One Love

segunda-feira, novembro 21, 2005

I'm not going to read the news anymore . . .


I'm not going to read the news anymore
I do this every now and then
Because I don't just read the news . . .
I follow it
and lately, the following of the news had made me irritable
angry
and sad

I don't want to be those things


I am going top spend the holiday season in blissful ignorance of it all
I am goiong to meditate daily
I am going to cultivate inner peace

Come the New Year, I will log back on to the BBC
and dive back in
because by then something will probably have happened that I can't ignore anymore

But for now,
I will enjoy the length of the night and the way my handmade scarf warms my neck in the chilly air
I will eat clementines, four in one sitting
and play capoiera until my legs hurt
and then I will take a cherry blossom bubble bath
I will practice patting my belly and rubbing my head at the same time
and finish that painting I started last month
I will read fiction, beautiful fiction


and connect with the good in the world

until the allure of the bad calls me back

quinta-feira, novembro 10, 2005

One Small Step





Yesterday November, 9th, the US House of representatives decided to remove the ANWR drilling provision from the budget bill. (see previous post : sucking us dry) YAY! While the House may try to sneak the issue into the final budget measure next month, last nights retreat was a MAJOR setback for hardline house republicans, the oil lobby, and (my favorite) the Bush administration. The hits just keep on comin' and you've just gotta love it! It'a small step toward returning this country to the REAL American values of conservation, environmental stewardship and (my favorite) democracy! Okay, maybe I shouldn't go that far but it is a sign, at least, that the self interests of moderate republicans in the house are dovetailing with the the the general public interest -- like a solar eclipse, a beautiful, rare occurence. ANYWAY . . .savor the moment and keep up the activism. Remember: to oppose in silence is to approve. This thing isn't over yet but suddenly the prospects look much, much better. How cute are those bears?

terça-feira, novembro 08, 2005

Napalm Nighmares in Falluja


I am about to throw up. I have never seen anything like this.
I apologize in advance for the graphic content of the image above and the others on this link but I felt I had to put it out there because this is what war looks like, people. THESE ARE CIVILIANS!!! Maybe if we were reminded of this everyday we wouldn't be so apatheic about the whole thing in the first place. It is sickening, terrifying, heartbreaking -- it TEARS AT YOR SOUL. It is impossible for me to fathom how anyone could justify this.
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=12676

sexta-feira, novembro 04, 2005

My Friends




I went out seeking myself, only to find that I had become the journey. I struggled so long to belong, to be accepted, to feel familiar in my surroundings. I became used to struggle. So much so that in times of peace, I sought it out. It was something to which I could belong. But what I was forgetting was the most important thing: that I had not suffered alone. I had been blessed with the souls of others; we were on this journey together. It is you, my friends, that have given my life meaning. We are scattered and we are motley. We are not pillars of perfection but we are wells of strength for one another. It is through you that I know god’s love because here I am a transplanted life, some one who should be so alone and yet I am not. What majesty there is in this simple fact. I long for time spent with you. Because you make me laugh. Really laugh. And you do not judge. Ever. You give me a place in which I can be me. I’m not on sure when it happened. Maybe it was instant, but it seems the years only increase what was immeasurably precious to begin with.
You are my family. And I found you all on my own.

quinta-feira, novembro 03, 2005

STOP ALITO WRITE/CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY!!!


Dear Senator (name),

Please support a filibuster of Samuel Alito. He is not only a conservative, but he is an extremist. His views on critical issues reflect this extremism and are not appropriate for a justice of the Supreme Court. As a member of your constituency, I strongly urge you to do everything possible to block his nomination to the bench.
In the upcoming years the Supreme Court will be deciding important cases involving affirmative action, voting rights, and civil liberties. With extreme conservatives on the Court like Justices Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and now possibly Alito, many of the advances made over the past several decades are in danger of being rolled back in the name of strict constructionism. The constitution is a living document; our democracy depends on the life it takes on.
I will be following the confirmation process closely and I am counting on my elected representatives to take a stand against this nomination. It is important that Samuel Alito be exposed for the extremist that he is. You are my voice in the United States Congress. I trust that you will make my voice, and the voices of so many of us in Massachusetts who believe in you, heard during the confirmation process. Samuel Alito is an unacceptable choice for the Supreme Court of this great nation.
Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. While this was a celebration it was also a reminder that a mere 50 years ago segregation was the rule of law. It took the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren to skillfully steer the Court into taking a progressive stand on a controversial issue during a turbulent time. In many ways, Brown v. Board of Education was the impetus that provoked a generation of people like Rosa Parks to question segregation in its entirety, not only in the narrow context of public education. The passing of Rosa Parks this past week gave us all time to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and how much farther we have to go.
Without a living constitution and the courage of Chief Justice Warren who gave it that life, Brown v. Board would not have been decided the way it was. Justices of the Supreme Court are the ones who give life to the Constitution. The times we live in are just as turbulent as the 1950's. The issues being decided by the Court are just as historically important.
The nomination of Samuel Alito poses a grave threat to the protections Americans count on, including basic workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights. We call on the Senate to stand up for all of us and reject the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sincerely,
(your name here)

You can use this sample letter as a template or write your own. It can be long winded or short and concise -- as long as you speak up! To oppose in silence is to approve! To find out how to contcat you senator go to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Or to contact the 109th Congress Judiciary Committee go to:
http://judiciary.senate.gov/
To sign an emergency petition by MoveOn.org go to (it takes 1 minute!!!):
http://moveon.org/
Act now!

Guidance,
SJ