on what version of God we go with.
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Category: don’t speak…don’t speak!
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Nothing is Forever
I’ve been thinking lately, for a long while actually, that nothing is forever. I think and believe that compassion should be forever.
“Hatred brings more hatred, and violence only brings more violence. What we must do is stop this cycle here and now by transforming anger and hatred into compassion.”
Hatred for me is a pretty big word. It feels a certain way. The word hatred carries a pretty intense extreme feeling. But hatred has many levels. From the simple discomfort that fear brings to someone when something or someone is different from them or changes. To the extreme that results in physical violence to another. It’s something that causes an action of oppression of another at any level. Any level.
Hatred is real and shouldn’t be dismissed. But should be carefully checked, worked through and never acted on. Other’s hatred blinds us and our own hatred blinds us as well.
“The real enemy is their anger, our anger, their hatred, our hatred, their violence, our violence.”
Nothing is forever, but compassion should be.
Be descent. To everyone. Stop, take a breath and think before you speak or act.
Quotes are from, The Real Enemy, part of Tricycle’s Winter 2001 special section, “September 11: Practice and Perspectives. Other articles in the series can be found here.
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I’d Stand with Sam
It’s hard to explain why I feel the way that I do. That in some ways is so contrary to some that I know. Sometimes so contrary, well so contrary that it makes me wonder, have we always been this far away from each other?
I watch this;
I watch this;
[youtube]http://youtu.be/Olc5C4SXAYM[/youtube]
And I cry. I don’t know if I cry because of how grateful I am for what these two have said, for so many of the wonderful people in my life that I love and care for, or because so many believe they are wrong.
Like feelings or love has a right or wrong. (you know what I mean) That we as a species can love and tolerate some, but cast aside others like trash or criminals. For me that’s fear at it’s worst.
Students in Missouri “Stand with Sam” and blocked the Westboro Baptist Church from doing what they do. I hope the parents of those students are proud of them.
There is goodness in our world. There is compassion and love for others. Why does this create such dissension? Who is it hurting?
It’s hard to explain why I feel the way that I do. Is it because of how my parents raised me? Bringing me up in a church that was open and shut no one out. Is it because of my cousin who I will never know if he was happy? Or was able to live the life, short as it was, that he wanted and was able to be loved and feel love. Is it because of the amazing people in my life who share my feelings?
It’s hard to explain why my heart hurts when I think about the things that people say about and to others that they know nothing about.
I’m not the smartest person in the room most of the time. All the time probably. I hope instead that at the very least I’m always fair, descent and compassionate toward those around me. Never hurting anyone, never saying anything so as to create a wave that directly or indirectly hurts another.
It’s hard to explain why I feel the way that I do. But I’m glad that I do feel the way that I do.
Thanks Mom and Dad and who ever else out there taught me to love no matter what. To be open hearted and open minded. To not judge or disenfranchise others. To consider others equal and deserving of every good thing in life, no matter what.
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OCSA
[youtube]http://youtu.be/j_F6qhqCRvg[/youtube]
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Safe Journey
There is a park bench in Manhattan that quietly wonders where his faithful friend is.
This bench on 6th Avenue between Spring and Prince in Father Fagan Park that for nearly 50 years welcomed this friend his family and friends, hearing hundreds of stories. This bench wishes his friend a safe journey. Godspeed.
Some day soon we will be sharing stories again, on another bench in a different place and time. We may not recognize each other, but we will feel the warm comfort of familiarity on a bench, on an avenue, between two streets in a park where stories are told.
I love you dear Uncle and miss you.
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Prior to 1954….
Are we better today then before 1954? I wish I had the resources and researchers to do the numbers and find out if we were.
“I was having dinner with my 82-year old mom last night and we got to talking politics. Tis the season, after all. I don’t remember exactly how this came up, but I think it was in the context of the Republican apoplexy over Democrats dropping reference to God in their party platform and Romney pledging to keep the word God on our coins (’cause I guess that’s a key element of his Jobs Program, or something). My mom said she remembered that as a young girl, the Pledge of Allegiance they recited everyday in school was simply, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” No mention of God anywhere.
My mom my be old, but she’s not senile, so I assumed her memory was accurate. Still I decided to Fact Check this morning (it’s all the rage these days). A simple search of the tubes confirmed that the words “under God” weren’t added to the Pledge until June, 1954 by a Joint Resolution of Congress.
But just as interesting, if not more so, was the Pledge of Allegiance was originally written back in 1892 by an avowed Christian Socialist who thought Capitalism was “idolatrous and rooted in greed”. That’s right, our nation’s Pledge was written by a stinkin’ Socialist. How’s that for insidious? I don’t suppose too many of our Republican friends know this, or I think we’d be seeing a mass epidemic of spontaneous cranial implosions on the streets by now.
Do you think we should tell them and enjoy the ensuing meltdown, or just smile with smug satisfaction every time we see a Republican reciting the Pledge?”
My Mom, someone I consider very religious says, I got along very well before 1954. So that says to me or makes me think, is this our problem?
Did we hate as we do today? Did we take life for granted as we do today? Do many of us live at a pace that tramples and gives no consideration to those around us? Are we accountable for our contribution to the emotional wake we leave? Did we have easy access to machines that can kill hundreds of people or children just going about their day? Did we individually think that our way was the only way, my way or the highway?
I said it in my last post and will repeat it.
I don’t believe that we need God in the schools for us to be the good descent caring human beings. We are stronger and better than that. Be accountable at home; take care of your own house. We have to be responsible for our families and ourselves in terms of goodness, spirituality and religion. That responsibility lies nowhere else.
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What if we tried?
I don’t believe that my neighbor, Dad, Uncle, Brother or any American has any need for a semi-automatic assault rifle. That type of weapon is for the military. I don’t want to take your damn gun away. I’m not even going to try to pry it out of your cold dead hands. But I ask. Do we really need machines that can shoot hundreds of bullets and be able to buy thousands of round of ammunition unchecked?
Senator Chuck Shumer said it Sunday morning no amendment is absolute. A friend commented on a Facebook post weeks ago, “there are no absolutes”. It seems that from the Bible on we individually interpret words to meet or match what we want, or to create absolutes. If we are to take words and use them for laws and legislation for the entire county to abide by, what if we try to interpret words in an effort to save lives? Or interpret words that support more than our own personal needs, wants or agendas. Words and ideas that support the needs of an ever changing world and society. Not just with some control on what kind of gun or how much ammunition one can get, but how we collectively treat or speak to each other about our differences. They are only going to grow.
I do believe that we have to try something. To not is to fail everything we are, everything we have or hope to be.
If you must have a gun, lock it, lock it and lock it UP! Especially if you have children that require extra attention and care. In that case, maybe having a gun in the house isn’t a good idea and it should be stored elsewhere. At least so you know or until you are sure it won’t be turned against you or very innocent undeserving men, women and children.
I don’t believe that we need God in the schools for us to be the good descent caring human beings. We are stronger and better than that. Be accountable at home; take care of your own house. We have to be responsible for our families and ourselves in terms of goodness, spirituality and religion. That responsibility lies nowhere else.
I read a lot. I read a lot of opinions. And I read the comments, probably a mistake. Some make me cry, some make me sick and some just PISS me off. But mostly the level of hate that we humans throw at each other, at people we don’t even know. What people save and pull from the past in terms of the negative truly surprises me. Like some how what someone did or said months or years ago is still true today. To take something out of context is just wrong and deceitful. And serves no one.
This world that I am living in and navigating this lifetime, shifts and changes as quickly as the seconds tick away. So to hold true or as truth something that was said or done in the past is only done in an effort to oppress and keep us in the past. Leaving no effort to move forward.
I’m only one person and I’m not in a position to make changes, nor should I be. But I can speak for what I hope in a calmer, more peaceful, gentler world.
What if we tried to be better and consider this ever changing world we live in and the people that share it with us?
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Some Control?
There is a 2nd Amendment, yes. All the other amendments are read and viewed expensively and not through …(the site of a gun) … No amendment is absolute.
1st amendment, you can’t scream “fire” in a crowded movie theater. There are limits on liable and pornography.
Is there a middle? At least maybe an attempt to see if a change could help? A ban or limit on assault weapons and limit the size of the clip. Isn’t there something, anything we can do to try to limit access to those with mental issues?
BTW – This is only part of the conversation that needs to happen. But no Republican was available for this conversation this morning on Face the Nation.
0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false
H. Jackson Brown Jr. said, “Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.”
I think of my Mom and Dad everyday in terms of this and hope to live up to the standard of fairness and integrity that they live every day. By example, they taught me to think for myself, be fair, be kind, before it was even a thing to conserve, keep an open mind and question everything. And that no thing you can have or achieve is worthwhile at the detriment of any other being.
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