I have been pondering a good bit lately about what it means to "love your enemies." I am going to post about regularly over the next month or two. Today, I just want to share share Matthew 5:43-48. Below are those verses from three different English translations. Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV) > Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them … [Read more...]

I am currently ranked at #33 and have a ways to go. I still need your vote! As I have mentioned yesterday, I am trying to go to Netroots Nation so that I can network and advance both my blogging and my social justice advocacy.   The voting goes through May 7th and I still need your help! In order to lock in one of the scholarships, I need to be one of the top 5 vote-getters among the different people who have applied for the scholarship. Even if I do not make the top 5, a … [Read more...]

I was introduced to the Florence Reece's song "Which Side Are You On?" by Pete Seeger's rendition of the song. I love Pete's version. It is a haunting song in many ways. I recently can across Natalie Merchant's cover of "Which Side Are You On?" It is equally haunting and beautiful. Earlier today, I wrote about officially joining a union. Which side are you on? … [Read more...]

This week, I officially became Union. I have joined the National Writers Union (NWU). The NWU is affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the AFL-CIO. As I have become disillusioned with the Wyoming Democratic Party , and party politics in general, I have been looking for groups and organizations that will allow me to advance social justice while also enjoying the association that comes with belonging to a group. I am social like that. On the campaign trail, few groups were more … [Read more...]

  Happy May Day … [Read more...]

Todd, my oldest child, turns 13 today. Todd is my thinker. When I am trying to get him to make a decision, his thinking can drive me crazy. Todd is also an observer. He wants to know what is going on around him. In the mornings, when I drove him to school, Todd and I would listen to NPR's Morning Edition together. He would just suck up the information. During the 2012 GOP Presidential Primary it drove him crazy that they were constantly focusing on the Republicans. At the same time, he … [Read more...]

Each morning I take a bus to the metro, then a short metro ride to work. Each morning I get on the bus, put on my headphones, or open my ipad to listen or read whatever book I am reading. As I do this I notice this seems to be what everyone else is pretty much doing as well. There is seldom anyone talking or really even noticing one another. This pattern is pretty consistent with public transportation commuting, at least around the DC metro region.  This had got me thinking a little while ago, … [Read more...]

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (Knopf, 2009 and Vintage, 2010) was on my reading list after I watched a portion of the documentary on TV (worthy of its own review).  I was also drawn to it out of my own feelings of frustration and passion.  As someone who has recently been following and even engaged in feminist discussions of expanding the roles of women in patriarchal religious communities, I am struck by how firmly … [Read more...]

This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Twelve: “...cultural barriers can be overcome relatively swiftly where there is political will to do so.” Where does this political will come from? How can be cultivated? “Implicit in what we’re saying about China is something that sounds shocking to … [Read more...]

This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Six: If you or someone close to you has been pregnant, what were your feelings when you first heard the news? What fears crossed your mind as the pregnancy developed? What hopes did you have for the newborn’s life? How did you celebrate the birth? … [Read more...]