Humour and love: the origination of clown therapy.

have provoked many reactions and the traditional revenge/fear action. The casual, quick acceptance of this response globally, instead of outrage over more senseless carnage, is symptomatic, in medical jargon, of a massive malignant cancer in human society. Also symptomatic is that, on the same day, over 30 000 children died of starvation and there was no noise heard. As I explore the health of the human society, with the same tender, thoughtful compassion I have explored individual patients, I find the " patient " in critical condition, needing global universal attention. Why do we revere our diversions , and neglect our collective health? We live in a country where athletes and actresses are multimillionaires. Though school teachers are second only to mothers in supporting a healthy human society , in the US, 60% have to hold second jobs to support a family. Mechanisms need to be found to help midwife a human society that never needs war again; where all are cared for (and all of nature too), and life is a celebration. At this point in human history these goals can no longer be considered idealistic or naive. They are thoughtful imperatives if we want to get humans off the endangered species list. I know, after September 11th, everywhere I travelled I heard the nation echoing our president's immediate call to war. I started to ask my audiences if any of them had wondered what " love strategy " could effectively respond to terror? I've never heard any nation or people discuss a love strategy in the face of violence. We have to be the pioneers. First, we declare the intention to be peaceful and loving and, being present in all situations , observe how we perform our intentions. We notice the consequences of each performance, and if it puts our intentions forward, we add that strategy to the ongoing performance of our public selves. I know, as a pacifist, that I never see more violence as a strategy. Strategy implies thoughtful consideration. Violence mostly feels visceral. I try to imagine generals giving up on the " war room " , heading instead for the " love and humour " room to strategise an end to violence. I have asked myself often since then, what is my love strategy? I know, at my deepest levels, that deciding in my teens to be universally and publicly friendly and a celebrant …