By: Grant MillinWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Declaration of IndependenceThe good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. – Jane Addams
Before the mutual aid society (civil society) comes knowledge of kindness. If too many have forgotten the definition of kindness and it’s civil importance as a foundation of thought, then Happiness for us all becomes elusive.
ABOUT THE KINDNESS CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA
Over the past sixty years, since the end of World War II, Americans have had mixed results in developing and maintaining the civil society, within our own borders and globally. The precepts of our system have been altered towards a pure economic equation for viewing life and much of what was wrong with the past has been forcibly dragged forwarded into this new millennium; a time that ought to have been a clean start for America and a new lease on our collective happiness.
For the most part, Americans do embody the concept of kindness and personally understand it’s meaning of generosity and friendship, even towards strangers and those far away. We all visualize what is glorious and what is our highest potential based not in an image of self-aggrandizement, but in seeing all of us success together. Other forces of scarcity and competition drive these noble ideals away from their incorporation in our form of government because they are seen as too expensive or un-American. But despite this constant dehumanizing reeducation, we know better. Little children are born knowing what is kind, and what is not. There’s always a difference, always a choice to be made.
We can make the choice individually, privately, and within our personal circle if we wish. We can also seek to identify kind behavior in our elected public officials, praise it, and also suggest new reforming behavior towards a kinder, gentler hand that actually proves and for a more perfect Union and our mutual Happiness. Calling for, writing, shaping, and demanding more benevolent international, national, state, and local policies and laws are often extraordinarily important. The mission must be defined as a mission of kindness over a mission of division, hatred, and cynicism.
Around the world, and here at home, many people are wondering if America will ever heal from the cold, calculating one-dimensional policies of dominator economics.Often unnatural and divisive ideologies, meant to represent all Americans have resulted in fewer freedoms, less equity, less environmental security, and unkind behavior. Kindnessin balance with economic and security needshas to be our defining principle.
Kindness Campaigns have often focused on school bullying and animal rights. We certainly embrace these activities and pursue such goals. As the Kindness Campaign in America we seek further new rights and reforms in shaping the civil society for the betterment of all. Resetting basic economic relationships at the local, regional, national, and international levels; defining and supporting social and environmental policies; and fighting (yes, fighting) state-level organized crime that leads to anti-democratic politics and the corruption of our ideals for profit, are all targets of the American Kindness Campaign. Using kindness can mean using tough love and telling the truth.
Much is necessary in recreating that kinder, gentler City on a Hill that was supposed to be America. We have the foundations remaining, but they are crumbling to the way of political chaos, organized crime, and cultural, economic and environmental degradation. From national distributed renewable energy projects to universal health care and the strengthening and inception of needed environmental laws and polices, to reversing political trends towards authoritarianism and domination, and the teaching of ignorance and apathy in our schools, the Kindness Campaign in America will be there.
The Kindness Campaign in America is hard at work bringing forth the message of hope, The Golden Rule, of equity and honesty, of truth telling, and the ideal of pursuing and keeping a more perfect Union as our reality and our national purpose. We refuse to accept that kindness as policy leads towards unfreedom, economic lack, and one-dimensional thinking. Far from it. kindness has been, and always will be the only chance for democracy and economic policy that truly lifts all boats. We can heal our social, legal, environmental and economic wounds with kindness and then truly spread the ideal of American happiness.
Please spread kindness. It will make the world a better place.
Our Activities:
– Develop and help implement violence prevention plans in schools and places of work. – Link resources with organizations focused on preventing domestic violence, racism, and gender/sexuality inequities and pursue the protection of victims of hatred and ensure their basic rights. – Utilize the Kindness Campaign Index (KCI) to help evaluate public policy, public and private enterprise. – Publicize the contributions of individual, groups, neighborhoods and communities to the spread of kindness in America.
Grant Millin PO Box 9214 Asheville, NC 28815 828-687-6900
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