John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com

I first became aware of an obsession over military security during my time living in Palestine in 2010. “Security” was the explanation for every action taken by the Israeli Defense Forces.

When I asked an Israeli soldier why he walked through a school bus with an automatic rifle at the ready, he answered, “security.” When I asked a soldier, at a checkpoint between a farming village and its farmland, why he wanted to close the gate on a late-arriving elderly farmer, his wife and his mule, he answered, “security.”

When I asked, “why did you invade a Palestinian home at 2 a.m. and take away a young teenage boy?” the answer was “security.” When I observed the implementation of a travel ban throughout the West Bank in response to one incident of resistance in a remote village, I asked why this collective punishment that prevented Palestinians from going to work, to school, to the hospital, or to visit family? The answer: “security.”

It is transparent today that the tools of choice to establish security are weapons. Security is a major reason for wars. Russia claims the invasion of Ukraine is necessary for Russia’s border security. Ukraine wants to join NATO to gain military support for its security. Israel claims that its war in Gaza is for Israeli security. The United States maintains a military presence with nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 countries for U.S. security. New Hampshire Public Radio reports that Gov. Chris Sununu wants to send soldiers from the New Hampshire National Guard to Eagle Pass, Texas, to aid with immigration enforcement efforts to secure the nation’s southern border.

In the name of security there is also, around the world, a growing acceptance for autocracy and dictatorship at the expense of democracy. Human rights are sacrificed for a sense of safe security. For example, PBS News Hour has reported that since incumbent President Nayib Bukele declared victory in El Salvador’s recent election, claiming over 80 percent of the vote, over 76,000 Salvadorans have been detained without trial.

Critics decry his government’s authoritarianism. In his first term, Bukele removed the attorney general and replaced top judges on the Supreme Court, who then reinterpreted the Constitution, allowing Bukele to run for a second consecutive term. The government has also targeted critics, including human rights groups and journalists. Many Salvadorans have sacrificed the right to a trial in the name of security.

In addition, in our country security is a reason for private possession of firearms. Each individual, it is argued, is responsible for the security of themselves and their loved ones. The person with the gun has the authority to decide how to respond to a perceived threat. We live in a time when the way to security is at the end of the barrel of a gun. The barrel of the gun is valued more than a legal system of innocent until proved guilty by a jury of peers. Both as a country and as an individual, aggressive protection restricts the meaning of security.

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Maintaining the threat and use of weapons for war and for personal protection requires being continually on the lookout for the threatening “other” and guarding against suspected enemies. Also, users of this form of security tend to become the enemy of others. For example, when the Israeli military prevents young people from going to school and college, the young people begin to see Israelis as an enemy to resist. Or when our police use excessive force, they earn the role of enemy of the people. When people are known to carry guns, it produces anxiety in others. Security by force erodes an overall sense of security.

However, if we were to perceive the state of security as peace of mind, then the exclusivity of the way of force is overcome. Peace of mind requires developing trust. Trust grows with trustworthiness. For example, if the Israeli Defense Force dismantled checkpoints between students and their universities, then students would begin to see the soldiers as trustworthy. It would be the beginnings of peace of mind for both Israelis and Palestinians. In our country, if bullying was reduced then there might be less incentive for a shooter to attack students and teachers.

This approach may seem naïve and simplistic, but the alternative has only led to increasing the number of enemies. We have known for generations the truth for attaining peace of mind through love of neighbor. There are many folk sayings such as “you get more cooperation with honey than with vinegar.” “A carrot is more effective than a stick.” Perhaps we should shift the military budget to humanitarian aid for people in struggling countries.

Perhaps we should learn to listen to each other and have productive conversations for understanding instead of brandishing guns. We deceive ourselves if we are searching for a guaranteed method for protection. Making enemies would seem to be a misdirection. The way of peace of mind begins with a focus on relationships that build community. It’s as close to security as we can get.