On Guardians of Being 

A Celebration of the Gift of Our Companion Animals 

[Note:  The following article appears on my spiritual/humanitarian site, www.Enrichment.com.  I thought I would share it with you here as well.  It’s by-lined by Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the MUTTS comic strip.  Patrick writes about his new book, Guardians of Being, which he co-authors with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle.  It’s a book about what animals - dogs and cats in this case - give us by allowing us to connect with our own Beingness, through the gift of their own pure Beingness and connection with Divine Source.  I believe that’s true. - Mike Schwager]

By Patrick McDonnell 

 “Everything natural, every flower or tree, and every animal have important lessons to teach us….”  - Eckhart Tolle

Guardians of Being (words by Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth and art by Patrick McDonnell, creator of MUTTS) celebrates the reason we love our companion animals.  It illuminates for us their divine purpose.  While we are lost in our thoughts and busyness of everyday life, they have become our guardians of being.  They can bring us into the present moment and reconnect us to the one source of all life.    

Guardians of Being is a collaboration of Eckhart’s teachings and my cartoon illustrations.  As does all of Eckhart Tolle’s work, Guardians of Being teaches us about finding inner peace by living in the now, the transformation of our consciousness, and the arising of a more enlightened humanity. The primary signposts in this new book are all of nature and, in particular, our beloved dogs and cats.    

Eckhart’s words in Guardians of Being are succinct and to the point, similar to his text in Stillness Speaks.  As Eckhart Tolle said in his introduction to that work, the form the book takes is like “the oldest form of spiritual teachings: the sutras of ancient India. Sutras are powerful pointers to the truth in the form of aphorisms, or short sayings, with little conceptual elaboration…. The advantage of the sutra form lies in its brevity.  It does not engage the thinking mind more than is necessary.  What it doesn’t say - but only points to - is more important than what it says.”   

On a different level, I think the same can be said of the brief three-panel comic strip.  At its best, its humor and truth go beyond the obvious. 

I wanted to be a cartoonist as far back as I can remember.  I’ve always loved the art’s simplicity, immediacy, intimacy and absurdity.  From the start, I was enchanted by how a few simple pen-and-ink lines can come to life on the page, which is, for me, the magic of cartooning.  Many great comic strips (such as Peanuts and Krazy Kat) spoke to me directly and I always wanted to give back some of the joy and comfort I found there.   

MUTTS, my comic strip about a dog, Earl, and his unlikely friend, a cat named Mooch, started in 1994.  MUTTS focuses on experiencing the natural world (gentle rain, quiet flurries, full moons…) and that special bond that forms between companion animals and their guardians.  My own Jack Russell Terrier, Earl, was my inspiration.  Earl was my teacher; he constantly celebrated life.  I tried my best to convey his joie de vivre and good-hearted spirit in my strip.   

Animals are one with life and can be our link back to nature.  In MUTTS I try to keep the animals animal-like.  In trying to see the world through their eyes, I have become more aware of and empathic to their situation.   

MUTTS has led me to work closely with several animal welfare groups, and to join with The Humane Society of the United States where I serve on its board of directors. We face many issues of animal cruelty that humans perpetrate on animals, such as factory farming, dog fighting, and puppy mills.  The HSUS is making large strides on many fronts, but sometimes it feels to me like we are attacking the Hydra; every time a problem is resolved, another rears its ugly head.  But at its core there is just one problem, unconsciousness.  We no longer feel connected to nature, to the life force. In Guardians of Being, Eckhart shows us the reconnect:   “When you are present you can sense the spirit, the one consciousness, in every creature and love it as yourself.”

Making art can be a form of meditation. I start my day in the early morning by reading a passage or two from a spiritual book to keep my head and heart open.  In 1999, while traveling in Los Angeles and visiting one of my favorite book stores (The Bodhi Tree), I saw The Power of Now on their new arrival shelf.  I was compelled to bring that book home; it moved me with its directness, simplicity, and place of deep truth.  As it has done for millions, The Power of Now changed my life.  Eckhart’s teachings inspires MUTTS, and many strips have a direct connection.  

I thought combining my art with Eckhart’s teaching on how animals and nature can bring us into the present moment could be a good entry point for some people.  Seeing a photo of Eckhart with his new dog, Maya gave me the impetus to pursue this project. 

My wife, Karen O’Connell, and I compiled his passages and quotes that focused on animals and nature.  We paired these with MUTTS art that spoke to the teachings in their own way.  We created a proposal for the book and Eckhart graciously agreed to collaborate.  He edited, reworked and wrote new material for what was to become Guardians of Being.  He created a passionate, humorous, enlightening meditation on the power and grace that animals can bring into our lives.    

In Guardians of Being, Eckhart has translated what our companion animals have been telling us for ages.  “Life is good.”  “Live in the Now.”   “Enjoy.” 

Patrick McDonnell is the award-winning creator of the MUTTS comic strip, which appears in over 700 newspapers in 20 countries and has an estimated daily readership of 50 million, as well as the author and illustrator of the picture books The Gift of Nothing, Hug Time, and the upcoming October release, Wag! (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers).  He lives in New Jersey. His website is www.muttscomics.com

Eckhart Tolle is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Now (3 million copies sold) and A New Earth, the fastest-selling Oprah Book Club selection ever (5 million copies sold). He speaks and teaches extensively throughout the world. He lives in Vancouver, Canada and his website is www.eckharttolle.com  

In a moving tribute to his father, Senator Edward Kennedy, Ted Kennedy Jr., said that one of the greatest lessons his father  passed on, was to never give up.  With tears, he shared the story of how, when he was 12 years old, his father helped him climb an icy hill, even though Ted, Jr. had lost a leg to cancer.

“He held me around my waist, and we slowly made it to the top,” Ted Jr. said.  “He said, ‘I know you can do it. We’re going to climb that hill together if it takes us all day… And I knew I was going to be OK…He taught me that nothing is impossible.”

Of all the extraordinary eulogies at Senator Kennedy’s funeral today, there was no moment more poignant than this; and no greater testament to the Senator’s indomitable spirit and big heart.

Senator Ted Kennedy - a great human being, and a great legislator.  As Vice President Biden said at the Senator’s Memorial Service at the JFK Library, “It was never about him.  It was always about YOU.”    President Obama accurately ascribed to him “A man whose name graces nearly 1,000 laws, and who penned more than 300 laws himself.”

And from many who worked with him in the Senate, Democrat and Republican alike, “He always kept his word.”  A key ingredient of character - and of success in relationships, both personal and professional.

God Bless You, Ted Kennedy!

I once handled a book for Harvey Mackay, who had asked me to publicize a manuscript called “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.”  Harvey was a first-time unknown author, an envelope manufacturer, and I needed to call upon many creative approaches in promoting him.  Fortunately for me, Harvey is an extraordinary individual and a great natural salesman (I say that in the best sense of that word) - and representing him was a delight.  He was incredibly energized and never said “no” to any media placements I put in front of him.  I remember once when I landed an interview for him with a syndicated columnist in Cleveland, and all that was required was a phone interview (Harvey is based in Minneapolis) - Harvey not only flew to Cleveland to meet the columnist…he had lunch with her and the meeting translated into not one column item, but a series of syndicated column items.  Harvey had impressed her that much.  I imagine some of you may recall that that book, “Swim With The Sharks…” became a mega-bestseller, including nearly a year on the New York Times Bestseller List.

One of the many placements arranged for Harvey was with the Asssociated Press (AP) Bureau out of Minneapolis.  That was really the first major national placement, because it ran on the AP’s “A” Wire, which is the national wire that goes to hundreds and sometimes thousands of newspapers, both nationally and internationally.  That single placement became the engine for more major media pickup, and the rest is history.  It showed me the power of the wire services.  AP, Reuters and UPI are the primary such services.

Years later, when I represent a humanitarian NGO, CURE International, which builds and runs teaching hospitals for disabled children in Third World countries, an extraordinary event was about to occur at one of their hospitals in the Dominican Republic.  A baby girl, Rebecca, had been born deformed with a vestige incomplete head connected to her actual head.  The vestigial head needed to be removed, and that surgery would be a first in medical history.  Teams of surgeons flew in to join the Dominican surgeons, and I knew that this was a story that had great media potential.  It was a risky surgery too, and our hearts went out for little Rebecca and her family.  I first planted a seed with Reuters out of Miami, which ran the story in advance of the event.  The pickup on that story was huge, and created a great deal of curiosity with the press.  All the broadcast network and national cable networks positioned themselves to cover the story.  I then notified the local AP reporter out of Santo Domingo, who received permission from his editor in New York to cover the actual operation, and that story ran in thousands of newspapers.  [I had simultaneously worked with a medical reporter from USA Today, for whom I arranged a phone conference with the doctors in advance of the surgery, and that national newspaper ran over a full page, with graphics, of the surgery].

Sadly, Baby Rebecca died in that surgery, though she contributed enormously to the advancement of medical science in understanding that abberation - and helped future babies with a similar condition - to survive.

AP then ran a lengthy story about the tragic outcome; as did Reuters and USA Today.  Naturally both the pre-surgical story and the post-event story ran in thousands of newspapers nationwide and internationally; and broadcast network and cable tv newscasts did the same. 

Most recently, I represented Dr. Peter Langman, head of psychology at KidsPeace: The National Center for Kids In Crisis.  He had written a book called “Why Kids Kill:  Inside the Minds of School Shooters”.  It was an analysis of the mental/emotional conditions of the Columbine killers.  I knew that a major story with AP, as well as a story in USA Today, would do much to give life to this book.  I worked with the local AP Reporter in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, where Dr. Langman was situated.  The seeds were planted early, and because this was a very busy reporter, I knew that I would need to maintain contact with him on a fairly regular basis.  Then, a couple of weeks before the anniversary of Columbine, the reporter interviewed Dr. Langman.  He brought a photographer.  The interview was in-depth.  I sensed it would be a long story; and indeed it became just that.  The outcome?  Over two thousand newspapers picked the story up.  Virtually overnight, the book had been placed on the radar screen of millions of people.

In fact, I had also cultivated contact with a reporter from USA Today, again, well ahead of the Columbine anniversary.  USA Today not only published their story on the front page of the paper, they also had a separate long book review published on the same day.  “Why Kids Kill,” which had barely received any attention until the AP and USA Today stories, had jumped from practically zero on Amazon.com’s list, to  Number 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for crime books.

All of this is to say that the wire services carry great power and impact.  Look for opportunities to work not only with AP out of New York or Washington, but with the local AP (or Reuters) bureaus in the locales where the story is taking place.

Walter Cronkite passed away last week.  I’ll admit it.  I hate to use the word “died.”  He was so much a part of our culture.  So much an anchor for us as this nation moved through tumultuous times:  World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Civil Rights, the Moon landing, the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, the elections of American presidents, the Vietnam War…and so much more.  He had an avuncular style, he was centered as the anchorman of the CBS Evening News, he exhuded confidence and concern.  I would say even more, he conveyed the sense that he cared.  He cared about our country, the principles and values upon which it stood, its journey through time and its history.  His patriotism was genuine but not in any way jingoistic.  One had the sense with Walter that he viewed the American experience as an ongoing narrative with meaning, with some kind of unfolding purpose that had no end point - and that he viewed our nation as a positive force in the world.  Having said that, one could sense his disappointment and even pain when things did not go well.  Vietnam, which he eventually saw as a failure (and which brought Lyndon Johnson to say, “If I’ve lost Walter, I’ve lost middle America”).  The assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King and Bobby, and more.  And he exulted with joy and ebullience when we landed a man on the Moon.

Walter Cronkite brought a sense of comfort and stability to the American psyche.  Whatever the news of the day, with its ups and downs, Walter conveyed reassurance that the Republic was moving forward.  He conveyed a sense of hope in the future because he embodied the American story and the American dream.  He was a kind of glue that held things together - that held us together.

In my view, he was the greatest news anchor in American television news history.  He carried a Spirit that was contained in his very energy. There was no one like him.  And though he may have politically leaned on the liberal side in his personal views - I think he was probably a moderate - he really never showed it on-the-air.  And yet, more than 20 years after his retirement, he is known to have expressed the view that we were missing something in the war on terrorism.   He in no way condoned the ferocity and cruelty of Islamic extremism - for he was a witness to many ferocious ideologies - from Nazism in Germany to the Kmer Rouge in Cambodia - but he was deeply concerned that as an affluent country we were not sensitive enough to the plight of the poor in the developing world.  I saw and heard him say that if he was a parent ensnared in the trap of deeply entrenched poverty in one of those countries, seeing his children hungry and feeling frustrated and anguished about being unable to help them, that he would feel resentment towards those in the West whose prosperity was so self-evident on the television shows and movies that came from America.  He talked about the poor being fodder for the terrorists’ agendas. 

What fascinated me about this is that it confirmed for me that Walter had empathy for people, even with the objectivity he presented as a news anchor and reporter.  He cared.  He cared about America and the American people - but his caring reached out to people and peoples everywhere.   He had seen the Earthrise from the videos that came back from the Appollo missions.  We were one planet - and our species, the human species, was one species.  Walter’s vision was global, and that global vision was not inconsistent with his love for his country as real and deep.  As a great observer of events, he saw connections - he saw the relationships between those events. 

The greatness about Walter Cronkite was that as a professional he was objective.  As a human being, he cared.  He gave a damn.

Walter had a commentator on the CBS Evening News - Eric Sevareid.  Eric was a giant too, for like Walter his view was wide and deep.  He saw the little things, but like Walter, he also saw the larger picture.

There is no one on television today of the stature of Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid.  The void is real, and hopefully it will not take too many years for that void to be filled.

[NOTE:   Also viewable at - http://www.enrichment.com/content/remedy-china-reversing-cancer-cell-growth]

There is a remedy from China that users report is putting their cancers into remission.

The remedy is called “Haelan 951” (pronounced “Heelan”). It has had a dearth of publicity to-date – yet it is extraordinary, and worth consideration. Haelan 951 is approved by the FDA as a food substance. It is undergoing clinical trials as a remedy for cancer and is not yet officially FDA approved as a medicine. For this reason, the company that imports the product into the USA cannot yet officially state that it is a cure or remedy for cancer. But wherever clinical trials are held, the findings are extremely positive.

Interviews with people who have taken Haelan 951 for cancer, shows that in many cases it works by boosting the immune system up to 700%, making it virtually impossible for cancer cells to grow or spread. After these interviews, I recommended to a family member with both chronic lymphatic leukemia and the diagnosis of an aggressive breast cancer tumor, that she take the Haelan. Having done so, she went into remission after a few months from both the CLL and breast cancer. Eight years later, she is still in remission.

Haelan 951 is a super nutritious, fermented soybean protein beverage that has shown remarkable results in the treatment of cancer. The bean is grown in China where it is also processed. It is imported in bottles by The Haelan Company in Washington State. The beverage contains large quantities of single cell proteins and their metabolites produced by a specially patented fermentation process. This process hydrolyzes many of the soybean proteins into amino acids and compounds that are rich in nitrogen and fermentation metabolites of the naturally occurring isoflavones such as genistein, protease inhibitors, saponins, phytosterols and inositol hexaphosphate compounds in soybeans.

The majority of those I interviewed reported they had gone into remission – and some of them reported that they did not do conventional treatment, but only the Haelan.

Colorado-based medical researcher Donna Sage, who conducted extensive interviews and research with patients and physicians on difficult cancer cases that had dramatic turnarounds after taking Haelan 951, wrote several articles for Well-Being Journal, including a well-documented piece in the January/February 1999 issue entitled, “Soy Nutrient That Reverses Cancer Cell Growth.” (http://www.haelanproducts.com/well%20being%20journal.htm). Prior to her research, Ms. Sage was a skeptic about the beneficial effects of Haelan. She now believes that Haelan is a potent and viable anti-cancer remedy.

More research can be found at the Haelan Products Company website: http://www.haelanproducts.com/research.htm

One clinical trial of note was a study supported in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, and conducted by the Divisions of Medical Oncology and Gynecologic Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. A 56 year-old woman with rapidly progressive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer experienced remission and entered into a phase of prolonged disease stabilization upon initiating self-directed treatment with Haelan 951, a commercially-available soy beverage.

The case report of the study states: “We present a case of a woman with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who has had asymptomatic, stable disease for nine months on Haelan 951.” The study was first published on May 27, 2005

For serious cases, Haelan is taken initially for two or three months at a bottle (8 ounces a day) – perhaps more. Four ounces in the morning, four ounces at night before bed.

After the initial bottle or more a day, one goes on maintenance, usually an ounce in the morning and an ounce at night, indefinitely. The taste is not great though one gets used to it.

More information is available in several languages at www.Cancer-Disarmed.com

Michael Jackson was an artistic genius - and like many artistic geniuses of his calibre - he had a very sensitive inner child which in his case had become wounded by an abusive father, and the absence of a normal childhood.  Michael was used and manipulated by many barracuda types in his life - managers and financial advisors who were not only interested in cashing in on his mega-success - but people who did not truly care for him as a person.  He was surrounded by people who feigned caring about him, but they were disingenous - whether we’re talking about plastic surgeons, M.D.’s who overmedicated him, or close consultants including publicists.

Michael did have the wisdom to occasionally turn to spiritual teachers like Deepak Chopra and Rabbi Shmuley - but he did not have a close inner circle of centered, caring people who cared more about HIM than his image.  These were people who feigned concern, but their real motivation was monetary self-enrichment.

In authentic public relations, the “image” is an extension of the true person - the true being.  Michael’s image was tarnished by the failure of close confidantes who might have helped him work on his demons with expert counseling, and help him disassociate his conflicts from his true artistic self, allowing him to see himself for the great, caring and artistic person he truly was.

Instead, Michael’s conflicted self and unconscious desire for punishment - since the punishment he endured from his father as a child was the “price” he was made to believe was necessary for success - allowed terrible people to later come into his life, which exacerbated the poor choices he made, and his image.  Even this may have been exacerbated by an on-stage incident that burned his hair and scalp, and set in motion antidotes for the excruciating pain he experienced, as well as plastic surgeries that went too far.  It is also my belief that Michael was not a child molester, as echoed by his friends Deepak Chopra and Chopra’s son, and Donald Trump. 

If a wise public relations practitioner had come into his life, understanding his personal struggle and physical pain, and had become a true friend of Michael’s, working with him to gain permission to bring wise and caring people into his inner circle, this kind of support might have changed Michael’s course, may have prevented the myriad of crises Michael confronted, and supported an image that would have been truer to the extremely talented artist, shining being and spirit-filled, uplifting entertainer Michael Jackson surely was.

Today is Mother’s Day.  It’s about honoring the person who gave us life and unconditional love.  Mothers everywhere, whether human or animal, are God and Nature’s expression of nurturance, kindness and comfort.  They epitomize that which every living being on this planet cherishes - the need for love, the need for acceptance and the certain knowledge that there is someone in the world who makes us feel truly valued. 

The fact that mothers exist is a universal statement that God and Nature affirms Life, and the sacredness of Life.  Mothers are an affirmation of Life, and of the Feminine Principle that embraces Life.   Through so much of human history, this Feminine Principle has been in decline, and the Masculine Principle has been dominant.  For sure, the masculine ethos is vital in creation and building - but when it predominates to the exclusion of the feminine factor, we have a recipe for power struggles and war.

The majority of the Earth’s surface is water - a feminine element.  There is no subtle hint here that God and Nature designed a world that expresses the Feminine as the preeminent energy.  It is time for us on this planet to come together embracing the Feminine principles of love, tolerance, sharing, and of dialogue and understanding.  The Masculine principle complements the Feminine, but must not be overshadowed by it.  We must learn to live with both, and to move forward as technology, a masculine force, allows the Heart to combine in a fulsome way with it - so as to create true Peace on Earth. 

The great actor Spencer Tracy played Thomas Edison in a movie about the great inventor’s life.  At the end of the movie, a great Testimonial dinner was given to the inventor of the phonograph and the electric lightbulb.  In his acknowledgement, Tracy as Edison made a plea.  His exhortation was that we not allow technology to overshadow the human Heart - for that would be a recipe for catastrophe.  That was well before World War II and the rise of Nazism.

In other words, we must not allow the Masculine Principle to overshadow the Feminine Principle.  Advice from a great intellect - but also wisdom from a great sage.  Advice to be honored on Mother’s Day.

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff wrote an important piece, published on April 8th, entitled, “Humanity Even For NonHumans”.  Cudos to him for bringing the suffering - and rights - of farm animals - to the spotlight.  In his blog on the same topic, I addressed a kindred issue - the suffering of shelter animals.  Here’s that comment, posted by The Times:

Dear Mr. Kristoff:

Thank you so much for this important contribution to raising consciousness about the plight of farm animals.

The late great Dr. Albert Schweitzer said: “Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Another related very important issue is the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats at so many animal shelters across the country. Here in Broward County, Florida, at the Animal Care & Regulation Division’s two animal shelters run by the Broward County Commissioners, 10,000 dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are euthanized each year. The vast majority of them are healthy and adoptable. The core of the problem is an unspoken but very real attitude of irreverence for the lives of these precious, feeling creatures. “ACARD” or “Animal Control” as it is known, is in actuality a disposal unit for the elimination - killing - of these animals.

Until they are killed, and due to this disposal attitude, their treatment is abominable - many are crunched in too small cages, making it impossible for them to move about; too many are not given the exercise they vitally need; they cannot be touched, thus lack the tactile experience all living creatures need for emotional and physical well-being; food is awful. Virtually all of the animals develop kennel cough, which can lead to pneumonia. A sweet Yorkie I recently adopted was near death with pneumonia.

Furthermore, no real effort is made to bring traffic to these denizens of death, allowing for adoptions to increase. Few know its location (the main facility is near the Ft. Lauderdale Airport). Despite my past urgings for large and colorful signings leading to the place, please have been ignored. Offers to provide free publicity (I am a media relations specialist), which would include public service spots on radio and television, articles in newspapers, stories on radio and tv - these offers have been ignored.

I am the son of Holocaust survivors; and I tell you that facilities like Animal Care and Regulation in Broward County is much like an Auschwitz. There is no regard for the lives or feelings of these dogs and cats - and they are truly unconditionally loving and feeling beings who only seek to be treated in a humane and kind manner. “Kindness” is not a word within the vocabulary of the uncaring bureaucrats and politicians responsible for this dreadful institution.

To make matters worse, they feign concern - but to see the actions that take place - and the gross inhumanity that exists there - this concern is clearly nothing more than a subterfuge.

In 2006, when I first became aware of conditions at ACARD, I wrote an article for The Best Friends Network. It describes the cruelty at this institution, and I am sad to report that the essence of the story has remain unchanged. That article can be found at:

http://network.bestfriends.org/news/postdetail.aspx?np=7511

A website I created, http://www.CompassionateAnimalFriendsofBroward.org also describes the critical situation, and provides an opportunity to electronically sign a Petition to the Broward Commissioners, demanding change.

Kindness must extend to all living beings who share this planet with us. We are all part of the Great Circle of Life. We are all connected. We all live, breathe and feel. We must advocate for them, for they cannot advocate for themselves. But their purity, and the unconditional love they give to us, stands as a call for us to act, to act now and to act with compassion.

VALUES IN PR

This is a page you may not ordinarily see on a public relations site.  Many p.r. people are “invisible” when it comes to publicly taking a stand about their own values and what they believe in – or don’t believe in.  They hold a position of seeming neutrality in this area.

For some, this may be to maximize the field of potential clients they can attract, and consequently, to maximize the potential for doing business. The potential negative consequence of this decision is that it has created the perception of some p.r. professionals as “flacks” and “ambulence chasers.”  

For others, withholding a statement of values and beliefs is necessary in order to spotlight their clients’ values. They rightly hold that the mission of public relations professionals is to create compelling communications programs on behalf of their clients’ positions – not their own.  They believe that the most effective p.r. representation, therefore, is to represent virtually any kind of client, while remaining personally detached from that client’s point-of-view (even while exhuberantly presenting that view to editors and producers).   Some of the professionals in this latter grouping may even believe that by adhering to this position, they support the constitutional right of freedom of speech (on behalf of their clients).

While I believe there is merit to this latter position, if it is sincerely held, I come down in a slightly different place.  I believe that, for me, the times we live in make it necessary to enunciate a basic personal and professional declaration of “What I believe and what I value.”   For while I see myself as an advocate for my client’s core values and fundamental self-interests, as a citizen of my country and the world – like yourself - I also see myself as an advocate of core values that guide the decisions I make about who I  represent.

The first experience I can remember as a public relations professional that layed track for this position was just prior to the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident in Pennsylania.  I was a young rookie, working for a major public relations agency (my first p.r. job).  I was asked to be part of a strategic brainstorming meeting with a new client, a major corporation involved in energy and electronics.  The client informed us that its nuclear power plants were one hundred percent safe from any mishaps, and asked us to craft a communications program that boldly enunciated that position.

When I raised my hand and asked the question, “Can you back up that position with sound scientific proof and evidence?” - I noticed that some of the more senior staffers in that meeting seemed to cringe, annoyed I had asked this question. I also suggested that a “crisis media plan” be developed in advance in case the client was confronted with some sudden catastrophe which required damage control.  I explained to the client that it was necessary to take a “devil’s advocate” stance, in order to build a stronger campaign which anticipated the tough questions that would inevitably be posed by adversaries of nuclear power plants, or in case of human error “in spite of  the client’s insistence that nothing could go wrong.”

The client “laughed me down,” saying that the proof was so “self-evident,” it wasn’t necessary to further research the issue or to prepare for a problem.

Two months later, the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant accident occurred. That plant was owned by this particular client.  When the media tried to approach the client for a statement, it took days before the client was ready to make an intelligent statement to the press, let alone answer tough questions.

It was at this moment that I realized four very important things:

(1)    It is the public relations professional’s responsibility to help the client anticipate problems in advance – and counsel the client on how to deal with      problems when they occur.

(2)    Clients can make mistakes, and should admit mistakes when they occur.

(3)  A good public relations professional must have the courage to follow his or her gut instincts and intuition, as long as they are honest and sincere – even in the face of raising questions the client may find unappealing.

(4)    Public relations agencies and professionals should think twice before representing clients they consciously know have services, products or ideas that may undermine the quality-of-life or higher public good, irrespective of the fees that client may be willing to pay the agency or professional.

In subsequent years, I developed a list of such “value statements” that ultimately turned into a kind of credo.  Here’s the rest:

*    Be open to representing clients which have services and products that minimally pose no hazards to public safety.  Just as a potential client will investigate whether  you as a public relations professional are right for them, you have every right to investigate whether they are right for you.

*    The world is in a critical stage in its development.  It needs advocates who embrace the values of both the American Declaration of Independence, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights…advocates who are  willing to take a stand for the enrichment of life – and public relations advocates who represent   clients that enhance the quality of life with a view of life’s sacredness…clients that enrich the environment, human health and well-being, human rights (and animal rights)…clients that promote the advancement of human economic, creative and social potential, especially children’s potential…clients that advance human understanding, tolerance and respect      for the richness of, and differences  in, cultures, religions, genders, races, ethnicities and ideas…clients who if they       advance technology, also advance the progress of the human heart.

*    Take a stand for the Earth and the “wholeness” and intelligence of Nature.  Take a stand for the advancement of world culture while equally respecting the  uniqueness and sacredness of every individual human being, and the healthy, enriching uniqueness of  regional and national cultures.

*    Be suspicious of any group, organization or individual who believe they, he or she have “all the answers” or who wish to impose or project these  “answers” onto others.  Veer instead towards those who present creative solutions to specific problems; and judge these solutions on the basis as to whether they expand human human happiness and fulfillment

*    Consider groups, organizations or individuals who have creative or innovative ideas, services or products that enrich human life; or that have winning ideas, services or products that can help empower the poor or heal the sick.

*    Represent businesses that conduct themselves ethically, that deliver products or services that help, and don’t harm; that are businesses that invest in their people and contribute to the health and well-being of the communities in which they do business, both domestically and internationally; and that are sensitive to  the promotion of the human and civil rights of women and minorities, especially among their own employees and the customers they serve.

Five months have passed since the last entry here.  In that time, Obama won the election and is about to be inaugurated as President in two days.  McCain gave what I think was the greatest concession speech of all time - full of heart, graciousness, honor and authentic patriotism.  Here it is:

MCCAIN: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.

My friends, we have — we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.

A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him. 

To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.

In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.

This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.

I’ve always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Sen. Obama believes that, too.

But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.

A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.

America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.

Let there be no reason now … Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.

Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain.

These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans … I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

It is natural. It’s natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours.

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AUDIENCE: No!

MCCAIN: I am so…

AUDIENCE: (CHANTING)

MCCAIN: I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We do, too (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.

I’m especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother … my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign.

I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.

You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate’s family than on the candidate, and that’s been true in this campaign.

All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.

I am also — I am also, of course, very thankful to Gov. Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I’ve ever seen … one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength … her husband, Todd, and their five beautiful children … for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign.

We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.

To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.

I don’t know — I don’t know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I’ll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I’m sure I made my share of them. But I won’t spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.

This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend Sen. Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.

(BOOING)

Please. Please.

I would not — I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century.

Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.

AUDIENCE: USA. USA. USA. USA.

MCCAIN: Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama — whether they supported me or Sen. Obama.

I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit. We never surrender.

We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

——————————————————————————————————————–

It never made me prouder to be an American than to listen to those words by Senator McCain - a good man, and a true patriot.

Many wish the President-elect well, yours truly included.  As readers of this blog know, I supported Senator McCain - but now it’s time for all people of good will to pray for the success of our new President.   Indeed, the election of the first African American president is a major breakthrough for this country, an achievement that comes on the historical heels of much struggle and represents a victory for America and the unifying vision embedded in the Declaration, in the heart and mind of Abraham Lincoln, in the long years of the fight for Civil Rights, and in the realization of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Since this blog was last posted, a great economic crisis revealed itself - to everyone’s enormous surprise.  It is far from resolved; and let us pray it will heal sooner than later.  This is perhaps Obama’s greatest challenge, and all Americans wish him well as he proceeds with an unprecedented-in-size Stimulus Package. 

The international situation is full of crisis - what to do about Iran, the Israel-Gaza confrontation, the situation in Pakistan, the Terrorist challenge, how to withdraw from Iraq with honor - and more.  I applaud the appointment of Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State.  As readers know, I supported her candidacy for President prior to her loss in the primaries.   Whatever Obama’s motivation - and I think there were political motivations and others on his mind - I like to think that her appointment was above all a reflection of his estimation of her strength, and her competence.   She will help his Administration, and the country - though of course the “bottom line” will rest with Obama.