Butterfly Peace Quilt Traveled to Texas

The Cheek girls sing, "You've got to be Carefully Taught," on the first night of a four-day event at Trinity Presbyterian Church's 50th Anniversary Celebration. This church was a beacon for integrating the city in the 60s.

On April 15th in Denton, Texas, an eclectic group of around 80 folks gathered at Trinity Presbyterian Church to listen to the rudiments of a peace curriculum that will soon be compiled for teachers to download: "You have to be carefully Taught...to be Peacemakers." Prefacing my keynote talk to a smattering of teachers, Denton community members, peace activists, church members and peace studies students was the singing of a familiar song. It was made famous in the musical South Pacific which received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 and opened soon after WWII.

Two young girls (ages 8 and 11) sang the words with a crystal clear beauty. Their poignant rendition introduced my talk about the necessity of teaching peacemaking inside an integrative curriculum that does not compromise high academic standards. The discipline-based compilation of reading, researching, writing, speaking, listening, and relational skills are not sacrificed. Instead they are promoted.

"How and why do we learn fear and prejudice?... Is there a need or place for facing these issues in school systems? ...Let me tell you about a project that arose out of a rigorous curriculum... What's the educational connection between a butterfly peace quilt and visions-of-peace postcards sent to Oprah Winfrey? ...Let me tell you about the involvement of middle schoolers in the developing peace park, the only one of its kind in the U.S., to commemorate the 24 American Nobel Peace Laureates in Eugene, Oregon..."

An hour later people in the audience still seemed interested. Thank goodness, Kim Barnett, was heard to say that she could have listened all night. She "got it!"

South Pacific's theme song of racial intolerance argues that racism is learned from an early age. When the play was originally produced, Rodgers and Hammerstein were pressured to get rid of the song. The fear was that the sensitive content might jeopardize the economic success of the musical, but the creative musicians were adamant that the song remain. Its relevance continues and expands today in the teaching of peace and accepting differences with respect and the necessity of purposeful education.

For many of my 17 years of teaching social studies(history, geography and cultures) to middle schoolers in Oregon, I quoted those potent words and substituted the word "love" for "hate" at the beginning of each year's curriculum introduction.

There are those who observe our nation's bitter divisions between political ideologies and feel discouraged. Both liberal and conservative views lack elements of respectful dialogue and debate. Categories are hardened. Sound-bite experts challenge one another's opinions on almost everything. Thusly, I believe that a variety of curricular approaches for peace education in our schools is paramount and timely. The children can direct us back to embracing differences with respect, kindly dialogue and debate based on more than personal point of view, and perhaps, compromise for the greater democratic good. The kernels of truth in children's visions of peace encourage us to remember our own dreams and visions before life intervened. They inspire us to action and thoughtful peacemaking that will make a difference in the world.

"You've got to be taught to

hate and fear.

You've got to be taught from year to year.

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear.

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made,

And people whose skin is a different shad,

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,

Before you are six or seven or eight,

To hate all the people your relatives hate,

You've got to be carefully taught!

You've got to be carefully taught!"

Lyrics from South Pacific's "You've got to be carefully taught"

Love or hate? Big choice. Huge consequences when we change the lyrics.

Open Letter Sent to Oprah Winfrey

Dear Oprah,

Six months to go until the butterfly peace quilt arrives at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England! Will you be there to receive it in September? I would love to present it to you in the name of idealistic adolescents who chose you as an activist for peace. You could hang it in your school in Africa. It's been a backdrop for the 1,000,000 Vision-of-Peace Postcard Campaign.

I continue to keep my "Teacher's Promise" to spread middle schoolers' peace visions for one year. As a retiring teacher last June, I pledged to Shasta Middle Schoolers in Eugene, Oregon, that I would try to be their voices for peace wherever I was invited to talk locally, nationally, internationally the next year. I have done that. My volunteer efforts have been devoted to urging adults and other children to send peace your way--to literally join 1,000,000 other visions-of-peace postcards flooding your snailmail box. Slowly and consistently those messages have fluttered as butterflies of hope to Chicago and into your overflowing mailbox. Tell me that you have seen them. Please. Your staffer couldn't grow away peace.

I have written you four times over the past year urging you to look out for these 4 by 6 inch postcards addressed to you but with no return addresses or last names. I always reminded you about my vow to go around the world on my dime paying forward the beauty and poignancy of the children's hopes for peace in their future world. You might remember that the peace project began with a research study on the U.S. Nobel Peace Prize Winners. After learning about a special hero, each 11-year-old sent you a vision of peace, a uniquely special one. Have you read one? It would be enough to inspire you about making our world a happier, better place of peace.

On April 23, Marge Aukerman from Spokane, Washington will be on your show in the audience. When I was in Spokane recently, she was inspired by the kids' visions of peace and asked what she could do to bring those 1,000,000 cards to your attention. She plans to hand-deliver more visions from her friends in her community. (By the way, her vision of peace is, "...for people to listen to each other, especially in conflict situations.") She knows that you will not receive cards on the show, but she will leave them outside the studio in the hands of someone gracious enough to give them to you after the show. Please listen.

Sending you healing butterflies, Lura Pierce

Possible Possibility? Meet the Butterfly Quilt at the Prime Meridian in September, Oprah

Two tickets for London, England were purchased today. Six months in advance. The quilt journey ends in September, and John and I will cap it off at Greenwich. Wouldn't it be great if other peacemakers decided to gather at the Prime Meridian on September 11 to help deliver the butterfly peace quilt to Ms. Oprah? (The Queen might be more accessible.)

Today I'm organizing April peace talks both in Texas and in two more Oregon schools while practicing my impersonation of Eleanor Roosevelt during breaks. Eleanor be carrying the peace quilt to future generations during a May A.A.U.W. luncheon in Lake Oswego. I love "becoming" Eleanor, a personal hero of mine...also a relative.

I started my day by writing Oprah with a quick update on the peace quilt journey's progress around the world. I suggested she come and collect the quilt at the Prime Meridian in September, of course. ( She could Skype at the very least.) I continue to write her periodically. I want her to acknowledge that adolescents are continuing to influence all ages to become peacemakers. In this particular letter I suggested that she look for "Postmistress" Marge Aukerman in her Chicago audience on April 23. Marge will be handing over more filled-out peace postcards from Washington State adults and children

Marge Aukerman(second from left) will visit Chicago on April 23. She can't show the quilt on Oprah's show but will drop visions-of-peace postcards in the media star's path.

I started my day by writing Oprah with a quick update on the peace quilt journey's progress around the world. I suggested she come and collect the quilt at the Prime Meridian in September, of course. ( She could Skype at the very least.) I continue to write her periodically. I want her to acknowledge that adolescents are continuing to influence all ages to become peacemakers. In this particular letter I suggested that she look for "Postmistress" Marge Aukerman in her Chicago audience on April 23. Marge will be handing over more filled-out peace postcards from Washington State adults and children.

Finally, I paused to take stock. I affirmed the middle schoolers' impossible dream of inspiring the sending of 1,000,000 peace visions addressed to Oprah Winfrey out into the ether. To boost my flagging spirits, I looked at pictures of the faces of children teaching younger children about peace.

I memorized the following words from Frances Morre Lappe: "It's not possible to know what is possible," before taking a nap.

Postcards to be hand-delivered to Oprah Show

Blessed are the Peacemakers for they will become the Children of God

One day can make a difference. One vision can make a difference. One person will make a difference. Friend Marge Aukerman from Spokane, Washington will hand-carry peace postcards to Oprah's staffers in Chicago on April 23. Speedy delivery! Surely, Oprah's program organizers won't throw away peace?

The newest development in the peace quilt trip around the world amazes me, but then again the spreading of peace is bound to be serendipitous. In Costa Rica last month, I learned about the Monarch Butterfly that returns to an exact locale on a certain tree even after four generations of the cycles of life and death. A parable for the quilt visions. Middle Schoolers sent the quilt with me, their retiring teacher, with the directive to gather 1,000,000 visions-of peace-postcards from folks "around the world." I promised to travel wherever I could for a year, paying my own expenses, taking no reimbursement, giving back and paying forward peace through their "voices of peace." Butterflies fly with a purpose. Visions multiply.

Time to summarize the past two weeks: A whirlwind trip to Spokane was preceded by sharing the butterfly quilt and peace postcards with Professor Amy Maupin from Transylvania University in Kentucky. A possibility of educating in-service teachers with ideas from a Peace 101 Curriculum(yet to be compiled but documented from two years of on-the-job research) are in the works. This full-blown curriculum guide will enable teachers to embed the teaching of peace in classrooms where it belongs. That's next year.

Continuing the quilt journey, I introduced the peace card project to Spokane, Washington this last week. Mission Community Church and Pastor Lucille Gump graciously welcomed the message of spreading peace with energetic enthusiasm. For the Sunday's sermon, I shared the middle schoolers' messages of peace as well as their invitation to send 1,000,000 visions of peace to Oprah. The text was taken from the Beatitudes--"Blessed are the peacemakers for they will become Children of God," Matthew 5:9.)

In the congregation sat Marge Aukerman who was immediately inspired by the young voices' words and actions for peace. Her face sparkled with understanding as I looked out into the congregation from the pulpit. I could see that she"got it" right away.

After church, I passed out postcards to every person there. I'm tired of being subtle.

Marge took her card replying that she already knew what would be on her postcard to Oprah: "People need to listen to each other to solve conflicts."

Out of the blue-a day later, Marge's "girls" from Seattle called to tell her to pack her bags; the four of them would be heading East to be audience members on the Oprah Show on April 23. Coincidence? I don't think so. Now Marge will be an ambassador for kids' visions of peace. (Why am I reminded of the four generations of Monarchs in Costa Rica?)

Stay tuned! Marge will take filled-out peace postcards from her friends to Chicago and figure out how to spread the peace visions. I was temporarily bummed when I found out that she couldn't take the mini quilt also. I had hoped. "Recalculate. Recalculate." Oprah Show rules are stringent though. Audience members can't wear any printed clothing or bring purses/bags into the studio. The producers must be afraid of concealed butterflies. But nothing says Marge and her girls can't randomly "drop" or "lose" a few vision postcards outside the studio doors, letting them flutter where they may. Cheers to butterflies and kids with visions who inspire adults!