GROUND ZER0, New York, N.Y.--Jan. 23, 2004 --  One of the great Words of Vigilance is "meliorate."
          Simply, it means to make better, to improve.
          Vigilance is all about meliorating the awareness of each person to the Beast of Terror and the tools necessary to render the Beast impotent.  

         Fighting Terrorism with the goal of eradicating it is a useless strategy.  For each Terrorist that is expunged another will appear.   The Beast of Terror lays many eggs.  They wait to hatch when Complacency weaves its web over the eyes of the Vigilant, making them blind to the Fear and Intimidation lurking in the shadows, waiting to spring out and ambush the unprepared.
           Ameliorating, another form of meliorate, Vigilance means that we sharpen the keen edge of our Swords of Vigilance daily, aware that disuse will dull the edge and our readiness to react to the Triads of Terrorism --Fear, Intimidation and Complacency--will soften, desiccate and freeze our reaction time to its dangers.

        Sentinels of Vigilance must be aware of the word meliorate, for not only does the idea of improving provide us with defenses against an attack of Terrorism, it gives us the power of offense against such assaults.
          If we act with Courage, Conviction and take Right Actions that benefit the Children's Children's Children, then we are improving our duty and obligation as guardians of future generations.
         We are letting the Beast of Terror know there is no room for an invasion of Fear, Intimidation or Complacency because we hold the high ground.   Our Castles of Vigilance have thick walls when we act with the Principles of Vigilance as our guide because we are validating each of them by actions, not waiting to put them into action.
         America today is meliorating its Vigilance as never before in its national history.   Each citizen is aware of the danger of external physical dangers that threaten our country's security.  But how many are as concerned with our Internal, Emotional Security?    How many of us are meliorating our sense of Vigilance at the level of our children, aware that the Beast of Terror is gnawing at their self worth, trying to weaken their resolve to stand up to all the challenges of life with Courage, Conviction and a belief in their duty and obligation to do the Right Thing for future generations?
          If Terrorism--the public kind we read and hear about daily--has a true value for each of us on an individual basis, it is to remind us that we need to shore up our personal resolves.   We need to grow stronger in our human character and shed wasteful character defects that make us stumble, falter, fall and often not pick ourselves up and start again.       

        Despite all the news about Terrorism and the threats it imposes upon our society, there are parents who Terrorize their children by threats both covert and overt.    Such threats range from physical to emotional abuse.   Then there are teachers and bosses and other people who thrill at lording over others, depreciating another because of how they look or speak or dress, or what color they are, or what their sexual preference may be, or to whom they pray, or how fat or thin they are.
         Meliorating Vigilance means we improve our ability to stand up for ourselves and the children of the future.    When someone scoffs at another, they not only scoff at the individual, but all individuals who may be similar, including the children of the future.    Terrorism has long fingers that reach deep into the future.
        By improving our awareness of what we say and how we act toward our children and loved ones, we begin to realize that how we treat our own is how we treat the world.   The father or mother too busy for their own children will be too busy for all humanity.    Selfishness will not give way to selflessness.

        Melioration will shift the direction from selfishness to selflessness.   By improving upon ourselves and our respect for one another, we begin to drive Terrorism farther and farther into the wastelands.    The less fuel it has to feed upon, the more it will starve.
The less bigotry and prejudice we serve on a silver platter, the skinnier the Beast will become.
       To begin meliorating the Beast, take the Pledge of Vigilance.   Let your signature on it be a sign to the Beast that you are a Sentinel of Melioration, dedicated to improving the future rather than tearing down the present as is the goal of Terrorism.

Jan 22--Electing A Father Of Vigilance To Oversee The Nation