Not just us, but globally. The next Einstein is living among
us. Maybe several! And master musicians, physicists, engineers and thinkers in
new and exciting realms. They are there. You know they are. But will we meet them?
Will we see what they can do? Will their power of intellect and invention be
unlocked for the benefit of mankind?
We cannot know this. But we can invest in them so the
probability of their development and nurture will yield the results we need. In
fact we yearn for this.
The future will happen one way or another. It would be a
better future if we helped it along. That takes believing in our kids and the
neighbor’s kids, too. While we are at it, let’s believe in the kids of Africa,
South America, Europe, Asia and every corner
of the global community. Each child is a wonder of possibility. Alone he or she
might make it; but more probable of this happening is because we all cared enough
to help each child develop as fully as he/she can.
We can well imagine what this could mean for the world. But
can we imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t make this investment?
Now that’s a heavy question!
For one thing our educational institutions would score low
results from their students. Many schools may even become glorified day care
centers (many think this has already happened!). Wars of tiny cause will begin
and fester for generations, or centuries – like Somalia ,
Sudan , the Middle East as
well as countless tribes throughout Pakistan
and Afghanistan .
Ignorant masses with little to live for and thus the draw to exciting war games
with deadly results.
What other results might we expect? Masses of growing
poverty, underachievement economically throughout major regions of the globe,
and enormous advantages being taken by power mongers. Yes, the latter is quite
easily accomplished on the heads of poor people who have little to protect let
alone drive them to survive. Millions upon millions of starving people
suffering awful deaths from malnutrition, lack of clean drinking water, and runaway
health problems.
Are we our Brothers’ Keeper? Yes and no; but certainly the
‘yes’ eases the problems we will face to build a world of future for all
people. The ‘no’ answer dooms us to unending work, problems, and peril.
Peace among us all comes when we have something to live for,
protect, and imagine even better futures. The feeding of the mind pays
dividends too large to calculate. The opposite is also true.
We must decide. Nations with resources have a duty bound
honor to educate their own youth. If those same nations hope for peace they
will also share their wealth with less fortunate nations so their youth are
nurtured to the pinnacle of their abilities.
I know this sounds Pollyannaish. Still, it is logical and
positive. If the world is to get along it must respect all peoples, classes,
religions, philosophies and points of view. Respect does not require that we
all agree with one another. Respect means we value the other person. By doing
so we hope they value us as well.
By helping others excel we help the global community excel
as well. Besides, if we teach others to be self sufficient they become able to
build their own nations, feed their own people, and press forward with an
agenda of peace and hope for all of us.
We have much to lose by not supporting this way of living
and thinking. We have much to gain by adopting it. Double the dividends of the
investment – avoid the horrors on the one hand while also gaining the good from
the other. What could be better?
November 17, 2015
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