don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Where would you invest, let's say, a million dollars that you could afford to donate for a good cause? Granted a mil is not what it used to be, but assume for this process that it would be enough to start or boost an existing program of worthy projects. Kindly accept a few guidelines for purposes of this exercise. Imagine you wanted to advance wellness, make your country a better place, improve the political process, protect the constitution and promote critical thinking. Given these objectives, where would you direct your million?

'm inviting visitors to SeekWellness.com and readers of the Ardell Wellness Report to have a go at this exercise. I hope you will send something my way. I'll publish a few favorites (or summarize them all) in a future edition.

I know what I'd do if in this enviable situation. In fact, that's why I created this exercise -- to segue into a rant about how, if I were quite affluent, I would advance wellness, make the country a better place, improve the political process, protect the constitution and promote critical thinking. But, I'd also like to know how other wellness-oriented folks would distribute their spare million, if they had such.

Hope this gets you thinking along these lines and that you decide to share your commitments with the rest of us. Till then, here's my plan for spreading around a million dollars to advance the above agenda. (No, I have not forgotten my own advice expressed in a recent essay "Ten Suggestions for Happiness" (E-AWR 354), the part about do good work and all that but "just don't get sanctimonious about it." I promise.)

I'd put my money into promoting reason and science. I'd create an organization that would encourage critical thinking, especially as applied to politics. Here's how I would do it.

• Set up an office in the nation's capital to organize efforts to reach out to legislators, provide expert testimony before Congress, speak on issues when they are in the public eye, and submit amicus curiae briefs in science and religion cases before the Supreme Court.
  
  
• Promote free inquiry into all areas of learning, contrary to the current system of censoring potentially life-improving scientific inquiry based on religious concerns.
  
  
• Help to enact public policies based on reason and science and promote changes for better separation of church and state.
  
  
• Provide a persuasive, informed, scientific and rational perspective to counter the influence of religious doctrines on law and public policy. Offer decision-makers in Washington and elsewhere assistance in assessing supernatural, paranormal and occult beliefs unsupported by scientific research.
  
  
• Create a response team of prominent scientists, noted public intellectuals, Nobel laureates and others to testify before policy makers. Help legislators put empirical scientific evidence first when crafting legislation.

That's it -- that's where I would want my million to go. Not everyone will be happy about this, but it's my money! I can direct it as I like. So can you, with your million dollars, in this exercise. I want my donations used to remove roadblocks to stem cell research and contraception education, as well to fund efforts to prevent teaching Intelligent Design in public-school science classes.

The good news is that my fantasy for the million dollars I don't actually have for this purpose is about to come true, without my help. A new Center for Inquiry-Transnational will now function in Washington with an Office of Public Policy. Its creation is a "step toward a better, and better-informed, future for all Americans," according to the sponsors. I plan to donate a substantial sum less than one million dollars to this new Center for Inquiry, and more later as my subscriptions increase by a few hundred fold.

The Center's specific goals are:

• Identify sympathetic legislators and forge relationships with them.
• Provide experts to give testimony in Congress.
• Work on language in related upcoming bills before legislators.
• Hold nationally televised press conferences on breaking issues.
• Submit amicus curiae briefs in science and religion cases before the Supreme Court.

You can read about this initiative in a Washington Post article by Marc Kaufman entitled, "Think Tank Will Promote Thinking: Advocates Want Science, Not Faith, at Core of Public Policy," November 15, 2006; Page A19.

Enough about my fantasy of a one million dollar start-up donation. How about you? Even if your program has not come about as yet, let me/us know about it, please.

All the best in realizing your hopes for advancing wellness in order to make your country a better place, improve the political process and protect the constitution -- even if promoting critical thinking in the secular manner to my liking is not at all what you have in mind.

Be well and always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of applied wellness. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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