Courageous Pearls

In the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the life of an innocent man ended as he sheltered his family. Two other bystanders also captured bullets. As in several other shooter profiles, the 20-year-old gunman was described as the recipient of bullying in school. Why? Who’s teaching the values of democracy which include “…insuring domestic tranquility”?  

In his book, Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit, writer Parker J. Palmer calls for examining our inner lives to reach the “commonwealth” of compassion and creativity found in the wording in “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union….” Palmer instructs how to focus on shared values with the claim that “the human heart is the first home of democracy.” His 5 habits of the heart are a courageous blueprint for these troubled times:

• An understanding that we are all in this together
• An appreciation of the value of “otherness”
• An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways
• A sense of personal voice and agency
• A capacity to create community

Named one of the most important books of the early 21^st Century by Democracy & Education, Palmer’s 2024 updated edition contains a discussion guide augmented by online video interviews. Let’s teach this in schools.

Another courageous source of hope lies in the community effort to end the cycle of gun violence by the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. In partnership with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Crime Lab, the Institute identifies community individuals who are at risk of being shot or becoming a shooter. They foster the healing of broken dreams and chaotic emotions of youth, supporting individuals though their program of “relentless engagement.” Block by block, they espouse the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. in nonviolent problem-solving. Their 6 principles of nonviolence support Palmer’s ideas with added dimension:

•  Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
• The Beloved Community is the goal.
• Attack forces of evil, not persons doing evil.
• Accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve a goal.
• Avoid internal violence of the Spirit as well as external physical violence.
• The Universe is on the side of Justice.

The Institute creates a “culture of wellness,” including helping individuals find living-wage jobs in the legal economy. I love how their staff keep receiving training in trauma-informed care and have an offering of yoga practice. It is key to heal the healers as well as train individuals in nonviolence.

Palmer’s words inspire: “When democracy is working as it should, it is a complex and confusing mess where we can think and act as we choose, within the rule of law…and can still manage to come together for the sake of the common good.” The common good is inclusive. Democracy is inclusive.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

307. Which of the Institute-for-Nonviolence-Chicago principles might you work on?

308. How can you foster inclusivity in your hometown?