It's fascinating to live in a country where we have the separation of church and state. Fascinating because every time I turn around, someone wants to live as if we don't. We have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights which are supposed to protect us from various and sundry nefarious things..yet someone somewhere always wants the Supreme Court to say they can get as nefarious as they want.
Justice Sotomayor granted the Catholics a stay regarding the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act. SCOTUS is going to hear a case in the near future on the issue, so I suppose that's why she granted it. But following that logic, then anyone sitting in jail awaiting trial should be released on zero bail. I mean, why not? If the Catholic Church and anyone else can discriminate against people while awaiting trial, why shouldn't criminals be let out to do whatever they want to do while they await their trials? It's true that no one is protected, but then who cares about that? Certainly not Justice Sotomayor.
Isn't it great that some people get to choose which laws they follow..and with the blessings of the highest court in the land no less! How about letting all the folks in prison for cannabis out? Most of us want legalization in this country anyway, so throw open the doors and let them all go home. So they want to get high. Who doesn't? Especially now when everything is such a mess in this country.
Look, we have separation of church and state for some pretty good reasons. Which religion wins the prize here? Christianity? Really? Two words..Duck People. You know who I'm talking about. The guy who thinks men should marry 15 year old girls..right. We really want his interpretation of the Bible running the country. Or how about the Westboro Baptist people? Do we want their interpretation of the Bible running the country?
Religion, as expressed by many of our more conservative lawmakers, has nearly brought this country to its knees. I believe their distorted religious ideology is at the very foundation of their lack of compassion for the American people..our brothers and sisters..illustrated by their draconian policies that leave everyone by the roadside. If that's not clear evidence that our founding fathers were on to something when they included this idea in the Constitution, then I don't know what is. And now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has said that sequester cuts have a negative effect upon public safety. Well, lot's of things do, sir..like your Citizen's United decision, and your Voting Right's Act decision. You keep us safe by protecting our rights, not diminishing them.
We're the United States of America. It's the united part that matters here. Sometimes it means that we have a neutral way to co-exist. That's what the Constitution is, in a sense. There must be a way to respect the beliefs of some without infringing on the rights of others. So we all have to agree to give up something when in the public arena, if you will. If you want to do business out in the world, then you can't decide to discriminate while doing so in an effort to stay true to your belief system. It's your belief system. It might be shared by others in your immediate vicinity, but that's about it as far as it goes in terms of relevance. Beyond that, your beliefs should govern only your life.
It may sound cliche, but we're better than this. Vote Blue next time..besides, our national conventions are more like love fests, and not an empty chair in sight! Just sayin'..
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Sunday/December Runecasting 12/1/13
Nawthiz (need), Tiwaz (cosmic law), and Berkano (life force)
"Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing real exists. Herein lies the peace of God." ACIM
Today's runecasting is interesting. It speaks to some things I've been thinking about lately. Nawthiz refers to need or necessity. What do we actually need to exist in this life? We fill our minds with illusions of what we need, but actually, we need none of those things. We invent a life that is filled with chaos and judgement and forget that we are spirit incarnated here for such a short time. Since our true nature is one of spirit, and not of the body, we evidently get distracted and create whatever mess we choose. But choice has nothing to do with need and that's where the conflict arises. Need is defined by the Creator, not by us.
Tiwaz refers to basic or fundamental universal law. These are the truths that are defined by the Creator, or Source Energy. They are the basis for our moral compass that some in this life find so challenging. Tiwaz speaks of balance and justice, and sacrifice for the common good. It challenges us to engage in "right thinking" and reflects a universal set of truths or laws that govern everyone..even when we don't cooperate. The action is, in effect, to remain true to the blueprint given us by the Creator.
Berkano, or life force, represents birth, rebirth, emergence and sanctuary. Although typically I would interpret this as a rebirth of sorts, in light of the Course, it feels more like an emergence into the sanctuary of the higher self. It's like a clearing away of the mist that has been a veil before our vision for so long.
Only the needs of spirit are real..remaining focused on universal truth, nothing else matters..and in remembrance we emerge peacefully into the light.
You Sister In Oneness,
~ Jan
Friday, July 19, 2013
Thoughts on the President's remarks today..
I love it when President Obama has an unexpected conversation with the nation. Even the White House Press Corp. had no idea he would pay them and us a visit today, and his remarks continued for seventeen minutes. It felt unscripted. It was clear that he wanted to offer a perspective on the murder of Trayvon Martin in the broader context of how African American males still experience profiling in this country on a daily basis.
He shared with all of us what it's still like to be a young black man in this country. He talked about being watched in stores, hearing locks activated in cars as he walked down the street, and how entering an elevator could cause worry if a white woman was already in there, alone. Guilt is assumed..never the other way around.
Toward the end of his comments, President Obama asked if Trayvon had been of age and had a weapon, could he have used the stand your ground law to defend himself from someone who had been following him? Because that's what this really comes down to. Would he have been allowed to go home that night had the situation been reversed? Or would he have been arrested immediately? Does stand your ground only apply to white people? Or does it only apply to white men? It certainly didn't apply in the case of a black woman, Marissa Alexander, who fired shots into the air to stop her husband from abusing her. She was convicted and will serve twenty years unless the appeal is successful or someone intervenes and commutes her sentence. How did the law not apply to her? Why was she punished for defending herself?
The President suggested that stand your ground laws may be too ambiguous and may need review. I agree. I realize that technically, stand your ground was not part of the Zimmerman trial. Still, it is at the heart of this issue. It feels like the law applies only to certain people. If the woman who received twenty years had been white, would she be in prison now?
The American experiment is an interesting one. We're supposed to be united, but instead of a reality, it's more of a goal. At least it is for some of us. Too much nonsense keeps getting in the way. Sooner or later though, we have to figure out how to live together. Racism is still alive and well in this country. It's far too easy to be suspicious of others. Zimmerman decided all kinds of things about Trayvon and then got out of his car, instigated the altercation, and killed that precious boy. And he got away with it. He didn't care that Trayvon was someone's child. Zimmerman was so full of himself that he saw danger where there was none. A child is dead and his parents are heartbroken.
It feels different in this country now. Dealing with what happened on 9/11 was bad enough. The Bush administration used fear to take away our civil liberties. No one could speak out against Bush's response to the attack without being branded as unpatriotic or worse, a traitor. We finally elect an African American as President, and somehow conservatives think he needs their permission to actually do that job. So it should come as no surprise that conservative men also seem hell bent on living solitary lives because eventually even their women will leave them. Hint: women don't like being controlled and we actually think they're pretty stupid for trying and it's going to get really messy if they keep crap this up. And I guess, even though we have the Voting Rights Act, SCOTUS threw out Section 4, so our oh so popular and responsible Congress will have to fix that before 2014. Otherwise, I fear that voter suppression will win the day and ruin our lives all over again. And I'm not so sure that we can take anymore. And as far as Texas goes, Google Lewis Black's rant. He says it better than anyone else.
President Obama spoke about listening to his daughters interact with their friends. He made the observation that with each new generation of children, things seemed to get better. That with them, we have a chance for positive change. He's right. And I love that we have a President who gets that.
Can't we all agree that we've come too far to lose our way like this? It'd be nice if we could just care about each other. It'd be nice if kids could walk home from the store and not die along the way. It'd be nice if they could go to school and come home alive and well. And it'd be nice if women didn't feel that we need to fight battles that should have never been fought in the first place.
Misunderstanding results in fear. The world is a scary place, so it makes sense that we react this way. But at some point, we have to stop trying to control everything and everyone around us. We have to stop viewing others as the enemy and then use that belief to justify our behavior. Nothing good comes of it. Nothing.
Just ask Trayvon's parents..
UPDATE: While watching Melissa Harris-Perry's show, I learned that Marissa Alexander was given a choice between 20 years and 3. But if she had chosen three years, she would have lost her child. Her husband admitted he abused her. There was a restraining order mentioned by Melissa's guest. Marissa Alexander has a master's degree. What has the state of Florida done to this woman? And Angela Corey was involved. She was too gleeful at the verdict in the Zimmerman case. In her case, Madeleine Albright's words apply..you know, that special place in hell for women who don't help other women.
He shared with all of us what it's still like to be a young black man in this country. He talked about being watched in stores, hearing locks activated in cars as he walked down the street, and how entering an elevator could cause worry if a white woman was already in there, alone. Guilt is assumed..never the other way around.
Toward the end of his comments, President Obama asked if Trayvon had been of age and had a weapon, could he have used the stand your ground law to defend himself from someone who had been following him? Because that's what this really comes down to. Would he have been allowed to go home that night had the situation been reversed? Or would he have been arrested immediately? Does stand your ground only apply to white people? Or does it only apply to white men? It certainly didn't apply in the case of a black woman, Marissa Alexander, who fired shots into the air to stop her husband from abusing her. She was convicted and will serve twenty years unless the appeal is successful or someone intervenes and commutes her sentence. How did the law not apply to her? Why was she punished for defending herself?
The President suggested that stand your ground laws may be too ambiguous and may need review. I agree. I realize that technically, stand your ground was not part of the Zimmerman trial. Still, it is at the heart of this issue. It feels like the law applies only to certain people. If the woman who received twenty years had been white, would she be in prison now?
The American experiment is an interesting one. We're supposed to be united, but instead of a reality, it's more of a goal. At least it is for some of us. Too much nonsense keeps getting in the way. Sooner or later though, we have to figure out how to live together. Racism is still alive and well in this country. It's far too easy to be suspicious of others. Zimmerman decided all kinds of things about Trayvon and then got out of his car, instigated the altercation, and killed that precious boy. And he got away with it. He didn't care that Trayvon was someone's child. Zimmerman was so full of himself that he saw danger where there was none. A child is dead and his parents are heartbroken.
It feels different in this country now. Dealing with what happened on 9/11 was bad enough. The Bush administration used fear to take away our civil liberties. No one could speak out against Bush's response to the attack without being branded as unpatriotic or worse, a traitor. We finally elect an African American as President, and somehow conservatives think he needs their permission to actually do that job. So it should come as no surprise that conservative men also seem hell bent on living solitary lives because eventually even their women will leave them. Hint: women don't like being controlled and we actually think they're pretty stupid for trying and it's going to get really messy if they keep crap this up. And I guess, even though we have the Voting Rights Act, SCOTUS threw out Section 4, so our oh so popular and responsible Congress will have to fix that before 2014. Otherwise, I fear that voter suppression will win the day and ruin our lives all over again. And I'm not so sure that we can take anymore. And as far as Texas goes, Google Lewis Black's rant. He says it better than anyone else.
President Obama spoke about listening to his daughters interact with their friends. He made the observation that with each new generation of children, things seemed to get better. That with them, we have a chance for positive change. He's right. And I love that we have a President who gets that.
Can't we all agree that we've come too far to lose our way like this? It'd be nice if we could just care about each other. It'd be nice if kids could walk home from the store and not die along the way. It'd be nice if they could go to school and come home alive and well. And it'd be nice if women didn't feel that we need to fight battles that should have never been fought in the first place.
Misunderstanding results in fear. The world is a scary place, so it makes sense that we react this way. But at some point, we have to stop trying to control everything and everyone around us. We have to stop viewing others as the enemy and then use that belief to justify our behavior. Nothing good comes of it. Nothing.
Just ask Trayvon's parents..
UPDATE: While watching Melissa Harris-Perry's show, I learned that Marissa Alexander was given a choice between 20 years and 3. But if she had chosen three years, she would have lost her child. Her husband admitted he abused her. There was a restraining order mentioned by Melissa's guest. Marissa Alexander has a master's degree. What has the state of Florida done to this woman? And Angela Corey was involved. She was too gleeful at the verdict in the Zimmerman case. In her case, Madeleine Albright's words apply..you know, that special place in hell for women who don't help other women.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
There are no words adequate...
Oh my God. Where do I even start? First of all, I didn't watch this trial. Instead I read accounts. I couldn't watch because I had a bad feeling from the start about it. When I heard the judge had included manslaughter in the jury instructions, I knew then that this might not go well.
George Zimmerman got away with murdering Trayvon Martin. The jurors were women. Were they mothers? This baby boy could have been anything he wanted to be. The defense attorneys made Trayvon appear as if he was the murderer. That somehow, he tried to kill Zimmerman with the sidewalk. The sidewalk was his weapon. How could they say this in front of Trayvon's parents? Did they really need to make that boy into a criminal when he wasn't?
I read that a woman got twenty years for shooting a gun into the air to keep her abusive husband from attacking her. Same judge in both cases apparently. When a woman who is a victim of domestic violence can shoot a gun in the air - not even at her stupid husband - and then get twenty years for only trying to save her own life, and George Zimmerman can go free, who are we?
Florida's stand your ground law is disgusting. This idiot stalked this child. He was told to stay in his vehicle. He ignored that because he was arrogant. He got out and killed Trayvon. He ended a life that had so much promise. He destroyed two parents who loved their boy more than life itself. Trayvon did nothing wrong. He was only walking home. He is not the guilty one here. Zimmerman is. Except that he's not. The jury has spoken. They returned a verdict of not guilty. So I guess it's still open season on our children, particularly if they have brown skin.
I read that the NRA is involved in the enactment of these stand your ground laws. Doesn't surprise me. Listening to Joy Reid on MSNBC, it appears that Florida may not repeal this law because everyone seems to like it. I hope she's wrong about that. I would hope that Floridians would reconsider and repeal it, because obviously, it's not so clear cut. Except the jurors evidently thought that it was. Some pundits are saying the the prosecution didn't prove their case. Maybe that's true. If so, shame on them. Did they even try? Sure seems like the consensus of opinion is that the prosecution didn't explain what happened well and really didn't rise to the occasion until their final summation. They failed Trayvon, his family, and the rest of us. Simple as that.
Why are we so afraid of enacting gun control laws? Doing so doesn't violate the 2nd amendment. Too many children have died in the last year alone. How can we continue to allow laws to exist that result in the murder of our children? Does only a guy with a gun have rights? Because that's what it looks like to me. And now Zimmerman can carry that gun around any time he wants.
Stand your ground laws are too much of a free-for-all and are too subjective to exist. Zimmerman gets to go home tonight. Trayvon is dead. I don't know how anyone can feel good about this one. The system is broken. For Trayvon's parents, the pain will be never ending because this did NOT need to happen.
George Zimmerman got away with murdering Trayvon Martin. The jurors were women. Were they mothers? This baby boy could have been anything he wanted to be. The defense attorneys made Trayvon appear as if he was the murderer. That somehow, he tried to kill Zimmerman with the sidewalk. The sidewalk was his weapon. How could they say this in front of Trayvon's parents? Did they really need to make that boy into a criminal when he wasn't?
I read that a woman got twenty years for shooting a gun into the air to keep her abusive husband from attacking her. Same judge in both cases apparently. When a woman who is a victim of domestic violence can shoot a gun in the air - not even at her stupid husband - and then get twenty years for only trying to save her own life, and George Zimmerman can go free, who are we?
Florida's stand your ground law is disgusting. This idiot stalked this child. He was told to stay in his vehicle. He ignored that because he was arrogant. He got out and killed Trayvon. He ended a life that had so much promise. He destroyed two parents who loved their boy more than life itself. Trayvon did nothing wrong. He was only walking home. He is not the guilty one here. Zimmerman is. Except that he's not. The jury has spoken. They returned a verdict of not guilty. So I guess it's still open season on our children, particularly if they have brown skin.
I read that the NRA is involved in the enactment of these stand your ground laws. Doesn't surprise me. Listening to Joy Reid on MSNBC, it appears that Florida may not repeal this law because everyone seems to like it. I hope she's wrong about that. I would hope that Floridians would reconsider and repeal it, because obviously, it's not so clear cut. Except the jurors evidently thought that it was. Some pundits are saying the the prosecution didn't prove their case. Maybe that's true. If so, shame on them. Did they even try? Sure seems like the consensus of opinion is that the prosecution didn't explain what happened well and really didn't rise to the occasion until their final summation. They failed Trayvon, his family, and the rest of us. Simple as that.
Why are we so afraid of enacting gun control laws? Doing so doesn't violate the 2nd amendment. Too many children have died in the last year alone. How can we continue to allow laws to exist that result in the murder of our children? Does only a guy with a gun have rights? Because that's what it looks like to me. And now Zimmerman can carry that gun around any time he wants.
Stand your ground laws are too much of a free-for-all and are too subjective to exist. Zimmerman gets to go home tonight. Trayvon is dead. I don't know how anyone can feel good about this one. The system is broken. For Trayvon's parents, the pain will be never ending because this did NOT need to happen.
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