At the MA Center satsang group we got an email urging us to help out
with a program being hosted by a local elementay school in Oakland
which has taken in 53 children from the Gulf Region dislaced by recent
hurricanes. It's a great idea -- even if the name is a little funky
(my opinion). I'm sharing the idea in case anybody out there would
like to organize a similar toy swap in their U.S. community.

The idea is that new toys are donated. Children bring in their toys
that are related to war and violence and swap them for a new toy. It
was sugested that teenagers could turn in their violent video games
and music recordings in exchange for gift certificates to get
something else.

The name, alas, uses the word "war". This war and preparations for
war poison is so all-pervasive that we don't even see it in the name
for such a fine program. If anyone out there is inspired to copy this
idea, maybe you can come up with a better name for it.

Today I heard a wonderful talk with the theme "Don't Study War No
More." The point was made that the constant preparation for war, for
competition in every aspect of US life, has created a culture where
people are not allowed to feel. A cultural environment that
discourages feeling breeds addiction and so many problems that we see.
The toys that stress war and violence and the music that glorifies it
are part of that same problem. This WAIT program (which I'll hold
could have another name) can make a