Category Archives: Current Events

January 7, 2020 · 9:32 pm

Faith statement on escalating violence with Iran

A statement released and updated by a number of faith-based groups.

January 3, 2020

As people of faith, we condemn the United States’ dangerous aggression towards Iran, including the assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and the deployment of additional troops to the region. We urge the Administration to step back from the brink of war.

Our faith communities see the futility of war, and its power to dehumanize. We know that human flourishing entails breaking cycles of violence, being courageous peacemakers, and focusing on the root causes of conflict. Violent conflict is a path of mutual destruction.

  • Instead, all actors must move forward in a way that upholds our shared, sacred human dignity:
  • All parties must begin by re-humanizing each other without excusing unjust and violent actions.
  • The U.S. Administration must halt violent attacks and military escalations. It must return to a diplomatic process, recognizing that lasting peace requires a commitment to the shared well-being of every human, from Iran to the United States and everywhere in between.
  • The U.S. Congress must act to reassert its war powers by refusing authorization for war with Iran and related attacks, and to block funding for war with Iran.
  • U.S. actions and strategy in the region must address the root causes of the conflict, such as distrust, trauma, economic resources, and political influence.
  • All of us must support nonviolent creative actions of resistance to any unjust and violent actions.

As communities of faith, we renounce the escalation of violence, and call on the United States to work towards lasting peace with Iran.

Signed,
American Friends Service Committee
Center on Conscience and War
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Churches for Middle East Peace
Coalition for Peace Action
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Conference of Superiors of Men (Catholic)
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces
Faith in Public Life
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Provincial Council Clerics of St. Viator
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas- Institute Leadership Team
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society

Updated January 6th, 2020 with the following signers:

Choose Life Abort War Podcast for Peace
Church of the Brethren
Disciples Justice Action Network
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Glenmary Home Missioners
Mennonite Church USA
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Pax Christi Metro New York
Pax Christi USA
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Tagged as , , , ,

January 7, 2020 · 9:24 pm

No War with Iran

Iran_Day_Jan_09_2020_1_(1)

Here is where I am going to be Thursday night.

January 09, 2020 at 5pm – 6pm
Times Square
42nd St and Broadway Ave
New York, NY 10007
United States

On Thursday, January 9, CODEPINK is joining the call to stand together and say NO to war with Iran. The Trump administration is dragging the United States into a war with Iran that could engulf the whole region and could quickly turn into a global conflict of unpredictable scope and the gravest consequences. The people of the world need to rise up and stop it. For all who believe in peace, for all who are opposed to yet another catastrophic war, now is the time to take action. On Thursday, January 9 in cities across the country, there will be protests against a new war in the Middle East. Please join us. Don’t forget to contact Congress and tell them to prevent Trump from being able to carry out his war!

Print and bring this sign up form with you so we can sign up anyone who is interested in joining us at our January 25 international day of action. Then, send photos of the sign up for to iran@codepink.org 

Use our activist toolkit to print posters and access more resources!

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 3, 2020 · 11:22 am

Matthew 2:1-12

Persians (Iranians)
follow star
worship Jesus

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Six Word Story, Worship

Tagged as , , ,

January 2, 2020 · 11:38 pm

Drones fly

Drones fly
leader dies
world trembles.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Six Word Story

Tagged as , , , , ,

December 30, 2019 · 8:05 pm

New Year’s Eve Witness

81239192_10157465595547561_8518049784496390144_n

The New Sanctuary Coalition encourages this action as a witness on New Year’s Eve:

 

🙏🏽Please share widely🙏🏽
Immigrants are dying in detention. This Administration separates families, and locks parents and children in cages. They are inhumane and evil.
Come together in community and solidarity with migrants and refugees at the border and in detention all over the United States.
Let us keep those who have been unjustly stripped of freedom in our hearts.
We will not look away from injustice and inhumanity.
‪At 11pm on New Year’s Eve, let’s light‬ up the night sky and illuminate the beginning of a new decade of freedom.

Share a picture or video of your lit candle and tag us. Use the hashtags #lightacandle #dontlookaway #FreeThemAll

Watch for my picture. I hope to see yours.

Leave a comment

Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Human Rights

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

December 30, 2019 · 7:59 pm

27, 28, 29 December 2019

Accumulated over 10,000 steps each day. No focused exercise on any of the days so no real play list. On 29 December 2019, these were the songs that played through the day:

Wounded Knee – Micki Free
Wovoka – Redbone
Sitting Bull’s Medicine Song – Kevin Locke
Ghost Dance – Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble
Heart of the World – Mary Youngblood
Sacred Praises – Brule
Shimmer Prayer for Cleaning the Water – Joy Harjo
Red Streaking into the Water – R. Carlos Nakai
Dreams of Wounded Knee – Bill Miller
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Buffy Sainte-Marie
Wounded Knee – Walela

Leave a comment

Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Exercise, Human Rights, Music, New York, playlist

Tagged as

December 18, 2019 · 10:12 pm

18 December 2019

Treadmill. Stretching. Blink.
Enter the Mirrors – Afro Yaqui Music Collective
My Only Home – Unchained XL
Beyond the Border – Bhi Bhiman
La Jaula De Oro – Los Tigres del Norte
Immigrant Eyes – Willie Nelson
Highwomen – The Highwomen
Old Town Road – Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus, Young Thug & Mason Ramsey
This Land – Gary Clark, Jr.
Delilah – Making Movies & Ruben Blades
Cages – Redbait
Bad Hombres Y Mujeres – Antonio Sanchez
Why We Build the Wall – Hadestown
Go Tell a Bird – Maya De Vitry
La Frontera – Lagartijeando feat. Minuk
Migration – Jonny Lipford
No Geography – The Chemical Brothers
No Human Is Illegal – The Wakes

This is a slight variation on “Strangers in a Strange Land: A Migration Soundtrack for Advent 2019” by Josh Langhoff. Thanks to my friend Carolyn for calling it to my attention.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Exercise, Friends, Human Rights, Music, New York, playlist

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 29, 2019 · 10:32 pm

29 November 2019

Walking. Morningside Gardens.
Crimson Parsons – Keith Secola
Sand Creek Massacre Mourning – Otis Taylor
Fiume Sand Creek – Fabrizio De Andre
Jerusalem – Steve Earle
Dignity – El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe
Bala Hdood – Ettijah (YouTube)
We Shall Overcome (Song for Palestine) – Roger Waters (YouTube)
Untitled – Kallemi (YouTube)
Song for Palestine – Nora Roman & The Border Busters
Jerusalem – Abraham Jam
He Mele Lahui Hawai’i – Tavita Te’o
Hawai’i Pono’i – Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus
All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Where Is the Love? – The Black Eyed Peas
Divine – Earth, Wind & Fire
Fountain of Sorrow – Joan Baez
Take a Bow – Rihanna
So Young – The Corrs
Siasi – O’Shen

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Exercise, Human Rights, Music

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 28, 2019 · 11:55 pm

28 November 2019

Walking. Morningside Gardens.
Cooking (of course the calories expended were more than offset by eating while the cooking was taking place).
Opening Song for the Maker – Joy Harjo
Meadowlark Sunrise – Fire Crow
Sacred Promises – Brule
The Prayer – SupaMan
Rockin the Res – John Trudell
Rez Yard – Native Root
Farer of the Waters – Jack Gladstone
Akua Tutu – Kashtin
You’re a Brave One – Joanne Shenandoah
For My People – Litefoot
Red Streaking into the Water – R. Carlos Nakai
Brave Heart – Luis Cachiguango
I Walk in Two Worlds – Shelley Morningsong
Golden Feather – Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble
Edge of America – Annie Humphrey
Trail of Freedom – Bill Miller
Our Precious Mothers – Bear Fox
Native North American Child – Buffy Sainte-Marie
Zuni Friendship Song – Chester Mahooty
Back to the Beginning – Frank Waln, feat. Tanaya Winder
Never Let Go – Nitanis “Kit” Largo
So Beautiful – Pamyua
We Are Hear – Sharon Burch
We Are the Children – Thunder Bird Sisters

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Exercise, Music, New York, playlist

Tagged as , ,

November 26, 2019 · 9:09 pm

I wanted to throw up

I wanted to throw up.

My friend shared the news about the death of Ruth George on her Facebook page. Since I had not heard what happened, I went looking.

In an online story, the Chicago Tribune reports that Ruth George, an honor student at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus was killed Saturday night.

According to the story, Cook County prosecutors allege that Ruth George’s accused killer grew angry when she ignored his repeated attempts to talk. He followed Ruth into a parking garage. There he attacked her. Prosecutors report he dragged Ruth to her car where he sexually assaulted her. She died from strangulation.

After I read the story, I returned to my friend’s Facebook page. I noted that the story broke my heart.

My first reaction, however, was an urge to throw up.

The attitude that men are entitled to the attention of women, which is an element of rape culture, lies behind this horrific incident. And that sickens me.

A woman refusing to speak to a man is no reason for the man to respond in anger. But too often men do.

Men have no right to women’s conversation, time, attention, bodies, anything. The presumption that we do is wrong and must be challenged and changed.

Women do not have to speak to men … do not have to speak to men they know … do not have to speak to men they don’t know … do not have to speak to men.

No is always an appropriate answer. No talk. No interaction. No touching. No sex. No anything. No everything. No is always an appropriate answer without exception and with no explanation needed.

No means no. The challenge to men is to recognize the meaning of no … to understand the need for consent … and to honor no and consent.

We (speaking as a man) must guide our lives by the standard of no and consent. We must hold one another to the standard of no and consent. We must teach the standard of no and consent to our sons.

My heart does break. For Ruth George and her family and friends. For the University of Illinois at Chicago community. For all the women who are victims of similar horrors. For my friend (I have since learned that Ruth George was a student of my friend). For the harm rape culture and male entitlement does to us all.

We can do better. Let’s get to it.

Note: written in the heat of the moment in response to the killing of Ruth George by a cis hetero male, this reflection takes a binary point of view. A more nuanced reflection would recognize that this issue impacts people across every sexual orientation and gender identity.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Friends, Human Rights

Tagged as , , , ,