PROPOSITION ONE COMMITTEE
                         P.O. Box 27217
                    Washington, D.C.   20038
                         (202) 462-0757
                              
                              Date

Address





Dear ____:

     I would like to explain why, and in what sense, I would like
to come in from the cold.

     I call myself Thomas, but even my friends sometimes call me
eccentric.  Since 1981, virtually 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
I've been sitting in front of the White House talking about peace,
freedom, justice, equality, and spiritual values in general.  That,
I suppose, probably makes me eccentric.

     I am not asking to come in out of the cold in the sense of
begging for shelter from the elements on the sidewalk in front of
the White House.  Rather I am asking for a lessening of the cold
shoulder from the many who may have pigeon-holed me as a hopeless
fringe element.

     Almost invariably when someone takes the trouble to tell me
why I am mistaken or impractical, their reason is that I am "too
philosophical," "too idealistic," or too "abstract."

     We may be conditioned to think of philosophy as being
abstract.  Let me tell you why I think it isn't.  Society is
governed by philosophy.  Christianity, Capitalism, Islam,
Communism, Zionism, Peace through Strength are all examples of
philosophies which govern.

     Maybe everyone wants peace, but Peace through Strength, in
practical terms, means peace through war.  If you have any doubts
just examine the hardware used to support the philosophy.  
     This country began from the agreement that, "We hold these 
truths to be self-eivdent, all men are created and endowed by 
their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  These self-evident truths,
equality, liberty, happiness, even Creator are all ideals.  So I've
been unable to understand what's wrong with being idealistic.


 
     In fact I sometimes think that the problem is that we have
abandoned our ideals.  Our society, it seems, has traded the values
of freedom, justice and equality for dollars and cents.  Since Iraq
has occupied the oilfields of Kuwait, the president of the United
States has said that "our freedom" depends on "control of oil
resources."  It would not surprise me if history proves that we
built nuclear weapons not to protect freedom from slavery, but
merely to protect dollars from rubles. 

     In order to realize equality, justice, freedom and peace --
and I don't think it is practical to think we can have peace
without equality, justice and freedom -- I think we MUST work
together.  Therefore, to have peace we must have unity.

     Looking around I notice that there are many individuals and
groups who are working for peace.  I also notice that the majority
do not seem to be working too well together with one another.

     This is where Proposition One comes in.  Chairman of the
District of Columbia Nuclear Freeze Advisory Board Acie Byrd's 
first comment about Proposition One was that "it is an idea that
everyone can get behind."

     It's a simple idea and once people begin to think about it I
believe that everyone will realize nuclear weapons are something we
can live without, but might not be able to live with.  I've had
experiences when people refused to sign the petition, only to
return hours later saying, "I thought about that, and it makes
sense.  I want to sign it."

     To me Proposition One is an idea for unity.  It is an idea for
equality, empowerment, democracy where the people can begin to take
the initiative, creating law that serves life rather than
materialism.  Thus I see Proposition One as a foundation on which
humanity can begin building a society based on compassion, to
replace our present decaying system of retribution.

     I hope that you will study the enclosed material thoughtfully
and either correspond with me to help uncover the root of my
impracticality, or unify behind the concept.

     I pray Proposition One is an idea which peacemakers will be
able to unify behind, because it may be an opportunity for all of
us to come in out of the cold.



                                   Thomas
                                   August, l990