2010.12.30: December 30, 2010: Fred Schantz writes: Recently on Facebook I posted a short note about how I felt President Obama was clearly one of the world's greatest peacemakers, about his father being from Kenya where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and about in a very strange way how I felt connected to all of this
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2010.12.30: December 30, 2010: Fred Schantz writes: Recently on Facebook I posted a short note about how I felt President Obama was clearly one of the world's greatest peacemakers, about his father being from Kenya where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and about in a very strange way how I felt connected to all of this
Fred Schantz writes: Recently on Facebook I posted a short note about how I felt President Obama was clearly one of the world's greatest peacemakers, about his father being from Kenya where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and about in a very strange way how I felt connected to all of this
While I did not expect much of a response to my post, I was amazed to read several positive responses to it, and one very negative discourse against what I had written. The negative person blasted away on how the president did this instead of that, why so many people voted to change the political make up of congress in order to run off the current subversive leaders, and how our great country was established not by liberal socialists but by independent statesmen determined to establish a new republic.
Fred Schantz writes: Recently on Facebook I posted a short note about how I felt President Obama was clearly one of the world's greatest peacemakers, about his father being from Kenya where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and about in a very strange way how I felt connected to all of this
Peacemakers Shall Inherit
Created: 12/30/2010 07:59:57 AM PST
Recently on Facebook I posted a short note about how I felt President Obama was clearly one of the world's greatest peacemakers, about his father being from Kenya where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and about in a very strange way how I felt connected to all of this. My posting was an expression an opinion and feeling of accomplishment during this auspicious time of the year when for at least two weeks many people in the world really do try to treat their neighbor as they would like to be treated.
While in the pensive mood, I also remembered that at a young age I consciously decided to take an active, although however small, part in helping to bring peace to a very troubled world that was at the time engaged in a horrible war in Vietnam that took the life of my brother and so many friends, all of whom I still miss every day.
While I did not expect much of a response to my post, I was amazed to read several positive responses to it, and one very negative discourse against what I had written. The negative person blasted away on how the president did this instead of that, why so many people voted to change the political make up of congress in order to run off the current subversive leaders, and how our great country was established not by liberal socialists but by independent statesmen determined to establish a new republic.
The negative person presenting the strong and mostly inaccurate opinions was so controversial I tried to evaluate why his challenging comments
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seemed so sad and I began to worry that anyone believing the opinions would probably, like him, continue to adversely affect the social order in our country and peace in the world in general.
After thinking about his opinions for some time, I experienced a Gestalt-like change in understanding about my own view of the world and the people in it. I, and many people like me, was unwittingly mentally, morally, culturally, and even physically made a peacemaker by my biology, society, and eventually drive to help achieve world peace.
I am convinced the main reason for a light coming on about the critical role and importance of peacemakers was due to the lessons Christians in my family taught me as a child. Christ as a peacemaker taught that the meek shall inherit the earth and that everyone should follow his example accordingly. He taught that the more people tried to live a pure life as He did, the more they would be like Him and therefore destined for heaven on earth after death.
Finally, it is logical to assume that the same meek peacemakers who are scheduled to inherit the earth one day can and are willing to for some time to come, continue the earth's existence while improving conditions of humanity through promoting understanding and brokering compromise of radically different views. With enough peacemakers actively participating in the effort, a reasonable condition void of major conflict can and will continue until the day often called Armageddon arrives when the people in uncompromising positions unwilling to listen to others, consider different points of view, or compromise in any way at some point sadly experience wars and rumors of wars and the actual end of the earth resulting a great deal from their bigoted behavior.
FRED SCHANTZ, Woodland
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: December, 2010; Peace Corps Kenya; Directory of Kenya RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Kenya RPCVs; Presidents - Obama
When this story was posted in March 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Peace Corps: The Next Fifty Years As we move into the Peace Corps' second fifty years, what single improvement would most benefit the mission of the Peace Corps? Read our op-ed about the creation of a private charitable non-profit corporation, independent of the US government, whose focus would be to provide support and funding for third goal activities. Returned Volunteers need President Obama to support the enabling legislation, already written and vetted, to create the Peace Corps Foundation. RPCVs will do the rest. |
| How Volunteers Remember Sarge As the Peace Corps' Founding Director Sargent Shriver laid the foundations for the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. Shriver spoke to returned volunteers at the Peace Vigil at Lincoln Memorial in September, 2001 for the Peace Corps 40th. "The challenge I believe is simple - simple to express but difficult to fulfill. That challenge is expressed in these words: PCV's - stay as you are. Be servants of peace. Work at home as you have worked abroad. Humbly, persistently, intelligently. Weep with those who are sorrowful, Care for those who are sick. Serve your wives, serve your husbands, serve your families, serve your neighbors, serve your cities, serve the poor, join others who also serve," said Shriver. "Serve, Serve, Serve. That's the answer, that's the objective, that's the challenge." |
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
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Story Source: Daily Democrat
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