest respect for their bravery and for their journey of conscience. They are fine young men and they have a lot to teach us all.
How sad is this article. "The Bandon Western World would print a story by or about a conscientious objector on Veterans Day." This article is a slap in the face of our Veterans that gave all. Shame on you Bandon Western World.
|
|
|
|
The Bandon Western World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The Bandon Western World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines