We can only move to a long-term resolution regarding terrorism and war by planting seeds of peace. We have to start with ourselves.

We Americans are world leaders and we must lead by example - particularly in times that require careful deliberation before any precipitous action - lest we fail to walk in the shoes of those we might injure.

The songs we sing invite the participation of the listener, who is central to finding a way of creating the life of the song at that listening. It's the difference between poetry and didactic writing. One tells you, 'This is it,' and the other says, 'Let's find this together.'

To cure the violence, we must identify and heal the causes of hatred and violence. If we dont deal with the causes we will never be safe.

The songs worked as a different kind of rhetoric, one that could reach the fence-sitters.

We can only move to a long-term resolution regarding terrorism and war by planting seeds of peace. We have to start with ourselves.

I can't help but react to the painful realities of the two-tiered society we live in, where the signs of poverty and inequity are everywhere. Almost twenty five percent of our children live at or below the poverty line. We expect the no-option life cycle of the poor to be interrupted by the weak social safety net and then wonder why building more jails doesn't solve the problems.