What I believe and value
What I believe and value I am a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world . I am not a patriot. Nationalism is a form of petty sectarianism. I do not identify with any city or nation, but rather with the world at large. I don’t pledge allegiance to any flag and I don’t sing any anthems. I am a pacifist and opposed to war. I am a conscientious objector in the wider sense of refusing to fight under any circumstances for any reason. I have never owned a gun and haven’t been in a fight since I was a child. I would rather die defending my right not to own and use a gun than use one. Might does not make right. There is never a justified reason for a nation to invade another one by force, although countries and citizens have a right to defend themselves if they so choose. The history of colonialism, particularly the slavery of people of color, deeply informs my view of America and the world. Since the war, the imperialist reach of capitalism has been as pernicious a force as the expansion of