A Tribute to Daniel Berrigan

It's time for a brief tribute to the great American peace activist, poet, and human rights advocate, Father Daniel Berrigan who died recently at the age of 94. Remembered by many as one of the Cantonville Nine who were prosecuted for the theft and eventual destruction of draft board files (using napalm as the igniting fluid) in protest of the Vietnam War, he also was a prolific writer, a lifelong organizer, and a relentless champion for those who were denied their basic human rights and dignity by repressive regimes throughout the world. His life can be properly viewed as an ongoing resistance to the forces of death and destruction while embodying the principles of peace, compassion, and reconciliation in word and in deed. He provided a living example of a mode of being dedicated to finding, and indeed implementing, an alternative to reactive violence in response to provocation and thereby modeled a revolutionary option in the of pursuit conflict resolution. Together with his brother, Phillip, who preceded him in death in 2002, Daniel Berrigan provided a beacon of hope to a world often lost in the fog of war, misplaced values, and confusion. Rest in peace, gentle soul.