What's Missing from the Abortion Debate

What’s Missing from the Abortion Debate?

Men, Science, and the Soul

Abortion Definition: the deliberate termination of a pregnancy

Is it Right or Wrong for a woman to intentionally terminate a pregnancy?

Is it Right or Wrong for a man to ejaculate in the vagina of a woman?

We hear the first question debated ad nauseum. Why don’t we hear the second question debated? Could it be because men don’t want to take responsibility for their actions? Could it be because women have commonly been accused of Wrongdoing since The Garden story found its way into the human psyche? There would be no pregnancy if no sperm found its way from the penis to the egg by way of the vagina. Yes – that’s science.

We have a lot to talk about. I am a man. My first child was aborted. I have a PhD in Health Education and was a Christian minister for 30 years. I have a right to talk a little, but you won’t hear worn out arguments and accusations. Let me talk about my first child.

I was 26 years old and still as naïve and irresponsible as many of my peers. No job; no savings account; no house; no car; and no plans for the future. I had known her for several months and we had been intimate before, but this day was different. What made it different? I could describe the physical surroundings and weather conditions which were obvious to me; what I did not know was her level of fertility. The egg was ready. Her pheromones were infusing me with their debilitating power. I was helpless to her seduction. I didn’t know it, but I impregnated her. When she ‘disappeared’ from the commune, I was told she had gone to the city to get an abortion. I followed and found her in the hospital. It was not a happy time for either of us.

Was it Right or Wrong for her to intentionally terminate that pregnancy?

Was it Right or Wrong for me to ejaculate in her vagina?

Should she or I or the doctor performing the abortion be criminalized?

I don’t apologize for telling my personal story. Every vaginally penetrating sex act resulting in a pregnancy is a personal story and involves a man and a woman. Accusers don’t know the personal stories of the accused and don’t seem to care. Oh, and the sperm giver is never mentioned.

I do apologize for setting this up as a Right or Wrong question. Right or Wrong is a matter of one’s personal beliefs of morality based on cultural traditions passed on for generations and often biased against women, people of color, and the disabled.

Enter the Soul. Hmm? When does the soul enter? The abortion debate talks about a human being having rights – in reference to what is developing in the womb of the woman. It was indeed a human sperm fertilizing a human egg to form a zygote that developed into a blastocyst and implanted in the uterus as an embryo where it would later be called a fetus when all the body parts were present. That’s right, all the Body parts. Hmm? Has the Soul entered yet? Is it a human Being yet? What constitutes a human Being? Would anyone argue that the Soul is the same as the body? Most Christians teach that the Soul needs to be saved – not the body; the body goes back to the dust.

If the Soul is present in the zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus and the body dies, what happens to the Soul? Does it perish, go to purgatory (limbo), or go to heaven? Can an abortion kill the Soul? Doesn’t the Soul have to sin before it dies? Certainly, no Soul in the womb has sinned. It takes Self-consciousness and knowledge to sin although some Christians believe the unborn is already a sinner due to ‘Original Sin.’ There is no confirming statement in the Bible as to what, exactly, the Soul is or when it might enter the body. I personally contend that Soul or Self is not present in the body until there is Self-Awareness around the age of two. That is a personal belief. The whole abortion debate is based on personal beliefs. If the Soul is not yet present in the body, then it is not yet a full Human Being (body, soul, and spirit).

“Thou shalt not kill.” As the story goes, this was one of the 10 Commandments delivered to the people by Moses on Mount Sinai. Then, when the twelve tribes of Israel were moving back to Canaan land, God had Moses to tell Joshua to kill every man, woman and child of the towns and cities that would not welcome them and accept their monotheistic belief. Sounds like “Thou shalt not kill” had conditions then as it does today. Some Christians believe it’s still okay today to take an eye for an eye rather than turn the other cheek. Some believe killing self-labeled “terrorists” is okay; killing someone you feel threatened by is okay; killing innocent people in declared or undeclared war is okay and calling it collateral damage. The commandment is not black and white. Stop using that commandment against a woman who is terminating her pregnancy.

Pro-Life/Pro-Choice are baited terms to divide and condemn. Everyone is pro-life until such time the benefits of dying outweigh the benefits of living. Everyone is pro-choice as evidenced by their demands for freedom and self-determination. The next time you use the baited terms, remember they were created to divide and condemn. Were you drawn into the trap? Do you want to remain a pawn to the divisive, condemning agenda of the judging virus? There is no freedom in an agenda that condemns a woman for making a choice to terminate her pregnancy. There is no freedom in an agenda that condemns a physician for performing treatments that protect the health of the patient. The only freedom is for men to continue to ejaculate in the vaginas of women around the world without consequence.

The premises of the debate render the debate a sham as deadly as the Salem witch trials and the Christian holocaust that murdered millions of women in Europe suspected of being witches. It is a sad statement that we are still having this debate and that women are still used, abused, and condemned throughout the world. We may be human beings, but we have yet to become a humane people.

Scripture references can be provided.

Welcome, Mrs. President

Welcome, Mrs. President

Preface

My grandfather, Dick Dalton, is 86 years old today (10/5/2030). In trying to come up with a topic for my masters thesis in World Futuring, my mother told me he played a trimtab[1] role in changing the trajectory of the United States following its congressional-corporate-military paralysis in March, 2013. What could have become the worst depression and state of anarchy this country has ever known was diverted by the cooperation and vision of a whole host of citizen servants.

This book is a result of my interviews with him. It tells an almost unbelievable story. I say “almost” unbelievable because the essence of his story is now part of our human experience. His personal story was not in my textbooks, but we all have seen and felt the effects of his small role. I think you will be as fascinated as I was to hear his perspective and the behind-the-scenes details.

Ashti Dalton
Columbia, MO
October 5, 2030

Welcome, Mrs. President.
Introduction

Grandpa, Mom says you had something to do with the rebirth of our country during the last fifteen years, but I couldn’t get her to tell me what you did. She said to ask you. What did you do?

I know many have called it a rebirth, Ashti, which implies there was a death and, in many ways, the US did experience a death and is experiencing a rebirth. I have come to view these last thirty years as a process not unlike the way a butterfly comes about. A caterpillar eats and eats until it is fat and then isolates itself in a cocoon or chrysalis. The caterpillar seems to die and become a soup, but scientists tell us that in that soup are Imaginal Cells that hold the blueprint for a butterfly and, over time, turn the elements of the soup into the beautiful butterfly we all see and admire.

In those early days, after so many years of mindless consumption by the US and other countries, the catepillar world went into cocoon mode. It could have lasted indefinitely, but there were just enough people in the United States, and all over the world, that were able to hold the image of what we could become as planet of global citizens, that, when it looked as though we were dead in the cocoon, those visionary people, already networked together, began to lead the writing of a new story for human beings and build the beautiful world we are becoming. We have all had something to do with the butterfly we see emerging, including you, but your mother is probably referring to a story that came to my mind 25 years ago, that turned out to be somewhat prophetic.

I had just finished teaching my spring semester classes in 2005 and was relaxing, sitting on our patio, reading the latest issue of Newsweek Magazine. It was especially focused on China and its growth and influence in the world. I had not even gotten through all the sections when, boom, out of the blue, I’m seeing this future series of events taking place. I thank my muse, the universe, God, or whatever inspired me that day for a story I could never have dreamed up on my own. My first job was to write it down, which I did. Here it is.

“It is the spring of 2012 and Hilary Clinton is gearing up her campaign for her second term as President. It is going to be harder for her this time after losing her husband right after her first inauguration. It was April 25th when the news came: North Korea had accidentally or intentionally fired a missile carrying a tactical nuclear warhead into southern South Korea killing thousands, including many US soldiers stationed there and US civilians living and working in Pusan.

In short order, the US, Japan, China, and South Korea all declare war on North Korea. In secret negotiations, China requests the allies to hold off on nuclear or other strong military retaliation and allow it to exercise an undercover plan to defeat North Korea. China asks for four months. Amazingly, the allies agree.

The media is told the four countries can’t agree on a military strategy. This hurts Hilary’s campaign, but the good news comes even before the beginning of the fourth month. China has successfully neutralized the military and governmental leadership of North Korea without an overt military attack. The headlines read: North Korea Neutralized: No US casualties or expense. Hilary becomes a diplomatic hero and easily wins the fall elections.

In March of 2013, President Clinton joins the other three heads of state in China for a joint celebration and negotiation for the future of North Korea. As she descends the stairs of Air Force One, China's President Hu Jintao greets her: “Welcome, Mrs. President.”

Two days later, on March 15, 2013, President Hu Jintao, in private consultation with President Clinton, expresses his regret that China is experiencing a financial crisis and needs to redeem the securities and treasury notes it bought to help keep the US afloat following 9/11/2001. The amount is over a trillion dollars.

President Clinton says there is no way the US can come up with that much cash and President Hu Jintao says, “We will be honored for you to be our guest until arrangements have been made. We have no animosity against the USA, but we helped you in good faith and we need our money back with the designated interest.”

The news leaked out and spread like wildfire. Emergency meetings were held day and night to find a solution, but the dominos had started to fall and country after country and thousands of individuals put in their redemption requests for securities and treasury notes they had purchased.

At the same time, country after country stopped supplying the US corporations and government agencies with their products. China and others stopped shipments to Wal-Mart and the many other US outlets. With Wal-Mart getting 80% of its goods from China, business came to a halt. Oil stopped coming from OPEC, Nigeria and Mexico and both land and air travel in the US came to a halt.

The US dollar went flat. No one honored it worldwide. In a matter of days the US went from the top of the heap to the bottom. President Clinton was released to return home to a chaos and panic even worse than that of 1929.”

That was the story.

[1] Trimtab: the smallest rudder on a large ship that could greatly influence course trajectory over a long distance.

How would you finish the story?

How would you respond to such a dramatic change in the world economy?

What are you doing to prepare for such a possibility?

Santa and The Boy Who Cried Wolf

It was 1981. I had been asked to give my Stress Management series to a Sunday school class of 120 traditional parents and grandparents. Half-way through the session on holiday stress, a wall came up between me and the group when they thought I said they were lying to their kids about Santa Claus. My mind started searching for an exit strategy.

That’s when a gray-haired woman stood up and turned to her friends and peers saying, “I want to tell you what happened this year with my granddaughter. She came to me and said, ‘Mommy and Daddy said there was a Santa Claus and there really wasn’t, and they said there was an Easter Bunny and there really wasn’t, and they said there was a Tooth Fairy and there really wasn’t. Now they’re telling me there is a Jesus Christ and a God. Grandma, is there really a Jesus Christ and a God?’”

She sat down. Nobody said anything. My goose bumps felt huge. It was so profound and so elegantly, yet simply, stated. During the next few minutes I gently went on with the program as the room seemed to heal of its hostility.

I have shared this account with every health class I’ve taught from that day to this. One year I realized the grandmother was actually re-telling the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The traditional parents play the role of the Boy, their kids are the town’s folk, and the three fake wolves are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. The ‘real’ wolf is the message we want our kids to believe forever. For the parents of the granddaughter, it was teaching her that there is a Jesus Christ and a God.

We want our kids to trust us, but we may have trained them not to. And the sad thing, at least in the case of Santa Claus, is that kids learn more about getting presents and demanding what they want their parents to buy them, than they learn about giving.

Here is a solution I offer to my college students that I believe is a win-win-win: kids love to pretend. Next Christmas, include them in the Santa myth. “Let’s play Santa and his helpers this year. Who wants to be Santa? I know some people that would love some cookies and a Christmas card. Let’s all make treats and take them over to the Elder House.”

Your children will grow up experiencing the joy of giving to those who can’t give much more than a tearful smile of appreciation. “When can we do that again, Mom? That was fun!”

Social Artistry in and Through Education

When you think of an artist you may think of Vincent van Gogh before you think of William Shakespeare or Benjamin Franklin. Indeed, van Gogh was an artist who manifested on canvas the people, the culture and the environment of his homeland. Shakespeare manifested through plays and poetry the people, the cultures, the dreams, and the realities of the seemingly timeless human drama. Benjamin Franklin drew from a broad palette, including the beautiful culture of the Iroquois League[i], and flourished bold and innovative ideas that are still a part of our culture. Will and Ben were Social Artists.

Jean Houston is a pioneer in the Human Potential movement and has advanced Social Artistry as an idea whose time has come to help resolve the devastating conflicts between cultures, religions, corporations, countries, and the human abuses of Mother Earth, and the women and children of the earth. “The Social Artist is one who brings the focus, perspective, skill training, tireless dedication and fresh vision of the artist to the social arena. Thus the Social Artist’s medium is the human community. She or he seeks innovative solutions to troubling conditions, is a lifelong learner ever hungry for insights, skills, imaginative ideas and deeper understanding of present-day issues.”

We invite you to change the worldIf you are ready for work that works, then this is a program for you. If you are called to a passion for the possible then this seminar is what you have been waiting for. Finally, if you have sensed yourself as a catalyst, however large or small in the greatest transition the world has ever known, then you should think seriously about joining us.

Exploring the new field of Social Artistry
The Social Artistry in Leadership Conference has been held at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon each summer since 2002. It is a wonderful place for cultivating teachers as Social Artists: those who have recognized the needs of our world and have experienced a personal growth that connects them to its diverse cultures, histories, and dreams; those who carry a deep caring for each student’s story and future and connect it to their own; those who draw from the wells of myth, poetry, drama, research, history, science and current events and create environments for students to splash around in that wonderful, soul-feeding mixture; those who understand that corporate, religious, and political paradigms are not the panacea for the pains of our world; and those who are willing to be radicals[ii], evocateurs, and revolutionaries[iii] in the education arena rather than slaves to an outdated 1920’s system.

As an outgrowth of Dr. Houston’s work, the International Institute for Social Artistry has been formed and Leadership Training has begun. Each summer in Ashland, OR, 100+ participants from around the world engage in this training. It is open to all who feel the call to dive into the solution that will enrich each one personally and professionally, wherever they live and work in the world.

[i] Houston, Jean. Manual for the Peacemaker, An Iroquois Legend to Heal Self & Society. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 1995.

[ii] "Radicals are in many ways social artists. They restate the hidden truths of society through working with people and social movements rather than color or line. Like the few genuine artists of any age, they teach people to see with fresh vision. They go to the roots (Latin: radices) of social beliefs and re-examine tired slogans and lifeless symbols. They are a source of great vitality and energy for any society”. - Judith Nies, Nine Women

[iii] “These determined pioneers are creating new political parties and movements, strengthening their communities, deepening their spiritual practice, discovering the joyous liberation of voluntary simplicity, building networks of locally rooted businesses, certifying socially and environmentally responsible products, restoring forests and watersheds, promoting public transportation and defining urban growth boundaries, serving as peacemakers between hostile groups, advancing organic agriculture, practicing holistic health, directing their investments to socially responsible businesses, organizing recycling campaigns, and demanding that trade agreements protect the rights of people and the environment.” - the economist David Korten describing the new Jeffersonians in his book, The Post-Corporate World

We invite you to change the world
If you are ready for work that works,

then this is a program for you.

If you are called to a passion for the possible

then this seminar is what you have been waiting for.

Finally, if you have sensed yourself as a catalyst,

however large or small in the greatest transition

the world has ever known,

then you should think seriously about joining us.Exploring the new field of Social Artistry

Connecting Heaven and Earth

Introduction

The Christian culture has had a history of writing off the earth for various reasons. Paul and John said things that at face value encourage that perspective (e.g. set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth; that which is seen is temporal, that which is not seen is eternal; the world passeth away). Many Christians have focused on leaving this physical earth behind when they die and going to a heaven that’s difficult for them to describe. The Left Behind series tapped into that mindset.

When I ask Christians what their image of the future is for this earth, they express little hope for it. They see “wars and rumors of wars” forever. They see bad people doing bad things forever.

As a college Health teacher, I am concerned about how my students think about this world and its future. I believe they are co-creating the future whether they realize it or not. Their thoughts, words, and actions do have an influence on the big picture and I want them to appreciate that fact.

Many of my students profess a Christian background and I offer a way for them to explore some of their Christian teachings that involve the future of the earth. The process I use goes like this:

1. I give them a list of personal opinion topics to choose from for discussion. This list includes the topic, “My Image of the Future,” which requires the students to reflect on John Lennon’s song "Imagine" and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech from 1963.

2. Students sign up to meet with me in small groups in my office to discuss ideas and if they pick the topic "My Image of the Future", I first establish if they actually read or listened to the song and the speech. If you haven’t recently, let me refresh your memory of those two images of the future:

Imagine
Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try,
No hell below us, Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people living for today...
Imagine there's no countries, It isn’t hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too,
Imagine all the people living life in peace...
Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people Sharing all the world...
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one.
Written by: John Lennon © Bag productions inc.

From Dr. Martin Luther King's speech in August of 1963:

“…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

“This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!" And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.”
- delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

We then discuss whether or not they believe these dreams and images can really come true in our world. What do you think these young people say? What do you personally think about the future of our world? I have very few students that believe in the real possibility of the visions set forth above. They generally point to other people that cannot be changed and the common litany “there will always be bad people doing bad things.”

I then ask the students about their image of heaven, if they have one. What is your image of heaven? Is it a place divided between the rich and the poor? the white and the black? Does it have separate places for each religion and each country? Are those in heaven looking forward to going to a better place? Are some already in heaven afraid they might get kicked out of heaven because deep down they know they are not good enough to be there?

Now, keeping your image of heaven in mind, complete the following statement: "…thy kingdom come…."

Are There Futures We Don't Create?

Every moment, the multiple forces of the Universe are at work, bringing into our individual circumstances, new challenges, burdens, and opportunities. It is extremely uncommon for people to co-create the death of a family member, a devastating event of nature, or the wondrous thrills of rescue, of a sunset, or the miracle of birth. So many things happen beyond our locus of control.

It seems that how we react or respond is only partially within our ability of control. Try to suppress the tears or make them stream. Try to quench that belly laugh or manufacture it. All of us learn techniques that help us filter the incoming information. The coping mechanisms we developed as children are called defense mechanisms by psychologists. They are our ways of making it through a day. It is amazing how resourceful our system is for adaptation.

It is not uncommon for these resourceful defense mechanisms to remain embedded in our system on into adulthood. When do we shift gears and start looking at life from a different perspective? What causes or allows one's consciousness to expand beyond the narrow view of the world that we developed as children? Even after having multiple experiences of expanding consciousness, why would we revert back to an earlier world view in certain situations? I expect that you have your own answers to these questions and your answers are the important ones.

Believe it or not, I saw my first episode of Dr. Who last night on the Sci-Fi channel. I had heard about it years ago, but had never encountered it. Dr. Who, his young female traveling companion and a tag-along boy visited a space station where all the people had chips implanted and no longer asked questions. They were content doing their jobs thinking they had all the information they needed and that questions were pointless. You can imagine the effect Dr. Who had on this environment or else you can remember it clearly.

We look around our own world and wonder why more people don't ask more questions. We can look in the mirror and ask the same question. Where do questions come from? Do we manufacture them, too? Are they genetically passed on? Memetically passed on?

This week a dear friend informed me of her father's death after a lengthy battle with cancer. The same day another dear friend invited me to her husband's 80 birthday party 2000 miles away. The next day I got a postcard ad from Playboy: 12 issues for $12 and bonus DVD upon receipt of payment. That evening: two phone calls asking for money, my alma mater and the Cancer Society. How to respond to such diverse incoming information? Could the same filter handle the lot? Evidently not. It seemed that I had different compartments for each piece of input. I went to very different places in my body/mind memories to react and then to respond.

How would you react and then respond to inputs like these? What do you imagine my responses were? Are they the responses you would secretly like to make, but don't feel able to? Do you have more than one filtering mechanism, too? My future may take on a surprisingly different trajectory because of my responses. Could I have responded any differently? Are our reactions and responses already so built-in that we are not truly making a decision? I wonder. My dear friend with the birthday invitation was not at all surprised by my response. My wife seemed surprised by my response to the Playboy ad. And you?

The Possible World

You may have heard the joke about the two caterpillars looking up at a butterfly and one caterpillar says to the other, "you wouldn't catch me dead in one of those contraptions."

I was just reviewing Mae-Wan Ho's book, "The Rainbow and the Worm, The Physics of Organisms," looking for the phrase and idea of imaginal cells. I had first encountered this idea at a Jean Houston gathering of the West Coast Mystery School a few years ago and it resonated deeply. Imaginal cells are now almost mainstream with over 10,000 hits at google; however, I could not quickly find a first entry of the phrase into the lexicon.

If you aren't familiar with imaginal cells, they have to do with making butterflies and other organisms. You can jump to http://www.wisdomways.net/AboutUs/ButterflyStory.asp and read a great entry and/or just read on.

In the regenerating process a caterpillar is all about consuming. Looking at our present world, we seem to be mimicking the caterpillar. Well, as the story goes, the caterpillar finally senses that it is time to hibernate and it builds a cocoon around itself. Unlike bears in hibernation, the caterpillar appears to die or turn to mush, but on an unseen level, its liquid crystalline structure remains coherent (alive) and within that structured mush can be found imaginal cells resonating at a frequency that allows them to be attracted to each other, and within those cells is the blueprint image (liquid crystalline memory) of a butterfly. They proceed to use the mushy resources to build it. So the caterpillar in the joke above was actually correct, he was never dead, just transformed.

Thousands of people around the world have awakened to the fact that they and/or the organizations of which they are a part, are imaginal cells resonating at a frequency that is attracting them to each other for the transformative work of building the Possible World, the Butterfly World, populated with the Possible Humans and cooperative structures that can only be called Beautiful.

How is it that a seed idea from a natural phenomenon can blossom into this grand awakening in such a short time? Or was the awakening already taking place globally at an observational level or an intuitive level among a few folk? Many say yes. And into that sense of awakening drops a metaphor that paints the process in such a simple language that all those who are awakening can understand it. The power of the metaphor, the mythic story, the parable that speaks simply and in physical terms of a mental/spiritual/societal application that resonates with the ones that have started to awaken.

Biblically, you can read "awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Eph 5:14). Sounds like he's talking to a caterpillar. The caterpillar thinks he's sleeping, but he looks dead. He just needs his imaginal cells to wake up and build that butterfly so that the regenerating process brings him into the light again. But Paul was probably not talking to caterpillars. Many, many cultures had the same story with slightly different words. The dream of a better world, a possible world, seemed to be part of the basic fabric of societies.

Many think the time has finally come for the big transition, Jump Time, the Great Turning, the wake-up call so we won't sleep through this coming rEvolution. Martin Luther King Jr was concerned in 1968 that too many people might sleep through the great rEvolution of the Civil Rights Movement. He used the story of Rip van Winkle who went to sleep under the rule of King George of England and woke up under the rule of George Washington.

It is time to open our senses to those people and groups that resonate with this image of the Possible World. There are thousands of websites, organizations, bloggers, and individuals that are ready to interact with you, dialogue with you, support you and your project to help bring into being this Possible World. There is no hierarchy. Each has the same image when all the outside trappings are laid aside. The same key words of cooperation, respect, coherence, self-renewing, regenerating, and interdependence keep showing up along with dozens of more.

It is time, high time, to wake out of sleep, again. "But will they wake, for pity's sake."