When I was 14 in 1965, Vice President Hubert Humphrey spoke at the University of Santa Clara campus, so I walked over to hear what he had to say. I applauded his statements on Civil Rights, and Great Society programs. Then, he began speaking in favor of the VietNam War.

That is when I jumped up on my chair & called him a murderer. News crews turned cameras on me, and the Secret Service hustled me out of there. I was not arrested, because they didn’t want the bad press.

Many years later, Hubert Humphrey was interviewed, & asked what had changed his mind about VietNam. He related what had happened at the University of Santa Clara in 1965. He said, “When I heard that, I knew there was something very wrong with that war”.

I’ve always heard people say that “You can’t make a difference. You can’t change the system.” Well, I know that I did make a difference. I changed the Vice President’s mind about an important foreign policy issue. AND, that was at the very beginning of the Anti-War Movement, back in 1965, before they were even calling it the Anti-War Movement. So I want people to know just how much power we really do have. If people will just stand up, and speak their minds, they can change the world. Courage to do what is right, when it needs doing, is all we need, to take control of the system, and make it what it ought to be.

I understand that an individual can feel thwarted, overwhelmed by the System, and small. BUT, when you step outside yourself, & your personal life, and look at the Big Picture, you gain great power. Consider the possibilities, if we all took that step. It doesn’t even take that many people at the forefront. We have the power to make this world anything we want it to be. We can have Liberty. We can have Prosperity. We can have Freedom. We can have Justice. We can have a system that brings out the best in every person. We can have a system that works for the betterment of every person in the entire Society.

All we need do, is to demand it. It is our right, and we do have the power to make it happen. Pay no attention to the dream killers. They are small people, afraid of their own dreams, petty, & cowardly. We are greater than that. Every single one of us, is greater than that. Step outside of yourself, and recognize the greatness that is within you. When you see that greatness, you will know your power. Take it. Use it. Be what you were intended to be, instead of a shallow copy. Embrace your Vision, and make it happen!

This is the message that Tyrants all throughout history have feared the most. Tyrants can only have power, when people give it to them. When people believe that they are insignificant, they become insignificant. When people believe that they are great, they become great. When people step outside of themselves, and recognize their power, they become powerful. Once this begins, it cannot be stopped.

Each of us has these resources within. They need only be recognized, and put into action. Everyone who has done some brave thing in their life, has already had a taste of the freedom that comes, when you recognize your true worth, and your true power. The world lies before us, and we can make of it, anything that we desire. All that is required, is that we recognize this, and then proceed to make our dreams of Liberty & Justice, more than mere dreams. Courage to see how things could be, and then using the power of your imagination to make those things happen, is what tyrants fear most, and is the Key to Freedom.

I believe we have some work to do…

This is what we need to realize in order to take our power back. This is what we need to realize, if we desire to live with Liberty, Peace & Prosperity.

All you need is Vision, and the Courage to pursue it.

___________

by James Clair Lewis, 2005

Our good friends at Arcade 44.tv have launched a Kickstarter that we are all about. Arcade 44.tv is a multimedia platform and video magazine based out of New York City, that works to elevate artists and inspire others to follow their dreams.  ”We are consistently motivated by a desire to highlight diversity and celebrate original work” Stop by their Kickstarter campaign to help support their dreams.

We always love seeing whistleblowers making their protest their own.  Mary Kate McAlistar from Charlotte, NC recently posted on her blog, Chin Up, the beautiful new chain she made to wear with her whistle.

We definitely think you will grab people’s attention with this beautiful piece and inspire others to use their creative talents as well. Thank you, Mary Kate for being a whistleblower for peace and making the whistle your own!

Our friends over at PROJECT released a recap of PROJECT New York. Giving a look into the experience of their trade show.

Full of character and great energy, our Partners in Peace, Candy Rox are our Retailer of the Week. Making noise in the city of Rye, New York, Candy Rox has become a community hub of eduction and an all around dope place to hang out at.

Partner in Peace: Candy Rox

Interviewee:Valerie Stone, Co-Owner

Location:Rye, New York

How did your store come across Falling Whistles?

After researching the different exhibitors at the winter Project Show, I came across the Falling Whistles website and was completely intrigued by the powerful video I watched as well as the obvious passion and dedication of all of those involved.

How does the dynamic of Falling Whistles fit into your unique store concept?

Within our store, it has always been our goal to incorporate ways for us and our customers to give back.  Whether it be the local middle school student who weekly gives us handmade duct tape wallets to sell so that he can donate 100% of the profits to his friend’s charity entitled Jacob’s Cure, or the bracelets we sell to raise money for Darfur, there are no boundaries.  Candy Rox attracts many young customers and as such, we have a responsibility to get information out there and  to allow this generation to participate and make a difference outside of their comfortable suburban surroundings.

If you could sum up your store image in one sentence, what would it say?

Candy Rox is a blend of a neighborhood old school general store carrying every kind of nostalgic candy; meets urban edge with graffiti tagged walls carrying the latest hip gifts and products.

Give us a quote to live by.

Our store motto is “Freedom and Candy For All” but on a more personal note, as a child of a holocaust survivor, my dad always simply ingrained in my siblings and i…Give nothing, get nothing.

Which whistle is your favorite?

The copper

Where do you see Falling Whistles going next?

I certainly see Falling Whistles delving into apparel.  Specifically, I can see a line of t-shirts being designed which incorporate many of the compelling words and images from the various photos and videos on the site.  In addition, I can also envision a series of stationary products such as a boxed sets of cards that also carry the words and images of the many stories you tell.  It would also be cool if you could also incorporate in some way a replica of the weathered journal that appears on your opening page of the site.

We are honored to have you run with us toward a dream most would call impossible – peace in Congo.

Human rights violators thrive when they think no one is watching. WITNESS is raising money to harness the power of video to expose the perpetrators and end human rights abuses.

witness.org/project-focus
witness.org

“John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4′x5′ plywood board — and lets his 4th-graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches — spontaneous, and always surprising — go further than classroom lectures can.”