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1,000 British soldiers have been massacred. While I stood here talking peace, a war has started.

— Reverend Otto Witt • Zulu

A white paper dove stands beside a cracked clay jar beneath a grey-blue sky with a narrow orange horizon.
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Our reading

An editorial interpretation.

The speaker reports a large loss of life and sets it against the time spent talking about peace. The contrast gives the statement its bitter force. Words aimed at one outcome have coincided with the opposite, leaving the speaker to confront that painful mismatch.

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