GOP to play Bush's likability card

GOP to play Bush's likability card | csmonitor.com:

Christian Science Monitor says:

"Bush's strongest attributes have always been 'his ability to empathize,' agrees Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot. 'He's always exuded humility, and an ability to work with other people.'"

Who are they talking about? I've never been able to discern one iota of those characteristics in our current President. They are the LAST words I'd use to characterize him. Where does this come from?

Empathize? Humility? Work with people?
Exuded?!!!!

"The president is not just a great president - he's a good guy," said GOP chairman Ed Gillespie at a Monitor breakfast. The convention will not only showcase Bush's strength as a leader, but as a loving father, dedicated husband, and "someone who likes baseball," Mr. Gillespie says

They're serious!
It's all social/biological. Fame and fortune. Loyalty. In-crowd/Out-crowd. Yea team, rah, rah!

And, according to polls, this appeals strongly to roughly half of the adults in the United States?

Jimmy the Cab Driver video

Short, sweet, and sassy. Jimmy the Cab driver's not just blowing smoke. We've all seen this information, but we forget:

"Environmentalists say the fire prevention claims made for 'Healthy Forests' are just a cover for big giveaways to timber to industry loggers.

Critics also worry that the bill doesn't protect old growth forests or allow for environmental and citizen reviews before forest thinning begins.

Those who live in fire-prone zones (who must be thinking a lot more than usual about this kind of thing right now) argue the bill doesn't even protect those wildfire-susceptible areas we should be most concerned about: 'red zones' that surround urban areas.":

----Smokescreen , Mother Jones, October 2003

...you're killing your father's father, and your mother's mother: the history of this nation, your nation, itself. You're killing the very core of the frontier spirit that, as Wallace Stegner so eloquently explained, has shaped our American character and spirit.
----- The Right to be Wild, by Rick Bass

Wild, intact ecosystems hold answers to questions we haven't begun to ask. They run on contemporary sunlight.
---Wes Jackson

What were the ecosystems like 10,000 years ago, after the retreat of the ice? Those ecosystems featured material recycling and they ran on contemporary sunlight. Humans have yet to build societies like that. Is it possible that embedded in nature's economy are suggestions for a human economy in which conservation is a consequence of production? Let's open that up. The day after 9/11, I wrote a piece suggesting that what George Bush should say is, "My fellow Americans, from this day forward we will evaluate our progress by how independent of the extractive economy we have become."

...This struggle that we're involved in is not going to be won with the bumper sticker. It's going to be won across the ecological mosaic of the country; it's going to be the particularities.
An Interview with Wes Jackson

This is a lot bigger than parties or elections, but inherent in a society that puts money flow above all else. So why are politically "faith-based" people, as a group, so blind to all that is going on environmentally? What about social justice?

Fr. Pat's solid Catholicism doesn't have that blindness. We kind of took it for granted while he was with us, and didn't realize that it was his unique skill to make the counter-cultural Gospel message so appealing.

The one who gives the banquet is told, “Don’t consider yourself a host if you arrange things in such a way (by inviting, for example, only the wealthy) so that the invitation will come back to you."

“Humility” is to correctly ascertain one’s God-given talents and then to share those blessings with others—with the community (one’s family, friends, coworkers, those who care for us). And to do so in such a way that we do not manipulate them so that the good we do comes back to us!

----Fr. Pat Creed, in last Sunday's homily, 22nd Sunday OT:

How John Kerry Busted the Terrorists' Favorite Bank

t r u t h o u t - How John Kerry Busted the Terrorists' Favorite Bank

Click the link above to read a detailed article about Kerry's consistent work against terrorism, in spite of opposition from the rich, famous and powerful U.S. Americans.

USATODAY.com - Soldier accepts blame in Abu Ghraib case

Soldier accepts blame in Abu Ghraib case:

"Army Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick acknowledged in the statement he broke the law and said he hoped others involved "in the chaos that was Abu Ghraib will also come forward and accept their responsibility."

Echoes from the past: Transcript : John Kerry’s 1971 Senate Testimony:

(SENATOR FULLBRIGHT)
Finally, in connection with Lieutenant Calley, which is a very emotional issue in this country, I was struck by your passing reference to that incident.

Wouldn’t you agree with me though that what he did in herding old men and women and children into a trench and then shooting them was a little bit beyond the perimeter of even what has been going on in this war and that that action should be discouraged. There are other actions not that extreme that have gone on and have been permitted. If we had not taken action or cognizance of it, it would have been even worse. It would have indicated we encouraged this kind of action.

(Mr. KERRY)
My feeling, Senator, on Lieutenant Calley is what he did quite obviously was a horrible, horrible, horrible thing and I have no bone to pick with’the fact that he was prosecuted. But I think that in this question you have to separate guilt from responsibility, and I think clearly the responsibility for what has happened there lies elsewhere.

I think it lies with the men who designed free fire zones. I think it lies with the men who encouraged body counts. I think it lies in large part with this country, which allows a young child before he reaches the age of 14 to see 12,500 deaths on television, which glorifies the John Wayne syndrome, which puts out fighting man comic books on the stands, which allows us in training to do calisthenics to four counts, on the fourth count of which we stand up and shout “kill” in unison, which has posters in barracks in this country with a crucified Vietnamese, blood on him, and underneath it says “kill the gook,” and I think that clearly the responsibility for all of this is what has produced this horrible abberation.

Now, I think if you are going to try Lieutenant Calley then you must at the same time, if this country is going to demand respect for the law, you must at the same time try all those other people who have responsibility, and any aversion that we may have to the verdict as veterans is not to say that Calley should be freed, not to say that he is innocent, but to say that you can’t just take him alone, and that would be my response to that."

Voting Your Catholic Conscience --Rep. Jim Wayne

This morning I want to say thanks to a career politician, Kentucky Representative Jim Wayne. He spoke to our cohort at Spalding University a few years ago, and I came away impressed with his presentation of the political vocation as one of public service, one of living out and actively promoting Gospel values in the world.

Rep. Wayne is speaking again, this time at "Theology on Tap" gathering. "The Record" (Archdiocese of Louisville's newspaper) has an article in which he speaks on "Voting Your Catholic Conscience."

I'm going to quote big pieces of it here, because as far as I can tell, it's not online.

"We, as Catholics, are called to be prophets in this world," he told about 50 young adults gathered for the talk. "As prophets we have to go to the polls to choose. I'd like you to consider your prophetic role in the world."

...He urged the young adults last week to embrace their roles as prophets by keeping Christ's teachings and the Gospel message in mind when selecting candidates.

He also warned them that Christ was a radical in his day. And though Christianity has flourished since then, following Christ's call today is no less counter-cultural, he said.

In fact, "Every time we understand the essence of wht Christ was all about, it is revolutionary."

...Wayne recommended that Catholics pass current issues through a filter of the Gospel message and Catholic social teaching. And he highlighted several areas of concern for Catholic voters.

Among them were the consistent ethic of life, globalization, militarization, education and the environment.

"The church has really developed a lot of rich thought on how we address these crises," he said. "Most of us Catholics aren't even aware of it."

For example, "The church emphasizes the common good over the individual," said Wayne.

"We were raised on John Wayne individualism," he said. "But the church says, 'No. You look at what's good for everybody. You protect life at all stages.' We need at all costs to protect it at all levels."

Within that framework, the poor should always remain at the forefront of concern, he said.

"That is the group you address first when you make policy decisions," he said. "The first question you ask is, 'How will this affect the poor?'"

The church also "has been very strong on demilitarization in terms of disarmament," said Wayne.

Under the Bush administration, the defense budget in the United States has risen to $470 billion, Wayne said. Education, which he said has the next highest budget, is allotted $60 billion.

He said health care--including the Medicare and Medicaid programs--receives about $40 billion; the justice budget is about $38 billion; and about $30 billion is allocated for housing for the poor, such as Section 8 vouchers.

"We as a church have to say, 'Is that just?'" he said of the discrepancies in funding. "There were 40,000 kids in the world who died on Sept. 11, 2001 of hunger."

Another concern for Catholics is globalization, which allows corporations to "extract wealth and exploit employees without unions," said Wayne.

"It widens the gap between the rich and the poor," he said. "It cost Kentucky 25,000 jobs in the last three years. And it has devastated family farms."

On the environment, Wayne cited the destruction wrought by mountain-top removal in the coal industry, air and water pollution, the United States' energy policies and other environmental abuses. As a result, "The world is filled with toxins," he said.

Following his talk, Wayne asked young adults to consider what role the church should take in addressing these issues. He noted that "by 'the church,' I mean us."

Wayne asked the crowd to consider issues other than abortion, which he said "we an all agree is a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed."

The popular answer was a belief that the defense budget should be brought more into balance with the education budget. Several teachers mentioned being frustrated by a lack of funding for schools and criticized the "No child left behind" program.

Wayne mentioned the struggle for private school vouchers that would help more children attend Catholic schools. He said the church also should focus its efforts on improving public education.

It seemed the question weighing most heavily on the crowd was, "Can a Catholic vote for a pro-choice candidate?"

In response, Wayne noted that the U.S. bishops are torn on this same question.

"People are really trying to swing voters on this issue," he said. "But legislators in Frankfort really can't do much on this issue. We are limited by the constitution of the federal government."

On the national level, he said, the issue depends on Supreme Court justices.

"In the end, we as voters have to decide," said Wayne. "It is important to weave the other parts of Catholic social teaching into weighing the candidates."

Some bishops have said, "As long as you don't vote for the candidate because he is pro-choice, you can morally do that," Wayne noted.

Catholics may be treading in "dangerous waters" voting solely on the issue of abortion, he added. "We as a church have to be skeptical of politicians who use us and our sacred issues for their benefit.

"You look at someone who says they are pro-life," he said. "There may not be a lot of other issues they're consistent on as far as life. They went against the church on everything else. Look at their records on housing for the poor, on capital punishment, on unions. You have to weigh those issues as you study the candidates."

Asked how he--as a Catholic politician--reconciles his faith with the desires of his constituents, Wayne said that those who vote for him know the Catholic faith guides all of his decisions.

"First, I am Catholic, then I am an American," he said.

---The Record, Aug. 19, 2004

Labels: Liberal or Conservative? Pro-life or Respect Life?

All these labels are hard to live with. I can't claim any of the ones I know of. If I have to label myself, it's going to be as a "Big-Picture Conservative."

Well, that's done.

Back to School: John Kerry's 1971 Senate Testimony

The school year has begun. Will it be business as usual?

The current bruhaha in the media regarding John Kerry's Vietnam war experience actually began in the primaries, when Pres. Bush attacked Kerry's protesting of the war in Vietnam, implying that Kerry's protesting was dishonorable and cowardly. This caused people to look for facts on whether Senator Kerry was a coward, and the material was then brought forth about his service record. The record speaks for itself, but our national fixation with the war-service question seems to obscure the reality that beyond the simple courage of behaving well in battle, the greater courage came later, in trying to change the course of a country.

Any of us can read the transcript of the Senate Hearing in 1971 in which John Kerry spoke as a representative of Veterans Against the War to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. A portion of this is available on video from MoveOn.org.

The video takes us back to the 70's, when we were very different people. I was in college then, too. Yet, amazingly, we were facing similar problems. You realize that when you read Kerry's speech, (which by the way, is 9 pages of clear thinking expressing the will of the 1000 veterans he represented), and the subsequent Q&A session (a significant stack of paper--Kerry's very coherent answers to the questions of the committee). This 27-year-old person obviously has a strong grasp of the nuance and the breadth of a very difficult subject, and with clarity of expression, he helps to turn the course of a nation that needed to be turned.

There are several things we can take from this wealth of information. One is the depth of conflict and responsiblity inherent in war. In our current time, when sound bites, such as "Dead or Alive," and "staying the course," and "protecting Freedom" are taken as rationalizations for our nation's behavior, we can compare the thinking expressed in this document from the past.

In 1971, Kerry speaks of the veterans' anger at finding out that the rationale for the war was phony, realizing that the South Vietnamese just wanted to be free to grow their rice and live, and that the Americans were often seen as the oppressors.

He spoke of veterans' anger that "money from American taxes was used to support a corrupt dictatorial regime" and that in battle, the "blacks provided the highest percentage of casualties." He spoke of an America that "accepted very cooly a My Lai and refused to give up the image of American soldiers who hand out chocolate bars and chewing gum."

Kerry speaks of the anger of the veterans who feel betrayed having to fight for a mistake, then called "misfits" when they try to speak out. He identifies the great threat to the United States. "...the crimes we (Americans) are committing (in Vietnam) threaten (our country), and we have to speak out."

He asks, "How do ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

This is a speech from a young person to all people.

In the Q&A session, Kerry shows leadership, for example, when Senator Fulbright explains that Congress cannot actually stop the war, merely make recommendation to the President. Kerry returns with two specific ways that Congress CAN be effective within its power: namely to vote to cut off funding for the war, and to pass a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of it.

Later, still off-the-cuff, Kerry tackles the thorny questions of tangled responsibilities: to the South Vietnamese government members whom the U.S. supported (created); to the people of South Vietnam, to the U.S. soldiers, to the international community.

I hope that this fall, the young people in our colleges and gathering places are reading the 9/11 Commission Report. I hope they are reading the full text of this speech of the young John Kerry. I hope they are reading the platforms of the the Democratic, Republican, and Green parties. I hope that they are looking for documents and other information sources with deep meaning, and that this school year, they claim the vigor that youth of other generations have shown, becoming leaders in the positive, progressive work of guiding the world.

The alternative is to be mired in group-think. America really can do better. It's more than a slogan, and we have to work to keep it that way.

DeoOmnisGloria.com John Kerry, Abortion and Politics

DeoOmnisGloria.com discussion

My thoughts this morning, posted here and on the link above:

John Kerry works toward the goal of abortion being "rare, but safe and legal." That eliminates all the unconscionable casual abortions that take so many precious lives. It also saves many lives of mothers that are lost when abortion is illegal and dangerously performed. It's a pretty good goal, in my book. Compared to many of the public, who he is bound to represent in his vocation, Sen. Kerry's stance is definitely pro-life.

Most Catholics strongly oppose abortion. However, when it comes close to home, as in "my" daughter's health being threatened by a dangerous pregnancy, or even "my" family's way of life threatened by an untimely pregnancy, they get a glimpse of the horror of that "gray area" that we all wish didn't exist--the area of life choices in conflict.

People in those crisis areas deal with it in different ways. Our current President is proud of the fact that he sees the world in black and white. His youthful response to his own personal gray-area abortion decision, though, is not in line with the staunch anti-abortion advocacy that is attributed to him by his cheerleaders.

If the world was black-and-white, and "life" was only one thing--maximum procreation, the Church's stance would be easy to fulfill. But God's gift of life is present in much more than simplest biology. The needs of different levels of life always conflict, and as far as I can see, it's our duty to make our best choices with as much grace as we can.

Chant at St. B

Worship aid insert
Originally uploaded by hettingr.

We could add this (via Avery sticky labels) to the front of our worship aid (Word & Song)

George Bush Sr.'s take on Iraq

Here's an email that came to me:

In his memoirs, "A World Transformed," written five years ago, George Bush Sr. wrote the following to explain why he didn't go after Saddam Hussein at the end of the Gulf War.

"Trying to eliminate Saddam...would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible.... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq.... There was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."

If only his son could read.

 
I don't know who started this email, but I did check it out. It is an excerpt from the book, page 489.

I've spent all day making phone calls for KerryKentucky, verifying email addresses. Dozens of people took time to tell me that they wanted to DO something about all this.

TheStar.com - Editorial: Kerry fails Iraq test

TheStar.com - Editorial: Kerry fails Iraq test

Click the link above to read a thought-provoking editorial from the Toronto Star.

I would say to the author:

Your perspective is logical, but I don't think you quite have a handle on the American situation.

When you write...

That leaves most Americans feeling misled, or duped. They can see the damage to U.S. prestige internationally. The loss of more than 1,000 American and allied lives, and 16,000 Iraqi lives . A $200-billion cost.

...you are not speaking of the average American. A solid majority do NOT understand how unimaginably badly our U.S. prestige is damaged. It hasn't sunk in. They don't have a clue.

I'm glad to see you put a number on the Iraqi lives lost, because in this country's news reports, I never see it except as a vague afterthought, as in "...and also thousands of Iraqi lives." (This mortifies me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.)

I feel betrayed by our President, and I think J. Kerry has his finger on the reason. After 9/11, facing a new, unknown, threat, people might be forgiven for thinking that the country's leadership needed to be light on its feet, and give more executive power to a leader. But even as the threat was new, our President's response was also new. Who knew that we had a President who isn't sure what a president is? Who doesn't understand that his legitimate power comes from being part of a vast organization to which and for which he is responsible? He is like a schoolboy president of a school organization who hasn't learned democratic procedure yet and just thinks he is the boss. What a disaster this is!

I think J. Kerry has a very STRONG sense of government, of its laws and it's myriad legitimate voices. In his more complex understanding role of President, it is allowable to have voted as he did.

But you're right, it's the wrong thing to say in an election. J. Kerry's appropriateness as "a serious man for a serious job" is unfortunately not an asset in the "democratic" election process in U.S.America.

And since it's too late to do the right thing about Iraq, hindsight is just as problematic, since there's this huge mess, and we are in it, and we are responsible to clean up. (I don't know if it's possible, but the responsibility is still there.)

It's a time for prayer. And campaigning.

[Added Aug 19.
Fareed Zakaria brings his knowledge to this question as in this Newsweek article:
Why Kerry Is Right on Iraq by Fareed Zakaria]

Chant at St. B

We tape for Mass of the Air this week(a TV broadcast for those who cannot attend mass in person), for the 24th and 26th Sundays of Ordinary Time. Because of the 25-minute time limit, it's a very strict format that we use. This time I want to try something different, and the St. B Cantors are willing to go along with it. During Preparation of the Gifts we always play some instrumental music. I have, in the past, played chant from the Graduale on the flute, which is interesting, but somewhat lacking [grin]. However, it fits very well. So this time, I'll prepare to sing the Latin communion chant from the Graduale at Prep of Gifts, and then we will sing a song at communion that corresponds to the communion chant.

Actually that's easier said than done. First of all, I should have looked up those "corresponding" communion songs in advance. When we were planning, it had to be done quickly, and we couldn't find very good matches. (I find this to be true a lot--that there is so much more (or at least different) range of expression in the Graduale than in our current hymnals.)

24th Sunday communion antiphon is Tollite hostias, et introite in atria eius: adorate Dominum in aula sancta eius.
Word & Song gives the English as "O God, how much we value your mercy! All mankind can gather under your protection."
We're going to sing "Amazing Grace" at communion.


26th Sunday communion antiphon is Memento verbi tui servo tuo, Domine in quo mihi spem dedisti: haec me consolata est in humilitate mea. "O Lord, remember the words you spoke to me, your servant, which made me live in hope and consoled me when I was downcast."

We'll be singing "The Lord is my Light" (based on Psalm 27).

I hope we get points for good intentions. ;)

The other tricky thing will be the acoustics at the recording session. We record in the Ursuline chapel, which has GREAT acoustics for chant, but the recording engineers are accustomed to placing the microphones directly in front of the singers, which cancels out the acoustics. I'll have to talk to them about this.

Chant at St. B

We tape for Mass of the Air this week(a TV broadcast for those who cannot attend mass in person), for the 24th and 26th Sundays of Ordinary Time. Because of the 25-minute time limit, it's a very strict format that we use. This time I want to try something different, and the St. B Cantors are willing to go along with it. During Preparation of the Gifts we always play some instrumental music. I have, in the past, played chant from the Graduale on the flute, which is interesting, but somewhat lacking . However, it fits very well. So this time, I'll prepare to sing the Latin communion chant from the Graduale at Prep of Gifts, and then we will sing a song at communion that corresponds to the communion chant.

Actually that's easier said than done. First of all, I should have looked up those "corresponding" communion songs in advance. When we were planning, it had to be done quickly, and we couldn't find very good matches. (I find this to be true a lot--that there is so much more (or at least different) range of expression in the Graduale than in our current hymnals.)

24th Sunday communion antiphon is Tollite hostias, et introite in atria eius: adorate Dominum in aula sancta eius.
Word & Song gives the English as "O God, how much we value your mercy! All mankind can gather under your protection."
We're going to sing "Amazing Grace" at communion.


26th Sunday communion antiphon is Memento verbi tui servo tuo, Domine in quo mihi spem dedisti: haec me consolata est in humilitate mea. "O Lord, remember the words you spoke to me, your servant, which made me live in hope and consoled me when I was downcast."

We'll be singing "The Lord is my Light" (based on Psalm 27).

I hope we get points for good intentions.

The other tricky thing will be the acoustics at the recording session. We record in the Ursuline chapel, which has GREAT acoustics for chant, but the recording engineers are accustomed to placing the microphones directly in front of the singers, which cancels out the acoustics. I'll have to talk to them about this.

Top News Article | Reuters.com

Top News Article | Reuters.com: "The testimony backed the contention of England's lawyers that Abu Ghraib was an unruly prison where inmates were often kept naked, guards were not trained and abuse complaints were ignored. England has said she was just following orders to soften up detainees for questioning.

Joyner said he and many colleagues had no training as prison guards when they went to Abu Ghraib and worked minimum 12-hour days there.

'No one knew what we were supposed to do. Basically I was shooting from the hip and hoping to God I didn't screw up,' he said."

Kerry Kentucky meeting

I went to the Kerry Kentucky Volunteer meeting last night at first Unitarian Church, across the street from Abe Lincoln at the library. I got there a little late, so I had a hard time trying to park. Then I had a hard time getting in. It was tight-packed standing-room only, with people hanging outside all the doors of a fairly-large church.

I don't know the names of the speakers. The first guy was probably on the staff of the Democratic Party. (He has an office and a phone number). He said that there are "swing states" and we know that campaigning is going really strong there. But he really spoke to me, (and many there) when he said that Kentucky is a "bubble" state, which, I think means that it is important, too. (see the numbers in the post below, and you'll see how possible it is). And the folks at that meeting last night were interested in what WE can do, HERE.

The Democrat fellow (he was young, articulate, and kinda cute, if that matters), invited everyone to go to Fancy Farm (old-fashioned outdoor political rally, both (all?) parties) tomorrow (Saturday), there's a bus leaving from Democratic Party headquarters. no charge to ride. Sounds great, but I have a prior commitment. Call them if you're interested, or show up.

The next speaker was a woman, didn't catch her name, who must be the main organizer of this KerryKentucky group that started in April around a table at the Rudyard Kipling. She noted that the number of people had multiplied GREATLY since the last meeting, enough that we'd have to change plans on meeting space from now on. This is a grass-roots activity that is unprecedented at this point in the election process.

Did we know that the US has the poorest voter participation of all the democratized nations of the world? One of the numbers I jotted down was that, in this country, only 38% of those in poverty vote, and these are the most affected.

She talked about individual efforts that are inspiring. Here's one: Louis Moseson is going to Wal-Mart 1-1/2 hours on Saturdays and registering scads of people to vote (I forget how many, but it's impressive). (Makes me think I should carry around voter registration cards, envelopes and stamps. I think I will.)

She talked about Owlsley (?) Brown, a prominent Louisville Republican, I think, who is organizing Republicans for Kerry. He says, "This is not about our party, this is about the future of our great nation."

She talked about some famous Texan, who had campaigned for GWBush for governor and president, who says something like, "GB is a really great guy, but his policies are really terrible, and he messed up too many things." (Don't quote this. I was just scribbling. Find a reliable source if you need it.)

People who do business overseas are coming together behind Kerry.

Of course, she talked a lot about what she sees in John Kerry. (Go to JohnKerry.com for info)

She had all of us who had never participated in any political events before raise our hands. It was a lot of us, about 1 in six or eight. That said something, too, I think.

She said, "We don't want your money." I was glad to hear that. (We give money whenever MoveOn asks for it, and occasionally when the Democratic party asks for it, but I am tired of being hit for money and not given a better idea of what I can do personally.). There were numerous groups and people with specific activities planned that you could talk to. (College student groups, people signing up to stand outside Fahrenheit 9/11 with information, people going around apartment neighborhoods with information, etc.) She had bought Yard Signs, T-shirts, bumper stickers and buttons. She would give them away, or asked us if we would reimburse her son's college fund with a donation.

KerryKentucky has a plan. They have something called "Pledge 3" which has the materials and information to organize in neighborhoods. Basically it involves volunteering to send out letters to people who are registered, regular Democratic voters, and invite them to a meeting at your house. That group meets and plans to bring 3 other people each to another meeting. At the third meeting (I think), you all plan to contact people, speak to them, get them to the polls. Arrange to drive folks who need rides, etc. (I'm not clear on the last part. It made good sense when I heard it, and I'm going to find out what it is.)

There are trainings for neighborhood volunteers all next week, day, evening and night. If you're interested, contact kerrykentucky@yahoo.com. They'll tell you were to go. I signed up to go Monday evening at 5:30.

That's it for now.

pax,
maggie

Win Back Respect

Win Back Respect: "More than 200 Americans studying abroad - including more than 30 Rhodes Scholars - have signed an unprecedented open letter alerting their families, representatives and communities back home to the growing rift that the Bush administration's foreign policies are creating between America and the rest of the world. Learn how the lives of Americans abroad are being affected by the administration's go-it-alone approach."

My daughter is in Germany, and has spent much time in Europe over the last 3 years. Her experience has been the same as the students who wrote the letter linked above. Just today she told me that, out of all the students and other Americans she talks to in Germany, she only knows two who have anything positive to say about Pres. Bush and his administration.

That's obviously VERY different from the percentages here, even of college-type people.

Folks in other parts of the world must be getting very different information than we are.

KeepMedia | U.S.News & World Report: In Iraq, in uniform, and in turmoil

KeepMedia | U.S.News & World Report: In Iraq, in uniform, and in turmoil

: " 'suicide is not a medical problem. It's a community problem. You don't reduce suicide by reducing suicide. You reduce it by improving the quality of life in the military.'"


Probably goes for suicide terrorists, as well. You reduce it by improving the quality of life period.

Frequent worshippers tend to cast GOP vote

Frequent worshippers tend to cast GOP vote

How much of this has to do with mannerisms, tone of voice and speaking/preaching style?

I've ordered two books by Noam Chomsky, whom I respect as a linguist, who seems to have done some work on this politics/control area.

I also ordered the 9/11 Commission report (only $8, very readable) , which, I am gratified to see, appears to make the assertion that the terrorist problem is not a nationalist situation, and conventional war is an inappropriate means to deal with the problem.

That's a lot of reading to do.

I'm also working on Deus, Deus meus, respice (Psalm 22) from Palm Sunday. What a compelling, haunting, piece of prayer. It seems to fit the subject matter of our times, doesn't it? I keep thinking of people caught in our military and money-flow horrors.