My, my - another post. I think if I had more time and energy, I'd post more often as there always seems to be another outrage coming along. This is a big one! Congress is close to adopting a renewal of the Patriot Act which would extend, permanently, many measures which adversely affect our civil liberties and privacy. We all need to contact our Representatives and Senators and urge - demand - that this conference legislation not pass. They need to rethink any renewal of this legislation and scrap the notion we must sacrifice liberty for security.
Sen. Russell Feingold is leading the opposition. Please let the Senator know you support his efforts. Please also spread the word and get more people involved. You can read more on this here .
This blog discusses issues of social justice (in an inclusive sense), civil liberties, human rights, other social issues, and offers thoughts on society and humanity in general from a progressive, feminist perspective.
Friday, December 9, 2005
My Birthday Present
My birthday is tomorrow - 12/10! That means I want presents, lots of them! And you can make sure I get them. I'm not talking diamonds and champagne (although if someone would like to buy me a new PT Cruiser, I probably wouldn't refuse that!), but something else. You see, tomorrow is also Human Rights Day. I would like EACH of you to commit (and follow through!) to doing something for Human/ Civil Rights. Sign a petition, write a letter to the editor about an issue, contact your Representative or Senators, march, serve, donate, or do SOMETHING to help in the cause! We can't just sit idly by and watch these rights be trampled here and around the world. Everyone needs to stand up and start making a difference. It will take all of us, so each and every person must do what he or she can.
So put pen to paper, get on the telephone, take to the streets and work on those birthday presents!
So put pen to paper, get on the telephone, take to the streets and work on those birthday presents!
Petitioning to End Genocide in Darfur
Recently my college's Amnesty Club (yes, they started a student branch supporting Amnesty International!) circulated petitions to the President to end this genocide. I was able to get 10 signatures to fill one petition and give it to the students. Even though it may not be the most effective thing (I wonder sometimes if such petitions ever really have an effect), it made me feel as though I'd done SOMETHING for the cause. It was also a good feeling to support the students - they were quite appreciative of getting that filled petition. You can download one and have people sign, too. This campaign is found at africaaction.org . Find your way to the Darfur Campaign and it's "take action now" section.
There is another step we can take as well. We can urge our Congressional Representatives and Senators to support the Darfur Accountability Act. The House version is H. R. 1424 and the Senate version is S. 495. Maybe, just maybe, our combined efforts might start to make some positive changes for these fellow humans going through such trials.
There is another step we can take as well. We can urge our Congressional Representatives and Senators to support the Darfur Accountability Act. The House version is H. R. 1424 and the Senate version is S. 495. Maybe, just maybe, our combined efforts might start to make some positive changes for these fellow humans going through such trials.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Yet Another Outrage
I wasn't aware of this until I saw tonight's episode of NOW on my local PBS station. Earlier this month, the IRS warned an Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California that its tax-exempt status could be in jeopardy. The reason? An anti-war sermon preached last year. Read about it here.
I could hardly believe this. This is a very troubling development. David Brancaggio's excellent guest discussing this was the Rev. Madison Shockley of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, CA. He said it was quite cynical for the IRS to target this church, when so many evangelical churches were quite active for Bush. I might use other words. The Rev. Shockley said he would not be cowed into changing his messages and he felt that other progressive clergy felt the same way.
It is events such as this which are continually happening during this administration that keep me upset about the direction this country is headed. It is important that we guard the right to dissent. It is vitally important that we guard the right of free speech and not compromise it - not for national security, not for fear of being labeled unpatriotic. It troubles me that this administration always seems to want to silence criticism. It's scary and also not very smart. Always thinking you're 100% correct is a recipe for getting into messy situations.
I hope that each person will open his or her eyes to the abuses of this administration and its allies on the extreme right. Find out what the issues are and stand up for more progressive, inclusive and less repressive ways of dealing with our society's challenges.
I hope specifically that people will be interested enough to find out more about this situation. All Saints Episcopal Church has a website where you can read about their viewpoint (their Rector's Nov. 13th sermon is worth reading) and offer support. Rev. Shockley is a columnist for the L. A. Times. You may want to read some of his columns.
I could hardly believe this. This is a very troubling development. David Brancaggio's excellent guest discussing this was the Rev. Madison Shockley of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, CA. He said it was quite cynical for the IRS to target this church, when so many evangelical churches were quite active for Bush. I might use other words. The Rev. Shockley said he would not be cowed into changing his messages and he felt that other progressive clergy felt the same way.
It is events such as this which are continually happening during this administration that keep me upset about the direction this country is headed. It is important that we guard the right to dissent. It is vitally important that we guard the right of free speech and not compromise it - not for national security, not for fear of being labeled unpatriotic. It troubles me that this administration always seems to want to silence criticism. It's scary and also not very smart. Always thinking you're 100% correct is a recipe for getting into messy situations.
I hope that each person will open his or her eyes to the abuses of this administration and its allies on the extreme right. Find out what the issues are and stand up for more progressive, inclusive and less repressive ways of dealing with our society's challenges.
I hope specifically that people will be interested enough to find out more about this situation. All Saints Episcopal Church has a website where you can read about their viewpoint (their Rector's Nov. 13th sermon is worth reading) and offer support. Rev. Shockley is a columnist for the L. A. Times. You may want to read some of his columns.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Word Verification - Please Read
To everyone -
I just took the step of turning on word verification for comments. This means that if you want to leave a comment, you will have to type in the characters you'll be presented with. This is to stop spam comments. It is in no way meant to discourage any real, honest comments; I fully encourage - and value those!
It's a shame that spammers always want to spoil things.
I just took the step of turning on word verification for comments. This means that if you want to leave a comment, you will have to type in the characters you'll be presented with. This is to stop spam comments. It is in no way meant to discourage any real, honest comments; I fully encourage - and value those!
It's a shame that spammers always want to spoil things.
Happy Birthday, John Adams!
The Birthday Boy
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Today is the day to wish a happy birthday to John Adams - yes our second President! I never thought too much of him until the Adams Chronicles came on tv. I so enjoyed that mini-series and found out what a great person he was. Although he certainly wasn't a very good president (sorry...), he had lots of good sense and integrity, was anti-slavery,wasn't afraid to say what he thought, and was quite a liberated guy for the times!
Following the series, I fairly DEMANDED that my parents take me to see where he lived. So that summer we went to Quincy, MA. We visited the museum; went briefly by his birthplace and the house he moved into when he married Abigail - where son John Quincy was born. We took a tour of the main house. That was incredible - to actually see where they lived and all those family heirlooms. Most impressive was probably the library. That was a separate building lined wall to wall, floor to ceiling - three books deep. We also saw where he, Abigail, John Quincy and his wife Louisa were buried. This is in the basement of United First Parish Church in Quincy. I was actually able to touch the marble enclosing their coffins.
John Adams was a fairly quotable guy. To commemorate his day, here are some of my favorites:
First, three we should heed today:
"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
"Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence".
"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."
Another one to think about:
"Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power."
And here's one I wish our Supreme Court had believed:
"Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty."
Being an educator, I find his views on education stimulating:
"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people."
"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live."
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
Finally, some good advice for all of us:
"Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."
Happy Birthday to you, John Adams; hopefully somehow in cosmology you're getting these vibes!
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Today is the day to wish a happy birthday to John Adams - yes our second President! I never thought too much of him until the Adams Chronicles came on tv. I so enjoyed that mini-series and found out what a great person he was. Although he certainly wasn't a very good president (sorry...), he had lots of good sense and integrity, was anti-slavery,wasn't afraid to say what he thought, and was quite a liberated guy for the times!
Following the series, I fairly DEMANDED that my parents take me to see where he lived. So that summer we went to Quincy, MA. We visited the museum; went briefly by his birthplace and the house he moved into when he married Abigail - where son John Quincy was born. We took a tour of the main house. That was incredible - to actually see where they lived and all those family heirlooms. Most impressive was probably the library. That was a separate building lined wall to wall, floor to ceiling - three books deep. We also saw where he, Abigail, John Quincy and his wife Louisa were buried. This is in the basement of United First Parish Church in Quincy. I was actually able to touch the marble enclosing their coffins.
John Adams was a fairly quotable guy. To commemorate his day, here are some of my favorites:
First, three we should heed today:
"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
"Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence".
"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."
Another one to think about:
"Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power."
And here's one I wish our Supreme Court had believed:
"Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty."
Being an educator, I find his views on education stimulating:
"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people."
"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live."
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
Finally, some good advice for all of us:
"Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."
Happy Birthday to you, John Adams; hopefully somehow in cosmology you're getting these vibes!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Vote of Shame
By now, most of you have probably heard that the U. S. House Agriculture Committee approved budget cuts that would cut food stamps entirely from around 300,000 people and cut school lunches and breakfasts for approximately 40,000 children. This comes as it was reported that the people who cannot afford enough food rose - to 38.2 million in 2004! Read about this shameful vote here and you can also read more details of the proposal at this site.
I ask, how in good conscience can these supposed representatives of the people vote to take food from those who need it so much? I ask, how did it get to this point? How did so many of us slip into poverty? How are we letting our representatives get away with cutting programs to aid them, yet vote tax cuts for the wealthy and tax breaks for corporations? I ask, why aren't we outraged?
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask that you get outraged. Find out where your representative stands on this issue. Let him or her know that you favor restoring these budget cuts that would hurt the most vulnerable among us. Don't stop there, but please spread word about this to as many people as you can. We need to put as much pressure on the House to restore these particular cuts as possible.
I ask, how in good conscience can these supposed representatives of the people vote to take food from those who need it so much? I ask, how did it get to this point? How did so many of us slip into poverty? How are we letting our representatives get away with cutting programs to aid them, yet vote tax cuts for the wealthy and tax breaks for corporations? I ask, why aren't we outraged?
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask that you get outraged. Find out where your representative stands on this issue. Let him or her know that you favor restoring these budget cuts that would hurt the most vulnerable among us. Don't stop there, but please spread word about this to as many people as you can. We need to put as much pressure on the House to restore these particular cuts as possible.
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