Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Recently, Ben Stein shared his opinion on CBS on what made America great. In an age of raging political hatred, I urge you to read this post.

I’m not typically a fan of conservative commentator Ben Stein’s opinions but this one rang so true that every American should memorize and pledge to follow this  “declaration of conscious”.

Here is Mr. Stein’s complete message from CBS Sunday Morning, 10/17/10.

(CBS) Is there room in this heated election year for at least one gesture of bipartisanship? Contributor Ben Stein thinks so.

I see that the GOP has recently announced a new "Pledge to America", trying to imitate the "Contract with America" that supposedly helped the party so much in 1994 (although I don't think it really did).

The "Pledge" is about taxes and spending mostly, and those are big subjects, let's not kid ourselves.

But I would like to see something bigger, and from both parties - and maybe from the Tea Partiers, too.

America faces, above all, a spiritual and moral crisis. We suffer from low morale because of the terrorism, the unending and unsuccessful wars, and the drawn-out, painful recession. The results have sometimes been morally and psychologically ugly.
So, herewith, a suggested Declaration of Conscience from all parties:

"This is a big country. It is a great country, filled with opportunities. It is the magnet for those all over the world who want a better life. And while we face grim challenges from many directions, we make this pledge:

"We became a great nation because we are an open, loving nation. Most of us believe in a loving God. Whether we are believers or atheists, we believe in the rights of all. We welcome all who respect the rights of every other American. We welcome and respect all who want the same opportunities and legal protections for all Americans.

"We are a busy people, we Americans - rebuilding our economy, defending ourselves, educating our children. We are far too busy to hate. We will not preach hate, sell hate, try to get elected by hate. We will follow our forefathers' example and only stoop to hate those who try to kill us. For those within our borders, unless they preach hate, our motto is always "Love thy neighbor." We can and we will disagree about almost everything, but we will not do it in a spirit of hatred based on religion or race or sexual orientation or wealth or poverty.

"If our enemies want to live by hate, that is their loss. But we are not going to imitate their hatred. We live by love of our fellow man, and they will not stop us."

That is my humble idea of a pledge that means something. And no, it is not original with me.

Hallelujah!

Today is the International Day of Peace. Peace – such a simple word but such a hard thing to achieve. Remember those who died while countries fought, tribal leaders burned villages, Americans dropped bombs and troops marched through the streets. May Peace Prevail!

Individually we seem to be so helpless but it with our combined voices and small actions that can change how people choose to deal with each other.

Here are 5 ways you can “grow peace.”

Growing Peace

1. Teach your children to respect others and to respect themselves. Perceived disrespect has triggered gang wars, riots and invasions!
2. Teach your children peaceful ways to resolve conflicts. Disagreements and conflicts are a natural part of life but how we deal with them makes the difference.
3. Teach your children how to express themselves and their opinions without hateful words and attitudes. The progressive Democrat should be able to sit down and share ideas and information with the conservative Republican.
4. Teach your children to learn about other faiths, other nationalities, other countries. Americans are kind and generous but we often ignore the world outside our borders.
5. Teach your children to practice kindness and compassion. Actively participating in feeding the poor, donating toys and raising money helps a child feel powerful and in charge. Once the seed is planted you’ll never know what can happen!

Why not learn more about the International Day of Peace and how you can give peace a chance year round?

Playing for Change is a powerful way to connect with people from around the globe through music. The organization, started by 1 man interested in sharing street music from around the globe, has become a wonderful tool for peace.

About 18 months ago, I saw a PBS report on the Playing for Change music and spent some time searching for a CD for Arden. The wonderful street and professional musicians had such a warm message and fabulous songs! I finally was able to sign up for a mailing list to be notified of its release. When Starbucks started carrying their DVD, I knew they were going to become a global influence for good music and peace!

The video below is a bit large for the blog but I felt it was worth the scrambled appearance for a day to share this!

Start by listening to their music, then join in on this wonderful project at Playing For Change.