When compromise is inevitable for peace

I lived through one of the tense moments in world history. Much depends on our leaders. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Let me tell you the story because it may shed some light, despite the vast differences between there and then, here and now.
  • One leader was Kennedy, President of the United States. The other was Khrushchev, the head of the Soviet Union, ruling from the Kremlin in Moscow.
  • Pope John XXIII sent a message to both leaders pleading with them to make whatever political compromise was necessary in order to avoid nuclear war.

Will we get through the election without wrecking the country and descending into another round of post-election violence? I lived through one of the tense moments in world history.

It was also the month of October. I was only nine years old. I saw the fear that gripped my parents and elders. It was 1962.

It was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Let me tell you the story because it may shed some light, despite the vast differences between there and then, here and now.

There were two leaders who had their finger on the nuclear button. Either one could order the launch of a missile armed with an atomic warhead.

As experience in Japan had proven at the end of World War II, an atomic bomb could kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians within a matter of seconds.

One leader was Kennedy, President of the United States. The other was Khrushchev, the head of the Soviet Union, ruling from the Kremlin in Moscow. The Soviets had sent nuclear missiles to Cuba. These could easily reach the American capital and destroy it completely.

The armies on both sides of this “cold war” were not only prepared, the military commanders were urging their respective political leaders to use the weapons they had set in place.

On one side, the Soviets had missiles ready to launch and were sending more ships with more missiles to Cuba. On the other side, the American military was urging Kennedy to destroy all the missile sites in Cuba before it was too late for America to defend itself.

Both Kennedy and Khrushchev knew how easily the tension could escalate in total nuclear war within a matter of a few hours after firing the first shot.

I still remember wondering if I was going to see a mushroom cloud rise up over my home, where I was born not far from the White House. I was too young to know I would be dead before I ever saw the cloud.

Pope John XXIII sent a message to both leaders pleading with them to make whatever political compromise was necessary in order to avoid nuclear war. We now know that it was only a matter of 12 hours before the fighting was due to begin.

We also know that the message from that pope had an influence on both leaders. They pulled back from the brink of war. We all lived to see the sun rise another day.

Much depends on our leaders. That is why St Paul wrote:

“I urge you then, first of all that prayers be offered especially for kings and others in authority, so that we can live holy and devout lives in peace and quiet.”