sustainable future, Democrat and Republican politicians from both parties continue with business as usual, spending our tax dollars to line the pockets of corporate CEOs.
Last fall, Congress gave insurance giant AIG $85 billion as part of the three trillion-dollar taxpayer funded corporate bailout. This week, it was revealed that AIG used some of that money for bonuses for its top executives.
Why are our tax dollars going to the corporate criminals who got us into this mess in the first place? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that AIG is a top campaign contributor to the elected officials who gave them the bailout.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, AIG has donated over $9 million to both Republican and Democrat campaigns over the last 20 years. AIG is a top contributor to Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and the fourth largest contributor to Christopher Dodd (D-CT) chair of the Senate Banking Committee. As for the 2008 presidential campaign, AIG hedged their bets as usual and donated to both the Obama and McCain campaigns. In fact, Obama accepted $23,000 after AIG federal bailout funds.
In case you were wondering, Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney did not accept any money from AIG; nor did any of our other candidates and officeholders. Green officeholders will never put corporate interest above people because we will never be beholden to corporations for campaign contributions. We need a strong Green Party today, now more than ever.
Please consider becoming a sustainer
The Green Party grows when you spread the word. Please tell your friends and neighbors that there is a party that will represent our interest.
I like to tell President Obama
Cable news and right wing blogs are swarming with the revisionist history on the New Deal. Arm yourself against lies, spin and propaganda by reading info from a number of sources.
Here down a article about this topic. [Media Matters is a progressive media watchdog and fact checking organization which has received accolades from numerous sources (except the right wing media which often gets debunked by Media Matters).]
The link to digg it and for article: Conservatives Cherry-Pick 1930s Unemployment Figures
Summary: Columnists Mona Charen and George Will continued a trend among conservative media of responding to comparisons between the current economic situation and that of the 1930s and between Barack Obama and FDR by attacking the New Deal. In separate columns, both Charen and Will cherry-picked unemployment figures to assert that the New Deal did not reduce unemployment. But historians and progressive economists have noted that unemployment fell every year of the New Deal except during the 1937-38 recession; further, Nobel-laureate Paul Krugman has said it was a reversal of New Deal policies, not a continuance of them, that contributed to rising unemployment in 1937 and 1938.
Yes we can! Best wishes, Steffen
http://changeforbetterworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-way-to-say-goodbye-to-neocons-bush.html
Formal Petition to Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute any and all government officials who have participated in War Crimes.
You can Digg it: My_way to say GOODBYE to neocons, Bush and Cheney!
A picture from me to say goodbye from most bad president of US and all neocons.We can only hope many people will long enough remember. Bush had a lot bad gifts for the change! Let's take care the poor and normal people will not have to pay now too much after the rich made profit in good time!And what's with impeachment now?! What's with hidden knowledge of Sept. 11 2001?[ Maybe an explanation of picture: it's made like an "egg laying wool milk sow" a metaphorical-idiomatic term in Germany]
Yeah, and here you can see something new about neocons were bringing to us - for me to say: don't forgive Bush and neocons and there is still a lot to work of. We will and can do this too - Yes we can!I got now message too like "If anybody can clean up the mess bush left, it's President Obama." - Yes and Obama likes people helping still to do the work - help him! We were a big and strong movement and so people got knowledge back how strong people can be together! Whistleblower: Bush's NSA spied on EVERYONE (already 4255 Diggs) The NSA had access to ALL YOUR COMMUNICATIONS, regardless of who you were or whether or not you were communicating internationally.
Utah Inauguration Night Ball Tuesday, January 20, 2009 @ 7:00 pm Location: The Depot 13 N 400 W, Salt Lake City (The Depot is a private club - must be 21 or older to attend) Entertainment includes 2008 State Senate candidate
John Rendell's band - Mean Phoenix Marc Buckley - former Salt Lake KZQQ Radio DJ
I appreciate your patients in waiting for this email. I hope the Holiday’s have been kind to you all.
This is a follow up as well as a thank you for signing up and/or attending the “Change is Coming” meeting(s) at the Salt Lake City Public Library. There were a total of 3 meetings (2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday) held at the Library by Marc Buckley and up to 12 others throughout Utah and somewhere close to 2,400 around the nation. We received local news coverage in the Deseret News and on Fox 13 Utah as well as a call from the headquarters in Illinois in order to be placed on a national press release. So believe it or not our voice was heard and there was notice taken.
Great Music Video - "It's A New Day" by Will i am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6fTik2cxuQ
Change is Coming - Utah and Utahn's working together to get our country back on track.
Description:
Saturday, December 13th 9:30 and 11:30 am
Sunday, December 14th 1:30 pm
Time: Saturday, 9:30 am and 11:30 am and Sunday, 1:30pm
(Same event hosted 3 different times)
Location: Salt Lake City Public Library 210 East 400 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Direct from the Office of the President Elect Barack Obama we will be showing the DVD "Change is Coming."
We will also take time to discuss the issues that are most important to you, what you can do to support President Elect Barack's agenda, and how you can continue to make an impact in your community.
This event will be fun and personal. We will give everyone a chance to participate should they be so inclined. Now is the time to put aside partisanship and politics, find common ground, and work together.
This meeting is open to the Public those who might not have been involved in the Presidential campaign, even those who might have supported someone other than President Elect Barack Obama. The challenges we face demand we be as inclusive as possible. It'll take the whole country working together to get our country back on track. We will also discuss and plan a Obama Inauguration party with dinner and dancing. Come and be part of the move for change.
next post in my main blog about "Change for better world" - here i collected some movies from this day and shortly before.
(And i saved it to hard disc too. If some original will not be longer responsible in YouTube i will bring it new.)
Please, ckick this link to see the movies:
The change - Obama Acceptance Speech - Change is come to America
[But of course - it's just beginning with the change, there is a lot to do. Please stay in touch, however we do that, through these groups or some other way. ]
I actually HAVE written a blog! I wrote a blog all about why I've decided to Host an Event - a Bake Sale this Saturday, October 18 from noon until people stop coming. But, for some reason, my blog didn't post! Basically though, you can view my event here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs5gfz
So! This week I am (while on vacation in St. George) devoting my time to planning for this event. My parents have agreed to let me use their lawn and some fold-out tables, and I would like to advertise in both the Salt Lake Tribue and The Deseret News. So far there will be sugar cookies, chocolate chip/peanut butter chip cookies, the most delicious Vegan Cupcakes you can imagine, quality coffee, and various juices. I would love to tie Blue and White balloons to the mailbox, and I have supplies to make home-made Obama-Biden signs.
I would be most obliged to any helpers in the area (or elsewhere!) for any donations to this cause - I think that we can lure in many, many community members with Fresh-Baked Goodies on a Saturday morning, so I am hoping that this event will bring in a great amount of funds for the Obama-Biden campaign. If anyone could offer me aid in advertising in the paper, bringing balloons or signs, or other baked goods to donate, please give me a call at (801) 654 - 7614 or email me at elaineballfr@gmail.com. There's going to be an Information Table to staff! I'd like to talk to as many people as come about questions they have about Barack Obama, and to talk to people about all the important issues this campaign and how Obama will offer the Change we need.
Wish me luck in Suburbia, Utah!
ACORN Obama Campaign RESPONSE
(Please copy this message and post it everywhere. Send to media. Blog it. Post it.)
(This is a reply from watchdog@barackobama.com ~Neil)
Thanks for sending in the email about ACORN. This smear has been gaining popularity lately as people look for explanations for our economic crisis -- and smear artists looking to destroy Barack see an opening. Every word of it is dishonest and manipulative.
Email smears like this are part of a broader, shadowy strategy to scare people who aren't very familiar with Barack by spreading false information.
Here are the facts:
Barack Obama was never an ACORN community organizer.Barack was never an ACORN trainer and was never an employee of ACORN.ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack led in 1992.As an attorney, Barack worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to represent ACORN and other voter's rights groups in a lawsuit to enforce the widely praised federal Motor Voter Law in Illinois.The Huffington Post has laid out the evidence showing the truth about Barack, ACORN, and these smears. See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/05/smears-contradicted-obama_n_132098.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/03/obama-camp-debunks-voter_n_131686.html
Barack Obama was never an ACORN community organizer.
Barack was never an ACORN trainer and was never an employee of ACORN.
ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack led in 1992.
As an attorney, Barack worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to represent ACORN and other voter's rights groups in a lawsuit to enforce the widely praised federal Motor Voter Law in Illinois.
The Huffington Post has laid out the evidence showing the truth about Barack, ACORN, and these smears. See:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/05/smears-contradicted-obama_n_132098.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/03/obama-camp-debunks-voter_n_131686.html
There's no way to stop these dangerous, misleading viral emails one-by-one, but together we can take the political process back from the cynical politics of deception. We can all start by spreading the truth about Barack Obama.
Forward this email to everyone else who received the ACORN smear, then head to Fight The Smears <http://www.fightthesmears.com> to get details about more smears and see what else you can do: Fight The Smears: http://www.fightthesmears.com
Here are a few facts about Barack Obama that people might be interested to learn: * Barack Obama is working for middle class Americans. The Obama-Biden tax plan includes a tax cut of $1,000 for more than 150 million working Americans. The plan will also eliminate income taxes altogether for more than 7 million senior citizens who make less than $50,000 per year. Finally, Obama's plan will provide an average of $500 to 10 million homeowners, the majority of whom earn less than $50,000 per year. Learn more about the Obama-Biden tax plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/#tax-relief http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693* Barack Obama knows that the problems we're facing in this election are too serious to let the politics of manufactured controversy and fake outrage dominate. He wants to bring our troops home from Iraq, so we can focus on Afghanistan and track down the terrorists who attacked us. And he's proposed a detailed plan for using alternative energy sources to relieve America's dependence on foreign oil within 10 years and put millions of Americans to work.See more about Obama's plan for change here: See Barack's detailed plan for America: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/planforchange_ad/* After being raised by a single mother and by his grandparents in a modest household, Barack studied hard and won scholarships and loans to attend Columbia University and later Harvard Law School, where he became president of the Harvard Law Review. After law school, he returned to Chicago, where he helped disadvantaged citizens work for better jobs and better schools. Barack later went on to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, helping to educate the community leaders of tomorrow. Read more about Barack Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php
Here are a few facts about Barack Obama that people might be interested to learn: * Barack Obama is working for middle class Americans. The Obama-Biden tax plan includes a tax cut of $1,000 for more than 150 million working Americans. The plan will also eliminate income taxes altogether for more than 7 million senior citizens who make less than $50,000 per year. Finally, Obama's plan will provide an average of $500 to 10 million homeowners, the majority of whom earn less than $50,000 per year. Learn more about the Obama-Biden tax plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/#tax-relief
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693
* Barack Obama knows that the problems we're facing in this election are too serious to let the politics of manufactured controversy and fake outrage dominate. He wants to bring our troops home from Iraq, so we can focus on Afghanistan and track down the terrorists who attacked us. And he's proposed a detailed plan for using alternative energy sources to relieve America's dependence on foreign oil within 10 years and put millions of Americans to work.
See more about Obama's plan for change here: See Barack's detailed plan for America: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/planforchange_ad/
* After being raised by a single mother and by his grandparents in a modest household, Barack studied hard and won scholarships and loans to attend Columbia University and later Harvard Law School, where he became president of the Harvard Law Review. After law school, he returned to Chicago, where he helped disadvantaged citizens work for better jobs and better schools. Barack later went on to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, helping to educate the community leaders of tomorrow. Read more about Barack Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php
Please forward this to anyone you know who has received this smear email about Barack. Together we can make sure these negative and divisive attacks don't affect this election.
Thanks for your help,
Obama for America
Deregulation - wars - bank crisis - movie Bush without words
To look the movie you must go to my blog. Unfortunately the situation can still change to be more terrible and so movie is not fun like could be.
(If you have a chance give a Digg please.)
Hey guys,
We have a location, and we have a phone list 197 PAGES LONG with 13 contacts on each page! I would love to fly through the whole thing and get newer numbers for next weekend.
We will be hosting a phone bank at the Weber County Democrats HQ located at 2650 Washington Boulevard. This is a professional building that must remain locked but if you are at the door someone will see you and let you in.
All you have to bring is your cell phone and enthusiasm, everything else will be there.
We will be having phone banks every weekend between now and the election (and possibly on Election Day) so if you can't make tomorrow just tell all your friends about it and join us on another weekend.
The location will be changing to Weber State University next weekend but I will get with you later about that. Let's tackle one day at a time and WIN THIS ELECTION!
We will be at WCD HQ from 10 am to 7pm on Sunday, 10/12. Call if you want to come down so we know to save you some phone numbers and we will see you there!
Brenda
801-791-5030
1%, or 1 vote out of 100There have been 12 Presidential elections that were decided by less than a 1% margin; meaning if less than 1% of the voters in certain states had changed their mind to the other candidate the outcome of the entire election would have been different. More than half were decided by less than a 2% margin.
In 2004, 57,787 votes would have given us President Kerry.In 2000, 269 votes would have given us President GoreIn 1996, 575,515 votes would have given us President Dole.
From ABC News:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
=========="Squeakers"Ned PotterABC NewsSeptember 29, 2008How close have Presidential elections been? Closer, perhaps, than we ever guessed. Mike Sheppard, a grad student in statistics at Michigan State, has done a mathematical exercise that shows it.He ran a computer program to answer this question: "What is the smallest number of total votes that need to be switched from one candidate to another, and from which states, to affect the outcome of the election?"The answer: in some years, very, very few. Take a look at his analysis HERE. It shows the powerful interaction between the popular vote and the electoral college.[...]==========
Full article here:http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
Detailed analysis here, including colored maps:https://www.msu.edu/~sheppa28/elections.html-Mike Sheppard
INVITATION TO ALL MORMONS TO VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE
LDS Church encourages member involvement in political process
By Carrie A. MooreDeseret News
Published: Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 12:28 a.m. MDT
While the LDS Church has long affirmed its political neutrality regarding political parties, platforms and candidates, it is reminding its members of their duty to vote and of the church's right to speak out on political and social issues.
In a letter sent to priesthood leaders dated Sept. 11 to be read from the pulpit in LDS congregations nationwide on Sunday, the church's First Presidency titled its message "Political participation, voting and the political neutrality of the Church."
Church leaders each year read a statement of political neutrality from the pulpit and encourage members to get involved in the political process, but this year's letter differed from previous years in the urgency with which it encourages individual political participation.
"As citizens, we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects our communities and nation today and in the future," the letter reads.
"Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest. Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties."
"Therefore, in this election year, we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government," the letter said.
As in the past, the letter affirms the church's "neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates. The Church also affirms its constitutional right of expression on political and social issues."
In June, the First Presidency sent a letter to church leaders in California — also to be read from the pulpit — asking church members to "do all you can" to uphold traditional marriage. The move came following a ruling earlier this year by the California Supreme Court that overturned a previous referendum outlawing gay marriage.
Voters there will decide in November whether to approve the proposed amendment, and opponents have grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of the church's stance and the political involvement of its members.
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com
-----
First Presidency Issues Letter on Political Participation
SALT LAKE CITY | 22 September 2008 | The following letter was issued by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 11, 2008, to be read to Church congregations throughout the United States: Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church As citizens we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects our communities and nation today and in the future. Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest. Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties. Therefore, in this election year, we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government.The Church affirms its neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates. The Church also affirms its constitutional right of expression on political and social issues. Sincerely yours,
Thomas S. Monson Henry B. Eyring Dieter F. Uchtdorf The First Presidency
Greetings!LDS Members are invited to join Mormons for Obama!This is a group dedicated to bringing together members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon) who support Barack Obama.We encourage all people to participate with their local Obama groups (i.e. Utah for Obama).Please read Obama's speech on faith.Also, please use the blog feature for discussions, and make announcements over the listserv. The listserv is now moderated.The Mormons for Obama email discussion group can be found here.Visit the Mormons for Obama Store!Some other Mormon groups for Obama:Oregon Mormons for Obama 08AZ Mormons for ObamaLatter Day Saints (Mormons) for ObamaDFW Mormons for Obama
Greetings!
LDS Members are invited to join Mormons for Obama!
This is a group dedicated to bringing together members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon) who support Barack Obama.
We encourage all people to participate with their local Obama groups (i.e. Utah for Obama).
Please read Obama's speech on faith.
Also, please use the blog feature for discussions, and make announcements over the listserv. The listserv is now moderated.
The Mormons for Obama email discussion group can be found here.
Visit the Mormons for Obama Store!
Some other Mormon groups for Obama:
Oregon Mormons for Obama 08
AZ Mormons for Obama
Latter Day Saints (Mormons) for Obama
DFW Mormons for Obama
When I allow myself to lapse into know-it-all-ism, it is a mistake. In fact, I don't know the answers to this catastrophe that threatens our health, happiness and security as it depends upon our planetary habitat.
And I've never met anyone else who knows the answers either.
What I hope to do with this blog is not to impart answers so much as to pose questions and to encourage you to believe that you have a part in answering them.
The problem is complex. It's local, regional and global. It's related to the habits of individuals and the practices of large corporations. It has to do with changing laws and changing lifestyles. It has to do with rich people and poor people.
Let's call it a distributed problem. You've heard of distributed computing, right? Where a huge calculation is broken down into smaller tasks and sent to networked personal computers all over the world?
Our habitat problem is like that. We need a distributed solution that looks at every aspect of how we live and how we're governed. The problem is broken down into small tasks depending on what your life situation is. Each of us are like those personal computers with a small part of the task to complete.
What is your task?
Please hold onto that question. Never let my so-called expertise or anyone else's lull you into believing that you need not keep trying. Please keep asking. Please come up with solutions. Post them here. More and more and more answers.
Most importantly, demonstrate them in real life, out of the blogosphere. In real life. Try them out.
----------
Riding my rickshaw on the bike lane on 9th on Thursday, the traffic was stopped and a car pulled to my left and overtook me by speeding along the parking lane and then swerving back out and through the bike lane, brushing my front tire.
I was fine, but he could have killed me. A bucket-load of adrenaline hit my bloodstream. He scared me so badly that I shook.
A red light stopped him up ahead and my adrenaline--read fight or flight weighing heavily towards fight--sped my bike up. I swerved my rickshaw in front of his car so he couldn't move and started shouting.
I'm not a shouter, by the way, but I attracted a circle of people standing around to watch.
I'm not even sure what I screamed but something like "you nearly killed me" and "I'm going to call the police" and I waved my cell phone in the air like a crazy person.
He said, "Go ahead and call the police." He crossed his arms across his chest defiantly.
Then I shouted, with swear words I don't write on the blog interspersed, "I don't actually want to call the police. I just want you to apologize. I want you to realize that you nearly killed me so you could get somewhere five seconds faster."
Then another bicycle rides by. I shout at the man, "Do you want to kill him, too? Why don't you just kill everyone. Is your rush so important to you?"
I'm not saying I wasn't out of control because, well, I was definitely out of control.
But then the most amazing thing happened. Suddenly, the man walked back out into the street and he touched my arm and he said, "You're right. I wasn't thinking. I did a bad thing. It's the job. I'd lose my job if I didn't rush..."
I was still a crazy man. "Your job! You think your job is more important than my life?"
"You're right," he said. "We are both immigrants," he said. "We should be kind to each other, and I was not kind. Please will you shake my hand and give me forgiveness."
And my heart broke open a little. I am not an immigrant, as he thought, but I am, like him, a human being. Suddenly I realized that he lived his life in fear. If he lost his job, how could he pay his bills? If he couldn't pay his bills, how could he stay in the country?
"Will you shake my hand?" he said.
At that moment, I looked in his eyes and knew that he really understood what had happened. "I am sorry, my friend," he said.
"Will you be more careful of bicyclists from now on?"
"Yes," he said.
And we shook hands. We shook hands as friends.
This environmental thing is so much more complicated than it appears at first glance. Just take this case of my near miss on the bike.
More bicycles on the road would mean fewer cars, fewer CO2 emissions, cleaner air for us to breathe and an altogether better city to live in.
But people are scared to ride their bikes because of crazy drivers. Suppose it turns out that, in part, people are crazy drivers because they are scared to lose their jobs and get kicked out of the country.
In other words, if we want a culture where it's safe to ride bikes, we may also have to find a way to make it safe to drive slow for low-wage workers.
Unkindness to people begets unkindness to the habitat we depend upon for our health, happiness and security.
Kindness, though, begets kindness. If we want people to be kind to the habitat, might we have to find a way for our culture to be kinder to people?
I don't know the answers. You have to find the answers. We all have to find the answers. This is a distributed problem. It needs distributed solutions.
There is a part of the close-call incident that I left out. It's crucial. It has to do with finger-pointing and wanting everyone else to be different and blaming the politicians on the other side and not being aware of my own part in the problem.
Here's what it is:
When the delivery man pulled to my left and began overtaking me, I registered the fact that, at the speed he was going, he was either going to stop when he arrived at the parked car ahead or potentially clip me on the way out. I made a split second decision not to brake.
I thought, "If he's going to drive that way, well, he's just going to have to stop when he gets up there." It's a little hard to explain without drawing a diagram, but you get it right? On some level, I anticipated the potential for trouble.
In other words, though the near-brush with fate was, legalistically-speaking, his fault, I could have avoided it if I had more presence of mind and was clearer. If I had been willing to be kind at that moment.
What I'm saying is, for all my shouting in the street. I had a part to play.
What is my part?
Drill, baby, drill, they say, but how do I contribute to the atmosphere in which they can say that and get away with it?
How is it that I--we--have not got the message across about what is happening to our habitat to our friends and fellow citizens whose concerns may lead them to vote differently than us? Have we played a part in creating the us and them mentality?
This is the bike lane, I thought. You have no right to weave in and out of the bike lane, I thought. I will stand my ground, I thought.
I am in a rush, the driver thought. How can you expect to me to slow down, the driver thought? I could lose my job, the driver thought. Is it too much for me to expect you to let me pass you so I can earn a living and stay in the country that is my new home?
Which of us is right? Whose concerns are more important? The driver's or the biker's? The people who are worried about climate change or the people who think, without drilling, gas prices will keep their kids from being able to get to their jobs?
We have to talk. We have to listen. I have to keep my own side of the street clean. I must understand that we are all one. I must practice the kindness that I preach. I must create conditions where meaningful dialog can take place. Old-fashioned politics may no longer work.
How can that man keep his job without driving the bicyclists off the streets? Where are the solutions that work for everyone? What part can I play in finding the solutions that cater to the many concerns? How can I put down my anger and pick up my compassion?
They say the intellect is humankind's greatest faculty. It's what separates us from the animals.
I don't believe that.
I believe humankind's greatest faculty is the ability to love.
What a tremendous opportunity we have to make a wonderful society for ourselves, one that we build together.
The crisis is no more than a big reason to focus on the opportunity.
-----------
When it comes to this glorious opportunity, I don't know the answers, but I do believe that if we all work on it together, we can do find them.
There is no easy preset course.
Day by day, maybe we could all hold this question, "How can I help?" Maybe we could hold this question and live with the ambiguity of the fact that the answer will change and change and change again before we get there.
It's not as simple as imposing our morality. Nor is it not something we can outsource to the politicians (though they do, of course, have a huge role to play).
This is a battle for hearts and minds.
So what do we do? How do we start? What's today's next step?
And tomorrow, we must begin again.
(http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/09/when-i-allow-my.html)
