[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S3693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ``PEACE! WHERE ART THOU?''

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I request that the statement 
entitled ``Peace! Where Art Thou?'' written by my constituent, Ruben 
Ortiz-Paez, be printed in the Congressional Record. I encourage my 
colleagues to read this thoughtful essay.
  The statement follows:

                       ``Peace! Where Art Thou?''

                         (By Ruben Ortiz Paez)

       At a meeting to discuss World Peace, its Chairman closed 
     the meeting with the following remarks: ``After considerable 
     effort, we are still groping like the Blind to come up with a 
     significant dialogue which would contribute to the cause of 
     Peace.'' After slight applause, he offered to field 
     questions.
       A blind man raised his hand and he was recognized. He stood 
     up and this is what he had to say: ``Mr. Chairman and 
     Members: I really don't have a question, but if you will bear 
     with me, I do have a few words to say. ``The Chairman 
     approved and he continued: ``I don't think that it s fair to 
     suggest that we haven't come up with solutions; the best 
     minds in the world are devoted to finding Peace, and so far, 
     they have come up with Zilch!
       ``Peace has always been desired, but there are leaders 
     among nations who seem to derive Satanic pleasure in 
     obstructing or derailing Peace initiatives! How then in 
     Heaven's name, could Peace be expected to flourish? Here's a 
     splendid suggestion: A sure way, is for us to embrace and 
     spread The charity of Love! For Peace is Love's God-child, 
     and it will flourish wherever Love and compassion dwell in 
     the Hearts of Men!
       ``I know that it's difficult to understand; and some would 
     dare to say that it's just a pipe-dream! But not so, if my 
     logic is considered with an open mind; reinforced with the 
     Undeniable Truth, that Love is more contagious than all of 
     the deadly viruses, so far identified by medical science and 
     research!
       ``Here then, Mr. Chairman, I humbly offer the following, 
     which I hope you may be able to consider as an acceptable 
     contribution to the cause of Peace. It will probably be 
     dismissed as an illusion by the skeptics, due to it's 
     spiritual connotation, but I ask you sir, what other choice 
     do we have?
       ``It takes just one person who's a `carrier' to start an 
     epidemic! So what are we waiting for? Let's be the `carriers' 
     to start an epidemic of Love! It isn t all that difficult, 
     all that it takes is for us to shed our shyness; our fear 
     that our affection could be misunderstood! It will be well 
     worth it, and surely the Prince of Peace, will bless us for 
     it, since his exhortation ``Love your neighbor as yourself'' 
     means not only the one next door, but all with whom we share 
     the Earth!
       ``Dear Members: If I can visualize all these things despite 
     my blindness, just try to imagine, the great and wonderful 
     things that you will be able to accomplish with God's gift of 
     sight and optimism, in a world firmly determined to live in 
     Peace, in the fast-approaching New Millennium!
       ``Thank you for allowing me to express my pent-up emotions 
     and my layman's assessment of such a pressing and complex 
     subject. May God bless you!''
  The blind man received a standing ovation and the applause was 
deafening!

                          ____________________