Quakers, social justice and revolution

The queries we are considering at Bear Creek Friends meeting this month relate to personal responsibility.
“Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center–a life of unhurried peace and power. It is serene. It takes not time, but it occupies all our time.”   Thomas Kelly

ADVICE

Historic testimonies of the Society of Friends against taking oaths, joining secret organizations, gambling and using addictive substances grew out of efforts of Friends to live with integrity and consistency. To swear an oath implied that one is obliged to be truthful only under oath. Joining secret organizations, gambling and using addictive and/or consciousness‑altering substances were recognized as practices which diverted resources from useful purposes, distracted attention from the Inner Light, and placed obstacles in the way of Friends seeking to lead lives of integrity. We recognize the spirit of these testimonies and endeavor to apply the same principles in our lives today.

Honesty and simplicity are essential parts of personal responsibility. We manifest our commitment to Truth in all we do. We can have joy and beauty in our lives without allowing material things to dominate them. We need to free ourselves from distractions that interfere with our search for inner peace, and accept with thanksgiving all that promotes fullness and aids in service to the divine Center.

QUERY

• How do we center our lives in the awareness of God the’ Spirit, so that all things may take their rightful places?
• How do we structure our individual lives in order to keep them uncluttered with things and activities? How does Meeting help us examine our personal lives for simplicity?
• Do we choose recreational activities which foster mental, physical and spiritual health?
• How are our lives affected by tobacco, alcohol and drug use? What can we do to deal with problems resulting from their use? What can we do to recognize and deal with unhealthy ways we treat ourselves?­
• How do we ensure that we act with fairness and integrity?
• Are we sensitive to our own use of language which may be offensive or oppressive to others?

Photography continues to be one of the main ways I communicate with the inner light, and I usually spend hours a day working on it.  I feel I am in touch with God as I look for images to capture with my camera.  I’m often thinking along the lines of ‘wow, you really did an amazing job coloring the leaves of that tree’, etc.   Photography really centers me, and I enjoy sharing what is revealed with others.

For some time I’ve been thinking of simplifying my life more by getting rid of more of my material possessions.  Now I’m getting some help with that.  The apartment building I live in is being converted to affordable housing, so I have to move.  I’ve found a small efficiency apartment near where I live now and will thus be forced (helped) to downsize considerably.

Bear Creek Meetinghose

It would be nice to be able to forget about racial killings on Thanksgiving Day, but as I learn more about my ignorance of the situation in Chicago, I am disturbed about what I wrote yesterday.  I still think the mayor and police chief did an admirable job of appealing for calm in anticipation of the release of the Laquan McDonald killing.  The problem being they wouldn’t be talking about this had it not been for determined work by reporters, leading to a judge demanding that the video be released.  Once again a cover up has been exposed.

Even though I tried not to watch the video of the killing, I did see the opening moments.  And I’ve seen the autopsy drawing.  Beginning to shoot within seconds of arriving at the scene, and then continuing to shoot 16 times can only be the result of uncontrolled rage on the part of the police officer.  He said black lives do not matter.

The appeals for calm are far too late.  The long time history of police abuse in Chicago is well documented.   Where leadership was really needed was to address this long ago.

Our problem is of course that this is the situation with community/police relations all over the United States.  Our culture of guns and violence has led to this.  Our culture of materialism over human rights has led to this.  Now is the time people need to break their silence, which implicitly supports this situation.  Now is the time for those who believe in nonviolence and humanity to be in the streets with those who are peacefully protesting and working to address this.  The status quo is wrong.

Asking for civil rights protections for Indiana’s LGBT community

Black Lives Matter

In anticipation of the court ordered release of the police video of the killing of another black man, this time Laquan McDonald, Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Chicago’s police chief stood with community leaders during a press conference to discuss the situation.  They acknowledged that the public would be upset by what they will see, and acknowledged the right of people to protest, but urged protestors to be peaceful.  The police chief emphasized that criminal acts would not be tolerated, which is sometimes a point of contention, with civil disobedience perhaps seen as a criminal act.  This may come into play as there are indications Black Lives Matter activists may block traffic downtown to make an economic impact during so called Black Friday.

But I was impressed with both officials speaking of how it was up to the community to decide what happens next, the choices being violence and confrontation versus finding ways to use this opportunity to find ways to improve relations between the police and the community.

This morning of the day following the press conference and release of the video, reports from Chicago indicate overnight hundreds did protest peacefully with few incidents.  Protests are anticipated to continue, no one knowing how that will go.  Hopefully the protests will continue to be peaceful, and the police professional, and progress will continue to be made in police/community relations.

Black Lives Matter Indianapolis 2015

It was really great to be able to be at Bear Creek meeting yesterday for pre-meeting discussions and meeting for worship.  Attending were Russ, Jackie, Win, Jenny, Mark, Bob, Jon, Dad and I.

During pre meeting I heard about what was going on related to the Bakken pipeline, and some fascinating stories Jenny shared about her work with youth and discussions of race in Des Moines.  I was able to share some of what has been going in Indianapolis related to the Keystone pipeline rejection, Morgan Stanley petition delivery, and the Quaker Social Change Ministry program.  Jackie and I talked about Liz’s work in Minneapolis.

Bear Creek Meetinghose

Culture wars and political rhetoric are poisoning our politics and how we treat each other.  A culture of economic, social and political privilege is ending and the privileged are frightened and unwilling to accept change.

Our political leaders are betraying the most fundamental ideals most of us believe in.  Instead of working for the common good, politics in particular, and society in general has switched to each guarding what is seen as his/her own, protecting what he/she has despite what others might need.

This is the age old issue of personal versus community, selfishness versus sharing, material versus spiritual.

It is important that those who have a vision of community and compassion raise their voices against those clinging to greed and power.

It is morally reprehensible that politicians continue to create and enforce policies against others in all kinds of situations–refugees, people of color, people of certain faiths, people of lower economic means, people of different sexual orientation and identity, anyone who isn’t of the privileged class.

These extreme, immoral policies have to be changed.  That will only happened when people raise their voices to support each other, and address the many, many problems of privilege.

Delivering petitions to support Iran deal to Sen. Donnely

KI community discussion

Indiana Moral Mondays

Thanks to everyone who supported these actions, and who made calls to Morgan Stanley regarding their financing of fossil fuel development.  My Scattergood classmate, Wendy, helped spread the word via Facebook.

Ted, who I work with in the Keystone Pledge of Resistance, came down from Muncie where he teaches at Ball State.  Gilbert, who attends North Meadow Friends and is an activist, joined Ted and I at the Chase Tower downtown this afternoon at 3 pm.

Joseph Kelley, the manager, came out to talk with us.  He said he had received an email to let him know we might be visiting today.  He listened very politely, and said he would get the message to the appropriate people.

Thanks to the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), and in particular Peter Dakota Molof, for organizing and supporting this effort.

Ted in the Morgan Stanley office

Jeff attempts a selfie

Ted speaks with branch manager Joseph Kelley

Gilbert and Ted with the petitions at Morgan Stanley office

Today is the national day of action against Morgan Stanley, with people all across the country calling their offices to try to get them to stop financing fossil fuel development, especially mountain top removal.  More information, including phone numbers for the Indianapolis office, can be found here.  Please call, thank you.

This video was produced at the Kheprw Institute (KI).  Erin Polley, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Indiana Moral Mondays, and Shannon Anderson from Sustainable Indiana and Earth Charter Indiana discuss the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, including current issues, and the possibility of using nonviolent civil disobedience to stimulate the changes that are desperately needed now.

KI Convo with Erin Polley and Shannon Anderson

Humane response from my Congressman:

I am continuing to work with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN).  Now that Keystone has been rejected, we are working on businesses that finance fossil fuel development.  While many have stopped such practices, Morgan Stanley continues to finance fossil fuel development internationally, and are the main business behind mountain top removal for coal mining here.  There is more information, and a petition you can sign, here.

This Thursday, 11/19/2015, will be a national day of action against Morgan Stanley.  People will call in from all over the country, and actions are occurring in several U.S. cities, including Indianapolis.  Over 10,000 signatures of the petition have been gathered and will be emailed to Morgan Stanley on Thursday.

Here in Indianapolis we will gather outside the Morgan Stanley offices downtown at 111 Monument Circle at 3:00 PM.  We will be handing out the following phone numbers, encouraging people on the street to call the Morgan Stanley offices to express their thoughts about mountain top removal, etc.

Please join us.  If you can’t, please call the Morgan Stanley offices on Thursday:

Joseph Kelley, manager, 317 263-8700

Sandy Wilcox, 317 263-8720

Joseph Matis, 317 263-0820

Dino Efthimiou, 317 263-0827

MS Picture Poster 3MS Stop Coal Poster 18×24