I am truly thankful for President Obama’s courage in standing up to the fossil fuel industry, and to my great friends in the Keystone Pledge of Resistance for their countless hours of work over the past 3 years to build the movement to stop what would have been an environmental disaster.
Keystone Pipeline Fighter
Stop extreme fossil fuel extraction
Stop Keystone Pipeline
This is an interesting time for the climate movement. As often happens with movements, a threshold seems to have been reached. After decades of efforts by the fossil fuel industry to intentionally mislead the public, and its influence in our government, it is no longer possible to hide the results of environmental damage and injustice.
TransCanada requested that the State Department halt its review of their application for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and the State Department has just denied that request for delay, stating a lot of interagency work had already gone into that review.
One of the reasons cited for the delay request was that the use of eminent domain was successfully challenged by farmers, ranchers and activists in Nebraska, so there is presently no route for the pipeline in Nebraska, even if the President approves the Keystone application, which it is widely believed he will not do. That is why many of us believe the real reason for the requested delay was to avoid that rejection. TransCanada is thought to be hoping a more fossil fuel friendly administration will be elected next year. While I was heartened by TransCanada’s request for the delay, knowing that would keep the pipeline from being used for at least a couple of more years, what we, the environmental community, and the Keystone Pledge of Resistance would really like to see is the rejection of the application. Now that the State Department has rejected halting the review, we are likely to get that.
In rather stunning news, Bernie Sanders and 6 others Senators introduced a bill that would prohibit fossil fuel extraction on public lands, which would keep about half of the available fossil fuels in the ground. This is essential if we are going to have any chance of surviving the coming environmental changes.
Of course the Paris talks are generating a lot of discussion and activists activity.
Finally, last night during a national call of the Keystone Pledge of Resistance, plans were discussed to continue the campaign to try to get Morgan Stanley to stop financing mountain top removal and other fossil fuel projects. Recent actions have resulted in discussions between Morgan Stanley and the environmental movement. But with no commitment to change, further actions are being planned. Evidently there is a Morgan Stanley office in Indianapolis, and we will be taking part in the national day of action against Morgan Stanley on November 19th. Stay turned for details.
As I cry for peace and war and loss, I’ve been thinking of the imagery evoked by the title and words of Elton John’s song, “Candle in the Wind”. It’s difficult to understand why achieving peace is so difficult, when that is what we all want.
Ultimately, we have to make a fundamental choice. One path is building community, believing our true happiness and needs are achieved by sharing our lives with others. We have a deep need to be connected to each other, and want to have opportunities to contribute to the quality of our community’s life. Community builds upon itself and expands as people find ever widening and deepening ways to live together.
The other path focuses on the self and acquiring material possessions. This separates one from community, and results in actions to protect what one has, even at the expense of others.
The impacts of either path spread throughout society like ripples in water. The path of community supports the expanding quality of life for all. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The path of materialism leads to isolation, oppression of others, conflict and war. This requires an enemy as a target to justify wars over resources. This path also expands as violence leads to further violence and oppression. This path infects our own society, highlighted by the recent radical militarization of our domestic police forces, turning our schools into prisons, government spying on us, and the destruction of civil liberties as a few examples.
The current disaster in the Middle East escalated with the first unprovoked invasion of another country by the United States. Despite efforts to try to convince the world otherwise, this unprovoked war was about Iraq’s oil supplies, and to provide a scapegoat for the 911 attacks.
The widening spiral of violence has created what are called terrorist organizations. While their atrocities can not be justified, it is clear these groups are fueled by resentment against military aggression and political marginalization.
It is essential to understand this if we are ever going to effectively address the “terrorist” problem. Continued military and political aggression in the Middle East, expanding now to include Syria, will only fuel the continued growth of terrorist organizations, and increase the likelihood of further terrorist acts in the United States. We need to change, to embrace the path of community, the common good, the brotherhood of all people.
Entire Scattergood Friends School marching 12 miles to Iowa City to protest Vietnam War
Indiana Moral Mondays
KI community discussion
I’ve written before about the Quaker practice of considering queries.
This month’s query is about civic responsibility. My response follows that.
Because Friends believe there is that of God in all people, we strive for a world of freedom, justice and equality for everyone. Believing that progress toward these ideals is advanced by those who devote themselves to the shaping of a just society, we urge Friends to be active and conscientious citizens. This means staying informed on social issues, and on the opinions and activities of our elected representatives and of those seeking office. It is important that Friends speak truth to those in power. We recognize that, in our world, power in government and private sectors lies disproportionately with those of economic means. Speaking out on a personal level in our communities may be difficult, even dangerous, yet by doing so we may encourage others to work for justice.
Our first allegiance is to the Holy Spirit. In general, Friends support the laws of the State; but if those laws directly violate our religious convictions, we may be led to oppose them. When contemplating civil disobedience or unpopular personal testimony, we must carefully consider the spiritual basis for, and honestly face the consequences of our actions.
QUERY
My response:
The Keystone Pledge of Resistance has been in a waiting mode for some time now, awaiting the President’s decision. That whole effort gave me a good sense of what can be accomplished when a small group of committed individuals work together (outside Quaker circles). Much of that effort has been focused on civic engagement and public education. Working with Derek Glass, we produced a video to explain what the Keystone issue was about, and the role of civil disobedience in public discourse. http://bit.ly/keystoneresistance
Along similar lines, Derek Glass is working with the local environmental community to aggregate the blog articles from the many different environmental groups in one location, to make it easier for those who are interested to find all of this related information. http://content.glasswebprojects.com/ That has stimulated me to write more blog articles. I see this in line with the historical Quaker practice of “publishing the truth”. Because a democracy desperately needs well educated and informed citizens. Unfortunately we are seeing what happens when that isn’t the case, today.
Regarding the separation of Church and State, those lines have been blurred recently. A Kentucky clerk’s refusal to obey the law was promoted as infringing on her religious freedom, when actually she was imposing her religious beliefs on the public she was supposed to serve. A broader problem are the so-called “Religious Freedom Acts” fundamentalists are trying to pass, with similar effects. As a religious society, I think it is important for us to try to educate others about this whole issue of Civic Responsibility, and the separation of Church and State, and what religious freedom is.
Indiana Moral Mondays
Black Lives Matter
Asking for civil rights protections for Indiana’s LGBT community
I’m not sure how far the Internet of Things (IoT) has penetrated the general public, yet, but it is going to be the next “big thing”, I think. As a software developer I’ve been following how this is developing when I have free time. I have a couple of IoT boards and have written a few simple programs.
The IoT refers to the regular Internet, with thousands of little sensors plugged into it, broadcasting what it is they are “sensing”. For example, a weather system might have a temperature sensor in a remote location. Via the Internet, the weather station can send a message, asking what temperature that sensor is reading at the moment. There are various ways to control who has access to that data, or it may be open to the public. There are literally millions of these sensors out there today, and many times that will soon appear. They can tell you when your trash is full or turn lighting on and off automatically based on how dark it is. They can sense when it begins to rain, so the windows can be shut (automatically), etc.
I’ve never owned a washer and dryer (more on that another time), so I don’t know if you have already seen this yourself. My apartment building just installed new washers and dryers. There are instruction to go to a website if you want to monitor your laundry remotely. Sitting in my apartment, I can see the screen below from the Internet browser. Washer 1 is finished, washer 2 has 9 minutes left, and another washer and two dryers are available (the third dryer is finished).
Besides the convenience, this type of information in other situations could reduce travel, since one could get a lot of information via IoT that we currently get by driving somewhere. It could significantly reduce travel and storage space for industry, as inventory levels could be reduced by using IoT sensors to monitor supply levels and automatically order additional supplies.
So, About That #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh… Fixing A Broken School System
How is it possible that grown men come into our schools and assault children?
The young person in this video gives a brilliant analysis of the fundamental problems with our educational system today. She clearly shows that the school to prison pipeline has been shortened to the point that the school has become the prison. The school system is broken. She says: just like slaves were captured to work for free, now the police come into the schools to scoop up black youth and take them off to prison to work for free. It is undeniable that black youth are the ones who are targeted. How did our schools become part of systemic racism?
She talks a lot about the development psychology of teenagers, and how educators should know this, and see these behaviors for what they are, instead of provocations for violence.
She also talks a lot about de-escalation, and how teachers and police officers have that as their responsibility, instead of provoking and escalating situations. And how fundamentally, the only thing that works is caring about the students, and dealing with their real issues instead of seeing behavior as requiring punishment.
She gives specific suggestions, such as peer mediation. And looking closely at the roles of teachers and the police regarding discipline.
Finally, she suggests now may be the time to take children out of that broken system.
How is it possible that grown men can come into our schools and assault children? And where is the outrage? Are people so overwhelmed by the continuous onslaught of all this that they just feel helpless? Or is this yet another example of systemic racism, with lack of concern because black youth are targeted?
Is it time to pull kids out of the schools for their own good and even safety? As Imhotep Adisa, Director of the Kheprw Institute says, education should never have been taken out of the community.
This year I’ve been experimenting with using a telephoto lens to get closer to the colored leaves high in the trees. It’s such a challenge to try to do justice to the magnificence of the natural beauty.
Here is a link to the album: Autumn 2015
My Friend Daniel Ballow just posted his reflections after having seen the world premier of APRIL 4, 1968: BEFORE WE FORGOT HOW TO DREAM, by James Still, about the speech Robert F Kennedy gave in Indianapolis, announcing the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As it says on the cover of the DVD, “A Ripple of Hope”, the PBS documentary, “On a night charged with violence, hours after Dr. King was shot, Robert Kennedy ventured into the inner city…”
The Kennedy King Memorial Foundation is devoted to promoting the principles of peace, equality and justice Robert Kennedy spoke of so eloquently that night. The website has a post of a video I made of photos I took at the Kennedy King Memorial Park, showing during audio of the last speech by Dr. King, and then of Robert Kennedy’s speech that night.
Kennedy King Memorial Park photos and video
Every year the community gathers at the park on the anniversary of Dr. King’s death and the speech, as well as on the anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s death.
| Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’m only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some — some very sad news for all of you — Could you lower those signs, please? — I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it’s perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black — considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible — you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization — black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love. For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with — be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times. My favorite poem, my — my favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote: Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King — yeah, it’s true — but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love — a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We’ve had difficult times in the past, but we — and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it’s not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land. And let’s dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much. |
From <http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkonmlkdeath.html>
The NAACP Environmental Justice committee is sponsoring the showing of the movie based on Naomi Klein’s book This Changes Everything. Then on Sunday, November 15th, at 1:00 pm, a community discussion about this book will be held at the Kheprw Institute (KI). NAACP is hoping individuals will donate to pay for tickets that can be distributed through churches to encourage attendance.
“We invite you to attend the movie “This Changes Everything” hosted by the NAACP, Indiana and potential sponsor(s). The movie is based on a book written by Naomi Klein regarding capitalism and climate change.
We will host the movie on November 12th at Traders Point starting at 7:30 pm. There will be brief remarks before the movie and a brief panel discussion after the movie.
Last night’s meeting of North Meadow Friends at the Kheprw Institute (KI) with Imhotep, Pambana, Miss Fair and Alvin was a dream come true for me. I am realizing I’ve known people in both groups for nearly the same amount of time, actually. Lucy Duncan (AFSC) recently asked what it was that gave us hope, and this collaboration does that for me.
Alvin often asks the question what does such and such actually accomplish, and too often the answer hasn’t been any kind of lasting change.
I think one of the few ways to affect change is by changing one person at a time, and the way you change people is by listening to them, and seeing what it is in them you can connect to, and create a space for sharing that allows everyone to feel comfortable examining themselves, and an atmosphere of exploring ideas together, instead of a confrontation and unyielding expression of position. As Imhotep often says, conversation is undervalued. One of the real geniuses of KI’s work has been to refine community conversations for this purpose, led by the community’s youth.
In fact, this resulted in a unique situation last night when Indy10 was also holding a meeting at KI at the same time as this meeting with North Meadow Friends. The experience of a number of Friends with Indy10 had a lot to do with us getting to this point. Indy10 refers to a group of 10 young people who didn’t know each other before they met via social media at the time of Michael Brown’s killing. One of the ten was one of a North Meadow couple, who both became involved with the activities of this group as they tried to address similar issues in Indianapolis, as did I peripherally. There were probably a number of reasons involved, but after several months of intensely working together, the Friends in the group had to leave, with a good deal of trauma. It’s really disappointing when something that ignites your passion somehow goes wrong. It continues to be difficult because Indy10 is really working hard in a way, and on issues that we continue to care deeply about. When others in the meeting (North Meadow Friends meeting) became aware of how traumatized we were by that experience, Evalyn and JT offered to meet with Erin, Kevin and I to try to work through this. Which we did monthly over the past winter and spring, and found to be very helpful.
So when I heard about AFSC’s new program, Quaker Social Change Ministry (QSCM), I immediately recognized it as an implementation of what our meeting has been doing with the post Indy10 meetings, in combination with the various relationships several members of the meeting had developed with KI over the past couple of years. The two main concepts of QSCM are to focus on the spiritual dimensions of our social justice work, and to do more effective work by finding an organization impacted by injustice to work with, and actually spending time and doing work with them. The emphasis is on trying to avoid the mistakes of the past, where Friends tend to try to take charge and solve problems. Instead, we should recognize that those who are experiencing injustice are the ones who know both what the situation really is, and what they need to try to deal with it. I don’t think I would have considered getting involved in QSCM if it wasn’t for already knowing about KI, and how they fit into this model so well, and that many Friends already had a relationship with KI.
And KI had other experiences with Quakers. Several years ago one of the KI youth interns created a video at KI that won the “If I Had a Trillion Dollars” contest sponsored by AFSC. AFSC’s Erin Polley was involved in the contest, and the trip to Washington, DC, that was one of the prizes. Erin, who attends North Meadow, was at last night’s meeting.
It was very interesting to hear people from KI reflect on their work, and on spirituality.
We didn’t come up with much in the way of specific plans. It was more a meeting of hearts than of minds, in a way. But I think we all felt we would like to continue to find ways to work together. And I think this will actually give us some answers to Alvin’s question of did anything really get accomplished. This gives me hope.
Quakers, social justice and revolution 