The Dream

We are all familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech. It was a powerful statement forecasting a vision of equality and good will that theoretically should have already existed at the time that it was spoken. The speech provided a significant moment in history when hearts were touched and values started to congeal for the better. Dr. King's words effectively awakened our social conscience to action.
    Most people who come to Chivalry-Now, spurred by idealism and good will, already have dreams of a better world - a world of conscience, that is also past due. They may differ about what that means, or how to get there, but base their dreams on shared principles and common values.
    Dreams are important. In many ways, they shape who we are and influence our futures. Consider how the founders of the United States dreamt about building a new world based on virtue. Their dreams, which remain part of our inheritance, expressed the heartfelt longing of their age, struggling to create something better. While we still benefit from the structure that they left us, it is time to reclaim its depth, its soul and the impetus for improvement.
    We all have dreams. I would like tell you about mine as it relates to Chivalry-Now. In many ways it was not so different from that of our founders.
    Imagine a world based on civility, virtue, reason and human progress. A world where freedom, equality and human rights are so built into the fabric of society that they are no longer threatened or even questioned. The dynamics of culture encourage people to develop virtue in their lives, not just because that is the highest form of freedom, but to complete the potential of who they are on a personal level.
    In this world, ignorance is never considered a viable alternative to truth. Each person enthusiastically seeks the excitement of discovery and new insight. Other people are looked upon as companions rather than threats or competitors. They smile more. Complain less. Help those in need. Find satisfaction in simplicity. Heroes are defined as those who sacrifice for others, contribute to the greater good, work to eliminate war and suffering. Deeper meanings are sought to accentuate the value of everyday life. Freedom of speech is no longer abused because truth is greatly valued by everyone. The crime rate drops as more and more people fit in and live rightly. The environment is protected for the good of everyone. The entertainment industry takes a leadership role by producing quality films, rather than coarsening life with exploitive sex and violence.
    Children are safe to play on their own streets. People embrace values that make them better parents, brothers, sisters, spouses, workers, leaders, and friends. Poverty is eliminated, not just in the West, but all over the world. National interests rise to more humane challenges. Religious differences are respected. The thirst for knowledge is endemic, constantly improving the quality of life through a new flurry of scientific breakthroughs. Politics is dedicated to the good the people, rather than the good of the few or the party.
    I base this dream on the premise that human beings, all of us, have great potential that is not being used. This failure is the true source of our frustration, and the main cause of our social problems as well. Our capacity to decipher right from wrong opens doors to that potential. The use of reason, used correctly, directs our energies toward improvement.
    Our cultural inheritance provide us with the means of making this dream possible. As naïve as this may sound, all we need is for people to make better decisions in their lives. The ideals of Western civilization, somewhat neglected in recent times, show us how to do that. All we must do is introduce compelling cultural expectations, a rational and moral code of ethics, that appeals to our collective conscience, and people will naturally respond.
    The challenge is in finding the right words, the right means, to awaken our social conscience. We must find our inspiration that will generate the collective will and enthusiasm to change things for the better.
    If you share in this dream, it is not enough to believe in it. You must protect it as well. Its very existence is a threat to all the forces of exploitation that work to make it impossible. Strengthen the dream by incorporating it into your everyday life.
    If each of us do our part to make it happen - it will happen!

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