I have found, since agreeing to talk this evening, that putting action into words is much harder than the other way around!

In preparation for this evening, I re-read Corliss Lamont's The Philosophy of Humanism, and am using many of his quotes. He talks about humanism as "a many-faceted philosophy" and my involvement in humanistic activities, including politics, is many-faceted, too. In fact, I often refer to my life as a patchwork quilt.

Lamont says "Human beings can solve their own problems--using courage and vision," and as an educator and as a mediator, my intent is to help others find ways to solve their own problems. Courage and vision are qualities we all need, all the time. But sometimes we need others to help us discover, or rediscover them.

Another quote: "The individual attains the good life by harmoniously combining personal satisfactions and continuous self-development with significant work and other activities that contribute to the welfare the community." When I became involved in politics, my goal was to contribute to the welfare of the community; working with the Democratic Party was a beginning; as a lobbyist for the school district, my goal was to increase funding for special education and multicultural programs. As a member or The League or Women Voters of Salt Lake, my goal is to increase citizen participation in government.

Self-development? The hardest part of all--as Voter Service Chair for the League, I must be non-partisan. Keeping my mouth shut has forced me to listen (maybe it's not self-development, but self-discipline.) Listening and reflecting has led to changes, positive changes, in my attitude, but still, I'll be glad when this election is over!

"Unending questioning of basic assumptions and convictions..." Don't most humanists do this? Even though there is unending questioning, it doesn't mean we always change those assumptions and convictions? We may strengthen our beliefs because they have been tried and tested.

"A humanist society will invest in education and general cultural activity...proportionate to what present-day governments allocate to armaments and war..." When I worked for the Granite School District, a poster outside my office read, "It will be a great day when schools have all the money they need and bake sales are held to cover the cost of a B-l bomber."

I have found that the best lobbyists are not those with the greatest amount of money to spend, but those who are most passionate about their cause. The Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities has only three paid staff, yet this organization is one of the most effective on the hill. The real lobbyists·are the members--parents whose children are disabled--individuals with disabilities--and agencies who save people with disabilities--they collect no dues, but they do give freely of their time, their knowledge, and their stories. One legislator who met with a group from the Coalition said, "please don't talk to me about the children; talk about the money." He couldn't say no to the parents who were holding pictures or their children; he could say no to a dollar sign.

Politics is dirty at times, but without politics some worthwhile projects would go unfunded. The courts are now accepting and using mediation as a way to help couples solve disputes about divorce, child custody, and visitation. The money which helps pay court appointed mediators comes from grants available from the federal government. Parents pay when they can; payment is on a sliding scale. Research shows that children whose parents successfully mediate their disputes are less likely to be truant or to be involved with drugs or alcohol. So our society profits in at least two ways: children finish school and are productive, and thus are less dependent on additional government services such as social services, corrections, or welfare.

The mediation projects with the juvenile and adult courts are working quite well. Mediating with the offender and the victim can be very traumatic for both parties, but the success rate is high, and recidivism, particularly with juveniles, is low. This Restorative Justice Program is one that is heavily dependent on volunteer mediators--but those who are employed to manage the program are paid by tax dollars, allocated by legislators who responded to lobbyists.

Lobbying can be fun--and funny, too. One of my favorite stories involves Senator Warren Pugh, who would never agree to meet with me, despite everything I tried. A coworker overheard me complaining and said to call the Senator the next day. I did, and to my surprise he agreed to see at once. When I asked my colleague how she managed it, she told me her husband was a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and had a good working relationship with Senator Pugh. He simply asked the Senator to meet with me, because his wife said she wouldn't sleep with him until the Senator scheduled an appointment with me! When I told this story at a dinner honoring the Senator on his retirement, he asked me to write it up because it was one of his best memories.

Another book I re-read for this evening is The Humanist Alternative, edited by Paul Kurtz, which contains essays by several outstanding authors. He quotes Roy Fairfield: "The Humanist-in-Action will recognize the need for humor (lest he take his cosmic situation and presence too seriously,) the need for accepting paradox (to be of use, on must take abuse [and I vigorously disagree]; the closer one gets to achieving social and political power, the less power one has to maintain one's real humanness,) the imperative or relating to irony (no man ever what he may seem to be) and the urgency of expressing oneself somehow, so that one's outer manifestations sculpt the clay of one's inner identity."

One last quote, from Paul Kurtz: "The humanist recognizes that man is basically a social agent, and that liberty means nothing unless there is a degree of equality." In mediation, both parties are equal--the one I recently participated in involved an 11-year-old boy who was the offender, and an 89-year-old woman who was the victim. After only two hours or mediation, during which both told and listened to the other's story, the boy decided how he could make restitution, and the woman (his neighbor) had accepted. They ended in each other's arms in tears. The mediator explained to them that they had just experienced "grace"--and those of us in the room agreed. The boy's mother gained insight into the effect her son's actions had on her neighbor's sense of well-being and safety, and the elderly woman found that the "evil intent" of the boy simply did not exist--he was careless, but didn't intentionally cause the·harm on her property and was willing to restore what he'd damaged.

Politics isn't always beautiful--but it is effective and brings about changes that help our society and our citizens.

--Joyce Barnes