A CALL FOR PEACE AND CIVILITY

By now we have all heard that Liu Xiaobo, who is a leading Chinese dissident since the 1989 Tienanmen Square student uprising, and is now serving 11 years in a Chinese prison for "incitement to subvert state power" for co-authoring Charter 08 (which calls for democratic reforms), has won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Charter 08 was originally signed by over 300 Chinese scholars, lawyers and officials, has since been signed by 12,000 people online. Of course, the petition has now been closed by the Chinese government.

I watched a segment about Nelson Mandela, winner of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, on 60 Minutes last night, and feel that the bravery of these men - and men and women like them - who have risked their lives and freedom for the sake of democracy and human rights is something unimaginable in our everyday, middle American lives.

Where is the courage in our present day elected officials to stand up for human rights in the face of opposition? So many appear to be more eager to please big corporations or organizations who will back their elections or re-elections with big money. Their main objectives often seem to be to promote their own well-being or that of their political party rather than that of their constituents or the country as a whole.

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In light of my feelings on current politics, and with the upcoming elections creating more and more negative political campaign ads (sometimes I cannot hit the TV remote mute button fast enough!), I was particularly happy to receive the following from my good friend June:

"For the duration of the election season, I hereby pledge to uphold the highest standards of truth and civility in word, thought, and deed. On my honor, I will:

*Just say no to crazy email forwards, and to any other noxious electronic communication that comes my way. Everyone in your address book will thank us. We promise.

*Communicate in a spirit of truth, humility, love, and patience with all people I come in contact with, despite our political disagreements or family relationship. That goes for Uncle Frank. Especially Uncle Frank.

*Question any and all statements that sound mean, vindictive, or absurd; that provide no source of context; or that are politically motivated. So pretty much everything you hear on cable TV news.

*Share and enjoy stories of folks who are living out an attitude of truth and civility. Make sure each story meets both requirements: Nice people telling lies don't count.

*As a witness for God, encourage and spread a message of hope and reconciliation to a world that is deeply divided by political and cultural differences. Like Jesus taught."

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The above is titled "Truth and Civility Election Watch Pledge". I hope that Sojourners doesn't mind my copying it, but I felt it would be easier to share with more people this way, rather than by email. For those of you who are interested, Sojourners has its own blog. And its own magazine.

"Sojourners is a progressive Christian commentary on faith, politics and culture. It seeks to build a movement of spirituality and social change."

As a movement to bring civility and honesty back into our society, it appeals to all faiths -- or those with no faith. Check it out: www.sojo.net. The key word here is "progressive".

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Again, I cannot urge you strongly enough to check out the news sites online that will fill you with hope and inspiration. You won't have to wade through all the negative, depressing headlines. My favorite is AOL Good News Now. You may click on the sites in a box at the right of the blog post. Gird yourself with optimism, and envision the kind of society we wish to experience.

Peace and love,
Marilyn