The Murder of Olof Palme
With the death of Sweden’s Prime Minister, Olof Palme, the cause of peace lost a needed friend and spokesman. What twisted mind, what soulless human being could have coldbloodedly assassinated him, and for what reason?
On Dec. 14, 1985 I was privileged to be one of the thousands who locally attended the Beyond War Peace Award Ceremony when six heads of state were honored for their participation in the Five Continent Peace Initiative calling for an end to the nuclear threat. Olaf Palme was one of the honorees.
With compassion, his calm, clear reasoning resounded in his words: “We in the non-nuclear nations, with a majority of the people of the world, are as involved and would suffer as much as the citizens of the nuclear-weapons states. We therefore have a moral right to demand that the nuclear weapons never be used and that those responsible for them should start the process of real disarmament. This process must start now, so that one day we will be able to see a future beyond nuclear war.”
It has been estimated that worldwide more than a quarter of a billion people witnessed the Beyond War televised ceremonies. It would be hoped that the millions worldwide who heard his plea for sanity and an end to the nuclear threat will join the people of his own peace-loving nation to honor his memory.
The voice of Olof Palme has been cruelly silenced, but his leadership in the cause of peace can give voice to millions.
GERTRUDE KERN
Los Angeles
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