The Word: My Manifesto

I intend to change the world with the utterance of a word. I will follow suit with the stroke of a pen and a peck at the keyboard. Words cause a domino affect that spread through the minds of others--a communicable idea, infectious humanity.

I have been given the power of the word, as have we all. The word can be used to convey dangerous truths and lovely lies, it can be used to turn one's heart sour or set it aglow. I intend, foremost, to be honest with my use of the word--to embellish as little as possible and to be forthcoming with my opinion. It is this opinion, one that we all possess, that causes the winds to blow in different directions from one generation to the next. Without these words, we have no voice; without a voice, we have no future and our present is stagnant.

I demand that you look into the past and gather your knowledge about the struggles and accomplishments that your forefathers have endured and achieved. This was not possible without the word--the idea, a spark to ignite the wildfires of revolution and change. This was only possible with the sharing of thoughts and the implementation of the desires in a collective people's hearts. We too have desires, we too strive to live in a better place, a place in which our families can rest assured that they will have a tomorrow and that our neighbor will have one too. This is only possible if we safeguard our ideals and put them down on paper, in hypertext, or whisper them to our closest friends.

There is nothing that we cannot accomplish if we keep an ongoing discussion--an open discussion. The words may be hard to accept, at times, but the only way that we can work through to challenges we will face throughout out lives is if we are honest with one another. Honesty is purity of heart and mind. The alternative is deceit, a vile heart and a clouded head.

I call to you today to be compassionate with your words, with your thoughts, and with your deeds. The opposite of compassion is indifference and indifference leads only to inaction and a deferral of our chances to fix the things that plague our lives. I promise to accept my own challenge and fight in the hearts of my brothers and sisters, my neighbors and theirs. I will stir the passions of a generation, even if that be only a few. Join me! Pick up your pens, dust off your keyboard, and clear your throats. There is much work to be done and nothing will be accomplished by being silent.