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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Anybody Listening???
(I found colors! How fun!!!)
Published on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 by the Manhattan Mercury
Media Mogul Addresses Tough Issues at Kansas State
by Kathryn Mayes
In between quips this morning, media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner called for nuclear disarmament and said that Iraq is "no better off" today than it was before U.S. military intervention.
Media mogul Ted Turner uses his powers of communication this morning to tell K-State officials a story before delivering the 141st Landon Lecture in McCain Auditorium.
Turner delivered the 141st Landon Lecture to a less-than-capacity McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University. Turner is best known as the founder of CNN, the first round-the-clock news network, and as a philanthropist.
He said the world is at a "critical juncture" and compared the situation to a baseball team that is down two runs in the seventh inning. That situation is serious, he said, but not hopeless, and coming out of it is difficult but doable. He then noted several ways people could work together to make that happen.
In addition to voicing his opinions on nuclear weapons and the war in Iraq, Turner also encouraged people to think about family planning and overpopulation, and said poverty and hunger need to be abolished. He also said that energy sources other than those from fossil fuels should become a priority and that water should be conserved.
He said the U.S. and Russia still have thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at each other on a "hair trigger." He warned that a nuclear war could "kill everything on the planet" and said it could take place in an afternoon.
He said he was afraid that someone in a position of power could make the mistake of launching them, particularly President George Bush.
"You have to question ... the President on a lot of decisions he's made," Turner said. "He might just think launching those weapons would be a good thing to do ... he thought Iraq was."
He said the eight super powers should sign a treaty and give the International Atomic Energy Agency the authority to regulate them. He said if he were in charge — and he made clear he isn't and will never be — "we'd be rid of them."
He said war is an outdated form of diplomacy that has stopped working. "You would think that we would have learned that in Vietnam," he said.
Turner said the authority of superpowers of tomorrow will be derived from things like education, health care and science and technology — and that that's where the U.S. should be focusing its efforts.
"That's what's going to be on top in the future," he said.
Things are becoming increasingly globalized, he said, and if humanity is going to survive, its members are going to have to work together.
"We are going to survive together, or we are going to perish together," he said.
Copyright © 2005 Manhattan Mercury
###
Published on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 by the Manhattan Mercury
Media Mogul Addresses Tough Issues at Kansas State
by Kathryn Mayes
In between quips this morning, media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner called for nuclear disarmament and said that Iraq is "no better off" today than it was before U.S. military intervention.
Media mogul Ted Turner uses his powers of communication this morning to tell K-State officials a story before delivering the 141st Landon Lecture in McCain Auditorium.
Turner delivered the 141st Landon Lecture to a less-than-capacity McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University. Turner is best known as the founder of CNN, the first round-the-clock news network, and as a philanthropist.
He said the world is at a "critical juncture" and compared the situation to a baseball team that is down two runs in the seventh inning. That situation is serious, he said, but not hopeless, and coming out of it is difficult but doable. He then noted several ways people could work together to make that happen.
In addition to voicing his opinions on nuclear weapons and the war in Iraq, Turner also encouraged people to think about family planning and overpopulation, and said poverty and hunger need to be abolished. He also said that energy sources other than those from fossil fuels should become a priority and that water should be conserved.
He said the U.S. and Russia still have thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at each other on a "hair trigger." He warned that a nuclear war could "kill everything on the planet" and said it could take place in an afternoon.
He said he was afraid that someone in a position of power could make the mistake of launching them, particularly President George Bush.
"You have to question ... the President on a lot of decisions he's made," Turner said. "He might just think launching those weapons would be a good thing to do ... he thought Iraq was."
He said the eight super powers should sign a treaty and give the International Atomic Energy Agency the authority to regulate them. He said if he were in charge — and he made clear he isn't and will never be — "we'd be rid of them."
He said war is an outdated form of diplomacy that has stopped working. "You would think that we would have learned that in Vietnam," he said.
Turner said the authority of superpowers of tomorrow will be derived from things like education, health care and science and technology — and that that's where the U.S. should be focusing its efforts.
"That's what's going to be on top in the future," he said.
Things are becoming increasingly globalized, he said, and if humanity is going to survive, its members are going to have to work together.
"We are going to survive together, or we are going to perish together," he said.
Copyright © 2005 Manhattan Mercury
###
posted by Carol at 9:12 PM
0 comments
Keep a Child Alive
I love Bono's and Alicia Keys' voices. They have teamed up to do a re-make of Peter Gabriel's and Kate Bush's song "So" and will donate proceeds to an organization called Keep a Child Alive, which will get meds to families that have members with HIV/AIDS . The re-make of the song is now called "Don't Give Up (Africa)". You can hear it at KeepaChildAlive.org
Click on the "Click Here" button on the site.
Click on the "Click Here" button on the site.
posted by Carol at 6:52 PM
0 comments
Our Enemies Are Not Man
FROM A LETTER TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.— June 1, 1965
I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves
did not aim at the death of the oppressors but only at a change
in their policies. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance,
fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination
which lie within the heart of man. These are real enemies of humans,—
not humans themselves. In our unfortunate fatherland we are trying
to plead desperately: do not kill man, even in man's name. Please
kill the real enemies of man which are present everywhere in our
very hearts and minds... You cannot be silent since you have already
been in action and you are in action because, in you, God is in action.
Thich Nhat Hanh,
Director of the School of Youth for Social Service
of the Buddhist University in Saigon, Viet Nam.
I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves
did not aim at the death of the oppressors but only at a change
in their policies. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance,
fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination
which lie within the heart of man. These are real enemies of humans,—
not humans themselves. In our unfortunate fatherland we are trying
to plead desperately: do not kill man, even in man's name. Please
kill the real enemies of man which are present everywhere in our
very hearts and minds... You cannot be silent since you have already
been in action and you are in action because, in you, God is in action.
Thich Nhat Hanh,
Director of the School of Youth for Social Service
of the Buddhist University in Saigon, Viet Nam.
posted by Carol at 10:43 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Email from Cindy Sheehan
Dear Friends
the right wing has my book under attack.
They are writing hateful reviews about it on Amazon.com, obviously without having read it.
Now the right-wing sites are publishing photos of me sitting at the table waiting to sign books.
Thses pictures were taken before we started.
We sold 100 books....I got writer's cramp.
Below is a link to a review of my book which the person actually read.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/bliss1.html
This is a letter from my publisher if you would like to pass it along.
Thank you
Love you all
Cindy
Dear Friends,
As publisher of Cindy Sheehan's new book, Not One More Mother's Child, I need to set the record straight about a lie circulating right-wing websites that has even made it onto amazon.com.
I donated 100 copies of Not One More Mother's Child to Crawford Peace House, encouraging them to sell these copies to benefit their work. During her Thanksgiving Vigil near President Bush's ranch, Cindy agreed to sign copies for those who bought them, as a benefit for Crawford Peace House. AP and Reuters posted photos – I can't imagine why – of Cindy sitting at the book table between signings, rather than while someone was at the table. And now the smear websites are circulating an article, with these photos, that Cindy gave a signing and nobody came. It's simply not true! She not only signed all 100 copies and raised $2,000 for Crawford Peace House, she got writer's cramp!
These kinds of lies helped defeat Senator McCain in 2000 and Senator Kerry in 2004. The right has been trying to humiliate and "Swift-Boat" Cindy since she helped galvanize the peace movement in August. It is important to set the record straight. Cindy's book, Not One More Mother's Child, is being very well received nationwide, and the benefit booksigning in Crawford Texas on November 26, 2005 was well attended and a huge success.
Thank you.
Arnie Kotler
Koa Books
Kihei, Hawai'i
www.koabooks.com
the right wing has my book under attack.
They are writing hateful reviews about it on Amazon.com, obviously without having read it.
Now the right-wing sites are publishing photos of me sitting at the table waiting to sign books.
Thses pictures were taken before we started.
We sold 100 books....I got writer's cramp.
Below is a link to a review of my book which the person actually read.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/bliss1.html
This is a letter from my publisher if you would like to pass it along.
Thank you
Love you all
Cindy
Dear Friends,
As publisher of Cindy Sheehan's new book, Not One More Mother's Child, I need to set the record straight about a lie circulating right-wing websites that has even made it onto amazon.com.
I donated 100 copies of Not One More Mother's Child to Crawford Peace House, encouraging them to sell these copies to benefit their work. During her Thanksgiving Vigil near President Bush's ranch, Cindy agreed to sign copies for those who bought them, as a benefit for Crawford Peace House. AP and Reuters posted photos – I can't imagine why – of Cindy sitting at the book table between signings, rather than while someone was at the table. And now the smear websites are circulating an article, with these photos, that Cindy gave a signing and nobody came. It's simply not true! She not only signed all 100 copies and raised $2,000 for Crawford Peace House, she got writer's cramp!
These kinds of lies helped defeat Senator McCain in 2000 and Senator Kerry in 2004. The right has been trying to humiliate and "Swift-Boat" Cindy since she helped galvanize the peace movement in August. It is important to set the record straight. Cindy's book, Not One More Mother's Child, is being very well received nationwide, and the benefit booksigning in Crawford Texas on November 26, 2005 was well attended and a huge success.
Thank you.
Arnie Kotler
Koa Books
Kihei, Hawai'i
www.koabooks.com
posted by Carol at 12:04 PM
1 comments
Monday, November 28, 2005
Stealth Protester
From NPR: A Chicago-area resident is protesting the Iraq War by leaving green plastic toy soldiers around town with anti-war messages on them. Sallie Gratch asks people to contact her when they find the soldiers, and then to leave them someplace else themselves. To listen to the story, go to NPR
posted by Carol at 3:07 PM
2 comments
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Camp Casey Thanksgiving Photos
Photos from Camp Casey, Thanksgiving, 2005. Plans are to be back for Easter.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1785866.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1785487.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1786158.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1785866.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1785487.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1786158.php
posted by Carol at 3:32 PM
0 comments
Lies and More Lies
Re: the articlebelow from WorldNetDaily.com, Nancy who was at Camp Casey over the Thanksgiving holiday writes, "This must have been very early because we arrive at 11 am the place was packed and shuttle was running at full speed and over 50 tents were pitched and 4 -6 huge rvs!
I personally sold books for cindy ( I told her as a librarian I was uniquely qualified –ha!) I sold over a dozen in just a few hours Sat afternoon – I’m thinking about 50 + books were sold that day and autographed– considering what was left in the one box of books I was in charge of – freakin’ liars!!!"
THE LEGEND OF CRAWFORD
Cindy book-signing
A Very 'Lonely Affair'
Photos by Associated Press, Reuters show 'Peace Mom' Sheehan waiting for buyers
Posted: November 27, 2005
3:13 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
While book-signings for political figures like Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity often feature long lines and people waiting for hours, the scene at Cindy Sheehan's book-signing yesterday near President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch was a much more lonely affair.
(Photograph of Cindy Sheehan in empty tent waiting to sign copies of her new book (Associated Press) inserted here)
Photographs published by wire services including the Associated Press and Reuters depict a lonely "Peace Mom" in a virtually empty tent awaiting those seeking her autograph on her new book, "Not One More Mother's Child."
The Washington Post reported the scene this way: "Sheehan found herself addressing a crowd of only about 100 on Saturday afternoon. The large tent where supporters had erected a stage hung with the banner 'Speak Truth to Power' was only partially full. Earlier, Sheehan signed copies of her new book for an even smaller crowd."
Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in the Iraq war, and Cindy has been on an anti-war and anti-Bush campaign since the summer months when she began a vigil in Crawford gaining worldwide media attention.
(Photograph of Cindy Sheehan waiting to sign copies of her new book yesterday in Crawford, Texas (Reuters) inserted here)
"What if Cindy had a book signing and no one came?" asks one poster in an online messageboard. "Well we know what happened. No one cares about her but the press. Cindy is finished."
"Frankly I'm amazed the DNC/AP allowed these photos to see the light of day," writes another. "Usually their photogs do their (unlevel) best to angle their cameras and crop their pictures to make Mother Sheehan always appear to be at the center of a worshipful swarm. I'm afraid someone is going to be in hot water for letting us glimpse the truth."
I personally sold books for cindy ( I told her as a librarian I was uniquely qualified –ha!) I sold over a dozen in just a few hours Sat afternoon – I’m thinking about 50 + books were sold that day and autographed– considering what was left in the one box of books I was in charge of – freakin’ liars!!!"
THE LEGEND OF CRAWFORD
Cindy book-signing
A Very 'Lonely Affair'
Photos by Associated Press, Reuters show 'Peace Mom' Sheehan waiting for buyers
Posted: November 27, 2005
3:13 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
While book-signings for political figures like Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity often feature long lines and people waiting for hours, the scene at Cindy Sheehan's book-signing yesterday near President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch was a much more lonely affair.
(Photograph of Cindy Sheehan in empty tent waiting to sign copies of her new book (Associated Press) inserted here)
Photographs published by wire services including the Associated Press and Reuters depict a lonely "Peace Mom" in a virtually empty tent awaiting those seeking her autograph on her new book, "Not One More Mother's Child."
The Washington Post reported the scene this way: "Sheehan found herself addressing a crowd of only about 100 on Saturday afternoon. The large tent where supporters had erected a stage hung with the banner 'Speak Truth to Power' was only partially full. Earlier, Sheehan signed copies of her new book for an even smaller crowd."
Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in the Iraq war, and Cindy has been on an anti-war and anti-Bush campaign since the summer months when she began a vigil in Crawford gaining worldwide media attention.
(Photograph of Cindy Sheehan waiting to sign copies of her new book yesterday in Crawford, Texas (Reuters) inserted here)
"What if Cindy had a book signing and no one came?" asks one poster in an online messageboard. "Well we know what happened. No one cares about her but the press. Cindy is finished."
"Frankly I'm amazed the DNC/AP allowed these photos to see the light of day," writes another. "Usually their photogs do their (unlevel) best to angle their cameras and crop their pictures to make Mother Sheehan always appear to be at the center of a worshipful swarm. I'm afraid someone is going to be in hot water for letting us glimpse the truth."
posted by Carol at 3:22 PM
0 comments
Careful on dem Buses!
From today's Denver Post:
Court trip next stop for bus rider
By David Harsanyi
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Deborah Davis doesn't consider herself a hero. Certainly not a modern-day champion of the Constitution. Yet, in her own way, she might be a little of both.
Two months ago, this 50-year-old mother of four was reading a book while riding to work on RTD's Route 100. When the bus rolled up to the gates of the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, a guard climbed on and demanded Davis, as well as everyone else on board, produce identification.
Perhaps it was that inherent American distaste for producing papers on demand, but Davis, who had gone through this drill before, decided to pass.
"I told him that I did have identification, but I wasn't going to show it to him," Davis explains. "I knew that I wasn't required by law to show ID and that's why I decided I wasn't going to. The whole thing seemed to be more about compliance than security."
According to Davis, the guard proceeded to call on federal cops, who then dragged Davis off a public bus, handcuffed her, shoved her into the back seat of a police car and drove off to a police station within the Federal Center.
While I was unable to reach anyone at the Department of Homeland Security on Friday to comment on Davis' case, the offense/incident report corroborates her basic story.
Though, it should be noted that, according to the arresting officer, Davis became "argumentative" before she "was physically removed from the bus and placed under arrest."
Good for her.
Davis - whose middle son is risking his life in Iraq while the federal government is demanding papers from and arresting his middle-aged mom - is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 9 and could face up to 60 days in jail.
Gail Johnson, a volunteer ACLU lawyer who practices at a prominent Colorado criminal defense firm, will defend Davis without charge. She expects the government to arraign Davis on two federal criminal misdemeanors, if not more.
The first states that citizens must "when requested, display Government or other identifying credentials to Federal police officers or other authorized individuals." The second says that citizens must comply with "the lawful direction of Federal police officers and other authorized individuals."
As Johnson sees it, there are numerous problems with the charges and she plans to fight them "vigorously."
"She was a passenger on a public bus," explains Johnson, who believes this case is about the fundamental right to travel. "She got on the bus outside of the federal area and she wanted to get off the bus outside the federal area. It's not her fault buses run along this route."
Legal issues notwithstanding, you have to wonder what ever happened to common sense? What exactly were the guards, who merely glanced at the IDs, doing? Is there a "no-bus rider" terrorist list in Lakewood? And if there is, how would the guards be able to differentiate between real and fake IDs?
And no, we needn't be absolutists about freedom. There are potentially a whole host of justifiable reasons for enhanced security.
In this instance, however, the Federal Center houses the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Geological Survey and a section of the National Archives.
Not exactly Dick Cheney's super-secret underground bunker.
If safety at the center was a question of national security, why have a public bus route running through the facility in the first place?
"I'm just a regular, normal, everyday person," Davis says. "There is nothing really far out about me. I have been laid off. I pay my taxes. I have my problems. I am no different than anyone else. It just didn't seem right."
Ah, but here she's wrong.
She's not like anyone else. So let's hope more Americans act like Deb Davis, not another partisan hack acting the victim, but an average American who questions government intrusion into our private and public lives for freedom's sake.
Court trip next stop for bus rider
By David Harsanyi
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Deborah Davis doesn't consider herself a hero. Certainly not a modern-day champion of the Constitution. Yet, in her own way, she might be a little of both.
Two months ago, this 50-year-old mother of four was reading a book while riding to work on RTD's Route 100. When the bus rolled up to the gates of the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, a guard climbed on and demanded Davis, as well as everyone else on board, produce identification.
Perhaps it was that inherent American distaste for producing papers on demand, but Davis, who had gone through this drill before, decided to pass.
"I told him that I did have identification, but I wasn't going to show it to him," Davis explains. "I knew that I wasn't required by law to show ID and that's why I decided I wasn't going to. The whole thing seemed to be more about compliance than security."
According to Davis, the guard proceeded to call on federal cops, who then dragged Davis off a public bus, handcuffed her, shoved her into the back seat of a police car and drove off to a police station within the Federal Center.
While I was unable to reach anyone at the Department of Homeland Security on Friday to comment on Davis' case, the offense/incident report corroborates her basic story.
Though, it should be noted that, according to the arresting officer, Davis became "argumentative" before she "was physically removed from the bus and placed under arrest."
Good for her.
Davis - whose middle son is risking his life in Iraq while the federal government is demanding papers from and arresting his middle-aged mom - is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 9 and could face up to 60 days in jail.
Gail Johnson, a volunteer ACLU lawyer who practices at a prominent Colorado criminal defense firm, will defend Davis without charge. She expects the government to arraign Davis on two federal criminal misdemeanors, if not more.
The first states that citizens must "when requested, display Government or other identifying credentials to Federal police officers or other authorized individuals." The second says that citizens must comply with "the lawful direction of Federal police officers and other authorized individuals."
As Johnson sees it, there are numerous problems with the charges and she plans to fight them "vigorously."
"She was a passenger on a public bus," explains Johnson, who believes this case is about the fundamental right to travel. "She got on the bus outside of the federal area and she wanted to get off the bus outside the federal area. It's not her fault buses run along this route."
Legal issues notwithstanding, you have to wonder what ever happened to common sense? What exactly were the guards, who merely glanced at the IDs, doing? Is there a "no-bus rider" terrorist list in Lakewood? And if there is, how would the guards be able to differentiate between real and fake IDs?
And no, we needn't be absolutists about freedom. There are potentially a whole host of justifiable reasons for enhanced security.
In this instance, however, the Federal Center houses the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Geological Survey and a section of the National Archives.
Not exactly Dick Cheney's super-secret underground bunker.
If safety at the center was a question of national security, why have a public bus route running through the facility in the first place?
"I'm just a regular, normal, everyday person," Davis says. "There is nothing really far out about me. I have been laid off. I pay my taxes. I have my problems. I am no different than anyone else. It just didn't seem right."
Ah, but here she's wrong.
She's not like anyone else. So let's hope more Americans act like Deb Davis, not another partisan hack acting the victim, but an average American who questions government intrusion into our private and public lives for freedom's sake.
posted by Carol at 1:10 PM
6 comments
Friday, November 25, 2005
Welcome GW!!!
GW is going to be in Denver this coming Tuesday, the 29th at a fundraising luncheon for Marilyn Musgrave, who is listed as one of the 13 most corrupt members of congress- Marilyn and George, two peas in a pod. Gather at the state capitol at 10:45 a.m.
I will probably sit this one out. Think I'll stay home and write letters to Musgrave and Murtha (a thank you) and Jean Schmidt and Hillary, and....
I will probably sit this one out. Think I'll stay home and write letters to Musgrave and Murtha (a thank you) and Jean Schmidt and Hillary, and....
posted by Carol at 7:31 PM
0 comments
My Sister
A few years ago, I joined Women for Women International after seeing founder Zainab Salbi speak on Oprah. According to their website, "Women for Women International helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives by giving them financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights education, access to capital and assistance for small business development." I sponsor a woman for a year by paying $27 a month and corresponding with her. I have sponsored women from Iraq, Kosovo and Nigeria. During the year that I wrote to my sponsored sister in Iraq, I always told her that I was praying for peace. She never once acknowledged the war or my country's part in it, but just expressed her thanks for my support.
My newest sponsored sister is the second sister that I have had from Nigeria. She is 26 - the same age as my daughter. Unlike my daughter, my Nigerian sister is one of several wives of her husband and, even though she has completed her primary education, she is illiterate. She has four children. In the climate of ethnic tension and violence that she lives in, she is lucky to have a home, but she doesn't have access to water or electricity.
It's hard to know what to write to someone with such a different life, but reading about my new sister, I don't have a hard time knowing what to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I don't have to share my husband with a bunch of other wives! But hmmmmm, there could be some advantages to it!
My newest sponsored sister is the second sister that I have had from Nigeria. She is 26 - the same age as my daughter. Unlike my daughter, my Nigerian sister is one of several wives of her husband and, even though she has completed her primary education, she is illiterate. She has four children. In the climate of ethnic tension and violence that she lives in, she is lucky to have a home, but she doesn't have access to water or electricity.
It's hard to know what to write to someone with such a different life, but reading about my new sister, I don't have a hard time knowing what to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I don't have to share my husband with a bunch of other wives! But hmmmmm, there could be some advantages to it!
posted by Carol at 1:41 PM
0 comments
Nominate the Khatib Family
On 11-9-05, I posted a piece, An Act of Peace and Compassion, about a Palestinian family who donated their son's organs (their son was killed by Israeli soldiers) to be used by people who needed them in Israel. Someone named Douglas tried to post a comment, letting us know that he is collecting signatures to nominate this boy's family for the Nobel Peace Prize. This family certainly demonstrates strength and lovingkindness. My apologies to Douglas for the delay. His comment was sitting in a weird place in the ethers and I only found it and published it today. If you are so moved, visit his comment at the bottom of the article, or visit the Khatib petition site
posted by Carol at 8:55 AM
0 comments
Thursday, November 24, 2005
More on Women as Leaders
Fareed Zakaria's latest article, First Ladies, in the Truest Sense, in Newsweek regarding women in leadership roles is a must read. Small portions of the article below (and no, I don't hate men - ask my husband and my wonderful male friends!!!):
"Sometime the most important stories in the world don't get much attention because they're powerful but slow trends that can't be easily covered. They provide no single great event for cameras to focus on, nor a powerful image everyone can easily grasp. (How do you televise globalization?) Last week, however, something happened that gives us a rare opportunity to look at one such trend. On Nov. 8, Liberians elected the Harvard-educated Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, to be their next leader. This is newsworthy by itself because, on the world stage, it's not an isolated event. One of the quiet, underreported tidal waves of the past decade has been the rise of women in public life. It could reshape politics as we know it....
...What difference does it make? Does it really matter that a president or a representative is male or female? Many voters seem to think so. A 2000 Gallup poll in Latin America found that 62 percent of people believed that women would do better than men at fighting poverty, 72 percent favored women for improving education and 53 percent thought women would make better diplomats."
"Sometime the most important stories in the world don't get much attention because they're powerful but slow trends that can't be easily covered. They provide no single great event for cameras to focus on, nor a powerful image everyone can easily grasp. (How do you televise globalization?) Last week, however, something happened that gives us a rare opportunity to look at one such trend. On Nov. 8, Liberians elected the Harvard-educated Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, to be their next leader. This is newsworthy by itself because, on the world stage, it's not an isolated event. One of the quiet, underreported tidal waves of the past decade has been the rise of women in public life. It could reshape politics as we know it....
...What difference does it make? Does it really matter that a president or a representative is male or female? Many voters seem to think so. A 2000 Gallup poll in Latin America found that 62 percent of people believed that women would do better than men at fighting poverty, 72 percent favored women for improving education and 53 percent thought women would make better diplomats."
posted by Carol at 9:12 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
It's Not Just the Americans...
It's been haunting me. I acknowledged the 2100 dead U.S. soldiers yesterday, but I didn't mention that that number is a drop in the bucket, compared to the dead Iraqis from this war. Just this week, five members of an Iraqi family, three of them children, were killed when U.S. Forces opened fire on their car. And civilians die daily.
The Iraqi Body Count site lists around 30,000 dead civilians from this war, but no one really knows, and estimates exceed 100,000.
Enjoy your turkey an ocean away...
posted by Carol at 5:54 PM
0 comments
Hillary, You're Not Listening
Okay, I was a little harsh on Hillary. She does have some good voting records for the environment and women's issues, but her vote for, and continued support of, the war is not acceptable. And for some reason, I don't trust her. I know why I don't trust her, but am not telling. Time will tell. Here is one New Yorker's experience of her:
Hillary, You're Not Listening
Hillary, You're Not Listening
posted by Carol at 12:09 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
U.S Casualties at 2100
Less than a month after U.S. casualties in Iraq hit 2000, we are now at 2100.
As Cindy Sheehan says: "Somewhere in America, there is a mom (I always think of the moms first) shopping for groceries, driving home from a long week of work, or maybe even planning her soldier's homecoming party... Somewhere there is a father in America who won't know what hit him and who won't know whom to hit back...."
Sadness.....
As Cindy Sheehan says: "Somewhere in America, there is a mom (I always think of the moms first) shopping for groceries, driving home from a long week of work, or maybe even planning her soldier's homecoming party... Somewhere there is a father in America who won't know what hit him and who won't know whom to hit back...."
Sadness.....
posted by Carol at 6:03 PM
0 comments
Monday, November 21, 2005
This Divided State
What happens when student body leadership wants to bring Michael Moore to speak at Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah? Colorado may also be red, but it ain't THAT bad!
If you go to the site in the next day or so, you can watch 26 minutes of the film, This Divided State
The Utah Independent Media Center said:
Filmed between September and November 2004, This Divided State follows the controversy surrounding Utah Valley State College’s invitation to liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to speak on campus. Though UVSC is located in one of the most conservative counties in the United States, vehement opposition to Moore’s visit was much greater than anticipated. Equally surprising, however, was the overwhelming support for Moore, vocalized by students and community members previously considered “apathetic.” Debate between Moore supporters and Moore protestors raged openly in the media and public forums. Death threats, hate mail, bribes, and lawsuits were all candidly captured on film.
Steven Greenstreet, director and producer of This Divided State, tracks the personal stories of the key figures embroiled in this controversy, as well as opinions of the community at large. By delving into the personal motives and expectations of those involved, Greenstreet effectively presents the causes and effects of this unprecedented debate.
If you go to the site in the next day or so, you can watch 26 minutes of the film, This Divided State
The Utah Independent Media Center said:
Filmed between September and November 2004, This Divided State follows the controversy surrounding Utah Valley State College’s invitation to liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to speak on campus. Though UVSC is located in one of the most conservative counties in the United States, vehement opposition to Moore’s visit was much greater than anticipated. Equally surprising, however, was the overwhelming support for Moore, vocalized by students and community members previously considered “apathetic.” Debate between Moore supporters and Moore protestors raged openly in the media and public forums. Death threats, hate mail, bribes, and lawsuits were all candidly captured on film.
Steven Greenstreet, director and producer of This Divided State, tracks the personal stories of the key figures embroiled in this controversy, as well as opinions of the community at large. By delving into the personal motives and expectations of those involved, Greenstreet effectively presents the causes and effects of this unprecedented debate.
posted by Carol at 9:02 PM
1 comments
Sunday, November 20, 2005
What if Kids Ruled Our Country?
On One Good Move, under the heading "All Hell Breaks Loose", you can watch the video of the stuff that the Republicans tried to pull this past Friday. Very childish. Kinda embarrassing that we actually vote these people into office.
I think that the world will only heal when we change our patriarchal society back to matriarchy. I think our only hope is for women to lead the world. Jean Schmidt, Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton are three women who are exceptions to my belief of women's ability to lead us to a better world (I know that there are plenty more - feel free to add to the list, if you'd like).
Notice at the end of the video, Schmidt asks for her hateful words to be withdrawn - only after the other members of her team asked her to withdraw them.
I think that the world will only heal when we change our patriarchal society back to matriarchy. I think our only hope is for women to lead the world. Jean Schmidt, Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton are three women who are exceptions to my belief of women's ability to lead us to a better world (I know that there are plenty more - feel free to add to the list, if you'd like).
Notice at the end of the video, Schmidt asks for her hateful words to be withdrawn - only after the other members of her team asked her to withdraw them.
posted by Carol at 10:59 AM
0 comments
Saturday, November 19, 2005
The News Spin
Yesterday, the dozen arrested people were taken to the City offices and ticketed, then released. Below is the Rocky Mountain News' article. It appears fairly fair and balanced.
Dozen arrested in war protest at Lakewood recruiting center
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
November 19, 2005
LAKEWOOD - DeeAnn Major, a mother of a teenage son, made a plea Friday to stop the war in Iraq. "How many of our children and Iraqi children must die before this illegal and immoral war is ended and our troops brought home?" said Major, 39, of Denver.
"I urge all of you to take action, on this day and every day, to end this unjust war. I do not want my son to die for this administration's lies and mistakes, nor do I want any mother's child to suffer such an injustice."
Major, among 50 protesters, was one of a dozen arrested Friday for blocking the entrance to the Armed Forces Recruitment Center, 215 S. Sheridan Blvd., and cited for obstruction of passageway and trespass.
It was one of two demonstrations in Colorado that was part of National Stand Down Day to protest the war in Iraq.
The other was held in Colorado Springs, where 22 people attended and three were arrested.
Drew Edmondson, 55, of Denver, who was arrested at the Lakewood protest, is a former soldier.
"As a disabled vet, I ask all those choosing the military, which is an honorable and important occupation, to postpone your decision for one year," he said. "Great changes based on truth will take place this year.
"Unlike Vietnam, you will be required to serve multiple tours in war zones."
Although protesters claimed credit for closing the Lakewood recruitment center Friday morning - they put up a bright orange sign that read: "Recruitment center closed due to protest" - Army recruiters said the locked doors in the morning were not due to the demonstrators.
"All of the soldiers with their leaders were conducting physical training," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Brodeur, commander of the Army recruiting battalion in Denver. "They were in training for the first three-quarters of the day."
At one point during the protest, a male soldier dressed in woodland camouflage pulled up to the center and was almost immediately surrounded by demonstrators who tried to stop him from going inside.
But three Lakewood police officers, who were stationed inside the center, opened the door and pushed back the demonstrators so he could pass through.
Brodeur said the operations of the recruiting center weren't disrupted by the demonstrators.
"All of us in uniform fought, and many died, so that they can exercise their right to free speech," he said.
As police were about to start arresting the dozen protesters who had stationed themselves in front of the Lakewood center's door, a car pulled up.
Narie Kim, 21, of Englewood, got out and approached the building.
Police officers asked what she was doing and she said she was trying to talk to a recruiter. She was told that police were about to make some arrests, and she was asked to wait outside until they were done.
"I think it (the protest) is unfounded," said Kim, as she watched the protesters being led away by police to waiting vans. "When you're not in the military, you really don't know what's going on."
She had undergone six months of training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., but had to take a medical leave three months ago. Now, she wants to sign up with the Army, even though she realizes she may be sent to a war zone.
"I don't support war," she said. "But if we are not going over there, then there's no one else, and we may prevent another 9/11 from happening."
fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5489
Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
Dozen arrested in war protest at Lakewood recruiting center
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
November 19, 2005
LAKEWOOD - DeeAnn Major, a mother of a teenage son, made a plea Friday to stop the war in Iraq. "How many of our children and Iraqi children must die before this illegal and immoral war is ended and our troops brought home?" said Major, 39, of Denver.
"I urge all of you to take action, on this day and every day, to end this unjust war. I do not want my son to die for this administration's lies and mistakes, nor do I want any mother's child to suffer such an injustice."
Major, among 50 protesters, was one of a dozen arrested Friday for blocking the entrance to the Armed Forces Recruitment Center, 215 S. Sheridan Blvd., and cited for obstruction of passageway and trespass.
It was one of two demonstrations in Colorado that was part of National Stand Down Day to protest the war in Iraq.
The other was held in Colorado Springs, where 22 people attended and three were arrested.
Drew Edmondson, 55, of Denver, who was arrested at the Lakewood protest, is a former soldier.
"As a disabled vet, I ask all those choosing the military, which is an honorable and important occupation, to postpone your decision for one year," he said. "Great changes based on truth will take place this year.
"Unlike Vietnam, you will be required to serve multiple tours in war zones."
Although protesters claimed credit for closing the Lakewood recruitment center Friday morning - they put up a bright orange sign that read: "Recruitment center closed due to protest" - Army recruiters said the locked doors in the morning were not due to the demonstrators.
"All of the soldiers with their leaders were conducting physical training," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Brodeur, commander of the Army recruiting battalion in Denver. "They were in training for the first three-quarters of the day."
At one point during the protest, a male soldier dressed in woodland camouflage pulled up to the center and was almost immediately surrounded by demonstrators who tried to stop him from going inside.
But three Lakewood police officers, who were stationed inside the center, opened the door and pushed back the demonstrators so he could pass through.
Brodeur said the operations of the recruiting center weren't disrupted by the demonstrators.
"All of us in uniform fought, and many died, so that they can exercise their right to free speech," he said.
As police were about to start arresting the dozen protesters who had stationed themselves in front of the Lakewood center's door, a car pulled up.
Narie Kim, 21, of Englewood, got out and approached the building.
Police officers asked what she was doing and she said she was trying to talk to a recruiter. She was told that police were about to make some arrests, and she was asked to wait outside until they were done.
"I think it (the protest) is unfounded," said Kim, as she watched the protesters being led away by police to waiting vans. "When you're not in the military, you really don't know what's going on."
She had undergone six months of training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., but had to take a medical leave three months ago. Now, she wants to sign up with the Army, even though she realizes she may be sent to a war zone.
"I don't support war," she said. "But if we are not going over there, then there's no one else, and we may prevent another 9/11 from happening."
fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5489
Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
posted by Carol at 11:02 AM
2 comments
Friday, November 18, 2005
Day of Civil Disobedience
Today was National Stand Down Day. Locally, a group of about a dozen people volunteered to get arrested at a local Armed Forces Career Center, aka Deception and Murder Center. I was not going to get arrested, but three of us Women in Black stood with our banner out by the street. This was a planned event. The police and everyone knew that it was going to happen. The arrestable protestors were going to block the entrances to the Center until they were arrested. But the cool thing was that when we got there, we found that the Center, instead of staying open and dealing with the situation, was closed for the day. Kinda like Aikido - don't resist, just go with the flow. AND SO NO ONE WAS RECRUITED THERE TODAY!!! How easy was that?
But I have to say that I lost some respect for the police department. I REALLY try to give authority figures the benefit. I think that they start off meaning well. I also know that power can kinda go to anyone's head.
What caused me to shift a little about these guys is this: There was a group of non-arrestable protestors standing out away from the building in the parking lot. They had been there about an hour. We Women in Black walked away from our street spot and over to stand with the rest of the non-arrestables so we could observe and show support for the arrestees. Then Mr. Policeman yelled over his bullhorn that for all of us who didn't want to be arrested....well, the rules are now changed. Go out to the street and stand on the sidewalk or you will be arrested. The rules changed? What is THAT about? So I am not impressed - unless Mr. Policeman was wiser than I thought and he said that so that the sign-bearing folks would have to go out to the street for all of the traffic to see, which is really the best location for visibility anyway. If Mr. Policeman had visibility in mind, then in that case, my deep respect goes to him.
So I don't yet know the ending of the story for the people who were facing arrest. I will post that tomorrow. I just know that no one was recruited at the Sheridan St. Recruitment office today and thousands of passing motorists were made aware that we want NO MORE WAR!
But I have to say that I lost some respect for the police department. I REALLY try to give authority figures the benefit. I think that they start off meaning well. I also know that power can kinda go to anyone's head.
What caused me to shift a little about these guys is this: There was a group of non-arrestable protestors standing out away from the building in the parking lot. They had been there about an hour. We Women in Black walked away from our street spot and over to stand with the rest of the non-arrestables so we could observe and show support for the arrestees. Then Mr. Policeman yelled over his bullhorn that for all of us who didn't want to be arrested....well, the rules are now changed. Go out to the street and stand on the sidewalk or you will be arrested. The rules changed? What is THAT about? So I am not impressed - unless Mr. Policeman was wiser than I thought and he said that so that the sign-bearing folks would have to go out to the street for all of the traffic to see, which is really the best location for visibility anyway. If Mr. Policeman had visibility in mind, then in that case, my deep respect goes to him.
So I don't yet know the ending of the story for the people who were facing arrest. I will post that tomorrow. I just know that no one was recruited at the Sheridan St. Recruitment office today and thousands of passing motorists were made aware that we want NO MORE WAR!
posted by Carol at 3:03 PM
0 comments
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Hey Dick! You're Out of Your League!
From LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - An influential House Democrat who voted for the Iraq war called Thursday for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, another sign of growing unease in Congress about the conflict.
"It is time for a change in direction," said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., one of Congress' most hawkish Democrats. "Our military is suffering, the future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region."
Vice President Dick Cheney jumped into the fray Wednesday by assailing Democrats who contend the Bush administration manipulated intelligence on Iraq, calling their criticism "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."
Murtha, a Marine intelligence officer in Vietnam, angrily shot back at Cheney: "I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."
Murtha voted to give the president authority to use force against Saddam Hussein 2002 but in recent months has grown increasingly troubled with the direction of the war and with the Bush administration's handling of it.
His voice cracked and tears filled his eyes as he related several stories of visiting wounded troops, including one who was blinded and lost both his hands but had been denied a Purple Heart because friendly fire caused his injuries.
"I met with the commandant. I said, 'If you don't give him a Purple Heart, I'll give him one of mine.' And they gave him a Purple Heart," said Murtha, who has two.
WASHINGTON - An influential House Democrat who voted for the Iraq war called Thursday for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, another sign of growing unease in Congress about the conflict.
"It is time for a change in direction," said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., one of Congress' most hawkish Democrats. "Our military is suffering, the future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region."
Vice President Dick Cheney jumped into the fray Wednesday by assailing Democrats who contend the Bush administration manipulated intelligence on Iraq, calling their criticism "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."
Murtha, a Marine intelligence officer in Vietnam, angrily shot back at Cheney: "I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."
Murtha voted to give the president authority to use force against Saddam Hussein 2002 but in recent months has grown increasingly troubled with the direction of the war and with the Bush administration's handling of it.
His voice cracked and tears filled his eyes as he related several stories of visiting wounded troops, including one who was blinded and lost both his hands but had been denied a Purple Heart because friendly fire caused his injuries.
"I met with the commandant. I said, 'If you don't give him a Purple Heart, I'll give him one of mine.' And they gave him a Purple Heart," said Murtha, who has two.
posted by Carol at 12:34 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Camp Casey Update
People from all over the country will again gather at Camp Casey this Thanksgiving.
At the end of August, after Cindy Sheehan and supporters left Crawford, the county designated the ditches "no speech zones" by making it illegal to camp, eat or erect a structure for "living" in. They also created a "no parking zone" for seven miles around Bush's ranch. So on Tuesday, the 22nd, people will challenge these moves with acts of civil disobedience.
On Thanksgiving, in solidarity with people who continue to suffer as a result of the President's failed war in Iraq, people at Camp Casey will forgo the standard excessive American Thanksgiving feast for a simple Iraqi meal and will organize food and monetary donations for a convoy coming through Crawford to take to New Orleans to those who continue to struggle to rebuild their lives.
I will be here, cooking an organic turkey (a standard excessive American Thanksgiving feast?). I feel a little bummed about not going to Crawford, and very thankful for the abundance in my life right now.
Friday is National Stand Down Day - a day of demonstrations and non-violent resistance at recruiting stations. I will report my experience when it is all over.
posted by Carol at 8:58 PM
0 comments
True Story
During my vision quest this past October, I had the experience expressed in the poem below. I don't consider myself a Christian, but I know that I hold the belief system of generations of ancestral Christians in my cells. In its wisdom, the owl gave me a blessing in a way that I could recognize.
Illumination
Cold air stings my nose
I pull my sleeping bag up around my head
lying under the stars alone, eyes riveted on
the moon setting, venus by its side,
owl swoops over me so close I can almost feel
the air stir
she lands
in a dead and gnarly tree, watching, silent
three times she lands in that tree,
her flight pattern a cross over my body,
before soaring to the moon
Photo by Larry G. Blackwood, Hawkline Photography
posted by Carol at 12:31 PM
2 comments
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Elk
Elk Stamina
pushing harder to find our way
to hold the land as our own
and create our fenced- in fortresses
without leaving room for the
life that gives life,
the elk moves on
if I edged nearer and nearer
to your sacred space
your source of life
you would fight back
with rage and lawsuits,
but the elk moves on
we forget who was here before us
why we came here in the first place,
in silence elk grazes
taking what we haven't taken yet
giving opportunity to see ourselves
as an elk moving on
Photo by Larry Blackwood, Hawkline Photography
posted by Carol at 4:03 PM
0 comments
A Blackwood Collaboration
My cousin, Larry G. Blackwood, is a most excellent photographer and calls his photography business Hawkline Photography. He takes breath-taking, peace-inspiring shots of nature. He also likes to shoot architecture, including old buildings with worn signs. Check his work out! He will be famous someday - and I'm related to him! ;-)
When our grandmother, Mary, needed to leave the hills of Oklahoma that she loved, she wrote some beautiful prose about the land and coyotes of her home there. One year, Larry went to that area of Okalahoma and took photos, then displayed them alongside our grandmother's writing, bringing a part of Mary back to life. I feel my grandmother's soul within mine and feel that one of her gifts to me is my appreciation for the land.
I have Larry's permission (does he know what he is getting in to?), to post my poetry (or my version of poetry) that some of Larry's photos inspire in me. I hope to someday attain my grandmother's strength and patience, along with her ability to tell the stories of the natural world that she loved. Until then, I give myself permission to write what comes from within me, having the awareness that the world that my grandmother lived in was much different from the one I have inherited and participated in creating.
Grandma, you rocked! I love you!
When our grandmother, Mary, needed to leave the hills of Oklahoma that she loved, she wrote some beautiful prose about the land and coyotes of her home there. One year, Larry went to that area of Okalahoma and took photos, then displayed them alongside our grandmother's writing, bringing a part of Mary back to life. I feel my grandmother's soul within mine and feel that one of her gifts to me is my appreciation for the land.
I have Larry's permission (does he know what he is getting in to?), to post my poetry (or my version of poetry) that some of Larry's photos inspire in me. I hope to someday attain my grandmother's strength and patience, along with her ability to tell the stories of the natural world that she loved. Until then, I give myself permission to write what comes from within me, having the awareness that the world that my grandmother lived in was much different from the one I have inherited and participated in creating.
Grandma, you rocked! I love you!
posted by Carol at 3:28 PM
0 comments
Monday, November 14, 2005
Daily Peace
Everyday I ponder peace. How do we attain peace on our planet? That's a big one. How do we live with peace in our own hearts? How do we respond peacefully in our relationships? I guess they're all big ones.
I keep these questions in my mind most of the time. And I have very few answers.
Getting to know others who are not like us is a good practice. A few years ago, I called the imam of the local Islamic Center to see if some of us could visit. We arrived early and asked him questions about Islam, then sat in on the talk and prayers. Kind members of the Center patiently answered our questions - and I had a lot! My husband and I visited maybe half a dozen times, and through that, we became friends with a few members of the Center. I feel that some of them are family. Gee, I can talk with them about religion, which is off limits with most of my blood relatives!
Knowing "other" softens the lines between us.
I keep these questions in my mind most of the time. And I have very few answers.
Getting to know others who are not like us is a good practice. A few years ago, I called the imam of the local Islamic Center to see if some of us could visit. We arrived early and asked him questions about Islam, then sat in on the talk and prayers. Kind members of the Center patiently answered our questions - and I had a lot! My husband and I visited maybe half a dozen times, and through that, we became friends with a few members of the Center. I feel that some of them are family. Gee, I can talk with them about religion, which is off limits with most of my blood relatives!
Knowing "other" softens the lines between us.
posted by Carol at 9:34 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
An Act of Peace & Compassion
Palestinian's organs go to Israel
The parents of a Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank have donated his organs for use in Israel, in the hope of promoting peace.
Twelve-year-old Ahmed Ismail Khatib was shot in the town of Jenin by troops who mistook his toy gun for a real one.
His organs were transplanted into five Israeli children and a woman aged 58.
His father, Ismail, said saving lives was more important than religion, and added: "I feel that my son has entered the heart of every Israeli."
Ahmed died in hospital from his injuries after being shot in the body and head while throwing stones at Israeli soldiers who were hunting suspected militants in Jenin.
The Israeli army expressed regret over his shooting.
'Gesture of love'
Israel's parliamentary speaker, Reuven Rivlin, praised the Khatib family's action as a "remarkable gesture" after decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr Khatib said he was very proud that his son's organs would help six Israelis.
Ahmed's parents said they were proud to help save other children
"I have taken this decision because I have a message for the world: that the Palestinian people want peace - for everyone," he told the AFP news agency.
"We have no problem whether it is an Israeli or a Palestinian [who receives his organs] because it will give them life," added the boy's mother, Ablah Khatib.
Ahmed's kidneys, liver, heart and lungs were transplanted into Israelis including Jews, Arabs and a Druze girl, medical officials said.
The girl, aged 12 and from Israel's Bedouin Arab minority, received Ahmed's heart, bringing to an end a five-year wait for a transplant.
Her father, Riad Gadban, called the donation a "gesture of love" and said his daughter was regaining strength after the operation.
BBC November 8th, 2005
The parents of a Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank have donated his organs for use in Israel, in the hope of promoting peace.
Twelve-year-old Ahmed Ismail Khatib was shot in the town of Jenin by troops who mistook his toy gun for a real one.
His organs were transplanted into five Israeli children and a woman aged 58.
His father, Ismail, said saving lives was more important than religion, and added: "I feel that my son has entered the heart of every Israeli."
Ahmed died in hospital from his injuries after being shot in the body and head while throwing stones at Israeli soldiers who were hunting suspected militants in Jenin.
The Israeli army expressed regret over his shooting.
'Gesture of love'
Israel's parliamentary speaker, Reuven Rivlin, praised the Khatib family's action as a "remarkable gesture" after decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr Khatib said he was very proud that his son's organs would help six Israelis.
Ahmed's parents said they were proud to help save other children
"I have taken this decision because I have a message for the world: that the Palestinian people want peace - for everyone," he told the AFP news agency.
"We have no problem whether it is an Israeli or a Palestinian [who receives his organs] because it will give them life," added the boy's mother, Ablah Khatib.
Ahmed's kidneys, liver, heart and lungs were transplanted into Israelis including Jews, Arabs and a Druze girl, medical officials said.
The girl, aged 12 and from Israel's Bedouin Arab minority, received Ahmed's heart, bringing to an end a five-year wait for a transplant.
Her father, Riad Gadban, called the donation a "gesture of love" and said his daughter was regaining strength after the operation.
BBC November 8th, 2005
posted by Carol at 9:48 PM
2 comments
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Fun Videos
This site has a bunch of fun videos from Comedy Central and other shows - One Good Move
posted by Carol at 5:04 PM
0 comments
Are You Biased?
Find out your unconscious feelings about such things as age, race, sexuality, religion or other interesting categories by taking an Implicit Association Test. You might be surprised!
posted by Carol at 10:27 AM
0 comments
Saturday, November 05, 2005
A Day Without A Mexican
Last night we watched the video, "A Day Without a Mexican" It is a pretty cheesily-done movie, but it made some very good points (you can find a lot of these points on the U.S. Liberals blog). The movie's point is that we all benefit from "Mexicans"(*) in our country, but many Americans would wish them gone. Many don't realize the impact this would make, not only on the lives of the individuals who have immigrated here, but on all of our lives and our economy.
I had a conversation with someone recently who is really concerned about our country, because we have so many "illegal immigrants" and we aren't even taking care of "our own". How can a person be illegal? Who is "our own"? Why do these arbitrary and man-made boundaries appear to hold some kind of holy power? Who was here first, anyway???
Doing a search on "illegal immigrants" (which you can tell is not a term I support) and looking at the content of some of the sites, I see that this is another war to add to the list of wars our country is engaged in. There are strong opinions on both sides of the issue and there is a lot of hate being spewed. Again, we are using violence and punishment to try to control others.
I wonder what it would be like to live in extreme poverty and know that if I could get to the country next door, I could do a menial job that no one in that country wanted to do. I could get paid poorly for the job, but I could make more money than I could in my own country. This menial job with poor wages would make the difference between my children eating or not and getting educated or not. Hmmmmm. What would I do?
*Many people call anyone from anywhere south of Texas "Mexicans"
I had a conversation with someone recently who is really concerned about our country, because we have so many "illegal immigrants" and we aren't even taking care of "our own". How can a person be illegal? Who is "our own"? Why do these arbitrary and man-made boundaries appear to hold some kind of holy power? Who was here first, anyway???
Doing a search on "illegal immigrants" (which you can tell is not a term I support) and looking at the content of some of the sites, I see that this is another war to add to the list of wars our country is engaged in. There are strong opinions on both sides of the issue and there is a lot of hate being spewed. Again, we are using violence and punishment to try to control others.
I wonder what it would be like to live in extreme poverty and know that if I could get to the country next door, I could do a menial job that no one in that country wanted to do. I could get paid poorly for the job, but I could make more money than I could in my own country. This menial job with poor wages would make the difference between my children eating or not and getting educated or not. Hmmmmm. What would I do?
*Many people call anyone from anywhere south of Texas "Mexicans"
posted by Carol at 8:52 AM
1 comments