It can all feel so very hopeless at times. I look at the rush of recent administration actions, rushing nominees, executive orders, crushing blow after blow overloading the democratic system. It seems as if they already have the upper hand.
Don’t believe it.
They are rushing to make you dizzy and unstable. Breathe.
They are afraid of you. Hiding information. Hoping you will tire and just go away.
Don’t.
Keep moving. Find friends. Keep walking right through the fear.
We are in this together.
Worker Wednesday
Unions have been taking a beating in recent years. Corruption in some has tainted all. They are seen as unruly and too powerful, pushing an agenda that damages business. As with all things, some of this is true, most of this is not.
Unions protect laborers from greedy business practices, they provide needed controls for health and safety and ensure fair treatment. If ever, we need unions to function now. We have seen many corporations use and abuse their employees. You have likely seen such practices as refusing to hire full time employees to avoid paying benefits, refusing to pay a living wage, exorbitant compensation to CEO’s while full time employees struggle to make ends meet.
Make sure you are getting good information about unions. Check out the unions in your community. Who is doing a good job? How can you be supportive of them? Which need to be called out for poor practices? This doesn’t mean you throw out the whole union, fix it, make it useful and honest.
Teacher Tuesday
These tireless angels are working hard and need reform in school budgets and oversight. A very important place to start is ensuring the needs of our teachers and schools. Get in touch with the Parent Teacher Organizations, find out about the union, be active and vocal, write a supportive note or make a donation. Go to your school board meetings. Let your representatives know you support teachers and schools.
How do you feel about being able to see and experience your National Parks, State Parks, County Parks, City and Town Parks? This new administration is making it easier for those parks to be destroyed by development of one kind or another.
Do you trust this new administration? Do you think they are following through on their promises to put Americans first? I can’t see it as I watch decision after decision to put business and money first.
We need to speak up, over and over again, on the issues that mean something to you.
Darwin did not say the world only worked by survival of the fittest individual. He tossed around many ideas. He and other scientists of his era bandied about the idea of survival of the fittest group as well. The fittest group is where people watch out for one another and has a much better chance of long lasting success.
The group in question is not the white group, or the rich group, or the heterosexual group, but the Human Being group. The only way to survive life on the planet is to come together as Human Beings. It’s us against adversity, us against illness, us against crises and weather and hard times.
The only way to survive is together. Besides, who are you going to leave out? The bum who won’t get a job? That is a made up person in your mind. Would you leave out people of color because they are taking your job? If you really knew people, and the needs of different communities around the country, you would know it’s way more complicated than that.
The problem with these stories is they are simple sound bites that can‘t possibly cover the complexities. In your own life you are likely aware of exceptions to these rules, maybe immigrant families you know that feel like they shouldn’t have to leave, but those other people, the ones I don’t know, they have to go.
When an issue comes close to you, you see the ins and outs and are able to take a broader view. Take Dick Cheney for example, he was against LGBT rights until his daughter came out as a lesbian. Once he had experience with these circumstances, he came to be compassionate about the needs and wants of that community.
A global “We” is created by sometimes one, or several, or hundreds of open-minded conversations with a group where you do not have experience. It could be city folk who need to understand small town issues such as farming or losing ones livelihood to the shutting down of a whole industry such as logging or mining or country folk who need to understand the city issues such as homelessness and affordable housing.
An open-minded inquiry in to the lives of others is not hard to do. You probably know someone that fits the bill but have not asked in order to not create trouble. It’s time to get over avoiding political, religious and other taboo topics and get to know each other. The key is keeping calm. Breathe deeply and be positive. Walk away and come back if you need to but stay with it.
Tell me how it goes….
There are two very important things to remember about the press –
It is very important that, We The People, demand high ethical and journalistic standards. Subscribe to a local, national and international news source that employs investigative journalists AND then keep them honest with your constant feedback.
America is going through a growth spurt. We are struggling with a big change, worried about what might happen and afraid of the unknown. We are busting through from our teenage years to young adulthood with excitement, fear and trepidation. It’s a scary process as we branch out, some parts want to hold back, stick with what we know, some parts want to forge ahead, some parts are angry and lash out with perceived worry we won’t make it in the new world. Feels like adolescence to me!
We were a long time in the toddler stage, the elementary school age, sometimes playing tug of war, sometimes kind and caring, but always back and forth until… the teenager woke up. The teenager knows everything, wants their own way, can’t understand the viewpoint of others, is often loud, defiant, angry but also idealistic, ready for change and excited to move out.
When the reality of actually moving out arrives, it can be terrifying and many a youth back down and cling to known ways. If the way forward stretches farther than we feel ready for, the snap back can be forceful. I think this is where we are at in a time of our history that will require much from us.
Americans are stout, hearty folk. We don’t mess around and sometimes that gets us into trouble, but I have much faith in people. We can overcome the current hurdle of our political climate. It will require doing something we have been afraid to do for decades – listen, learn, speak up. It will be helped by tools we’ve never had before, well written history, more information than any one person can absorb, but mostly an internet that allows us to see many ideas, points of view and ways forward to keep America intact and moving forward.
There is much to learn from everyone in this transition. Let’s listen and learn, talk and debate, plan and act. Follow this blog to find out how you can be part of the solution.
When you think of patriotism, which party comes to mind? For many it’s the Republican Party. Why is that? It’s because the Republicans made an effort to claim patriotism and it’s definition. Patriotism has come to mean wearing an American flag lapel pin, fighting for ones country in the military and loyalty to country by never criticizing, no matter what.
This is not the definition of patriotism.
Patriotism is love and devotion to ones country. How this is expressed is as varied as there are people on the planet. In the USA we have many rights and responsibilities as citizens to hold our country to high standards – that is patriotism – a love so deep, devotion so constant that no one will bring down what we value.
Consider unions and how they have risen and fallen in the last 150 years. Hard fought rights by many that were beaten, jailed and killed to improve the lives of all American workers. Corruption infiltrated unions causing a wedge between worker and union which created a gap where business owners could take advantage and weaken union strongholds.
Citizens coming together to demand fair treatment is an inalienable American right and a patriotic stand. No one wants to return to the work conditions before unions and no one wants corrupt unions to unfairly treat businesses. The solution is in transparency and balance.
How will you express your patriotism? Inform your legislative representatives of your values and standards for this country. Support your local unions, teacher unions and other workers that are treated unfairly. Get to know the issues, be informed and share your opinion. Vote. Be informed about your local school district, town, county and state issues. Keeping America great is about maintaining our gains and fighting for our country.
Teacher Tuesday
“Russians are very cynical” said my immigrant friend. Now a US citizen for many decades, she still remembers her first almost twenty years in a regime that controlled and oppressed its people. She shudders to see what is happening in the US today.
Many are greatly distressed by the potential loss of the democratic system in America. We are watching an attack on freedom of the press that could lead to a Russian-like state right here on our own soil. It seems we are being co-opted by Putin via the internet and control of our new government leaders.
Teachers, yes teachers, have two important clues to defying this transition and battling cynicism.
1 – Teachers know how to get up every day and keep fighting in a clearly broken system. I’ve never seen such determination as a person who has decided to stick it out when the funding isn’t there, the support isn’t there, when the job just keeps getting bigger and bigger and the students more difficult with each year.
2 – Teachers also show us what not to do when they enable that broken system to continue by working massive overtime, spending their own money to make up for funding shortfalls and attempting to be all things to all kids, counselor, nurse, social worker and mentor. Unfortunately, this enables the broken system that is taking them down.
This happens because people who want to be teachers are some of the kindest, caring and inspiring folks on the planet. Because they are overwhelmed with too many obligations, they are unable to focus enough time and energy on making the system better. This is not their fault as they work hard to make these changes but the support, of our government and our society, is not there.
We, as a nation, are in similar circumstances.
We must find a way to support one another, drop the need for being right, arguing at the slightest offense, and find common ground. There are far more people who want the system to work. We are a powerful force. Let’s make sure our voice is heard. How would you make that happen?
Is America suppose to be Christian? This is a strong feeling for many, a feeling that if we could only get back to the morals of Christianity, we would no longer have the problems we face in this country. Many think back fondly to a time in the 1950’s, after the war, prosperity rose, people looked put together and happy. This is the “proof” that the white Christian world is the one that brings peace.
What this ignores is the dark side of this time, blind acceptance of racism, domestic violence, back alley abortions and oppression of those that were not white males. It’s not all bad or all good. There was, and still is, a mix of advances and oppression we struggle to solve. Will Christianity as the national religion solve those problems? No.
In America we have the right to freedom of religion. All religions have the potential to bring peace and compassion to those in distress. All religions have the right to be practiced. Some people are twisting the history to say the framers of the Constitution meant for America to be a Christian country. Don’t fall for it. Don’t allow power seekers to change the fundamental truth of America as Church separate from State.
Sunday mornings can be a time for reflection, peacefulness and connection with ‘what is’ in this world. For some this is Nature or Energy or God or the Universe. Today, reflect on the meaning of forcing people to be Christian, of exterminating other religions and demanding everyone to be the same. Take some time to research and read about this issue from sources you don’t normally access. If your religion can’t take a good hard look, how strong is your stance? Get all the sides on this issue. Imagine this in reverse, someone forces you to send your children to school where only Buddhism is taught. All children raised as Buddhists. Does that seem right? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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