Christmas is time of peace on Earth, not war in Iraq

To the editor:

From "A Christmas Truce":

"On Christmas Day, 1914, in the first year of World War I, German, British and French soldiers disobeyed their superiors and fraternized with 'the enemy' along two-thirds of the Western Front.

"Thousands of troops streamed across no-man's land strewn with rotting corpses. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged photographs of loved ones back home, shared rations, played football and even roasted some pigs. Soldiers embraced men they had been trying to kill a few short hours before.

"A shudder ran through the high command on either side. Here was disaster in the making: soldiers declaring their brotherhood with each other and refusing to fight. Generals on both sides declared this spontaneous peacemaking to be treasonous and subject to court-martial. By the time of the armistice in 1918, 15 million people would be slaughtered."

Are the American people going to allow 15 million to be slaughtered before we stop the Bush administration? This is Christmas. "Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men." Americans, please bring Christmas back into your hearts. Say enough is enough: no war.

REBECCA WALKER

Jackson, Mo.