Only Pro-Active POSITIVE Action Ends Cycle of Violence: Distrust – Hate – Torture – Revenge
We began our week remembering one tragedy – then, another wound by intentional maiming and murder in Boston. Too often trying to heal by turning away to move on, fails at fixing, only delivering us yet another hit by the violence of rage without reason.
Roll the dice: whether out of hate, revenge or for profit and power; whether from foreign terrorists or those so convinced “government is the problem,” they destroy the very domestic tranquility they profess is subject to their personal interpretation — either toss of the coin, the outcome is the same, we are bled by loss — and then we rush to help each other rise again.
The one truth still: the cycle of violence can only be abetted when 99% of both Right and Left “We the People,” unite in the Center, to help a too often lobbyist induced clueless Congress to amend our ways.
Let POSITIVE ACTION be our response to tragedy: step up and step out of internet background to give Congress and State Houses a moral spine. Carpool in overwhelming numbers to insist on background checks for all gun purchases and a reasonable effort to end all violence, including bi-partisan poison letters.
However, reacting against what’s negative, will never be as protective as positive action paying it forward: recognizing, rewarding and elevating those who, every day in communities all over America, do so much to generate success, prosperity, happiness, peace, and yes, justice for all Americans.
I’ve just voted for just such a man, Toan Nguyen who just added C’Ville Central to his long list of creating employment opportunities for all who desire the opportunity to offer and share their talents, skills and abilities – for hire yes – but just as importantly, for making America a better place for all, one community and one job well done, at a time.
So while we surround Congress with a call for reasonable non-violence efforts, and justice and equality for all, recognize and reward those working for such goals every day, in every community and neighborhood, in a Nation living triumphant victories and hilarious comedies, alongside senseless tragedies, every day.
Please join me in adding your vote for the presentation of the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) Award to the Chief Executive Officer of CVille Central, Toan Nguyen.
Let us all do our part in every little local way to overcome the International ugly and National bad with the beauty of the Local good. as we pray in praise and thanksgiving, hoping we are learning from our mistakes: Hope to see you in Richmond for Equal Rights Amendment rally: 2pm Saturday 4/27/13
The Strength of Butterflies is in Their Wings
Remember Sunday April 14th marked four months since America was weakened by massacre — then Boston bombs exploded Marathon finish, wounding 176 and killing three, including an eight year old boy there with his Mom to see his Dad run.
Remember members of Congress confess, with a mouse click online petitions are discarded as weak, but like the strength of butterfly wings, ‘one person face-to-face in their office, is one thousand votes.’
Remember more than pleasing NRA or congressional leadership, or dictates from Wall Street dictators; more than what constituents think best; doing what’s right for the country, or preserving, protecting and defending the equality and justice of all Americans, the number one agenda of any member of Congress, regardless of Party is: to get re-elected.
Remember, to save other mothers and fathers from the sin of slaughter, Newtown parents bear the cross of their children’s death to a Hill faraway, so all see in their post Sandy Hook faces, the reflection of a corrupted Constitutional interpretation for blood and guts profit.
Remember our ‘Free Will” frees us to define “Land of the Free” as freedom to look the other way while in neighborhood streets, movie theatres, parking lots and schools, Americans of all ages are gun downed with military style super-sized multi-magazine assault weapons, or find the courage to go to ‘The Hill’ for a face-to-face that reminds Congress the civilized response to Cain is, the Second Amendment is not a license to kill.
Every parent, teacher or friend of someone whose life ended violently, deserves the freedom to be angry and left alone to grieve, or to carpool to State capitals and Congress and make leaders look into our national mirror at the reflection of their impotency in the face of corporate profit, immorality, greed, lies and violence.
We are not born courageous, brave or without fear, but life sometimes thrusts crushing challenges on us to rise or fall before. There is little fearlessness, only “feeling the fear and doing it anyway,” like “Mayors against illegal guns” and Connecticut’s “massacre control.”
While “Mission Accomplished” profanes our national acclaim as “The Home of the Brave,” when we accept our national emergency as no more economic than it is educational and moral, solutions will reveal themselves.
For this we need not be brave by choice, but open to being courageous out of necessity, for then the seemingly powerless become the mirrors in which the powerful see their Dorian Gray reflections.
It is the week the weak win: There are gun reform events planned in thirteen states; in a week, a Senate gun reform vote; a Congress which didn’t read ‘The Patriot’s Act before voting, this week previews “The Dream is Now” documentary as prep for immigration vote: the times, ‘they are a changing.’ The last time thirteen pieces of our puzzle agreed on anything, America was born.
Often those who appear weak are simply oppressed by those who need to feel strong. “Women and children first,” is a most honorable goal for any American business, elected official or NRA Lobbyist.
Courage is professing, ‘gun violence is a public health crisis;’ And rallying for ERA ratification in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday April 27th; And Labor Secretary Francis Perkins mothering Social Security to pave Medicare, Medicaid way to The Affordable Care Act; And running toward explosions in Boston, NYC or Washington, DC.
Like the peaceful repose of beautiful butterflies, the lives of Sandy Hook and America have been disrupted by an ill wind. Next week a weak Senate gets to change the direction of the wind.
This is the week for the weak to be like the parents of Sandy Hook, the people of Boston and first responders everywhere. While flapping butterfly wings still outnumber flying bullets and shrapnel, let us embrace the dreams and goals, as well as grief of parents like those of Dylan Hockley and Martin Richard, as the light upon our pathway.
Time is All
We know we cannot live on bread alone, but surely we can do better than what comes from the mouth of Wayne LaPierre, McCarthy rerun Tim Cruz, saved by the Judd Mitch, figure head Boehner or MIAs Cantor and Rubio. Time out: no holy city can stand on foundation pillars of Citizens’ United Supremes, stashed white supremists munitions or bought and paid for politicians
Time to put gangs of extremists on notice, regardless of color, political persuasion or Wall Street castles in the sky: do not put the patience of parents and patriots to corporate induced recession and gun violence tests any longer, for the splendor of all the kingdoms of the world will not hide you on Election Days.
Time to applaud and encourage what is good, recognize what is bad and eradicate or Recall the what and who of ugly.
National equal voting rights and background checks for all gun purchases is good; The NRA leadership and those who punish whistle blowers protecting us from the poison food corporations feed us, are bad.
A President seeking balance in justice for all is good; a GOP tap dancing to the corporate tune of “The Rich Get Rich and the Poor get Poorer,” is bad.
Believing Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher saved the world from communism is misinformed, but canonizing them as saints is self-servingly bad.
Time for rebirth of freedom, giving, and harvest sharing, before time to die. Time for a triumphant triage of corporations, government and voting consumers working together free of rose-colored glasses and eyes wide shut to necessary humane fixes.
Time for living longer selfishness: each must work to improve peaceful retirement chances with ‘Medicare for All,’ salvaged Social Security & Medicaid.
Time for cures: HIV AIDS, Muscular Sclerosis, Cancer and greatest time thief: Alzheimer’s.
As humankind, we are charged with global responsibilities, yet allow ourselves and our planet to corrode, the former from overconsumption, the latter, overindulgence.
Time to stop claiming we’re the best and greatest ever in all things forever, or that we’re even alright, because we’re not.
Not time to waste talking about economy or even the new post Reagan GOP that abuses Filibuster to avoid fulfilling its primary duty: voting for what’s best for all Americans and when possible, for what’s needed for their constituents — without climbing “the Hill” only to succumb to the allure of their corporate puppeteers whispering promises of power and grandeur.
The mountain top has seen greater than these “House” fettered on ‘The Hill,’ feasting on backs of those forced to fast.
Time to recapture our essence of discovery. Are we sugar and spice and everything nice, or frogs leaping over the immorality of tortured farm animals; corporate slithering snakes coiled around taxpayer bailouts and puppy dog tails, wagging the dog of war profiteering?
Time we peek at what our corporate corrupt Congress and Supreme Court is willing to nose dive us in, on their crusade to Capital peak.
Time is always giving, but how we make memories with it, is our wisdom or folly.
Time was, I’d sit so close to the family black and white TV set and dream: Annette Funicello.
We met most week days between homework and dinner. At twelve, she was my first older woman and transformed even Disney speak into smiling melodic beauty; my favorite Mouseketeer, even when forced to share her with ‘Spin and Marty.’
Time was, even horses couldn’t edge Annette out of my favorite memories.
Time, years later, an actress hired me to prepare her for her first Broadway audition. She was a triple hitter with a sad look in her eye. We worked hard for weeks and she was cast.
Time over grateful and congratulatory coffee, she confessed our hard pursuit of the role was her race against M. S.
Time gives us all we have, so I now use my time to say, Annette, I really loved those afternoons we shared, just a moment ago, in time gone by, yet still so –perfect.
