We of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends are deeply troubled by the drive to make war on Iraq. We oppose the Bush Administration’s plans to take military actions against the Iraqi leadership and are concerned about the tragic consequences of such action, not only for the Iraqi people but also for the United States and the world as a whole. We believe that all wars sow a bitter seed and that the Iraqi people, United States citizens and all the people of the world will reap a bitter harvest. Jesus challenged us to aspire to a higher standard than an "eye for an eye." We are not to smite our enemies, but to love them and we feel obliged, even in the face of evil to follow that admonition. We ask our leaders to use the great power of the United States in an exemplary fashion to sow the seeds of peace and justice – a harder choice, but the right one.