WEBVTT

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You know-- you
know how it's been.

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It's really been-- it's been
difficult for all of us,

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especially for the people where
the massacres and shootings

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have been occurring.

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You name it, it's happened
at synagogues and schools,

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elementary schools,
universities, and markets.

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It's really bad.

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So that's a good--

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that's a good thing
that we are here

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because we create community
as soon as we come together,

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and we create a positive
thought and a positive vision

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and positive heartfelt feelings.

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And that helps everything,
and it tones down that trauma

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that's slinking around.

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And we take a
positive step forward.

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So it's good to send our
heartfelt thoughts, feelings,

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words, drawings whenever
those moments take place.

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Or I'll write a poem.

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We can write a poem, and
we can send that poem.

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I remember when the
massacre took place,

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and nine African-Americans
were killed

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while they were in church,
and I asked my students,

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I said, let's write a
poem and send it to them.

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And let's write a poem for
the people in Sandy Hook--

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Sandy Hook, am I right--

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because it was such
a terrible event.

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So let's write poems, OK?

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OK.

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And let's put them
all together, OK?

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OK.

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And let's send them in
a big giant envelope.

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OK.

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And we got the
address, you know,

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and we got the name of the
newspaper, it was the Gazette.

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And we sent that stack
of poetry over there,

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and that was good enough.

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And then, one day, I
was presenting poetry

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at-- in San Francisco at
the Jewish Cultural Center,

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and a woman came up to me.

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I was still on stage, and
she said, oh, Juan Felipe,

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thank you so much.

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I said, well, for what?

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She goes, well, we got
that-- we got those poems.

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We got those poems, and
everyone was very thankful

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and felt the support
of the students that

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wrote those poems.

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So that's what a poem can do.

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When something terrible
happens, we can write that poem

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and just-- either
just read it out

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or have it and share it
or send it to the city

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or to that school.

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And that way, we are
not just sitting down.

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That way, we're expressing
our love and compassion

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and kindness and care.

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And that's where
the big change is.

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It's not with band-aids.

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It's with our caring, our
kindness, our compassion,

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and a few words
scribbled or typed.

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And we'll read it
out and send it

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through space, which
is good, or read it out

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and share it, which is good, or
just send it in the mail too.

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Yeah?

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[CLAPPING]

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