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Peace
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These are the words of George Bernard Shaw as paraphrased by Robert F. Kennedy during his Presidential campaign. Robert Kennedy was a political hero for me, and these words that have formed the basis for my life in public service. I believe that all people should look for ways to improve the lives of their fellow citizens of the world, and this belief has led to my efforts toward peace.
As a retired Army officer, I know that warfare is a failure of diplomacy. War carries a great burden for all. Some try to measure this burden in terms of loss of life or dollars spent, but the true cost of war is best measured in the impact on the futures of all peoples.
War cuts short the lives of many and drains dollars that could otherwise be used to improve our cities. We must all work toward true peace, and by this I do not mean merely the absence of war. True peace encompasses the ideas of social peace and economic peace, both within our borders and throughout the world.
As a soldier, as a teacher, and as a public servant I have worked tirelessly to bring about the conditions that can lead to true peace. Just a few of my recent efforts are found on this page.
[NOTE: These travels were done on personal time and with private funds. No city tax dollars were used for this purpose.]
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In 2006, Mayor Thomas O'Grady traveled to Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan to lecture on how local governments must be involved in international issues. Federal immigration, trade, and travel policies impact the quality of life for citizens in our cities.
Mayor O'Grady, who as a United States Army Major was assigned to the United States Embassy in Tokyo, presented in both the Japanese and English languages on these important issues and the need for international efforts to assure peace in our world.
Shown above, the Mayor takes questions from some graduate and undergraduate students following his presentation.
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Mayor Thomas O’Grady traveled to the International Court of Justice at The Hague in The Netherlands to speak on the issue of world peace. Mayor O’Grady is pictured here in front of the International Court with Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba of Hiroshima, Japan and other mayors from around the world. Mayor Akiba is President of the international Mayors for Peace organization.
The focus of the meeting at the International Court of Justice was to encourage all nuclear powers to cease the practice of targeting cities. Mayor O’Grady was instrumental in having a resolution passed by the United States Conference of Mayors on this subject.
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“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row.” This is the beginning of the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae. Lieutenant Colonel McCrae was a doctor in the Canadian Army and worked for days tending the wounded and dying during the Battle of the Ypres Salient on the Western Front during World War I. Flanders is a region in northern Belgium where the city of Ypres is located. Ypres was destroyed during that battle, and the city built on that site is named Ieper.
As a retired Army officer, Mayor O’Grady was honored to attend the 90th Anniversary of Armistice Day, which ended World War I. On November 11, 2008, Mayor O’Grady stood with other dignitaries at the Menin Gate to commemorate the ending of that war, and to remember those who have died in all wars. Mayor Luc Dehaene of Ieper (pictured above with Mayor O’Grady in the historic Ieper City Hall) is also a member of the international Mayors for Peace and served as host for the visit there.
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Due to his efforts toward peace, Mayor Thomas O’Grady was invited to participate in a panel discussion at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This location was the original League of Nations as formed after the Treaty of Versailles in 1920.
At this historic location, Mayor O’Grady joined Ambassador Laura Thompson of Costa Rica and other dignitaries to discuss the ‘Cities are not Targets’ initiative and nuclear weapons control issues. The discussion of efforts toward world peace was a lively one, spurred by the recent election of Barack Obama in the United States.
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I was honored to have been invited by Congressman Dennis Kucinich to attend the January 24, 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
As we continue our efforts toward peace, we must keep in mind the efforts of our United States Representative to establish a Department of Peace. I will continue to work in that direction.
As we consider how we will be viewed by the rest of the world, we must continue to rely on President Obama to act in a thoughtful and compassionate way. During my travels overseas and throughout the United States, there is a growing sense of hope. We have President Obama to thank for that, and despite the challenges that we continue to face, we must offer him our best support.
Picture above is Mayor Thomas O’Grady with a former Army colleague, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Sak Sakoda at the presidential inauguration.
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