A generation can do great things OR things that harm us all and future generations.
Archive for December 15, 2018
Guns: Where we stand in the World
The CDC has compiled all its 2017 statistics and revealed a startling fact: almost 40,000 people died last year from guns in the U.S. That’s the highest number in 40 years. (1999 saw 30,000 such deaths.) It’s also the third year in a row of increase, after years of stable numbers.
Worldwide, our country makes up 14.2% of gun deaths, surpassed only by Brazil, with 17.2% of the world’s gun-related deaths. Note that we aren’t talking war here–except individually against other individuals and ourselves. A good number of U.S. gun deaths (60%) are suicides, and we see daily news reports about someone shooting people in schools, venues, and places of worship.
You can read more specifics in the Huffington Post article U.S. Gun Violence Claimed More Lives In 2017 Than Ever: CDC.
I don’t care if you’re pro-gun, anti-gun, or something in between. It’s obvious that gun violence is an epidemic in America, one that needs a cure. Studies have shown that it isn’t because we have more people with mental health problems here–countries with similar numbers of those people don’t have the gun violence we have.
So what is the cause? We don’t know but must get serious about finding out. And what is the cure? Again, we don’t know but MUST get serious about finding out.
Boost Your Immune System
Today’s Thursday Thought tells us an easy way (well, maybe not always easy) to have a healthier immune system and therefore a healthier body and so a happier life. We should all practice it often.
A Day to Celebrate Being Human
Seventy years ago today, in 1948, the U.N. adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That’s pretty good–that many countries agreeing on something. With all the burnings and shootings of people in various houses of worship, with all the greed reflected on corporations taking naturally occurring water to bottle or polluting it, all for profit , leaving the local inhabitants to go to war over what’s left, with the inequities in justice systems ensuring that the poor will live in jail and the rich will buy their way out, with human slavery and degradation–what this declaration means should be taken to heart:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all.
- Human rights are relevant to all of us, every day.
- Our shared humanity is rooted in these universal values.
- Equality, justice and freedom prevent violence and sustain peace.
- Whenever and wherever humanity’s values are abandoned, we all are at greater risk.
- We need to stand up for our rights and those of others.
Something worth thinking about today and practicing every day.
Remembering The Arizona & Veterans
have vivid memories of my experience in visiting the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. The visit began with a film showing the horrors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. My eyes blurred with tears. Then there was the choppy boat trip to the monument, a short distance from other coffin-ships which suffered the same fate as the Arizona. So many names filled the wall behind the altar-like steps, and the hush of the crowd echoed the silent voices trapped deep beneath us. Little was said on the trip back to land, as we all found ourselves deep in thought.
This Veterans Day I’m thinking the Canadians are right to call it “Remembrance Day.” It’s important to remember and honor our veterans, those who fought for our way of life. It’s even more important to remember that we should work toward a time when the reason for such occasions is only a bad memory.
Hug a veteran. Pray for peace.
KEA: A Great Idea!
Kaskazi Environmental Alliance (KEA) has an exciting, innovative idea: teach E. Africans about the importance of their environment and how that environment affects everyone on Earth; get them excited about and active in preserving their eco-system; and provide jobs that will help them pull themselves out of poverty.
KEA will offer marine science programs to the people who will be stewards of the Earth in the future–the youth. They will also build a world-class aquarium and marine research and conservation center. Additionally, they plan to turn a dangerous eyesore of a dump into a recycling center Through all of this, they will employ local people, giving them life-saving jobs and hope for a better future.
I think this U.S.-based not-for-profit has the right idea. And the group creating and running it has the vision, energy, and dedication to make it work.
KEA is only a few years old. However, as it goes along, , I believe it will act just like its namesake, the African Kaskazi winds, calming the storms of poverty, environmental degradation, and inadequate education.
I’ll be watching them…and reporting on them here from time to time. Meanwhile, learn more about KEA by going to their website, www.KEAinc.org.
Weird Christmas Gifts
Are you among the millions of people stumped for a Christmas gift for that special (or un-special) someone? Think outside of the gift wrapping…and enjoy a laugh. Check out these 41 Weird Christmas Gifts That Even Normal People Will Love.
Happy or Merry: the December Debate
We’re back to “Merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays.” Many Christians are enraged by “Happy Holidays.” Apart from the fact that, to be reverent, we should take our greeting out of party mode (“merry”) and wish people a blessed Christmas, I invite everyone to consider this: There are at least a dozen religious holidays in December, not just Christmas. Three are purely Catholic (Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Feast of the Holy Family), others are for all Christians (St. Nicholas Day, Posadas Navidenas, Holy Innocents Day, and Christmas). Muslims celebrate Mawlid el-Nabi and Mawlid un-Nabi, Jews have Hanukkah, and Zoroastrians Zarathosht Diso and Yalda. Right after New Year’s, when we all tell God that we will try to be better children for Him, comes the Buddhists’ Bodhi Day. Obviously, God in His infinite wisdom, not only made his children diverse but also nudges us toward Him in various ways. So, please don’t take offense if you hear me say “happy holidays.” If I don’t know if a person is Christian, I’ll respect God’s child and the way God is calling to him.
Natural Wonders
So many of us don’t give a thought to avoiding the use of and/or recycling of paper. Which was once part of a tree. Here’s why I care:
According to the Univ. of Indiana, each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!