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Three Lives - Three Points of View
Profiles by Melanie King
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Harry H. Hughes
by Melanie King
A meteorologist and mathematician, Harry Hughes brought the logical side of the discussion to the Mars Hill College audience at a debate about war with Iraq.
With twenty-two years experience in directly managing all meteorological activities for the United States Air Force in Europe, Hughes says of his experiences with war, "I found mine to be life altering in a positive way. Although we (Tim Pluta and I), had some of the same experiences, the way we interpreted those experiences seems to be totally different."
A retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Air Force, Hughes managed programs for the United States Air Force at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, meteorology and engineering.
Hughes also managed weather organizations at 19 locations in seven European countries, and was recognized for outstanding performance in an organization of over 800 people.
He has authored numerous technical papers for publication, has been repeatedly recognized as the leading writer of personal evaluations, and has been selected to make presentations at the highest levels of executive decision-making.
As a technical consultant, Hughes was the primary troubleshooter and technical expert at the headquarters of a 49-office organization, modifying existing technology and training personnel.
Since 1989 he has been Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Mars Hill College.
Summing up his argument of why war with Iraq would be beneficial, Hughes responds to the other panelist views, "Idealism is great, but unfortunately we live in a real world. It comes down to a question of trust in leadership. You either trust in leadership or you don't. It comes down to the number one obligation of government: safety of its citizens. Finally it comes to a question of self defense."
Ken Sehested
by Melanie King
Ken Sehested, the first executive of the Baptist Peace Fellowship, helped it expand into an organization waging peace across the globe. He has been a leader through his vision of non-violence and peace.
Sehested has displayed his passion for peace in an array of magazine articles and books. He has received several awards for his writings and contributions to peace.
After resigning as Executive Director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Sehested is now co-pastor with his wife, Rev. Nancy Hastings Sehested, at Circle of Mercy Church in Asheville.
His latest appeal for peace will take place on a trip to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness, a group devoted to non-violence. Consisting of peace activists with the resources to travel, the group is trying to prevent war on Iraq.
With several members already in Iraq, the group explains in its web site, www.non-violence.org/vitw/, that they are planning to stay as long as possible. "We have come here to stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq, to experience in some small way the conditions of our brothers and sisters in this country."
United Nations sanctions imposed on Iraq after the Gulf war caused terrible suffering, according to the group. "We came here primarily because we wanted to experience the conditions here and move into a greater solidarity with the people here. We wanted to prevent this coming war, and we hope that our presence here will in some small way highlight for the people back home the suffering that is here."
Now with knowledge about conditions in Iraq, the group feels an obligation to inform Americans. "Since we've been here, we've realized that we now have the responsibility to go home and tell the stories that people have shared with us, to give voice to the voiceless millions of innocent Iraqi citizens, to show the face of an invisible people."
Tim Pluta
by Melanie King
With hopes of pleasing his parents, Tim Pluta joined the military with false beliefs and no one to tell him otherwise.
"I had memories of fun -- playing war in my backyard with the neighborhood boys. Seemed like an easy way out to me. I wouldn't have to worry about housing or food. I could get away from home, and I could leave real soon."
Later, when the "myth of war" turned into a nightmare of reality, Pluta became a conscientious objector.
Reflecting on himself as an individual after a year's worth of Special Forces training, Tim says, "I was a product, I could go anywhere and survive, I could get into any place and get out, I could do anything and get away with it. I was, as outsiders sometimes whispered behind our backs, a trained killer…
"Wait a minute, I mean, how did I get there? This was supposed to be a job where I went out and saved people.
"Well that's the great part of life, isn't it? I did save people… I was like everybody else in the military. My mission was to save our guys and kill the enemy."
Then he read a book written by Thomas Merton. Pluta explains how it revolutionized his thinking. "His words pierced my armored environment with stinging insights and shook off the meticulously placed binders that my military trainers had placed on me."
Now Pluta says, "I sift through my memories and experiences, sort through the grayness, and see that the choice is ultimately mine. I choose peace. I follow what is in my heart, and not what was drilled into my head…
"The process of declaring conscientious objection, was, and is not easy, but neither is living with the ghosts of things I did, and things I learned how to do in the military."
Through his beliefs, Pluta received an honorable discharge from the military as a conscientious objector.
Pluta now works with local elementary and high schools in an effort to include them in an international, Internet-based, Peace Dialog Program that will culminate in participants writing two books related to peace- one for children and one for teens.
He lives in Mars Hill with his wife Emma and their pets, two dogs, and two cats.
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