Category Archives: public protests

Ghosts of Alcatraz

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Indian Country also has this up on the re-painting of the water tower at Alcatraz.  It’s simply amazing that they allowed this to be done.  I’m glad that this piece of history is being preserved.

If you recall, Alcatraz was formerly a prison that was taken over by the Native Americans on the basis of their former treaties that allowed them to claim any federal land that was not being used.  It was part of the new reclamation of traditional beliefs and reclaiming the Self that had been nearly destroyed by the European population.

Wilma Pearl Mankiller was one that was there, and she wrote about her experience in her autobiography, Mankiller. This is a great book for those unfamiliar with the Native American history and customs.  It was one of the first books I read that opened my mind to how different the Native Americans were as opposed to how they had been portrayed in my history books.

 

Monsanto sneaking through power grab legislation

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(sigh) this just gets sooo monotonous…once again Monsanto is trying to sneak through legislation to grab even more power over what is planted in the land. (hat tip organic consumers)

More from organic consumers here on the boycott of companies that have “natural” brands that sunk Prop  37 in California.  They’re worried about money in political campaigns…I’m worried about the money behind stuff like this.  It’s much harder to get attention directed at these campaigns by the media, therefore, it’s much harder to get the facts out there.

They also have a video posted by Jim Goodman.  I don’t have time to watch it today, but wanted to post it for others.

Following the money…

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(sigh)  In all the stories I’ve heard on Susan Rice and her failure to say what was going on in Benghazi, the bigger story is curiously tucked away.

…hmmm…I wonder why…?     /snarky

Here’s another report on members of Congress that own shares pushing for the XL pipeline.  Pushing their own self-interests over the ecological ramifications to the people, the animals, the land and water…

I’m thinking of the Cree proverb here (along with other wise sayings):

Only when the last tree has died
and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught
will we realise we cannot eat money.
~ Cree Indian Proverb ~

 

 

The rule of law

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A plea from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.  I find it real hard to believe Israel feels threatened by Palestinians when they have nuclear capabilities.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe Hamas has those same capabilities.  They just want to feed their families. To live their lives and be let alone.  This means not starving them.

And how would Hillary Clinton help smooth tensions? Since she threatened to obliterate Iran if it starts a war with Israel, I’m not real confident that she would be seen as neutral by Palestinians.  Just a guess.

Passages and Peace

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The dear lady that passed on in our building left behind some wonderful gifts–we were apparently like-minded, but she had barriers up and wouldn’t let people in.  I knew that she had been hurt to put up those boundaries, so I gave her that space to feel protected.  It’s a loss, however, as I have learned she had a B.S. degree and loved to read the same kinds of books I love to read.

One of those books, The Birth House by Ami McKay, had me reading it all weekend.  It’s rare that I read a book through, but since I have an interest in midwifery, I had to find out “what happened next” in the book.  As one of the commenters on the Powell’s website said, I would have liked a little more complexity to the main characters.  There’s something that’s nagging at me but I can’t bring it up to the front of my brain right now–

In the book, the main character, Dora Rare, eventually marries a man who is a conscientious objector.  Archer is the son of a wealthy widow and his objecting to the war brings scorn from a group of the women, who give him a white feather to show the world he’s a *coward*.  (the book goes on to portray him as a drunk who forces himself upon Dora–another issue with the book is that there are no men who are main characters who are good guys–this bothers me greatly.)

I had forgotten about the  custom of pinning white feathers on men during the wars…

…and then I thought of how the white feather was used.  I think that would be a powerful statement–putting a white feather on one’s clothing to show the world that you were objecting to war.  More powerful, perhaps, than the peace sign?

And as is stated in the book, the wearing of the feather brings about such controversy.  Why?

Why is it so difficult to live in peace?  From my parents’ generation (WWII) to my generation (Vietnam) to my children’s generation (Iraq, Afghanistan)…none of us have known a time without war.  Living in such times makes it so much harder to even grasp what a world would be without war…to actually know peace…

Why should one feel guilty or a coward for wanting peace?

I used to think that way before my own metamorphosis, but came to  see how badly the conscientious objectors were treated–how the youth of the Vietnam era went to Canada and were told by their parents that they would turn them over to authorities if they tried to come back home.  It took courage to leave anyway.  Or how they were beaten, hosed down with water, arrested, etc.  I now see standing up against war as an act of courage.

Even now, it takes courage to speak out against war.  You’re viewed as unpatriotic.

And with every holiday being tied to the military, it gets harder and harder for those advocating peace to speak out.

And one never hears about the Quakers, the Church of the Brethren, or the Amish–the religions who do not believe in war….it’s only the religions who somehow have managed to link Good Christians with the military that are promoted.

And the question that they cannot answer is:  Who would Jesus bomb?

Getting money out of elections

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Center for Media and Democracy has joined with others in “Money Out, Voters In” effort.  I was a little more heartened after this election, because it would appear that the billionaires spent a lot of  $$$ for nothing...

Speaking of Karl Rove…

…more here on dark money–up 400%.

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In related news, protests against Romney and the vulture capitalists sending jobs overseas. The story was written pre-election, but still needs to be told.  People just want to be able to work–to earn their own pay and take care of themselves and their families.

It’s utter cruelty to send jobs overseas and then complain when those that lost their jobs go on food stamps.

Big Bird breathes sigh of relief…

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Congratulations, President Obama. Big Bird lives on…:)

I know better, but I was listening to the rightwing radio last night and they were painting a dim picture of Obama’s win.  I turned it off and went to bed to read…thinking we were going to get Bush III…

Indiana voted in Mike do-nothing Pence for Governor,  and now has a super majority in the legislature…<sigh>

…well, at least I am spared Richard my-sperm-is-a-gift-from-God Mourdock…

The news on the reaction in the Middle East.  I hope this means a peaceful movement in Israel is underway….

DN! has this up on the elections.  Elizabeth Warren is animated after her win.  Thank God.

Unfortunately, the GMO lobby won and Californians defeated the measure requiring GMO labeling. Shit.

O”Reilly had a nice take on why Obama won–because people want “stuff” and Obama was going to give it to them…

Well, now…Romney has the gov’t pay $77,000 for the care and housing of his horse…has money in offshore accounts and John McCain has so many houses he can’t even remember how many he has…all because they don’t pay their fair share of taxes…now who feels entitled?

Is it entitlement when one wants to eat? Have a roof over their head? Get medical care? I’m confused.

They went on to talk about the shift away from the standard–now women and minorities are getting their voices heard. The boys of the old school are threatened…and it will probably get uglier before it’s all done.

To my sisters who were the power behind getting President Obama re-elected:  Thank you.  We can move mountains when we focus on what’s important to us and fight for it.

I want to say, though, that women have been characterized as of “one mind”–that any woman who manages to get before a microphone speaks for all women.  They don’t.

This is one of the reasons that the middle-of-the-road women backed away from the Feminist Movement–they were treated as if they spoke for all women.  Women who wanted to stay home with their children were characterized as dull twits who lacked ambition.  Women who didn’t believe in abortion but believed in equality were marginalized, also.

And the 70s Feminists who fought against alimony because it…well, I’m not really sure why they were fighting against alimony…but as this quote by Barbara Seaman, amongst others, puts it quite well–this is something that I lost out on when I divorced.  I also got less than half of the assets (with a mortgage to pay off) and my ex got away with only paying one-fifth ($20,000) of his income to support his three children.  Although I had stayed home for eleven years, the judge did not allow for that, and had instead computed the amount of support as if I had a job!!  Yes, I had a lousy lawyer–whose partner still smirks at me to this day whenever I have to trudge back to the place I grew up in…I’ve always wondered what that smirk means….

Anyway, I hope that with the election that women and minorities will do their homework, and support thoughtful politicians who approach the legislative process with the “Do unto others…” mindset…it would make life so much easier and just might bring about Peace…