Dear World,

I love you.

I can be a tough guy sometimes and act like I don't care, but I do. I care about my family and my friends and I care about the people half a world away whose names I may never know. I care that they have food. I care that they get treatment for AIDS. I care that they learn to read. I care that they are free from oppression. I do not believe that any one person is more important than another or that one life is more valuable than the next.

I do not want Iraqi soldiers shot or bombed. I do not want U.S. soldiers shot or bombed. I do not want people hated or feared because they are Black, because they are poor, because they are Muslim, because they are female, because they disagree with US foreign policy, because they are queer. I do not want people to die because of war, because of the death penalty, from hunger or of AIDS. I do not want death to overshadow us or tarnish the beauty of being alive. Alive in our differences and alive in our humanity.

I believe there is another way. A different path to take in life. An alternative way to live. I believe that we can be peaceful and prosper. I believe we can care about each other and thrive. I believe there is more than the bottom line to look out for, that we can do more together than divided.

Today, I could pontificate about my ideas about war or my disappointment with our government. I have plenty to say about the hipocrisy and outright wrongdoing I feel is being committed by our government in the name of freedom. But something in my heart says that throwing mud or fists or anger in any direction, only feeds the animal I so hope to dissolve. Today, I hope the dissolution of violence is likely and that peace will permeate our hearts and souls.

Call me naive. Call me a fool. Call me what you will.

I can be a tough guy sometimes and act like I don't care, but I do. I care about peace. I care about the safety of people I don't know and will never see. I care about love. Oh, how I wish that were enough.

Peace,

Wendi

March 20, 2003