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"The story today is going to be very discouraging to the American people. I understand that. We value life. And we weep and mourn when soldiers lose their life. But it is the long-term objective that is vital, and that is to spread freedom."
— PRESIDENT BUSH on the death of 31 American soldiers in Iraq in a helicopter crash (New York Times on the Web "Quotation of the Day" • January 27, 2005)
AN OPEN LETTER TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
What is this freedom we vitally need to spread?
Good Heart!
Since life is truly valuable and war takes unspeakable toll on those who are directly affected, it would do great good for us to discuss and discover what are the best ways to "spread freedom." I think the first vital question that needs to be answered is "What kind of freedom are we spreading?" Only after we've achieved a respectable level of common clarity as to what this freedom is can we together intelligently explore the ways by which such a freedom is best achieved.
Let the people think about it. The more the better. Let's brainstorm and discuss this "vital long-term objective" in schools, on the Internet, in the media, in social organizations, and everywhere else. Just like in distributed processing used by supercomputers, there are many great advantages—including speed and quality of results—to letting as many people as possible look into this.
By simply raising the right questions, we can all participate in quickly finding the best answers. With the many millions of valuable lives at stake in both the short-term and the long-term—from injuries, illnesses, financial ruin, to death itself—a concerted effort by all is an urgent need. Thousands of corporations and organizations, and millions of individuals of all ages and capabilities, can both temporarily and permanently donate a whole range of resources that can facilitate this vital endeavor.
The more good-hearted people get involved, the quicker we can resolve this urgent and important, 'Global Covey Quadrant One' issue—the currently destructive and deadly mission to spread "freedom" in Iraq (and possibly beyond)—and move on to the other "urgent and important" issues: tsunami reconstruction, global warming, AIDS, other wars, and much more. This is democracy in action.
Here I share a few other questions of my own:
Could it be that the only way to truly spread freedom is to spread Goodwill? For is it not Goodwill that opens the chained and locked doors of closed and darkened hearts and minds, the worst barriers to human freedom?
Is it not that Goodwill is one of humanity's greatest common wealth, a super-fertile living field that nurtures and brings forth peace, sharing, abundance, joy, love and much more?
Is it not the "unfoldment of the Good Spirit within" the goal of true education and liberation?
Cannot this true education and liberation be better achieved by inspiration rather than by coercion?
Without Goodwill, can one inspire another?
Cannot an overflowing river of Goodwill achieve so much more in the "fight against terror" and "in spreading freedom", with more abundant, sweeter and long-lasting fruits, at much lesser cost (including many thousands of lives) than by supporting acts of terror (war) ourselves?
Can we now begin to plan for, organize and implement good people-to-people relations with our Iraqi brethren and beyond—good relations that we envision to be our best common future?
Would that not facilitate bringing home the troops before many more are physically and psychologically maimed and killed on both sides of the conflict?
Can we as a nation and as a family of nations help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the ailing, cleanup radioactive depleted uranium contamination, rebuild healthy, productive communities,... in Iraq and in all the other places in urgent need, with sincere Will-To-Do-Good?
Can we now embark on an "Extreme Global Problem-Solving Goodwill Movement" that involves a little from many millions of good-hearted people? Now is a good time. With enormous natural disasters gracing us, we see in plain view the immense personal and social benefits of the healthy flow of unconditional goodwill and selfless acts of helping those in need.
We, as a Human Family, have incredible, innate gifts and resources not fully utilized or still hidden from view and await our en masse commitment to serve and celebrate our fellow beings in order for these gifts and resources to become abundantly accessible. May our choices today and onwards bring us fruits of joy, peace, love and good for all.
Sincerely,
Shyam Tony Reyes
Cocreator/Facilitator
www.circlesofgoodwill.org
being@circlesofgoodwill.org
Clear fear; instill Goodwill.
We are in God with all always. Feel it!
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