What we-the-people could do
I'm in the Los Angeles Times
My letter, in Saturday’s L.A. Times, was in response to a column talking about how hard it would be to control Trump in a debate. It wasn’t a brand-new brainstorm of mine. Here are ideas I’ve put out, where this one is to be found, for what we-the-people could bring about. It includes some things a massive coalition could put pressure on government to do.
TEACH THE UNIVERSE STORY – We need a planetary creation story where we are here to care for Earth.
CREATE AN AD HOC WISDOM COUNCIL – Universally loved people who everyone would listen to.
A SUGGESTION BOX – For anyone to contribute ideas to go to the Wisdom Council.
THE HUMAN SURVIVAL COALITION – Collect millions of people to pressure government and spread good ideas.
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME – Everyone in the civilized world gets food, shelter, education, health care.
FIRESIDE CHATS – From celebrities to unknowns, people post videos to get the human family united.
SAVE THE WORLD ESSAYS – Flood the net to get people thinking.
OUTLAW BILLIONAIRES – An oligarchy that enriches itself can’t hold sway.
LIMIT DRUG COMMERCIALS – No drug ads for diseases most people don’t have.
CHANGE HOW CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN ON TV – Ads would be just talking to the camera and debates would be unmoderated conversations.
MODEL GUN LAWS AFTER JAPAN – They have no schools shootings.
MODEL THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AFTER NORWAY – Their 20% prison recidivism rate compares to 75% for the U.S.
CIRCLES OF TRUST – Everyone is in a circle where eight people help each other.
EDUCATE FOR HUMANNESS – Train teachers to educate children for skills like mindfulness and practicing kindness.
THE POWER OF PRAYER – A minute-a-day circling the globe for millions worldwide to focus on a shift to peace and love.
Now that our essay contest has stirred up thinking about what we can do, think about doing these things. The essays fantasize about how we could get on a better course, like Taylor Swift getting the world to pick up on something, but these are things that would be in our power to deal with.
Thoughts about them? Ideas to add?
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Suzanne, it's good to see more people are paying attention to your suggestions. It can liven up the conversation.
Fabulous. Just reading through your list of civilization-changing proposals generates both energy and optimism. It jolts one into a new day. These are seeds that go way down deep in soul. They evoke, "We can do this."
Reading through these thoroughly wise suggestions, I feel as if I am receiving the thinking of Earth itself.