Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, November 16, 2012
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Downtown on the Square (Federal Plaza E. & Wick Ave.)

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, November 16, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the corner of Downtown on the Square (Federal Plaza E. & Wick Ave.), Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

　

This week:

Since I last posted an announcement for the Youngstown peace vigils a couple of weeks ago, I’ve taken small steps forward, making progress with several projects on my personal agenda. At the same time, our nation took a giant leap forward that should make anyone who loves peace and respects everyone’s rights proud to be an American. Granted, it’s not perfect and there’s still much work ahead for all of us to do, but at least we didn’t move backward--again!

Four years ago, we elected the first African-American to be president of the United States. Many people believed, or at least hoped, that we’d finally shed the last vestiges of hatred and racism that had plagued our country since before its founding. The feeling of euphoria generated by such romantic delusions lasted only until the first tea-partier publicly shouted the hateful slogan: "Take our country back." Two years later, Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives and Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell loudly announced that their single most important goal was to make certain Barack Obama would be just a one-term president. Since then, their obstinate obstructionism has prevented the entire Congress from being able to pass any positive measures.

Of course, now that the voters have re-elected Barack Obama to be the first two-term African-American President of the United States, we can only hope that conservatives will actually realize and accept the destructive nature of their reactionary policies that threatened to destroy not just this country, but the entire planet. At my age, having been witness to these continuing struggles through nearly seven decades, I’m experienced enough to balance my naturally sanguine nature with a healthy dose of wariness. We will see.

And we must each continue to do our part to build a better world--without poverty and war. That is why Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan was not Yes I Can; it was: Yes WE Can!

The only way to fulfill the 2012 slogan of Hope and Change is for all of us to Just DO It! Now, LET’S GO!

Positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!