Dr. Coburn announced, "Well Said!"

United States Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. has been criticized specifically for stopping and saying "No!" to several pieces of legislation in various reviews. While any and every Senator is criticized by some members of their constitutency, because of the multiple "holds" that Dr. Coburn puts on bills in Congress in order to address issues of spending, he has earned the moniker, "Dr. No."

It was nice, then, that at the conclusion of our personal meeting with Dr. Coburn today to hear Dr. Coburn say to me, "Well said!"

Dr. Coburn has several Town Hall meetings taking place in and around Oklahoma in these few days of his Easter Break. I attended his meeting in OKC today - with perhaps 400 in attendance, many of whom where vying for an opportunity to ask him questions, but less than 15 got the microphone for even a few minutes.

In view of this, it was a particular delight to have had a personal meeting with Dr. Coburn in his office where he gave 25 minutes to our advocacy and efforts in a personal way.

We met with Dr. Coburn in our advocacy towards peace and harmony in our world - in specific connection with our efforts toward the current situation(s) in Sudan. This has grown out of our commitment to shared partnership with the Carl Wilkens Fellowship from Genocide Intervention Network.

At the conclusion of our 25 minute meeting I said something along these lines, which I had prepared.

"Dr Coburn. We want to thank you for your time today. As we conclude our time, I want to share with you a story that is narrated by Daoud Hari in the book, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur. Daoud is himself a survivor of the atrocities that have taken place in the region of Darfur in Sudan. Daoud tells the story of how his mother was on one occasion surrounded by a circle of lions who wanted to attack their cattle and sheep. Daoud says that his mother, "for a long day, a long night, and the next morning saved their flock using only the power of her voice and the banging of sticks." We want to be advocates - to add our voice - to fend off the lions of our world who want to cause carnage and harm. Please see us as partners toward this effort with you as we raise our voice."

And Dr. Coburn announced, "Well said!"

Thanks to you who are partnering with us toward eupan. Please contact us personally if you want to know about how you can use the power of your voice with us! Email us at eupanglobal@gmail.com.

On a personal note - in the middle of an already long week (I met personally with field representatives for U.S. Senator James Inhofe and Representative Mary Fallin earlier in the week) - I want to note how exciting it is to be a partner with others toward effecting and establishing a better world. We can and should live into a more peaceable future - establishing the good for the all!

Committed to peacemaking, committed to adding our voice, and committed to eupan!

~ marty alan michelson, ph.d.