12 yr. old Genius Kid preaches Vegetarianism & nonviolence

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12 yr. old " Genius Kid " preaches Vegetarianism and Non-violence

Source: Washington Post

 

ASHLAND, VIRGINIA, JANUARY 21, 2002 - Boy

genius Gregory Smith finished high school in two

years with an A+ average. He was years old. A

television crew from " 60 Minutes " filmed his speech

to the graduating class, and he lost a baby tooth

on stage.

 

His IQ is " off the chart. " According to parents Bob

and Janet Smith, Greg began speaking simp words

at three months old and full sentences quickly

followed. He could recite memorized books before

his first birthday and read on his own shortly after.

He solved arithmetic problems at 14 months and at

two he was reading about dinosaurs and chatting

knowledgeably about the Cretaceous Period.

 

He observed that people had flat teeth, like plant-

eating dinosaurs, and concluded that human beings

must be herbivores, not carnivores. He persuaded

his family to become vegetarians. Greg, now 12, is

a college senior at Randolph-Macon College in

Ashland Virginia.

 

In addition to his vegetarianism, Greg has a rigid

moral code: He walks out of a movie at the third

curse word because he considers profanity

verbal violence; when a film in class contains nudity

or sex, he puts his hands over his eyes or leaves

the room; when his family rents movies,

Greg vetoes anything rated PG-13 because he is

only 12.

 

Since starting college, Greg has made the

acquaintance of a handful of Nobel peace laureates.

Because Greg had a previous speaking

engagement in Denver, he had to decline an

invitation from the Dalai Lama, but he hopes to have

another chance. He has discussed current

events with world leaders, lunched with Mikhail

Gorbachev and Queen Noor, shaken hands in the

Oval Office with President Clinton, and been

blessed by tribal elders in a desolate African village.

His simple appeal for nonviolence and human rights

for children has mushroomed into a

philanthropic foundation called International Youth

Advocates, with young representatives around the

world speaking out on behalf of the world's

innocents. Last year alone, Greg Smith traveled to

six countries on four

continents to lobby on behalf of children whose lives

have been shattered by war and violence and

poverty. He writes and delivers eloquent

speeches and personally answers some of the

thousand-plus e-mails and

letters he receives each week.

 

From a 12-year-old in Singapore: " Our world is

dying . . . I see of no other way but to wait for the

present generation of adults to die. But what

if they pass on their greed to us. Help us. "

 

From a 17-year-old Rwandan boy: " Yes, I do have

experience of war . . .

I lost all my friends, parents, brother and probably

myself. I know about all the kids who are soldiers

'cause I was. Ever wondered how much

money is made during the war? Look, all I wanted

to make you understand is that corruption brings

hard-core capitalism. Each person on their own. "

 

Greg wrote a long letter back to the Rwandan boy.

" I hear the sorry and pain in your words . . . I am

ashamed of us . . . We stood by and did nothing . . .

I will try with every breath that I have to make sure

that it does not happen again . . . I will never give

up or accept that we must tolerate the greed and

viciousness of others. We must show the world

that violence, and especially the capitalization of

violence, is not acceptable. "

 

Jan 21, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16604-2002Jan8.html

 

--

Be kind. Be of good cheer.

 

Dick Ford