Quite a bold agenda, Carol!
As Mother Angelica would say "Boldness should be the eleventh commandment"!

I'm not so sure more "social engineering" is the answer. But then again, maybe it is the only answer.

How would you suggest the government to:
"Encourage communities of faith to place increased emphasis on teaching (not simply preaching) the intellectual and spiritual framework necessary to love unconditionally, forgive, and respond to anger and fear without resorting to physical or verbal violence"?
Do you know how such a suggestion will be interpreted by those of faith who are increasingly skeptical of government and our march toward complete secularization?

Anything that guides expresses our psychic Anima will banefit the planet....see you in a month, Carol

Today, I start my 12th day of my fast. I invite others to join me on January 15,
MLK's birthday. An American-born Quaker in England is on her 7th day and
may continue to 10 days now that she has "the hang of it." There are also people in San Francisco who are fasting.

This past week I've become keenly aware of the real national crisis we
have -- a crisis of fear. The strongest military in the world could not
stop the terrorist attacks of September 11. The financial collapse
brought loss of savings and investments, the recession/depression loss
of jobs, the housing crisis loss of homes and property values, and
skyrocketing health care costs additional fear. And on top of that
climate change. Behind the violence is anger and hatred, behind the
anger and hatred fear. We need a national dialogue on fear and a
commitment to solutions that involve mutual fear reduction. There is no
other way out.

Scroll down for full article:
We are going to evolve through crisis, not through proactive change.
Most of the angst we folks who are paying attention feel regarding the future comes from not understanding this critical point.

We feel despair and disappointment when there is a difference between our expectation of the future and what we think is the likely future. We have a certain future: economic contraction, starvation, regional wars over resources, etc. These are all the consequences of being several billion people into overshoot and dealing with declining oil production and climate change. Nature, via the immutable laws of physics, will eventually rebalance things.

We can impact very little of the future at this point. The machine will not stop or even slow down willingly because the individuals and institutions that comprise it have strong interests in keeping it running. We would have had to teach enough people in time that infinite growth was a disaster, and we didn't do that. As a species, we blew it.

All we can do now is take care of our little corner of the machine to reach peace of mind. Accept that we will not proactively address our converging crises. We will learn only as events unfold. Once you accept this, you too will feel much more free to live your life

I'm less interested in issues now than I am in how we live together in supportive community despite our differences. One of my very wise elders, of French origin, says she thinks a fundamental problem in American society that is the source of so much fear, is the rugged individualism. People think they have to make it on their own. Those who are economically well off don't realize that we're not all born with the same gifts and talents and don't all have loving parents, positive environments in which to develop and quality educations. They resent the fact that others need help just to live their lives. Those who struggle to get through the week know that they need a social safety net. There is inherent conflict between the two. I still feel that I am my brother's and sister's keeper because I am their sister. Perhaps I am too sensitive to the suffering I see people going through -- the fear, the angst, the sense of powerlessness, the deprivation, the loss of close relationships because of technology. But it troubles me greatly. I still believe in the healing power of love -- and so many have never learned how to love -- and that love, compassion and understanding can drive out fear. We are a nation at civil war right now and will never be able successfully focus on the great challenges that face us unless we are able to make peace with one another.

Carol: Leave it to the French to find something inherently wrong with "rugged individualism";)

Your whole analysis uses a very broad brush to paint two groups, "the haves" vs "the have nots". Could this be a fundamental problem in American society?

Deb: The haves and have nots are not unique to American society. There has been this division in countries throughout the world and for time immemorial. Jesus spoke of the rich and the poor, the haves and have nots. The Israelites made provisions to eliminate disparities in wealth through a Jubilee year during which all debts were forgiven.

Two things to reflect on today, Martin Luther King's birthday:

First, Dr. King spoke of love as the ultimate reality, the binding force of the universe, the supreme unifying principle of life.

Second, he was deeply concerned about the threat of nuclear annihilation and said, "We must learn to live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools." Today, the threat to human existence is not nuclear annihilation, but climate change. It is our common enemy no matter our race, religion, gender, economic status, political affiliation, or nation. Our fighting and bickering from the local level to the international are impediments to solving this crisis, wasting tremendous energy, resources, and brain power. So once again, "We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or we will perish together as fools."

Deb: It's not new for people to believe that these are the end times. My personal belief and commitment is that if there's a chance in a million that we can change an issue of this magnitude, I owe it to today's children and grandchildren and future generations to make every effort I can. I prefer not to be hopeless.

No. But there are some who feel hopeless that climate change can be mitigated.

You so correct....Spread the word

Did you know or ever meet Ernie Bragg, a doctor? Dr. Bragg was a very interesting person and I got to know him during my DMH days. I wish you well in your quest.

Stephen: Yes, he was my dad. He was a remarkable man and it is a great privilege to be his daughter. He always found it interesting that, though a radiologist, he was appointed post psychiatrist at Fort Oglethorpe because they had two radiologists and no psychiatrist. As you know, he had a great understanding and sensitivity to the human condition. And he spoke often of the need for us to adhere to certain principles of behavior in order to have a decent society: Albert Schweitzer's Reverence for Life, Aristotle's Golden Mean, Kant's wedge principle (what if everyone were to do what I am about to do?), the Golden Rule, and Gandhi and King's nonviolence.

Thank you so much for your good wishes.

A thought for this MLK holiday weekend. What if we were to pursue a strategy on gun violence that seeks reconciliation? What if the National Rifle Association and those who advocate gun control came together to seek a more enduring solution that would meet everyone's needs? The guns and ammo have already been purchased, so the guns and ammo that would be used in future mass killings are already available. Mental health problems can emerge any time in a person's life and are so prevalent that much of our population suffers from one form of mental illness or another. Physical illness and prescription drugs can produce violent outbursts in people. A more enduring solution and one that would affect many forms of violence, including the huge problem of domestic violence, is giving people the values and skills needed to resist using violence when they are angry, afraid, or under great stress. The key, I believe, is education in our schools -- elementary through secondary -- in nonviolent communication skills, conflict resolution and mediation, and pursuing social change using the methods of nonviolence developed by Gandhi and King. This is an agenda both the National Rifle Association and gun control advocates should support. I don't, for a minute, believe that the NRA approves of gun violence. We have to stop thinking of each other as enemies and see, instead, potential allies. The end result is reconciliation or what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.

A leader can set the goals and create an atmosphere of change. President Obama is on the right track.. Get on board, if your not helping to solve the problem, you are the problem

The President can set only some of the goals. There are too many powerful interests and too many differences to reconcile. There is also the ever-present and real fear of assassination. In 1962, President Kennedy made a commitment to total nuclear disarmament. There are many who feel that this was the reason for his assassination. The leadership for the civil rights movement that changed this nation forever came from the grassroots, not the Presidency or other politicians. The SCLC's nonviolence trainer told me 3 weeks ago that it was direct action that mentored John and Robert Kennedy, who dragged their heels until there was a national outcry against the brutality in Birmingham. The President cannot build an alliance between the NRA and the King family that could change the focus from gun control to the prevention of gun violence and other forms of violence. If there's a common concern about gun violence, that possibility needs to be pursued. I would suggest that we are all part of the problem, whether we're helping to solve it or not.

Just unveiled -- The Dream Cards on the website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change: http://www.thekingcenter.org/dreams Add your dream.