Fear of war begets war as both sides arm-up to pre-empt an attack by the other, and so we find ourselves today fearing yet another self-imposed escalation. With thousands of troops stationed on Ukraine’s border, Russia is telling Ukraine, “If you continue to court NATO we will take whatever action necessary to stop the expansion of NATO. Meanwhile, NATO countries continue to arm Ukraine against a possible invasion, neither side wanting to show a sign of weakness.
Yet, 2022, just might be the calendar year when mankind gazes into a mirror and sees lust for sphere of influence for the cancer it is on the human heart.
I am but one lone common citizen of the world, demanding de-escalation and drawdown on the Ukrainian border and beyond, for in my silence, I become a provocateur. Should the gentle reader decide to sign this manifesto and join the cause, we shall be two, and form a united front.
Should we choose to remain silent, and allow countries to threaten armed conflict, and participate in internecine warfare, well, with the weapons we all have at our disposal, we can kiss our assets goodbye. Nobody will be left to read our wonderful obituary, or even blow a kiss.
In today’s arena of unstable domestic politics and volatile foreign policy, we common citizens must rise above the fray, put the bugbears out of office and replace them with leaders who will drawdown. That, or put our final affairs in order…
Signed,
1 McAvoy Layne
2 __________
About the Author McAvoy Layne
For thirty-four years now, in four thousand performances from
Piper’s Opera House to Leningrad University in Russia,
McAvoy has been preeminent in preserving the wit & wisdom of
The Wild Humorist of the Pacific Slope, Mark Twain.
McAvoy is a winner of the Nevada Award for Excellence in School and Library Service.
He plays the ghost of Mark Twain in the Discovery Channel’s Cronkite Award winning documentary, 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'
Says McAvoy, “It’s like being a Monday through Friday preacher,
whose sermon, though not reverently pious, is fervently American.”