Amnesty International Action Alert
The Trump administration has now carried out eight illegal airstrikes at sea, killing at least 34 people. If the U.S. government can unilaterally decide to bomb anyone it labels a “terrorist” – anywhere, anytime – it sets a chilling global precedent. No government should have the power to kill without accountability.
Act Now: Sign our letter to your elected representatives: Congress must act ASAP to halt these illegal airstrikes.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights
Hispanic Heritage Month
Prison Trilogy – Joan Baez
BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US – Jessie Reyez
Moscow Mule – Bad Bunny
In the River – Raye Zaragoza
Waiting for Tonight – Jennifer Lopez
Enamorada De Ti – Selena
Good Morning Aztlan – Los Lobos
Ella Tiene Fuego – Celia Cruz
Taquirari De Verano – El Vate
Juana Mayo – Rubén Blades
Las Brumas del Mar – Simón Díaz
Don’t Wanna Lose You – Gloria Estefan
Dia Cero – Agua Clara
Medianoche – Inti Illimani
Cuando Voy Al Trabajo – Victor Jara
The Show Must Go On – Michael Giacchino
Crazy – Linda Ronstadt
Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, Music, New Mexico, playlist
Murder of Matthew Shepard.
Birth of Fannie Lou Hamer.
Laramie – Magdalen Hsu-Li
Scarecrow – Deena Rae Turner
The Fence – Peter Katz
Matthew Shepard – Heather Lev
American Triangle – Elton John
Scarecrow – Melissa Etheridge
God Loves Everyone – Ron Sexsmith|
Remaining songs by Fannie Lou Hamer:
Precious Lord
Run Mourner, Run
City Called Heaven
All the Pretty Little Horses
I’m Gonna Land on the Shore
Oh Lord, You Know Just How I Feel
I’m Going Down to the River of Jordan
Jesus Is My Only Friend
Pick a Bale of Cotton
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
Walk with Me
This Little Light of Mine
Certainly Lord
Woke up This Morning
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights, Music, playlist
International Day of Non-Violence
Imagine – Avril Lavigne
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding – Keb’ Mo’
Peace Train – People Get Ready – Abraham Jam
The Green Fields of France – Dropkick Murphys
Give Peace A Chance – Aerosmith Feat. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars
Down By the Riverside – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Peace Train/Isitimela Sokuthula – Dolly Parton, feat. Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ahimsa – The Antlers
Nonviolence – Cha$e D’Amico
Pacifist’s Lament – Ani DiFranco
Turn! Turn! Turn!- Pete Seeger
Blowin’ In The Wind – Bob Dylan
Weary Mothers – Joan Baez
Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream – Simon & Garfunkel
Let Us All Come Together – Sweet Honey In the Rock
Peter – David LaMotte
Where Have All The Flowers Gone – Dolores Keane, Tommy Sands & Vedran Smailovic
Christmas In The Trenches – John McCutcheon
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda – Eric Bogle
People Get Ready – The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Peace And Power – Joanne Shenandoah
Peace Is the Way – Jim & Jean Strathdee
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, Music, playlist, United Nations
From the United Nations:
The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.
According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own words, he said: “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, United Nations
30 September is observed in Canada as The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a day of memorial to recognize the atrocities and generational impact committed on First Nations peoples by the Canadian Indian residential school system. It has expanded in the United State as a day to remember the atrocities and generational impact inflicted by the U.S. boarding school system on Indigenous peoples. The Indigenous peoples of Australia had a similar experience.
Lost Souls – Tom Jackson Lost Souls
Residential School Song (Indian Boarding School Song) – Cheryl Bear
Child of the Government – Jayli Wolf
BEFORE – A Tribe Called Red, feat. Joseph Boyden
Apatapasiq – Mike Bern
Battlefields – Twin Flames
Savage Mob – Snotty Nose Rez Kids, feat. Nooky & Birdz
open window – nêhiyawak
Took the Children Away – Archie Roach, Australian Art Orchestra, Paul Grabowsky & Ruby Hunter (the Australian Indigenous experience)
Take Me Home – Indian City
Spirit Horses – Annie Humphrey
The Land of the Blind – Ira Provost
Why Us – N’we Jinan Artists
500 Years – Rhonda Head
Residential School – Jerry Alfred & The Medicine Beat
Cut My Hair – Digging Roots
Residential School – Chris Pierce
For Our Children – Bryan Akipa
Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights, Music, playlist
The drums beat,
the people continue.
The rattles shake,
the people continue.
The bells jingle,
the people continue.
The dancers move,
the people continue.
The singers chant,
the people continue.
Out of the past,
the people continue.
In the present,
the people continue.
Into the future,
the people continue.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Friends, Human Rights, Music, New Mexico, Prayer
I’m fundraising for UNRWA USA by participating in the Gaza 5K walk/run VIRTUALLY on or about Sunday, October 12th, 2025. I’d like to walk in person in New York, but I will be in Albuquerque.
I choose to show my solidarity with Palestine refugees by committing myself to raising money for UNRWA mental health services. The trauma of the crisis and the stress of living under blockade, unable to leave the Gaza Strip, has left thousands of refugees, particularly children, in need of psychosocial support.
The situation may seem hopeless, but by providing counseling through UNRWA, we can support their mental health, help them cope with their traumas, and improve their quality of life even slightly during this assault on their homes and lives.
Though I know I can’t change the world for every refugee, with your support, I intend to reach as many children as possible.
If you share my commitment to bettering the mental health of Palestine refugee children, please donate to my Gaza 5K walk.
Proceeds will go directly to UNRWA mental health services and counselors–refugees themselves–in the Gaza Strip. NOTE – this fundraiser does not raise funds for immediate food needs. There are other ways to do this. This fundraiser helps to provide mental health services.
Thank you for supporting me to show Palestine refugees that Americans care and for giving what you can!
Filed under Albuquerque, Current Events, Exercise, Human Rights
God who makes and loves each child,
forgive me for wasting food
in a world where children starve,
where children experience malnutrition,
where children go hungry,
in too many places,
including places near my home.
Forgive me, God.
Help me do better
by making wiser choices
about what I eat,
how much I eat,
where my food is produced.
Help me do better
by supporting organizations
that share food with children (and adults) in need,
that address root causes of hunger,
that work to end conflict,
that enable people to feed themselves,
that challenge our impact upon creation
which affect food production.
Help me do better
by demanding action
from individuals and organizations
that shape policies
which result in hunger
and which work to end hunger.
Forgive me, God.
Help me do better.
In the name of Jesus
who fed the hungry and welcomed children.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Food, Human Rights, Prayer
We went down to the river, Creator,
and no river flowed.
Dried sands,
muddy puddles,
cracked earth.
A bed.
No water. No river.
We walked across
and did not get wet.
Even as we suffer from too little water,
we know there are people and places
with too much water that results
in floods and mudslides,
destruction and death.
We pray for water, Creator,
for water is life.
Send rain to places in need of water.
Hold rain from places with too much water.
Help us all to learn and implement
ways to conserve the water we have.
Lead those who make decisions about
water allocation and sharing
to do so wisely.
Guide us to make responsible decisions
about uses of water
so that this precious resource
sustains life for all your children and this world.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
baptized in the Jordan.
Amen.
Despite its name, the Rio Grande is not that impressive in most parts of Albuquerque. It should look better than it did today.
Filed under Albuquerque, Current Events, Music, New Mexico, Photo, Prayer
Along the Graybeard Trail 