William Penn

I recently learned about an amazing and quiet hero of early American times.  I'd always known in the back of my mind that he founded Pennsylvania, having grown up in the region, but I'd not gotten a clear picture of this great man until now.

Here is an excerpt from Quaker.org:
"William Penn was the first great hero of American liberty. During the late seventeenth century, when Protestants persecuted Catholics, Catholics persecuted Protestants, and both persecuted Quakers and Jews, Penn established an American sanctuary which protected freedom of conscience. Almost everywhere else, colonists stole land from the Indians, but Penn traveled unarmed among the Indians and negotiated peaceful purchases. He insisted that women deserved equal rights with men. He gave Pennsylvania a written constitution which limited the power of government, provided a humane penal code, and guaranteed many fundamental liberties."

According to the Historical Documents Co., "not a drop of the blood of a Quaker was ever shed by an Native American during Wm. Penn's lifetime."

The story of William Penn is a powerful example of one person choosing to live by his conscience despite the cultural conventions and governmental policies of the time.  He was fortunate to secure "a charter from the british crown to a vast territory in America of 40,000 square miles...this charter was in payment of a debt of $20,000 due his father."

Had William Penn been a poor colonist, or an indentured slave, or even a woman would he have had the ability to live by his conscience?  We cannot know - we can know, however, that a person whose survival needs are met and who has been given guidance to listen to and follow one's conscience, may make the choice to become an exemplary human being.

For me, this story is completely reflective of my world and my time, now.  Do I live by my conscience?  Have I given myself the time and opportunity to think about how I live?  How much of my lifestyle is a default position I inherit from my culture and how much is a true expression of my conscience?

Important questions for any age.  Valuable thoughts to instill in our children.  Even as we instill our own values, we must be clear that in the end they must choose.  Thoughtfully, carefully, when they have the maturity, choose to live courageously and humanely and treat all humans with respect and equality.

Here you can read a book written by William Penn and hear his thoughts directly.

"Do good with what though hast, or it will do thee no good."

What Will People Say?

"Goha had a naughty son who would never do as he was told. When asked to do something, the boy had one ready answer. "But what will people say?" he would shake his head and say.
Goha decided one day that it was time to teach his son a useful lesson, and prove to the the boy that pleasing everyone was an impossible thing. This is what Goha did:
He mounted his donkey and started to the market, after ordering his son to follow him along behind on foot. In a little while they came across a group of women doing their washing at the bank of the river.
The women bawled over to Goha, "Do you have a rock instead of a heart, you merciless man? How do you have the shamelessness to ride while that poor boy of yours runs along behind?"
So, Goha got off the donkey and ordered the boy to mount, while he himself followed on foot. After some time they came across a group of old men sunning themselves at the corner of a field. One of the old men began shaking his head back and forth and pointing at Goha. Then he yelled out in a loud and shaky voice, "I do declare! If that ain't the way to bring up an ingrate. Yes sir-ree, if you want no respect from your boy, that's the way to get it."
Then, when Goha got closer, he said, "How do you expect to teach your son any manners, or hope for any good conduct, when you treat him that way? How can you let him ride the donkey, while you, his father and elder, follow walking? What are fathers made of these days, I'd like to know?"
So, father and son mounted the donkey and they continued on their way."*
The story continues with Goha and his son meeting a few other opinionated groups who take great offense at whatever solution Goha has attempted. They finally arrive at the market, along with the throng of emotionally invested onlookers, only to be met by a policeman who is taking them first to the station and second to the madhouse.
"This, my son, is the result of troubling yourself over what other people will say."*

An excellent story of how and why one should live by one's own integrity - 'what will people say?' can easily lead us into actions that are not an expression of our true selves.  Clearly, though, this requires that we have given some thought to what our values are and the reasoning behind them.  For this, we do need ideas and philosophies from a wide variety of people and from a wide variety of world views.   Take them in, measure them carefully within our own heart and thoughtfully craft our expression of who we wish to be.  This isn't done once, or even twice and then we're....voila!.....complete human beings.  It seems to me that I find a need for it several times a day, sometimes moment to moment.

And when I 'fail' to meet my own idea of right I have that crowd of women doing their washing, or the group of old men sunning themselves to jeer and bawl at me, too.

*excerpted from The Black Prince and other Egyptian Folk Tales by Ahmed and Zane Zagloul, 1971"