(03,24,2024) Placation is the act of appeasing or pacification; in other words, to restore to a state of tranquility or peace. So, how does one go about restoring peace and tranquility in a world so full of turmoil and hate? Well…, to begin with, one might try just approaching a single person, preferably someone who has been previously unknown to you, or else, one with whom you are unfamiliar, and express the desire to make their acquaintance. One might reach out and offer a hand to a person, a stranger who is in need! There is an age old custom, used by most past civilizations, upon meeting or greeting a stranger, one which could probably be dated back to the beginning of time. One always offers a hand or arm as a sign of trust and friendship! And, usually, this act is rewarded with a bond of friendship. Some people even form bonds that last a life time. Unfortunately, it could also lead one into a false sense of mutual respect and affiliation. For example, four hundred years ago, the Mayans, the Incas, and the Aztec civilization were wiped out by rapacious Spaniards, who were initially welcomed with open arms. The soldiers from Spain, who had nothing but greed for gold on their minds, betrayed the indigenous tribes. Their lust for the precious metal drove the Spanish Conquistadors to commit the most heinous acts upon the afore mentioned peoples of Central America. They thought nothing of the gross genocide they did wreak upon these civilizations, because they deemed the people to be unimportant, lesser in status as human beings, unworthy to be treated as equals with rights. And, so, the Spaniards slaughtered one civilization after another, as though they were nothing more than animals, returning for the spoils again and again, until there was nothing left. Ironically, the Mayan, Incan and Aztec cultures were, in many ways, so much more advanced and superior to the European adversaries who used might and weapons to bully and destroy them while they pilfered their cities. Sadly, this lack of decency or any morals, or any compulsion toward righteousness, is evident in many societies, today, and is growing stronger. We, the people, are currently witnessing a total lack of regard for the value of human life. It is evident in the acts of dictators, all over the world, and is now very blatantly at the forefront of what you see, and what you hear from the voices of people who are nominated, in America, by the Republican Party. America’s former president, the P.O.T.A.S. (President of the American Supremacists) has, basically, used the very words by which I described the Conquistadors attitude toward (their idea of) “inferior” people, in his speech to his base. He has often referred to immigrants as thieves, rapists, drug addicts and murderers. In fact, in his ranting effort to belittle the immigrants, the P.O.T.A.S. opines that “these criminals” are not even people, but, on a par lower than animals. And then, you have Republican nominees who are calling for the execution of President Biden and former President Obama, as well as that of many Democratic members of the House of Congress and the Senate who have been deemed as “traitors, non-nationalists and non-patriots”. These extremists want to charge the Democrats with treason for the imagined “acts of sedition”. Talk about (pot-kettle) projecting! One such Republican nominee is a North Carolina Q Anon conspiracy theorist, Michele Morrow, who is poised to become Superintendent of Public Instruction in that state. Besides demanding the execution of presidents, Morrow, who home schooled her own children, has referred to their public schools as socialism centers and indoctrination centers. And, yet, this is the person that the Republicans want to manage their state’s school system. She wants to abolish the state Board of Education and put their agenda in her hands, as the superintendent, and that of the state legislature, which is currently controlled by the Republicans. Morrow also believes in the notion of the “storm”, in which there will be a day when thousands of their democratic enemies will purportedly be arrested and subjected to military tribunals. And, then, they will face mass executions for their alleged crimes, with the P.O.T.A.S. leading the effort, alongside other Q Anon “patriots”. Again, this is the type of person that America’s Republicans want to instruct their children. My main concern is for those children in their state of North Carolina. What kind of future do they face with a person like Michele Morrow dictating how their educational instruction is to be carried out? One can only imagine the damage she has done to her own children, with the lies, hatred and misinformation that she must have already instilled in their susceptible minds! And now, she wants to subject the children, of the entire state, to the same type of mental cruelty, because she objects to the previous prevailing educational system. The fertile minds of children are hungry for, and need to be nourished with, prospects of a future that is full of aspiration! Instead, in many ways, and, in most countries, they are soon bombarded, at an early age, with dire scenes of hate, violence, wars and mistrust. In third world countries, sadly, many conflicts are witnessed first hand. In Europe and North America, most children have parents who buy them “games”; not the simple ones like we had years ago, but, war games, or video games with any conflict imaginable that ends up with a body count. These “children’s” games appear to be approximately ninety-nine percent full of that same violence (or perhaps to an even higher degree) as that which they witness on the television, whether in a drama or the local news. There are so many war torn countries, in this world, that most of the children (among the global population) will not even have the prospect of living a full and healthy life. Those who will survive, say, in North America, and particularly, in the United States, often live in fear for their lives. Gun violence, in schools, has been on the rise for so many years that most children, in today’s society, dread going to school. Then, there are those that are deemed the “weaker” students, by bullies who pick on them either physically or through social media. This often leads to more violence in the form of suicide, or a gun toting teenager on a rampage for revenge. As they grow older, children are led to believe that they must take sides. And so, we now have our college students questioning each other about the situation between the Palestinians, in Gaza, and Israel, asking, “Who’s side are you on?”, while innocent people, here, get blamed and attacked for something that is going on half way over on the other side of this large planet! Thusly, our children are raised, much as we were by our parents, to be mistrustful of others and look out for number one, yourself, and be fearful of strangers. After all, going back several generations, what has every parent instructed their children to do or, in this respect, not do? Their number one rule has been, “Don’t talk to strangers!” Of course, we have to be careful, but what kind of message does this send to our children? They deserve the right to grow up in a community which produces surroundings that are free of strife and worry, allowing them the comfort and space to explore through carefree imagination. In this way, leaving their innocent minds the happy luxury of peace and tranquility, they could pursue their dreams. A joyful outlook is tantamount to the production of creative outlets, from which the nurtured fruits of their imaginations, those that can be harvested, are able to give rise to endless hopeful possibilities for the future improvement of humankind. Now, you are probably thinking, “Dream on!”, because such a Utopian land will always remain a myth. Most believe that it is a legend which people should not take seriously. However, is that not the type of place that Jesus Christ was talking about, when he’d declared that “the meek shall inherit the earth”? Jesus was not referring to those “last people standing” after a nuclear war wipes out most of the planet. He foresaw a Paradise restored. He had predicted the “doom and gloom” scenario that is prevalent across the globe today. He also promised that the evil will succumb to righteousness, in the “last days”. And, make no mistake! We are living in the “day of judgement”, as described in one of his revelations. However, it does not refer to the destruction of the earth or the end of life, just life as we know it! There will be a new beginning for the righteous people of God. While those evil-doers will be destroyed, there will be an awakening among the innocent, whose eyes will be opened. Their enlightenment will, indeed, induce healthier productive and prosperous earthly ventures. Perhaps, our children would enjoy hearing about the actual future which Jesus Christ promised for them! It would be encouraging, for them, to be able to focus on such a positive and happy prospect as living and learning in a realm like Shambhala!