Never Forget!

Greetings, readers - at least I hope there are some out there! This post is a bit different, but these thoughts came to mind, so here we are.

Well, just what should we "never forget'?  Certainly, some things should be burned in our memories:  beloved family members and pets, important mentors and teachers, moments which had an oversized impact on our futures. It's even been said you never forget how to ride a bike (assuming you learned to ride in the first place!).  It's also been said, "use it or lose it" and I do believe there's lots of truth in that.  I have found however, that some remnants of things I've learned are still in my brain somewhere.  I haven't done Calculus in quite some time.  But I did have an opportunity to observe the one Calculus teacher while I was still working and although I certainly would need a refresher even then, I did find that what she was going over in class did at least sound some familiar chords.  And even though I haven't used or studied French in even longer, sometimes I can still come up with some words or even a basic sentence in French, which I find pretty cool. Now let me begin some further thoughts.

Never Forget Where You Came From

This really can't be said enough. Everyone needs to remember where he or she started and what had to be gone through to "make it" (assuming the person has indeed done just that).  Hard work at one's craft, studying, working through grunge jobs, whatever it took, NEVER FORGET.  Allow me to share this from my experience.  When I was first hired at the college I am now retired from, I wasn't hired on faculty.  I was  "tech assistant" and of course grateful for that position.  Wonderfully, a faculty job in my area opened up the next year and I was fortunate to secure that position.  Now when I was still a tech, there was some discussion of the tech and faculty joining together in one bargaining unit to have a bigger voice.  That issue came up and was voted on again when I and several other former techs were on faculty.  I voted to join together, but believe it or not, that was not unanimous among the former techs.  Go figure!

Those who come from privilege should remember that, too.  It's ok to be grateful (I'm only a 99%'er, but I'm grateful for many things, notably my late parents and my education).  But always also remember that many folks don't come with ready-made advantages.

I feel it is important to always keep in mind where you've been, and at the very least not advocate for dismantling programs that would help others rise or for policies which would place more roadblocks in their way.  We all also need to be aware of some subtle biases which lead to blaming the poor for being poor.  Maia Szalavitz discusses them in a very good op-ed for The Guardian.  She writes about "...the psychology concept known as the “fundamental attribution error”. This is a natural tendency to see the behavior of others as being determined by their character – while excusing our own behavior based on circumstances." She also mentions “...'actor-observer bias'. When we watch others, we tend to see them as being driven by intrinsic personality traits, while in our own case we know that, for example, we acted angrily because we’d just been fired, not because we’re naturally angry people."

 Never Forget Who You Are

You should never forget who you are, the unique person you have become over the years. Never forget that, in my college colleague, Dr. Fred's fine talk, that he told us that we are in some ways similar to all other humans, in some ways similar to some other humans, and in some ways we are unique persons.  Our challenge is to keep our individuality yet always honor our common humanity, respecting those we feel similar to and also those who might just be different!  Here's a nice piece by Arthur Dobrin that is worth digesting!

 
Never Forget What You Are About

You should never forget your calling, your dreams, your passions.  There is much work to do and I believe each of us has an individual calling with work meant just for him or her.  So you are needed as we face the challenges which are daily around us.  I remember what singer-songwriter Howard Jones told the audience at the excellent concert of his I was fortunate to attend.  He told us that if one has a dream - "never, ever give up!"  Those of us especially who fervently believe in social justice need to keep up the fight. To quote Bob Marley; "Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight."

So never forget where you came from, who you are, or what you're about. Take your history as a starting point and use your individual gifts to progress - as an individual and just maybe to also aid in societal progress as well.


Please - comments are gold (could use some encouragement) and sharing is caring!

Moral Values? American Values?

Greetings.  I know it's been a while, so here we go!

I'm quite sure that by now most of you have heard of that infamous speech by our nefarious Sec. of State in which he said: "Our values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated – those are our values. Those are not our policies."  He went on to say: "In some circumstances, if you condition our national security efforts on someone adopting our values, we probably can’t achieve our national security goals."  (He seems to have no problem with the Global Gag-Rule which ties our health assistance to some value - oh wait, that's one of the right-wing's values!)  You can read The Guardian report on on that Tillerson 'values' speech here .

Moral Values

Maybe we should start our thoughts here with some words from our Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..  This quote is from a speech he delivered in 1954:  "The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is that all reality hinges on moral foundations.  In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as the physical laws." 

Critiquing Tillerson's speech, John Kirby, the state department’s former spokesman tweeted: “Divorcing our interests from our values in foreign policy is like trying to plant cut flowers.”  (from The Guardian's coverage) How can we claim "moral leadership" if we don't champion them at least on some level?  Look at the very recent spectacle of our nutjob  #45 meeting with all those dictators in Saudi-Arabia (and an arms deal!).  He also congratulated the new dictator of Turkey, Erdogan. Our actions do speak, often quite loudly.

Next, please consider this quote from professor/scholar Edward Said:  "Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate."  (The entire article by Said is worth reading!) Telling thoughts indeed. Wouldn't it be refreshing to see us actually promoting policies and programs that in reality help and empower folks? And once again, I maintain that investing in such initiatives is more productive than investing in guns and bombs. Here is a recent review from Oxfam on some facts about poverty-reducing foreign aid from the U. S.. We're not actually such big givers, which will probably surprise many. Such programs with real local input, however can make a difference.  (Now a quick aside here... recently Cal. State, Fresno made a quite controversial decision to not this year fill the position of an Edward Said Professorship )

Further, isn't there also an old saying that 'if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything'? (The exact origins of this quote are very hard to pin down: there are variants listed from Chaplain Peter Marshall, Ginger Rogers, Malcolm X, Dr. King and a BRITISH Alex Hamilton;  it's often attributed to our A. Hamilton, but with little hard evidence.)  To me this means that although in this life, countries - and we as individuals - sometimes do have to make compromises; but we need to always have our guiding moral principles in mind to make sure we don't stray too far from what we claim to be about.  Our policies should, as much as possible, reflect our commitment to our values, values such as freedom and human dignity, which even Tillerson mentioned.

Values must also not exist in a vacuum. Pres. Thomas Jefferson recognized the need to have laws back up our values.  In a letter to Mordecai Noah (1818) he wrote concerning the religious intolerance often faced by Jewish Americans:  "Your sect, by its sufferings, has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal spirit of religious intolerance inherent in every sect, dis- claimed by all while feeble, and practiced by all when in power. Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our re- ligious as they do our civil rights, by putting all on an equal footing. But more remains to be done, for although we are free by law, we are not so in practice..."  (one place the full text of this letter may be found is in this online volume!)

Our values, our guiding principles must be backed up by laws, policies, programs, and daily actions if they are to be effective in their job of lighting the way forward.  Our job is to keep them in mind always when configuring our decisions and programs.

American Values

So what are American values anyway?  My own list would include: equality, freedom, democracy, social mobility ('The American Dream'), justice, individualism & independence, human dignity,  and the rule of law.

These values are deeper than just "Mom, the flag, and apple pie." They speak to aspirations we still need to work toward.  America has often been called an "Experiment."  Well, doesn't the experimental process usually involve adjusting things? Controls, procedures, or maybe materials, and hypotheses get modified as the quest to answer a question continues.  Thus, we must continue to advocate for changes which will move us closer to the full realization of the values and ideals we supposedly stand for.

American values can even trace their roots back in time!  The Founders were definitely influenced by European Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke.  Locke, in turn, was definitely at least somewhat influenced by Aristotle.  What? Those Ancient Greeks again?  I remember (it was only  - um - X - years ago) a class in Freshman Western Civ., with our most excellent prof, Ms. Audrey.  One day she brought in a travel ad for Greece which had as its main caption "You were born here."   From our study of those Ancient Greeks and our consideration of the values the U. S. supposedly espouses, we decided it rang true.  So the aspirations these ideals speak to didn't just spring up overnight.  It might be "enlightening" if we thought of them as part of an evolving human endeavor.

Conclusion

Values should not be something we intentionally sideline.  They should be a constant source of guidance for our policies and programs.  If we align our decisions properly with our values and ideals, I believe results will be most effective.  And it is also good to keep a bit of historical perspective in mind as well.  And to tie things all together, here is a fantastic quote from Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower. This comes from his First Inaugural Address in 1953:

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both...these basic precepts are not lofty abstractions far removed from matters of daily living.  They are laws of spiritual strength that generate and define our material strength."

So on to you, readers.  Any thoughts about values? Please share in comments. 

BONUS!
Here's something I found while working on this post.  A blast from the past which speaks so clearly to us today. 

Please do comment and/or share if you find this or any post here to be of value.  Thanks!

Freedom Is A Journey

Greetings all, as we await March.

Well, again, you never know when or how inspiration will strike.  If you haven't seen or heard of that nefarious Paul Ryan's tweet about freedom and Obamacare, Jon Schwarz had a fantastic take down.   During participation in the comments, inspiration struck (but shhhhh - someone might figure out my TI commenter handle 😃 )

After mulling over the nugget of inspiration, I thought, for at least now, a poem might be the best outlet for my thoughts.  However... maybe a more prose-y take on the topic might be good later (?).

So here goes:

Freedom Is A Journey

Freedom is a journey
One concentric circle blending into another
Old confines erased
As each one expands the breadth,
Each one expands the horizons
Every new incremental change
Gives more room to stretch
Gives an invitation to grow
This journey of broadening scope
Begun by some ancient yearning pebble
Still continues its pilgrimage today
The journey still incomplete

Hope that offering gives you readers something to think about. Your thoughts?

Remember as always, if you find this post or any post here of value, do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Related Post:

 My Freedom/Liberty Concept Map

What About Keeping Our Cool?

Greetings all as Feb. winds down.  You readers should know by now that I am a fan of Mysteries at the Museum.  I enjoy history and really love it when they present inspiring stories, say of Elizabeth Jennings Graham, as I mentioned in this post (Persistence/Long Time Gone).  Again, the show has helped prompt me to write a blog post.  

It's hard to try to escape, even for a bit, some of the mess that's going down in our country and the world.  I very frequently read articles at The Intercept, and saw a certain headline, but didn't bother to read it at the time since I just wasn't in the mood for more bad news. Then I got to finally watch one of last week's MATM episodes and -  ok, this needs to be written.

It seems as though our popular vote loser and head twitterer is signaling willingness to restart a nuclear arms race.  All I can say is: that would be just sheer lunacy.  The racism, bigotry and misogyny are bad enough.  The lack of regard for the environment is bad enough.  The lack of regard for civil liberties is bad enough. The total disregard for actual facts is bad enough.  But nuclear arms are too serious to be left to anyone who doesn't want to keep a cool head (more later) and clearly think through implications of any change in policy or something else.

So what does that have to do with MATM? The episode was "Mutually Assured Missteps, First Train Robbery, and Declaration Discovered" (very good episode overall, actually!) The first story was of an incident in 1962 when it was thought that a Russian saboteur had breached the fence at Duluth air field in MN.  Fighter jets from nearby Volk Field in WI were readying for takeoff when word came that it was a false alarm.  The alleged "saboteur" was a bear!  Scott Sagan, author of the book, The Limits of Safety, echoes my concerns about such incidents. Sagan uncovered this incident with a FOIA request, so don't let anyone say FOIA doesn't matter!  This incident should also remind us once again that nukes are very, very serious business.  Even accidental misunderstandings could lead to the unthinkable.

We should remember the example of Vasili Arkhipov, featured in the most excellent PBS episode, "Secrets of the Dead: The Man Who Saved the World."  One thing which stood out for me was that one of those who served with him said that he stood out for being 'cool headed.'  When the fate of the entire Planet is at stake, I think that's a very good quality to have.

And if you find this post or any post here of value, please do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

I'm In the Mood For...Troublemaking Visuals

Greetings again.  Hope someone IS out there...

This time, to lighten up the mood just a bit, yet still make a point or two, I thought I'd post some visuals of thoughts about what I've been observing.

Excuse my relative lack of graphical skills, but the idea is just to see what I can do, make a point, and maybe even have a bit of fun.

First visual:  I'm sure you've all probably seen that Liberty Mutual Ins. commercial that I just can't stand; the one with the oh-so-perfect Mom and kids.  But can you imagine them doing that with the "perfect" family being African-American?

Next visual: what if there were to be a more open, welcoming approach to immigration?

One more: what about the women (I know it's "words" but I thought this might make a nice presentation)?

Would love to read your thoughts.

And be sure if you find this post or any post here of value, that you comment and/or share. Thanks!

Moral Resistance

Greetings once again on this day before Valentine's Day.  How about some reading and musings to consider.

My homepage is commondreams.org (there's a link in my "side" navbar) and when I saw the headline of their story concerning the huge protest in NC, the phrase "Moral Resistance" really resonated.  Especially after having read some days before, a wonderfully written and extremely thoughtful piece in their 'Views' section.

The article is:  A Malignant Attack on American Values and was written by Adil E. Shamoo and Bonnie Bricker.  They encapsulate so much of what I (and it seems like many, many others) have been feeling about the "present administration."  Please take the time to read it and digest it.

A short snippet from this article: "The president is a role model for our entire country. When lies are routine and ethical standards are violated in every arena we would be deceiving ourselves to imagine that such malevolence will not invade every corner of American life." 

Beyond dealing with the horrors of this administration, it's clear that there is so much to do in trying to reach out, educate, cajole, whatever, - folks into more positive attitudes. The fact that there is as much support as there is for the travel ban on Muslims (although poll numbers can vary quite a bit) is certainly cause for concern. I've also seen reports that there is some support for torture out there.  Really?  How in the world can anyone justify doing that to other human beings?  And evidence shows that it doesn't work!  Further, try visiting some recent current event comment threads at either The Intercept or The Guardian and you will have to note some very racist and uncivil comments; I can only imagine how bad those "alt-right" (read 'white supremacist') sites are.  How can we break through all this?  I know we're never going to get everyone on board, but we have to reach more folks, really we do.

Well, I suppose it's time to give my Moral Resistance offering:

Please don't hesitate to share thoughts in comments!

And as always, if this post or any post here you find to be of value, please comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Related Post:

The Path of Love (With a New Note)

Our Use of Language

Well, greetings all!  I finally thought I would write about something that has been bothering me off and on for sometime, and has recently been rekindled.

That is our use of language.  I remember being upset when the 'right' so demonized Liberals and really attacked even the term.  Now, I'm from the Liberal school, probably the more traditional Liberal school of folks such as Humphrey and the LaFollettes.  I suppost the more "in vogue" term today is "Progressive."  Now that's not so bad, the Progressive Era here in the U. S. gave us many social advances.  But I have to wonder how and why we let the term "Liberal" be so maligned.

There has been lots written about the misuse of the words "terrorism" and terrorist."  If those terms are to be used, they should be used consistently.  However, that is not the case.

Another case in point right now for me comes in watching the way "protest" and "protester" are sometimes treated.  I think one reason the DAPL protesters wish to be called "water protectors" is because they sense sometimes spinners give "protest" and "protester" negative connotations.  Of this we should be very aware, and not let folks get away with attaching negative spin to what are our First Amendment Rights to Free Speech and Free Assembly.  

Then, there's the language which I have tried to protest by writing to The Guardian and also the editors of Commondreams (link to their site is in navbar...).  That is language such as "*****'s America" or "*****Land" or some such.  I have tried to get across that we should NOT give him the "brand", and also assert that this is OUR AMERICA, too.  And kudos to actress Viola Davis for not using such language.

When we have so many fronts to cover, you may wonder if language matters.  I believe that it does.  In this article, you can read of studies showing how language can affect our perceptions and even approaches to solving problems.  This piece talks about words and their use by media and possible effects on our thinking.  Finally, this op-ed from The Guardian talks about how we need to look at our use of language in our resistance efforts.

Thoughts? Would love to read them in comments!

So please remember, if this post or any here you find of value, do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Related Post:

Whose America Is It? 

Touchstones of Truths, Part III

Third in a special three-part series.

Greetings once again.  If you've been reading along (and I really hope you have been!), we have looked at the idea of only apprehending glimpses of Truth. I have been proposing some touchstones of truths which I've observed. Our first touchstone was "Hey, We're All Human"; our second, "Things Are Not Always Mutually Exclusive."  So we will now consider our third touchstone and bring the series to a conclusion.

Useful Triad: Critical Thinking, Common Sense, Creativity

Isn’t it true that thinking, how we think, and indeed our thoughts, are important?  Remember that Rene Descartes said: “I think, therefore I am.”  If we follow that idea, then it seems clear that thinking is essential to our existence.  You can’t get much more important than that.

When I look at many issues today, I see the need for critical thinking.  In recent years, it has not been emphasized in educational curricula.  We need to turn this around and do all we can to encourage critical thinking in students and in the greater public.  And yes, this is related to acquiring knowledge says William Poundstone in an article supporting his recent book.  He mentions that those who are better informed with general knowledge tend to be more skeptical of “simple solutions” and better able to think for themselves.  Aren’t those the type of critical thinking skills we should be promoting?  And aren’t those the kinds of thinking skills necessary for good citizenship?  James Baldwin was a great thinker, and much of his work is so relevant to us today.  I recently ran across this quote: “Ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”  I got shivers when I read that.

Searches about critical thinking in schools reveal there may be several reasons why critical thinking has not been emphasized: concentration on assessment, time factors, even lack of consensus on what critical thinking is or how it should be taught.  Still there are resources available, and communities should be aware and advocate for activities to get students to think critically.

Common sense is also something that we humans really need to exercise more often.  At Dictionary.com you can read that common sense is “sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like…”  We need to foster the awareness and reflective skills which will enable this.  After all, we don’t want Thomas Paine to be the last practitioner of this, do we?  This essay may be a bit generic, but it makes some good points about developing common sense. Please note that some of these suggestions  dovetail nicely with fostering critical thinking.

Creativity is also something we need to encourage.  Creative thinking is often a means to innovation, and even some math proofs have elements of creative leaps.  We often though think first of the arts and they are important to us as well.  I’ve always felt the arts were central to education and to humanity. The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities found in looking over foundational studies that arts integration programs often provided social and academic benefits for students.  This page has links to that and other studies which show how vital and useful the arts are in education.  I also found a page which has some wonderful snippets about the value of arts education.  I especially appreciated the first two points.

Creativity and the arts can also be dangerous!  As explained in this essay, art “makes it possible to imagine that the reality it portrays or projects might be imagined otherwise.”  That could be threatening to the status quo, now couldn’t it?  So we have another reason for supporting the arts. 

Think also about what the arts mean to you personally.  Imagine a world without your favorite song, aria, or other musical work.  Imagine not seeing paintings or sculptures. Imagine not having your favorite novel, story or poem to read; no plays, musicals, ballets, or modern dances to enjoy.  Or try imagining a world where you would be prohibited from expressing yourself artistically.  I don’t care imagine such a world, do you?  I hope everyone realizes how enriching the arts are to all of our lives.

Conclusion

William Wordsworth (oh no, not another poet!) asked “Where lies the truth?”  Even today, as individuals and as a society, we still need to seek after this facet of the human endeavor, and to appreciate the purity of genuineness represented by Truth and Keats’s Beauty.

Any further thoughts or touchstones you'd propose? Please share in comments.


Remember, also, that if you find this post or any post of value, do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Touchstones of Truths, Part II

This is Part II of a special three part series. 

Greetings once again.  Welcome to Part II of Touchstones of Truths. 

In Part I, we set the stage by acknowledging that seeking Truth was a lifelong journey and no one human being really apprehends the "whole truth."  Nevertheless, there are some observations of truths, I have glimpsed and am putting forth here.  We considered our first touchstone: "Hey, We're All Human." Today we will look at another touchstone.


Things Are Not Always Mutually Exclusive

I never enjoy those forced choice questions (‘Are you ice cream or cake?’)  Maybe both. Maybe ice cream one day and cake another.  And by the way, you forgot about pie!

I think first here of faith and science.  I suppose the main reason is that my late parents were great people of faith, but still were never afraid of nor rejected science.  Both had keen intellects and Mom, an elementary teacher, could be particularly succinct at times.  I remember as a grade schooler one day I complained about science class.  Her reply was (as nearly as I can remember): “Why? Science is just the world around you.”  Talk about reducing concepts to their essences!  So their examples may have influenced me not to reject either.

Further, not to get too personal, but throughout my life there have been some coincidences which I believe showed that there’s lots we still don’t understand nor can fully explain; something more. It’s also comforting to know I’m not alone in finding that faith and science are not mutually exclusive (full disclosure – I just happen to be Episcopalian).  I’ll take my cake with ice cream, thank you very much.

We’ve seen over time that barriers in many areas have been broken and this work is still continuing.  We’ve seen struggles to defy gender, racial, religious, gender preference/identity stereotypes. This is a struggle to not let surface characteristics preclude choices and aspirations; to break mutual exclusivity.

Breaking the idea that certain factors may be mutually exclusive can possibly help solve problems as well.  Some may think that concern for the environment and concern for jobs may be mutually exclusive or at least somewhat at odds.  However, in this article  (which I also linked to in another post), research is mentioned that is showing that, at least long-term, this is probably not the case.

Tomorrow: Third touchstone and conclusion

And remember, if you find this post or any post here of value, please comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Touchstones of Truths, Part I

First in a three-part series.

Greetings, Readers... I hope!  This will begin a special series, so come along for the ride!

Truth is something humanity has been attempting to perceive throughout history. Facts, let alone any greater Truths, in an age of spin, digital doctoring, and fake news can be difficult to trace.  It is a concept, an abstraction, and an objective to seek in both public and private life. Consider this thought of Sir William Osler, who was a Canadian physician.  He wrote: “No human being is constituted to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; and even the best of men must be content with fragments, with partial glimpses, never the full fruition.”     Emily Dickinson once said it was a ‘rare thing.’  In the song No More Lies, written by Justin Hayward, The Moody Blues sang of Truth as addiction and “in all its glory.”  John Keats in Ode on a Grecian Urn wrote: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty…”.  Jesus Himself in John 8:32 (KJV) told his Disciples:  “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Yet, here we are in 2017, still trying to seek and understand what we can only partially apprehend.  Certainly this search is a lifelong journey. However, in this three part series, I wish to propose some touchstones of truths I have observed for consideration.

Hey, We’re All Human

Should we really have to go over this again and again?  Rather than pore over statistics on things such as hate crimes, think about the fact that the W. K. Kellogg Foundation sponsored a National Day of Racial Healing on January 17, 2017.   Events were held in communities across the country.  The advance PR for this cited the recent divisiveness of the election for bringing racial wounds front and center.  Dr. Gale C. Christopher, a Foundation senior advisor, wrote that “racism is rooted in the false belief in a human hierarchy (emphasis mine).”    Or consider the fact that in Arizona, a bill was proposed which would target social justice programs and events in schools. It seems the bill itself will not be advancing, but all must keep vigilant to ward off such short-sightedness.  There are overviews here and here .  Late word can be read here.

It seems some folks still haven’t gotten the memos. Why isn’t learning about each other a joy?  What exactly is so threatening about diverse folks coming together?   One of those memos, the poem Human Family, brilliantly written by the outstanding Maya Angelou, was featured in a recent television commercial.

We need to realize that racism, institutionalized racism and yes, segregation are all real.  For example, there are studies that show schools are more segregated then before Brown v Board of Education and this separation is also tied to class and poverty.  You can read an overview of the GAO study .  The UCLA Civil Rights Project also did a study.  That one found that the average African American or Hispanic student’s school was approximately 67% low income, while for the average white student the figure was approximately 40%.  Housing also often tends to be segregated.  Doesn’t worship also tend to be segregated?  When is the last time you (or I) attended any interfaith worship service?  Even among Christians , worship tends to be segregated!  Although this may not seem to be related, in case anyone has noticed, there has been a trend toward privatization of public spaces , here in the U. S. and elsewhere.

What does all of that mean?  It means we often don’t know folks who are different from ourselves.  It means we need to find ways of coming together.  Recent actions by progressives have shown both the joys and challenges this entails.  We need to reach out to a diversity of people in our communities.  Inclusive public events, inter-parish and interfaith worship services, community projects that attract a variety of volunteers, can help us along in the agenda of getting to know one another, engaging in dialogues, and beginning to really work together for real progress.

Tomorrow: another touchstone 

Please also remember if you find this or any post here of value:  comment and/or share!  Thanks!

Happy Holidays?

Even though my heart and spirit are so heavy and troubled this holiday season, I do want to send to all greetings and prayers.  We will be needing them, it seems.  No matter what you celebrate, believe, or not believe, we ALL need to believe in common humanity and the need for PEACE!  And that is certainly a large part of the message of the holiday season.

And as Steven W. Thrasher wrote - 'hold you loved ones close.'  Of course, my kitty thinks that includes pets, too! I certainly concur with that!!!

So let us  all, human and animal conpanions, send good wishes and vibes for the entire planet.

 

Three R's

Greetings again - and I HOPE there are readers out there!

It's been hard since the election to write.  Even blogging, I haven't really known exactly what to write next.  There have been so many dissections, but the result has made my heart and spirit very uneasy as I mentioned.

I don't know if you'd still call this a "dissection", but here are some reflections which I developed after the idea of "Three R's" just popped into my head (along with something else which I'll mention later).

I feel going forward we need to think in terms of Three R's: Resist, Remedy, Renew.

• Resist.   As I mentioned in Seek a Just Unity, I am very wary of any normalization of or accommodating the incoming "so-called" administration.  Accommodating a leader with authoritarian tendencies usually is a disaster. Further, so many also feel that this nutjob's picks for his cabinet are uniformly disastrous.  We need to recognize the dangers posed to folks' health, liberties, even lives and Planet Earth itself.  You might wish to read another great piece by Steven W. Thrasher . Resistance and pushback will be crucial.  You can support organizations such as the ACLU or Planned Parenthood who are fighting for rights and liberties.  Folks are standing up against corporate aggression, for First Amendment right to protest, for Indigenous Rights, and for the environment by supporting  the Standing Rock #NoDAPL protests in various ways.  For example, many folks are pulling accounts from banks who are helping to finance this nefarious project.  We must also fight against things such as religious or racial profiling.  The Intercept has a new article detailing the response of 9 tech companies to the question:  “Would [name of company], if solicited by the Trump administration, sell any goods, services, information, or consulting of any kind to help facilitate the creation of a national Muslim registry, a project which has been floated tentatively by the president-elect’s transition team?” (Only one said no, and if you haven't heard, I won't spoil things;  please check out the article).  Might it be a good idea to contact some of these companies - those listed in the article and also others - and let them know what a horrible idea this registry (or any such thing) is?  I'm sure you can think of or find other suggestions - and it's great to share them.

• Remedy.  The Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, said in an panel discussion on one of the C-Spans, that the ultimate goal must be legislation and policy formation to really affect change.  So we need to advocate for legislation and policy decisions that will benefit "We, The People" - from local concerns up through national and global ones.  We need to make sure leaders and officials are accountable and hold their feet to the fire in an attempt to get us on a more progressive, positive course.

• Renew.  We MUST renew our commitment to Dr. King's Dream.  We MUST renew our commitment to making the "American Dream" more attainable for more people.  We MUST renew (or in some cases, begin to form) our recognition of our common humanity; that MUST overshadow tribalism. We MUST renew our commitment to our Planet (you'd think that would be obvious, but for some folks - notably that notorious nutjob - it isn't!).  Long term, we MUST get more and more folks on board. That's very hard to do now in this poisonous political climate, but we MUST find ways, great and small, to reach folks.

Would love to hear from any of you. Please share your thoughts in comments.  I really put some effort into this and it's been lonely lately.

Oh and I did say I'd mention something else that popped into my head around the same time as the idea of  "Three R's."  How about some music - say, a song I I hadn't thought of for quite some time?  Well, here are the lyrics, anyway; I tried to find a video, but it seemed most had poor sound quality, so I'll just give this:

Just One Victory

And as always, if you find this post or any post here of value, please comment and/or share. Thanks!

Related Post:

Seek a Just Unity

Calling Banks Re: No DAPL (Updated)

  Greetings - if  anyone other than referral spammers are around that is...

I have probably mentioned here that my browser home page is commondreams.org and has been for a while now.  They have lots of breaking news and also "views" written by various authors.

I was very recently skimming the list of recent views and happened across this article detailing banks that have been helping finance the infamous DAPL and their contact info.  The idea is to contact them, explain why DAPL is a horrible idea and see if they can be persuaded to pressure the developers into dropping this project.  Kudos to author Emily 
Fuller for compiling this info.

Since it's not very feasible for me to get to ND to help protest (and seeing what the water protectors are going through (I'm not sure I'm that brave), here was something I actually could DO.  I picked out three banks and made the phone calls earlier today.  My experience follows!

The first bank I contacted was Wells Fargo.  When I called, the first thing the lady receptionist asked of me was to give my first and last names.  I told her she didn't need my names.  I told her why I was calling  - that I thought there were more worthy projects they could help finance; also that I was horrified by how the protesters have been treated.  It may have gotten off to a rocky start but she did listen patiently.  She said they couldn't talk about client relations but she would document my concerns and pass them on.  I told her that was just fine and thanked her.  So I think I can be at least somewhat satisfied at that result.

The second bank I had chosen was Citibank.  This lady I spoke with was also quite patient and I went over pretty much the same basic concerns.  She asked if I wanted a call back from someone.  Well, with me that can be a mess, so I told her I wouldn't mind getting a response by e-mail.  Again, she wanted both names, but I only gave my one e-mail address.  Thanked her for her time (she was quite pleasant) and felt at least semi-good about this contact as well.  I haven't received a response yet, but will update if (and that's a big if with these companies) I get one.

Now before I go into my experience with bank # 3, are you noticing how they wanted a name, and both names at that?  I'll grant there may be times when they may need that info, but NOT right away and not if someone is only calling (or e-mailing) to express concerns or give feedback.  I really get wary of them wanting personal info when it's really not necessary.

Now, my experience with the last bank is really a kicker.  That one was TD Securities.  The receptionist (and said he he was the "switchboard worker") was not helpful at all.  This gentleman said he could NOT help unless I could tell him the first/last name of the TD person I wished to contact. I asked if he could even connect me with a department - say, PR.  He said he had no information to do that, just a list of names to go by (and I hadn't written down the name of the CEO,  just the phone number!). I told him this wasn't very helpful as probably there are folks who might call but might not know a specific name.  So put this contact down as unsuccessful.

Well, that's the scorecard for today.  I'm deciding if I want to note that TD CEO's name and try again tomorrow - or even make another contact or two.  Who knows?  But even doing this little bit of solidarity action today against this DAPL was at least trying something!

UPDATE 1:

I did actually decide to try again to leave some message at TD Securities.  What a frustrating experience that was.  The only name given in the above article was that of the CEO so I noted that and called again.  I first got a female operator and we went back and forth about the spelling of his name... she finally connected me - to someone I thoiught might work in his offfice, but no.  After speaking to this fellow for a moment, he said I needed to speak to this other division and transferred me.  What I got was some automated system about investments and when I TRIED to get a human, they wanted me to create a voice print.  Well, none of that! I immediately hung up and called back, getting a male operator this time.  Asked to go back to the fellow I spoke with and he absolutely would not connect me.  Said he needed BOTH names or maybe a name with a title... and I only had what he said was the fellow's last name (for that was all the fellow had given me).  Well, I told him the gal connected me to this random person!  He finally asked did I want to try the CEO's name again; so ok.  I did get to a voice mail (thoiugh at this point I'm not even suew to whom it belonged.  Left a message and just shook my head.  You can't make this up! You really seem to need a lot of luck to even leave any feedback for many companies these days. 

UPDATE 2:

It's now Thurs., but at the risk of making this post too long, I just have to include the latest update as Wed., I called two more banks.

I called SunTrust at the number given for their Chief Communications Officer.  I got her voice mail right away and left a message.  The fifth bank I called was ING - their U. S. office.  I asked for the PR dep't and the gal wasn't sure about that but asked why I was calling.  I told her the DAPL and she said she would take down my concerns and indeed pass them on to the appropriate person. She did seem sincere about really doing such which made me wonder if she was somewhat sympathetic.  So I'll count that one again in the at least semi-successful column.  So I guess overall, leaving the feedback went - about as well as one might expect these days.

And PLEASE keep the protesters/water protectors in your prayers.  The situation out there is very upsetting.  Here's a link to a recent report  .
 

And if you have found this post  (or any other here) to be of value, please comment and/or share.  Thanks!