Name: Why I chose a gun
Uploaded: 2012-01-30T15:51:45Z
Duration: 16 min 53 s
Description: Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. At TEDxAmsterdam he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and why we need armies if we want peace.

Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. At TEDxAmsterdam he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and why we need armies if we want peace.

Why I chose a gun

Peace sometimes depends on the very tools most associated with violence. In countries like the Netherlands, guns stay out of daily life, but in many places, force is needed to protect the vulnerable and uphold justice. The steady decline in violence over the past 500 years is linked to the rise of well-regulated, law-bound armed forces. Using the gun as an instrument of peace requires accountability, careful restraint, and a deep respect for human rights.