As I listen to the news today I have reached my limit on the torture issue. The headlines keep referring to it as "The Torture Debate". I am appalled that we as a nation have sunk so low that a debate about torture is an accepted part of serious conversation. There is nothing to debate. Wrong is wrong is wrong!In order to move toward a peaceful society we absolutely have to remove torture from our world. Torture is a symptom of deep seated fear, a sense of inadequacy, and the secret belief that you are really powerless. It stands to reason then that in order to eradicate the possibility of torture and instead have healthy, balanced relations, we must address the issues that generate these emotions. We must treat people and nations with respect. We must recognize the intrinsic value of everyone, and teach others by our example to do so also. If we can each do one small thing every day to encourage and empower someone else, or help a child feel strong and safe, maybe the resulting good would eventually increase exponentially. Also, right now, we must say No to torture, we have to remind our leaders there is no debate. We have to respond to the so called "Torture Debate" with the simple statement "There is nothing to debate, torture is always wrong, always a mistake, and always damages the perpetrator as much as the victim". read more »

I don't feel qualified to really speak my thoughts about how to work toward a peaceful world, but at the same time I am driven to give expression to my ideas. I feel that in order to work toward a peaceful civilization one must first exemplify a peaceful existence in their own personal life. It can be such a challenge to react in a loving and peaceful manner when your two-year old is screaming, you can't pay all your bills, you're late for work, and you are facing numerous other mundane and not so mundane life issues. I wonder how the lessons learned in my own personal life can be applied on a broader scale, or if they even matter. It seems to me that the people who choose to proliferate violence and hatred have taken these normal frustrating, painful, and humiliating personal experiences and chosen to handle them in a manner that causes more pain and suffering. A snow ball effect so to speak. Is it possible that having more conflict resolution and basic coping skills taught to all children from a very young age would eventually make a dicernable difference at some point in the not so distant future? read more »