• CONCERNING Lester May’s criticism of my pacifist stance (We need our armed forces, February 4, and If the military were abolished, January 28).

“Our armed forces…” They’re not “my” armed forces. No one killing another human being to order is doing so in my name or with my sanction – under any circumstances.

The pacifist perspective goes beyond calling for abolishing the military.

It includes non-violently resisting and undermining the military – any military – at every opportunity, as well as addressing the issues which lead so many people, erroneously, to think that use of lethal force has a role in dealing with problems.

Lester May’s core argument seems to be, “we can’t be nice because other people aren’t”. That overlooks the fact that pacifist ideas are no more confined to one country than are militarist ones.

If there were lots more pacifists there would be fewer of those nasty armed foreign people he worries about who are apparently wanting to attack us – there would be more pacifists “there” as well as “here”.

Finally, having listed assorted militarist horrors, he draws precisely the wrong conclusion.

Surely thousands of years of humanity trying (and ultimately failing – otherwise why does it keep happening?) to solve problems by killing one another should have convinced our species that we need to stop, and to renounce such methods and try something completely different.

And, as a pacifist, my starting point is that if I want a different and better world, let it start with me.

ALBERT BEALE, WC1