Dear friends;
Recently an Email came across my screen making what seemed like an impossible suggestion; "Wouldn't it be wonderful if on News Years Day, we had a day of peace when there are no guns fired anywhere in the world?"
Of course it would be wonderful, but what an impossible, impractical dream, I thought. I almost immediately deleted the message. Instead, I casually passed it on to a few people I thought might be amused by the concept. (A short but steady list of Email recipients who are mostly accustomed to seeing jokes and trivia coming from my address.)
A few days ago, a friend of mine showed me his hand gun collection. It wasn't a large collection, but more than enough to protect himself and his family. Now my friend is one of the most thoughtful, generous people I think I have ever met. I asked my questions, and learned why, because not everyone seeks peace, for personal protection, handguns might be needed. I was assured that all the necessary precautions had been made to avoid accidents like we read about almost every day.
One day as I was driving down a city street, with my vision partially obscured by a truck, a child with a toy gun darted into the street in front of me.
If not for the grace of God, this child and my grill would have collided in less than the time it takes for a foot to move to the brake pedal.
He somehow managed to stop on that tiny space between the yellow centerlines to avoid death as my car went by. As quick as it happened the child ran on, and continued his play.
As I contemplated these events last night, the impossible dream Email came to mind. My conclusion is WHY NOT?,
let us try to achieve the impossible dream, deep down every human being wants to be at peace, RIGHT?
Why not use the power of the pen, and the internet to see if we can't have one day of peace?
A day when our friends don't need a handgun for protection?,
A day when the toy of choice for that child is something other than a gun?
A day of peace when there are no guns fired anywhere in the world?
As I type out these thoughts, we have time to achieve the impossible dream .
Please take a moment of your time, add your thoughts, copy, print, fax, mail, pass this message on to all who might care and all you care about, even those who are accustomed to only receiving jokes and trivia.
Talk about it at work, at school, at play, at church and with your children.
If God can snatch a child from certain death in an instant;
We can try to achieve the impossible dream.
Assuredly, it won't happen if we don't try.
"It would be a wonderful start, if on each News Years Day, We had a day of peace when there are no guns fired anywhere in the world" - J Ridder