covet the anger insidewith your selfish pridedemand equal crimefor those who made you victimwhen by oppression or liesthey silenced your criescrushing your spiritlike gems caught in jewelers' handsspare no humility nowif words brought you downtake back your powerfrom what made us separateour body from mind and hearttearing us apartcorrupting Naturea world of conflict diamondsstep up to your right to beto have at their throestheir cars and clothesfrom all the spoils of their warswhen we lost the real and truehow life found you bluestole your innocenceraised you to die a martyrtake back your humanityyour shadows let gounearth the hedgerowthat keeps up the boundarieswith the pedagogs up front who keep you dormantthat drug and whore youor give you a prison celland the word they use, Justice
Mar 9, 2009 4:13 pm, copyright ME Wilson
The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
By Julie Redstone
The current of idealism within American history and spiritual life which cherishes freedom and desires to protect it at all costs is very strong. Freedom from oppression and the subjugation to laws made a continent away was the very warp and fiber of the Declaration of Independence upon which our country was founded. Freedom has always been highly prized in America, paid for in blood, tears, and the sacrifices of many.
Yet, much has also been done ‘in the name of’ freedom – wars have been fought, laws have been broken, the rights of individuals have been violated, land has been appropriated, and governments abroad have been overthrown – all to protect our freedom and maintain our national security. Today, we run the risk, once again, of acting on behalf of protecting our freedom in ways that do not further the deeper values that America holds, and, indeed, ways that trespass against certain of these values. We run the risk of limiting freedom ‘in the name of’ freedom.
How does this work?
It happens when those who love America can no longer see her wrongdoing as well as her virtue - when they can no longer see her failures as well as her successes.
It happens when those who wish to preserve America’s freedom are willing to sacrifice the freedom of other peoples in order to maintain our own.
It happens when those who espouse freedom, limit its meaning to those who agree with them, and denounce, ridicule, or criticize those who disagree with them.
It happens when those who wish to preserve freedom through the exercise of power, discredit those who believe that there are other ways of preserving and protecting freedom – ways of cooperation and conciliation.
It happens when political slogans are used which seduce or manipulate people into thinking something that they would not ordinarily think if the facts were known.
It happens when the ‘right to choose’ which is the inherent right of each individual is limited by misinformation, disinformation, or other form of deception or slanting of truth so that a free choice is not really possible.
It happens when those who are foreign to our soil are seen as social, political, or economic threats, simply by virtue of being foreign, instead of potential allies or friends.
It happens when America as an ideal and as an entity becomes exalted beyond the bounds that humility would proscribe, so that pride and grandiosity replace the desire for truth, and the willingness to place America first becomes a call to power instead of a call to healing.
It happens when freedom and the desire for freedom separates from unity and the desire for unity with others. This partnership is an eternal partnership that must be maintained in order for ‘freedom’ to remain free.
For more than two centuries now, America has stood in the world, despite its limitations, as the ‘land of the free’. Yet, true freedom can never be gained or maintained unless the freedoms of all are enhanced, both at home and abroad. This cannot happen through an orientation toward power, but only through an orientation toward a peace which embraces all.
The current of idealism within America that seeks to protect and uphold freedom is strong and must remain strong, for it is a core part of America’s identity. Yet, the distortion of that current so that it becomes a call to glory and dominance rather than a call to unity and joining with others must be watched for with vigilance. For ‘freedom’ and ‘unity’ must remain in balance so that each can be preserved with integrity. ‘Freedom’ without ‘unity’, can descend into either anarchy or into the domination of the many by the one. ‘Unity’ without ‘freedom’ can descend into an obliteration of differences between individuals, and a rejection of the right to dissent. The true freedom upon which America is based must seek to perpetuate this balance and to learn to live by it in order that her true destiny and greatness can come into being. For America’s greatness lies not only in her history but in her future, and not in her self-assertion of greatness, but in her willingness to embody the moral virtues on which she is founded for the benefit of the world.
By Julie Redstone of LightAmericaSpirit.org
Barack Obama: The Change We Need and The Change We Can Believe In
A Question for Sarah Palin and John McCain:
Is the Palin/McCain idea of change "A Change You Can Be Mean In?"
As I listened to Sarah Palin deliver a speech authored by John McCain's speech writer I was reminded of the words that follow:
Text: Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13), Psalm 138, Luke 5:1-1
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you Lord.
Amen.
Black Elk wrote: “The Lamenter [who is seeking a vision] cries, for he is humbling himself, remembering his nothingness in the presence of the Great Spirit.”
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith;Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light;Where there is sadness, joy.0h divine Master, grant that I may not so much seekTo be consoled as to console,To be understood as to understand,To be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive;It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
When all the trees have been cut down,when all the animals have been hunted,when all the waters are polluted,when all the air is unsafe to breathe,only then will you discover you cannot eat money.Cree Prophecy
Humankind has not woven the web of life.We are but one thread within it.Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.All things are bound together.All things connect.Chief Seattle, 1854
Earth, Teach MeEarth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.An Ute Prayer
Native American Prayer Oh, Great SpiritWhose voice I hear in the winds,And whose breath gives life to all the world,hear me, I am small and weak,I need your strength and wisdom.Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever beholdthe red and purple sunset.Make my hands respect the things you havemade and my ears sharp to hear your voice.Make me wise so that I may understand the thingsyou have taught my people.Let me learn the lessons you havehidden in every leaf and rock.I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.Make me always ready to come to youwith clean hands and straight eyes.So when life fades, as the fading sunset,my Spirit may come to you without shame.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 08:00 PM
To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.
Sensitivity Training: How To Talk To Hillary's Voters
My name is Jarrett. I am a life-long Democrat who campaigned and voted for Hillary Clinton in the highly contested swing state of Florida. Once again, Florida will decide the Presidential Election for the year 2008/09.
I have now switched my support to Barack Obama because his policies and outlook are far closer to my ideals than those of John McCain. The decision was easier for me than it will be for many Hillary voters because I am more familiar with the cut-throat nature of politics.
What I've noticed, since joining the Campaign for Change, is that many long-time Obama supporters don't really know how to effectively communicate with Hillary's supporters. Without further delay, I will explain the "do's and dont's" concerning the way we should solicit support from a Hillary Clinton voter like myself:
Remember H.I.L. (Humility, Interest, Love)
Humility - Hillary voters don't want to hear about you are the best and you beat them... They don't agree. We know that Hillary Clinton actually won the popular vote in swing states that will matter later on... If Obama supporters seem unaware of this inconvenient fact, they will appear foolish and egotistical to a Hillary supporter. The best thing you can say to a Hillary voter is "We REALLY need your vote/help in this election... We can only do it with support from motivated and knowledgeable folks like yourself."
Interest - Take a moment to hear what Hillary voters have to say and brace yourself... They might want to talk about how Hillary was railroaded by the media, about how sexism prevented her from winning, or about how she had the right idea concerning Universal Healthcare. You must NOT take these statements as a threat to the Obama campaign, but rather assume that these statements are a SUPPORT for the Democrats as a whole. Show the supporter that you agree with their concerns and that is why we need to stick together... Just remember that letting a Hillary voter do the talking will satisfy them - they want to educate YOU, not the other way around. The only thing they want to hear from you is that you are against Bush/McCain.
Love - Hillary solicited votes from Women, Young People, Gays and Lesbians and African Americans by speaking gently and lovingly about how much she cherishes each and every supporter. She speaks at great length about how amazing and inspiring each and every supporter is. You probably missed this if you were watching the mainstream media - but her supporters got wonderful HTML emails expressing gratitude and gifts and warm wishes. At her rallies, Hillary spent hours waving and smiling and shaking hands, and LISTENING to others. Quite frankly, this seems missing from the Campaign For Change because we are approaching crunch time. We need to always keep in mind that these are our neighbors, grandmothers, best friends, classmates and teachers. We have waited our whole lives to see a Female President of the United States of America and we are VERY concerned about Healthcare for our loved ones. Hillary voters WANT to support Barack Obama, but any percieved insult or indifference to Hillary as a person will steer them FAR away from that goal. Do not distract us with old arguments from the past. This is the NOW and we are all friends again.A good thing to say regarding this might be, "Gosh, it's really unfortunate that they wound up running against eachother in the primary because they are both such wonderful candidates."
Hillary voters MUST be reassured of the following things:
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please forward it to only your friends who are active in the campaign so we can continue to Ba-Rock the Vote together.
- Jarrett For Obama/Biden '08
Yes, you have written and delivered some brilliant speeches, but when you yourself praise them, like you did during one of the debates against Clinton, or the other day on the View, you don't come across as charming. You come across as someone who could easily fall to hubris.
Hello Everyone,
I continue to believe that Senator Obama's supporters, especially the most vocal among us, should strive to abstain from expressing ourselves in terms derisive or disrespectful to any of the other candidates, now and following the primaries season. Every time any of us shows anything but real respect for other candidates, I think we diminish our own integrity.
This is not to say that we should not vigorously debate issues or challenge unjust charges directed at our candidate's campaign. But I know we can do this both gracefully and wisely. Think of it as practicing political Aikido.
Aikido, 'often translated as "the Way of unifying energy" and cultivating "harmonious spirit" is a martial art that "practitioners [can] use to defend themselves while also protecting their adversary from injury".' (Source: from Wikipedia)
And protecting the other from injury is especially important. We should neither create nor contribute to *scorched earth* attitudes or tactics, or become arrogant with growing success; such behavior is not only fundamentally contrary to the spirit of the campaign Senator Obama has said he wishes to run, it also serves to undercut his message.
It might be worthwhile to reread his Keynote Address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Surely we all remember recognizing ourselves in his words as we heard him say:
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted - or at least, most of the time.[...] alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga.A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief - I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper - that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.SOURCE: Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention | July 27, 2004
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted - or at least, most of the time.
[...] alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga.
A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief - I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper - that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
SOURCE: Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention | July 27, 2004
What do you say, folks?
-Adoyo
Well, we've got another meeting tonight in East Nashville. We really need to find some people who can help organize canvassing events, and get some things moving with the surrounding counties. February 5th is fast approaching, and while I feel we are going to be reaching the 18-35 year old age range very well, I am concerned about families, and basically the rest of our society.
We need the community canvasses for visibility, and to ensure that our information gets out to a larger portion of society. I really think the political/voting climate in Nashville is malleable. And I look forward to interacting with even more people.
No doubt about it, the Barack The Vote events are going to make an impact; and now that we are working with Voting Is Priceless, with all of the information, resources, etc that they bring, I just can't help but be excited.
I think we really will see a change in our city, and I pray in our country. I read something yesterday, saying "Hope is not a method" - and it's true, HOPE is the PASSION, the INSPIRATION that keeps us moving, WISDOM and HUMILITY and HONESTY - these are methods that work. And I feel that we will find all of these things in our Presidential Candidate. Thank God for Senator Obama.
Be the change!
Mary Ellen
ps: If we haven't seen you at a meeting yet, please feel free to come on down tonight! We'd love to meet you!
This is my submission for soundbite of the week.
Dear Fellow Bloggers: please read below. It starts out as the standard political diatribe, but then morphs into a rather colorful and, I hope, interesting proposal. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.
We cannot wait until 2010, as Hillary proposes, to deal seriously with Iran and Syria (OK, Hugo Chavez can wait, but what's the point?)
Who has the moral high ground with Syria sheltering a million refugees from our war and our failed occupation?
Who needs whom? Thinking that we can get out of this war with our heads held high and our regal "POTAC" prestige intact is a naive and irresponsible pipe dream. (BTW I find all this POTAC stuff on the Hillary sites and from her supporters a little creepy and again, 1984-like - you know, the robot-like "All Hail the POTAC, All Hail the POTAC").
Well, nobody wants to hear the following, and I don't know when the correct time to say it to the broader public will be, but we are definitely going to have to eat some humble pie to get out of this disaster.
There are 5 well-known stages of major loss: shock, denial, anger, grief, and acceptance.
We're still in anger, and now is not the time to serve up the humble pie - we'll just get it thrown back in our faces in righteous, confused anger. However, those of us who are ahead of curve on this one (and have been since 2002) better get out our recipe books to figure out how to cook up various versions of old humble pie that will be tolerably palatable as we move into the stage of grieving for our lost war.
Now, humble pie is a delicacy (remember, the main ingredient is crow) that is certainly not to everyone's taste, but everyone knows in their heads that its good for them when they really need it, whether they like it or not, and consumption will speed up our transition out of that unpleasant grief stuff and into the acceptance stage, and that pleasant feeling of "I guess we're not that bad after all". But you don't get the dessert before you've eaten the pie.
Dear Fellow Bloggers: What do you think of all this? Am I way off target with my colorful musings or on the right track with this stuff? Do you think there's any hope for a humble-pie fest in 2008?
