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 John
McConnell
Guest Editorial Columnist
Uniting Efforts for Peace -- 2005
Here is how you (and everyone on Planet Earth) can help change human
conduct from war to peace, from Earth Kill to Earth Care. Choose what
your part will be. With faith and love, vigorously carry out your
responsibility to help bring Peace on Earth and prosperity for all.
Message by John McConnell, Earth Day Founder.
I have been repeatedly asked, "How can the many who seek peace, justice
and a sustainable future have a greater impact than those who use the
power of their ill gotten money and military might to achieve their evil
ends?"
America and other leading governments devote most of their wealth to
military programs. They spend billions for bombs and pennies for
peace. Were the money spent on diabolical weapons to kill people spent
on promoting global understanding, peaceful resolution of conflict --
and on eliminating the causes of violence and hate, there would
be no more wars.
Scattered around the world are wonderful programs for peaceful
resolution of conflict and care of our planet. (Franciscans, churches,
service clubs, Fellowship Of Reconciliation, World Neighbors, etc,
etc,)
But most people do not appreciate this because mass media does not
feature actions for peaceful progress. Media is the source of most
public opinion and they make more money by features and headlines for
violence and conflict. Public opinion is media made, and actions good
or bad begin in the mind. Whether intentional or not, the fact is that
media accents the negative and gives more attention to hate, fear, greed
and lust than to the many actions of understaning and good will. As a
result major nations are addicted to war.
The only way to avoid global catastrophe is for all who support the ways
of peace to now come together in a moral equivalent of war. United, we
can change the global war mentality to a global state of mind dedicated
to positive actions for peace, justice and care of the amazing web of
life that covers our planet.
Our problem is the "Dealers in Death" -- the corporate and White House
leaders -- who make billions from the production of weapons. Their lust
for money and power blinds them to peaceful policies that would destroy
the causes of violence. Their only way is to "kill the killers."
If President Bush were a follower of Jesus, whom he claims to serve, he
would know that love for your enemy (which Jesus taught) will bring
understanding of the cause of hate, fear and violence, and then you can
eliminate its source.
I invite people of faith to spread the word that war is evil, that you
don't overcome evil with evil. Killing is not the right way to stop
killing. Instead of making skeletons of our enemies, we can make them
our friends.
Press, Radio, TV and Internet play a vital role. Actions, good or bad,
begin in the mind. Those able to command media attention have a special
obligation to speak out about the crisis and its obvious solution --
replace violence with attitudes and actions that foster understanding
and good will.
ALL world leaders should act now, urging that everyone oppose violence
with nonviolence -- Ghandi and Martin Luther King's effective solution.
Leaders in other areas of public trust should do the same. Those who
believe in the power of prayer can prove the power of their faith by
their Earth Trustee actions -- vigorous efforts for peace, justice and a
sustainable future..
When people think and act as Earth Trustees they will show a reverence
for life -- and for holy places. Earth Day helped move toward
conciliation when it had Shimon Perez of Israel ring the United Nations
Peace Bell -- and persuaded Yaser Arafat of Palestine to add his name to
the Earth Day Proclamation. Jerusalem is a holy place to Christian,
Muslim and Jew and its role in history is important to people of every
religion. (Calling attention to these facts will help peace efforts.)
Earth Day and its Earth Trustee agenda, puts The Golden Rule to work --
do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Here is a chance for
people of all religions to show their ethical values by being Earth
Trustees and practicing reverence for life in word and deed.
Mass media has a sacred obligation as the eyes and ears of the public
to:
-- Feature solutions as well as problems
-- Headline cases of peaceful progress in the human adventure that
replace hate, fear, greed and lust.
-- Give recognition and attention to people and projects that eliminate
pollution and poverty and foster peace, justice and the care of Earth.
Every radio and TV station should program a daily "Minute for Peace." A
voice would state, "In this minute for peace let us join our
hearts and minds, each in our own way, with faith and commitment to
peaceful actions today and every day." This would be followed by
appropriate music or sounds of nature.
In 1963 when President Kennedy was killed we ended the period of
mourning for him on December 22 with a "Minute For Peace" which was
broadcast globally. It carried the voice of Kennedy with words he had
spoken the year before: "Never have the nations of the world had so much
to lose, or so much to gain. Together we can save our planet, or
together perish in its flames. Save it we can, and save it we will."
"Minute for Peace" was later broadcast and led in 1966 to ending the war
between India and Pakistan.
On Earth Day at the United Nations there is a global "Minute for Peace,"
signaled by the ringing of the Peace Bell. Isaac Asimov said, "When we
ring the Peace Bell it is the moment when Spring begins. This is a
moment of new beginnings -- and our Planet needs a new beginning."
With the media's cooperation, each year's Earth Day -- on nature's
historic annual event, the March Equinox, will provide a great global
holiday with world wide participation by people of every creed and
culture. This will inspire actions for Earth's rejuvenation -- with
peace, justice and prosperity for all.
Spread the word. Let's each think and act as an Earth Trustee -- doing
what we can to foster a sustainable future. We can make the year 2006
a new beginning for Planet Earth.
John McConnell
4924 E. Kentucky Circle
Denver, CO 80246
Phone: 303/758-7687www.earthsite.org
Letters to the Editor
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