There’s No Nobel War Prize

In discussions with people about why they think Dennis Kucinich is such a freak, one of the items that comes up is his “absurd” plan to develop a Cabinet-level position devoted to promoting peace. Goofy, eh?

Then, yesterday evening, I heard that the Portland City Council had considered a resolution supporting a current House bill to create the Department of Peace. The resolution passed unanimously.

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

953 TIME CERTAIN: 9:30 AM – Declare support for a United States Department of Peace (Resolution introduced by Commissioner Saltzman)

From the PDF of the resolution:

WHEREAS, House Bill 808 proposing to create a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence is currently pending before the United States House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, the House Bill 808 proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence will be a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the U.S. Government dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace, and headed by a Secretary of Peace, an advisor to the President on issues that are both domestic and international in scope; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence will establish a National Peace Day urging all citizens to observe and celebrate peace and endeavor to create peace on such day; and

WHEREAS, twenty-three cities have passed measures endorsing the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence; and

That sounds like it’s an absurd idea for sure. 67 co-sponsors as of today, including Oregon’s David Wu and Peter DeFazio.