Gary B. Anderson’s opinion piece (June 9) reminded me of a very wise and compelling comment made to me on a recent trip to another New England state.

On an early evening walk through a nearby college campus, I saw several people with name badges, and learned that they were part of an international scientific conference being held there. I struck up a conversation with one attendee, who had stopped to take in the wildlife at the campus pond. As we spoke, I learned that he was from Israel. I did not ask about his views on the war, and instead simply offered my deep sympathy on the conflict taking place in his country. He was clearly a thoughtful and intelligent person, and our simple conversation of few words was focused more on the wildlife than on current events. After a quiet pause, he said, “I have thought about this conflict a great deal, and have come to realize that we are willing to pay the price of war, but we are not willing to pay the price of peace. And there are indeed great costs and sacrifices involved in making peace. But we choose instead to go to war.”

I will never forget this. It’s a truism that can be applied to many different conflicts, between countries, groups and even individual people in our daily lives and conversations. Imagine if our families and educational institutions were dedicated to teaching and learning the hard work of peace.

Kathy Mills
Yarmouth