Edwards Is In the Race

In my other blog, I questioned whether or not Edwards could successfully become POTUS. However, what good is having decent people with great ideas make the effort if we don't support them? So I am joining the Edwards for president campaign. My reasons are simply:

1. He speaks grassroots. That is, Mr. Edwards understands that in today's world the government cannot do everything for us. I know that I could stand around and wait and eventually wear my legs out with the waiting.
2. He looks at people in pain and directs energies toward helping those people. I think I joined such a person in a truly Jesus path in this world.
3. He has a good understanding of true patriotism--doing what is right for the country, admit mistakes, and take steps to undo mistakes.

It might be noteworthy to see the little that mainstream media has done to cover the former senator's announcement. From one Huffington Posts regular posts come a few interesting stories on the announcement and the possibility of an Edwards run for the White House. One also Michelle Pilecke's blog discusses the disconnect between the location and announcement and the causes of the repaired damages from the flood nor a discussion of repaired levees and another discusses the consequences of his announcements on other would be entrants into the presidential debate.

Gerald R. Ford

The passing of a person prominent in our civic and cultural history leads us to reflect. This reflection can lead to some of the comments posted by Georgie Anne Geyer Whether or not we see the past through rose colored glasses, as Ms Geyer's comments seem to do, it is a fact that the present is filled with sufficient vitriol in the civic or political discourse as to lead us to search for some way of living, behaving, participating in our common life that does credit to the reputation we desire for ourselves and the legacy of our country. Some of us can't help but be patriotic but in terms of peace not war and reflections of the work people did in the past can shine some sort of light on that.

Whether or not I agree with Mr. Ford's pardon of Richard M. Nixon for his knowledge of or participation with the Watergate cover-up, I do remember the conversation of the country move toward the needs of the country. OF course economic recession and inflation etc were those things that affected our everyday lives. That perhaps led Mr. Ford to "forgive" on behalf of a country not yet ready to forgive the wayward Mr. Nixon.

That act aside and his rationale for it.

However, as a political junkie who wants peace on earth I do wonder if today would be in place had Ford allowed the impeachment process to go forward. His generosity, it seems to me, may have led to some of the horrible things we have witnessed during the past four years.

Something to ponder.

A New Blog of Interest

I found this blog via the Huntington Post: Left I The blogger offers many good political findings on reasons we don't easily have peace in the world and his/her links to a wide range of primary writers will be useful as I pick up the time I spend writing during the coming year. I'm taking a turn at writing more often and teaching in classrooms less.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving Day

In order to combat that dark disease that troubles my life almost daily--but less so now that I'm back West, I thought it only fitting on Thanksgiving Day to find things for which to give thanks.

I'm thankful for life, work, and family. I'm thankful for the importance I and other members of my family are to one another. I'm thankful for my ancestors whose lives led the way; I'm thankful that I can still be pleasant when I talk to my grandson, newly enlisted and trained in the Army National Guard for Arizona, that we don't raise our voices when expressing opposing positions concerning the war.

I'm thankful to accept the offerings of family even when they've no clue of the value of reading and ideas and how much I love them. I'm thankful for being able to truly help my students even when I'm not at my best. I'm thankful for my students for they lift my soul when it wants to droop and flounder.

In a personal area, I'm thankful for learning to handle my own problems as I once did. I'm glad to be alive and thankful that others seem to be thankful for my life.

I"m thankful for my love of learning and politics and life.
I'm thankful for the hundreds of people whose writings keep me alert and laughing if not screaming.



Alec Baldwin a wonderful actor who is increasingly gaining my admiration for his public positions on peace/war/ left/right issues, wrote a blog entry giving thanks for service men and women. In it he thanks the men and women serving in our armed services. His post begins a bit defensive by stating that it may be a bit "corny" to thank our troops. The remainder of his post went to the point. My response to Mr. Baldwin should I ever get the opportunity to meet a high powered actor would be to state that Thanking people for their service to our country regardless of our position on the war in which the troops serve is never corny. Overall, Baldwin's post made a day that started off questionably end quite well.

Luisa

From Ariana Huffington

MIlitary Standards?

A recent article posted on the RFP list ignites my response. In an effort to camouflage its inadequacies the department of war aka department of defense has been giving criminals and drug users waivers for entering the armed services. This is a typical response of those who would protect us from the terrorists. Are we endangering our armed services? I don't know. However, the lower standards can potentially pose serious problems should a future or current enemy of our state want to find weakness in our defense. More later as this is a rushed writing job.

Blog for Peace in Munich

While avoiding my usual heavy reading load, I took a time out to go through blogs dedicated to peace and found one honoring Rachel Corrie. I'll have to share this with Harriet who has worked tirelessly for remembering the brave young woman who worked for peace for Palestinians.

Volunteering

I thought I'd do something productive for the coming elections. Okay, I'm a cynic even when I try not to be. Cynicism interferes with higher spiritual goals. However, I thought I'd begin calling other voters to encourage them to vote. The first caller hung up on me but I persisted. Since it is Saturday, many people were out and about. An older Missouri person disclosed nothing of her intentions so I engaged in friendly non committal conversation so that the next caller who calls her will not get a "hang" up when they attempt to nail down her preferences.

I'm not very good, I learned, at "closing in on people" to persuade them to vote the direction I'd like for them to vote.

This bodes ill for my rhetorical skills but well for my spiritual practices.

The Day of the Dead

I've written of this elsewhere. The this is lighting candles in memory of those from our family who have died. As I wrote of my mother's lighting candles in the sturdy tubs in New York during the 1950s, a new thought came to me. What if we all took time out to reflect? What if we made a conscious effort to meditate on who we are and what we do and most importantly what we want and need from our interactions with others?

I try to teach reflection in the classes I teach, but the personal reflection I think of if widely practiced by a large number of people could lead to less temptation to rush headlong into the actions that harm us and society. Increasingly, I borrow from my cousin's practice in PR. Using kind terms of address in place of harsh or sarcastic ones among my colleagues or friends, reducing the number of sarcastic wisecracks all these steps, it is my hope, will lead me to a greater place of peace.

Perhaps, I can once again place myself on that sail boat on the big sea that lolls me to a greater sense of peace.

Other Views of Peace

Found an interesting blog that connects the past with the present through pop culture. Though the title of the blog asserts a philosophical discussion, it is by no means a dry academic look at war. Of course the use of Marley's lyrics reminds me that his voice and words are needed today. Although we all worked hard to progress to a point where wars would be unnecessary, there are many others who do not have a clue about what peace could give them. I'm using "Give them" because most humans have a what's in it for me attitude. I'll use this posting as a storage place for other fun and thoughtful perspectives on current human views on war.

Teachers for Tolerance

I ran across an old blog entry elsewhere and found this url on tolerance that is think could be useful in teaching peace or a non combative approach to problem solving and learning. Of course, peace as I've discussed here and elsewhere has more than one connotative meaning. Inner peace is something I am searching for in the hopes that if most of us seek it we will spread the balm of peace to others and so on.

Progressive Spirituality?

A Girl playing with dollies and angels /spirits surround her. A lovely notion far removed from the daily politics of Life in the US. All too often we forget the other worldliness that we learned about in churches or from other cultures whose connections to the spirit of plants, animals, air, natural phenomena.
Much discussion from the political progressives do not address the human need for a spiritual dimension in our public discusssions. A report on the reasons for the more "humane" progressives will not win politically even though it does a brilliant job of addressing discourse analysis and the ways that politicians use language against people of strong convictions for the betterment of humans on this planet. Nary a word of spirituality is mentioned for it is no longer seen as essential for modern or postmodern life. Yet at unseen levels we seem to hunger for spirituality and so this kind of discourse while useful on some levels lacks the healing uses for which language can be used.

The HuntingtonPost's entry by Kathleen Reardon is a very good example of what I mean. Reach article through title of this post.

Sail Away

Sometimes images of the ocean and a slow moving sail boat help me to relax and think of the important things in life. The ocean lends itself to action or meditation. Since writing and participating in professional discussions often rattle any sense of inner peace, I thought to upload a picture of a sailboat to this blog as a reminder of gentler human pursuits.

I have been away from the Pacific Ocean beaches for a long time and have memories of the sound of water lapping at small areas where it was trapped by boulders. In my mind's ear I hear the seagulls and the larger sounds of the ocean with waves crashing-sometimes gently on the shore.

Besides Spirituality

As I look at the marches for social justiice on behalf of migrant workers and people who emigrated to the US without papers, I am happy to note the increase of a sense of community and support of some church priests and ministers. The tendency to reduce people to objects or criminals does injustice not only to the people referenced but also to ourselves for doing so starts the process of dehumanizing one group of people. If we can do that to one group we can do it to others and the chain created can lead to a nonspiritual and fascist state.


But wait! We are living in a country controlled by corporations and if I'm remembering correctly, that is the definition of a fascist state. This increased materialism, conflation of capitalism with democracy, loss of values all are leading us to live lives that do not stand for the principles this country began with. SO it is no surprise that the complacency and lack of participation in restarting or revolutionizing the system exists. The SHOCK of the mass demonstrations by these allegedly illegal workers has begun an expected spate of nasty comments by talking heads of US Media. Little do they realize the power of their words to poison the air between humans who in fact are in the same position. We are all victims of globalization. We are all paying for NAFTA, CAFTA and other treaties that increase globalization.

Lou Dobbs may rail against illegal immigrants, but his aim would be more effective if he railed against the government and the corporations that have created and expanded the mess that creates a decrease in pay, the middle class and increases those of us in the lower or poorer classes.

Indigenous Pedagogy

I'm writing about the importance of history and the cultural exchanges that occurred between indigenous people and Europeans. However, wanting to look at ways to make good outcomes from these exchanges and avoid the stereotypic depictions of pagans, savages etc or the equally dim witted idea of the noble savage, I am looking at past exchanges that yielded good outcomes. For example cabeza de vaca's 8 year roaming in the southern part of United States during the 16th Century led to one of the first depictions of Native Americans in terms that showed them as brutal, kind, loving, generous, or willing to enslave enemies. This more balanced portrait conveys a human quality. Also, the references to spiritual practices indicates that Cabeza de Vaca learned about a different worldview, one that has referents to phenomena that Cabeza de Vaca seemed to intuit from his exchanges with these people. In addition, the ability for Europeans and Native Americans from various tribes to develop communication signals points to the intelligence of these natives.

Black Elk and John G. Niehardt's cultural exchanges produced the book Black Elk Speaks which transmits information for those willing to learn and once again Niehardt does not judge or belittle the practices of the Oglala Sioux. He learns and so those of us who read his work can learn too.

Learning about other points of view in a way that allows us to step outside of our personal perspectives is difficult. However, if we truly want to engage with people and learn and collaborate and avoid wars we must do so at a higher dimension than that engaged in by warriors and politicians hungry for power.

Teaching for Peace

I want to learn how to connect the teaching ideas from Rhetoricians for Peace to this blog and my blog to their website. We're all a bit philosophical and some of us are also political. So I sometimes get frustrated with our apparent impotence to effect change and I want to find ways to teach peace. When I teach the political I get to "passionate" in ways that impede my intended results. I suppose that I can start looking for and practicing inner peace in order to teach peace. I've placed the RFP link on the sidebar of this blog.

A Worker for Peace Has Left Us

A Worker for Peace Has Left Us

Coretta Scott King had a spirited send off after her passing today, February 7, 2006. I’ve been so busy surviving my life that I hadn’t kept up with her work, which is monumental. So from the stories I heard yesterday and today I am reminded of the quote by MLK—not everyone can be famous but everyone can be great in service. I paraphrased that one. One fo the Main Stories on this is "Body of Coretta King Laid to Rest" I appreciated the question posed by Bill Clinton because it reminds me that we need to continue to work for peace and do what we can in our various corners of the world. As long as each of us does something to contribute to peace, understanding, and love for one another, King’s dream may yet be a reality for many who have been unable to live the dream he and his wife had for humankind. Two news stories about the funeral and about the fact that people desperate for healing must be careful in whom they place their trust. First, 10,000 Mourn Then, the story of King's Children's shock
at their mother's death.

Navajo Peaceful Resistance

This article from the LATimes, demonstrates a quiet and peaceful resistance to perceived injuries and unfairness by the USGovernment. This woman prays daily for the right to stay where she is. Whether or not one agrees with her point on the legalities of the situation, it is interesting that a small woman has not faced violence over her point of view. For my Native American women writers' class this may be a good model for a representation of women from the past.

ahistoricality: We need new Democrats

While surfing the blogs, I came across this entry and found myself intrigued. While the topic was that of the new supreme court justice, somehow the court's participation in the Bush coronation contributed to the lack of peace many feel. Perhaps the writer of the entry has a good point.
ahistoricality: We need new Democrats

Peace

I am a writing instructor and generally I ask students to think critically and analyze what they write. But I need a space where I can focus on peace. Peace, sorely needed during any era, but more particularly now, may need defining. I've gut definitions as: no noise, sea sounds, gulls calling, sea breezes. That'd be my ideal. However, I no longer live by the shores of the Pacific so I must find a new way to find peace.

I suppose most of us have a need for quiet but sometimes even the most ardent recluse can no longer be at peace in total silence.

Another gut definition would be no war. I'm like the idealistic person in Lennon's song "Give Peace a Chance" or "Imagine." While many of my friends are active at marches and but to today's youth these activities seem to be not worth the effort or not their "thing." I suppose the generation gap may also contribute to the differences in the way many young people and many older people view the world. So peace may not be the final goal for people at either end of the generation gap because each group has its agenda.

Many formerly active in the 60's have lost their ideals now that they are members of the "establishment" they fought against. And many of today's youth are raised to be unconcerned about things not part of their immediate environs.

I find that there are many good young people who are busy just trying to figure out what to do with their lives. However, when made aware of issues they'll have to confront eventually they do make tenative efforts to figure out what they could do about those issues.

Of course, many live with violence and do not know about "peace" in their lives so how can we expect them to want peace for all people. Besides our society's economy is based on a very self-gratification system to consume, even those things we do not need. Instead of spending money on smaller school campuses, we spend money on war. Foolishly we call the war department the defense department and we have created the very military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned the country about in his 1960 farewell address.

So the ongoing definition of peace covers many areas--the spiritual renewal we need, the lack of war that may lead us to spend money and resources on positive things, the ability to decrease violence in our society's families, and the growth of a social consciousness to help those who ask for our help.

More ruminations on peace in later posts.