The news has been filled with incidents of incivility this week. To a certain extent, I think this is media hype. Someone is rude and gets more notice than he/she would get for ordinary, courteous behavior. Media hype, in other words.
Still there is a general lack of courtesy alive in the land and an over-sized measure of entitlement that seems to go with it. I think we all need to calm down and back up a bit.
Aristotle posited the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," hundreds of years ago. How different would our social discourse be if we were to follow it, even at this late date?
Instead of name calling, which has become our political way, if we were to take time and listen, then make our points of disagreement politely, would we make more progress on finding middle ground in our law-making? The problems that face us are huge and won't be solved by inflamed emotions and inflamed rhetoric.
I think this applies just as much to liberals not name-calling conservatives as it does the other way around. We should not hate our elected officials; it is unbecoming a democracy for its citizens to behave this way. On a practical level it leads to gridlock and the work that needs to be done, cannot be done.
I am grateful to live in a democracy.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Gardens and Wish Lists
Yesterday I carefully planned and then executed an order to Bountiful Gardens. Twenty yards of shade cloth for various windows to stave off the heat during the next inevitable heat wave. Then lots of seeds. Four kinds of tomatoes--I am hoping that I will get fruit around the time that my sister visits and herbs and flowers. Now I just wait for the package to arrive and then find friends who can hang the shade cloth and plant the seeds.
In the meantime, from yesterday to today, I remembered the things I'd forgotten to order. So back to the website to construct a wish list. Oh for an acre or two somewhere--preferably not in a flood zone or in tornado alley. (I know I wouldn't choose anywhere too hot and humid.)
At heart I would have liked to be a farmer, a market gardener or at least have had a bigger yard, not for grass and bushes, but for food and flowers. Twenty years ago, I dreamnt these dreams and I am still here.
Another wish list of sorts is the wish list I am making for Vocational Rehabilitation. I need to network my skills and have a van of my own for reliable transport that I can use to do that as well as get out more socially and to medical appointments. Thanks to a friend who is also one of my Mary Kay customers I have found out about a great networking organization right here on the Peninsula that linked to something I had been looking for and not finding--the microenterprise loans through the SBA. It's about time, so that is a new wish list.
Then there is the much greater wish list--for peace, prosperity and justice. For inclusion of those who are disabled and the recognition that the workplace can and should come to us for telecommuting just as it comes to those who are able-bodied. I'd like to see this as part of the national political agenda, but I don't know how to make it so. Certainly, no one is talking about it--maybe the candidates don't realize that disabled people do vote. (I've had a permanent absentee ballot for so long that I don't remember how long!)
Still, I am grateful and my gratitude includes the weather and my wish list includes the weather--may it remain cool and may the firefighters win their battle to stop California from burning.
In the meantime, from yesterday to today, I remembered the things I'd forgotten to order. So back to the website to construct a wish list. Oh for an acre or two somewhere--preferably not in a flood zone or in tornado alley. (I know I wouldn't choose anywhere too hot and humid.)
At heart I would have liked to be a farmer, a market gardener or at least have had a bigger yard, not for grass and bushes, but for food and flowers. Twenty years ago, I dreamnt these dreams and I am still here.
Another wish list of sorts is the wish list I am making for Vocational Rehabilitation. I need to network my skills and have a van of my own for reliable transport that I can use to do that as well as get out more socially and to medical appointments. Thanks to a friend who is also one of my Mary Kay customers I have found out about a great networking organization right here on the Peninsula that linked to something I had been looking for and not finding--the microenterprise loans through the SBA. It's about time, so that is a new wish list.
Then there is the much greater wish list--for peace, prosperity and justice. For inclusion of those who are disabled and the recognition that the workplace can and should come to us for telecommuting just as it comes to those who are able-bodied. I'd like to see this as part of the national political agenda, but I don't know how to make it so. Certainly, no one is talking about it--maybe the candidates don't realize that disabled people do vote. (I've had a permanent absentee ballot for so long that I don't remember how long!)
Still, I am grateful and my gratitude includes the weather and my wish list includes the weather--may it remain cool and may the firefighters win their battle to stop California from burning.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
February Saints
Yesterday was the Feast of St. Brigid of Ireland. Today is the Feast of Candlemas also known as the Feast of the Purification. These are wonderful feasts. I particularly love Simeon who says upon meeting the Christ Child, "Lord now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation". The Elizabethan composer, Gibbons, set it to music--a fine and beautiful motet indeed.
I am watching the Democratic candidates debate. They are making history. I hope that one of them will win and make further history. An end to an unjust war that has besmirched our national character and our standing in the world. An end to poverty in our life times. (Perhaps and economics of generosity instead of scarcity. Certainly higher taxes for the ultra rich to discourage CEO's from walking away with tens of millions of dollars. A pricing structure for energy that puts money back in consumers' pockets when the the company profit reaches a certain level--Exxon Mobil is a scandal in my estimation.)
What does this have to do with two women's feasts? Am I digressing. Not really. St. Brigid was a nun who had charge over a community and is reputed to have been responsible for a miracle involving making sure there was enough beer to go around. The Blessed Virgin was a mother, who watched the household economy as women ever have; when her son came of age and performed his first miracle it had to do with making sure there was enough wine to go around.
Women have always fed and washed, combed and clothed, the children and the elderly. We haven't always had a strong voice in politics, although history shows that queens have led as well as kings, and that the pantheon of saints shows us women leaders.
Only in recent times (the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) have we had fewer women leaders (I think of the demise of Catholic women's religious orders here) and an economics of scarcity.
So on this Marian feast, one of my favorite in the calendar because of its text and images, the music and the candlelit procession around the church, I pause to ponder women's role yet again and say a prayer for Hillary, a strong woman who is making history.
I am watching the Democratic candidates debate. They are making history. I hope that one of them will win and make further history. An end to an unjust war that has besmirched our national character and our standing in the world. An end to poverty in our life times. (Perhaps and economics of generosity instead of scarcity. Certainly higher taxes for the ultra rich to discourage CEO's from walking away with tens of millions of dollars. A pricing structure for energy that puts money back in consumers' pockets when the the company profit reaches a certain level--Exxon Mobil is a scandal in my estimation.)
What does this have to do with two women's feasts? Am I digressing. Not really. St. Brigid was a nun who had charge over a community and is reputed to have been responsible for a miracle involving making sure there was enough beer to go around. The Blessed Virgin was a mother, who watched the household economy as women ever have; when her son came of age and performed his first miracle it had to do with making sure there was enough wine to go around.
Women have always fed and washed, combed and clothed, the children and the elderly. We haven't always had a strong voice in politics, although history shows that queens have led as well as kings, and that the pantheon of saints shows us women leaders.
Only in recent times (the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) have we had fewer women leaders (I think of the demise of Catholic women's religious orders here) and an economics of scarcity.
So on this Marian feast, one of my favorite in the calendar because of its text and images, the music and the candlelit procession around the church, I pause to ponder women's role yet again and say a prayer for Hillary, a strong woman who is making history.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
More Valentines, Winter Food
Finally, I managed yesterday to finish my cafepress shop Valentines. There are three more designs and I even have two of them in Spanish. They are pretty and I am pleased. (Shameless plug over, post continues below.)
The weather continues to be colder than normal for our area and the house has the feeling of a permanent chill to it. Reminds me of Papa calling the living room the "root cellar"! Of course, he grew up in a house that had a root cellar and a summer garden. His Grandma for sure kept apples in the root cellar. I wonder if she also stored onions, potatoes and turnips there?
Onions, potatoes and turnips would make a good soup. Kale would be good in it too along with garlic. Garlic is definitely a seasonal vegetable although most of the time we probably don't think of it that way--it just tastes so much better before it sprouts.
Pumpkin makes good soup too. Although it is better in pie and in muffins. Split pea soup and bread pudding are two more wonderful winter foods that do come to mind. I love split pea soup. Bread pudding is not worth making (or eating) if it is a low-fat version. This is one of those things that are just better when made the original way.
Cooking is one of the arts our culture is losing because we spend too much time commuting and too much time working. I have wondered for years if we would be healthier with a shorter work week. Then again we might just watch more dumb television and stay as unhealthy as we are.
Finally, I am disappointed that John Edwards dropped out of the Presidential race. I am glad to see that his agenda of eliminating poverty is going to be continued by the remaining Democratic candidates. I still don't see anything about helping the disabled or the elderly and so I am skeptical. However, it was the last Clinton administration that made at least a start toward improving disability benefits. So much more needs to be done and I hope that it will be.
The weather continues to be colder than normal for our area and the house has the feeling of a permanent chill to it. Reminds me of Papa calling the living room the "root cellar"! Of course, he grew up in a house that had a root cellar and a summer garden. His Grandma for sure kept apples in the root cellar. I wonder if she also stored onions, potatoes and turnips there?
Onions, potatoes and turnips would make a good soup. Kale would be good in it too along with garlic. Garlic is definitely a seasonal vegetable although most of the time we probably don't think of it that way--it just tastes so much better before it sprouts.
Pumpkin makes good soup too. Although it is better in pie and in muffins. Split pea soup and bread pudding are two more wonderful winter foods that do come to mind. I love split pea soup. Bread pudding is not worth making (or eating) if it is a low-fat version. This is one of those things that are just better when made the original way.
Cooking is one of the arts our culture is losing because we spend too much time commuting and too much time working. I have wondered for years if we would be healthier with a shorter work week. Then again we might just watch more dumb television and stay as unhealthy as we are.
Finally, I am disappointed that John Edwards dropped out of the Presidential race. I am glad to see that his agenda of eliminating poverty is going to be continued by the remaining Democratic candidates. I still don't see anything about helping the disabled or the elderly and so I am skeptical. However, it was the last Clinton administration that made at least a start toward improving disability benefits. So much more needs to be done and I hope that it will be.
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