We all want our opinion heard. If you doubt that, look at postings on social media. You’ll find a multitude of ideas people hold and want desperately to pass on to others, because they know they’re right and want everyone else to know and do right. Today’s Thursday Thought quote gives a different perspective.
A new United Nations report has an answer. It points out that almost 71 million people have left their home countries, not because they want to but because that’s the only way they and their children can escape persecution, violence, and war. That’s approximately 1 in every 108 people living on this planet. We’re seeing them flee to our country, but so are other countries (ask Germany).
What’s wrong with us? Can’t we work harder toward peace? Get rid of world leaders who are egomaniacs, narcissists, power-hungry, greedy, or killing people in the name of God? Can’t we work on ourselves and our attitude of “We don’t care, because we’re fine here?”–an attitue that leads us to complacency and acceptance of violence and hatred we see in our daily lives?
Can’t we remember that, after all, we are a family of human beings?
It’s a phrase that has recently become popular, although it is, by no means, new. It goes back to 1955, when the Quakers used it to urge our country to stand up to all forms of totalitarianism, especially fascism. (It was the title of one of their pamphlets.)
Today, it refers to holding a deep belief in what you say about injustice and using all nonviolent means to have people hear you. It’s standing up and speaking up, often (but not always) to government. “Speak truth to power” takes the courage of your convictions.
Too often the phrase is used to justify saying something to Authority that people in authority don’t want to hear.
But, for many, it’s intention is the same today as it was in the 1950s: to change our old thinking about violence and injustice; to reject both; and to embrace peace and justice. I like that idea very much.
When I hear shouts of White superiority I can’t help wondering if it’s because we’re mutants. Humans didn’t start out white. Scientists attribute the lighter skin to a genetic mutation as people migrated northward. It was a small change in the DNA code–just one letter out of the 3.1 billion letters in the human genome. The change didn’t add strength, intelligence, compassion, power, or supremacy. Yet somehow that tiny difference elevates us above all other DNA codes in some people’s minds.
Can someone please explain the logic to me?
There are two energy-gobblers you stare at daily yet don’t think much about. One is your DVR. If you seldom use it, unplug it until you actually do want to use it. The other is your cable box. While away on vacation, unplug it, too. These items draw a lot of power, even when not in use but while still plugged in.
[For more easy, money-saving, earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]
More ISIS and Taliban bombings in the news, killing more children. My question for those groups is this: What have the children done to offend your god? I ask, too, Is your concept of Allah that of a supreme being who wants you to cause suffering and death to children who have no power or say over who they are, where they live, or what the adults around them do?
My Muslim friends are as horrified as I am.
Although I’d love to switch from an environmentally harmful gas car, I’ve had several concerns. One is that there haven’t been any electric mini vans made (I need one to carry my handicap scooter), but that’s changing, according to this morning’s news. Another is the slow-moving plans for long-lasting batteries that can adequately be recycled once they die. Price, obviously, has been a factor, as well, although competition is starting to have some effect there. And my monthly electricity bill has been a deterrent–until I learned that gas would have to go down to a dollar a gallon to be as cheap as electric power for vehicles.
I look at old faithful–my 2004 Dodge Caravan–and know she won’t last forever. Maybe I’ll eventually replace her with an electric van. In may garage, at least, if not in my heart.
Today is a day when all Americans are urged to take control of their and their country’s destiny. It’s National Voter registration Day. If you haven’t registered, do it today. It’s so easy, you can do it online…right now. Search “register to vote online [your state]” and take two minutes to fill out the form.
Some people want to wait to see who the Presidential candidates are. Wrong approach if you really want to have a say in who is our next President. We have more power when we decide who the candidates will be, which means voting in the Primaries. Why have to choose between two people we don’t really want when the best person for the job was beaten in the Primaries–and we didn’t cast our vote then?
Do it. Take power today.
This one’s for people who know that wind is not a practical source of power.
Just look at Denmark. They overdid it with their wind farms, and now they have more power than they need. Last week their wind farms produced 116% of the power their country needed. At one point, when there was a drop in energy demand, that figure went up to 140%.
Being neighborly, they shared their excess power with Germany, Norway, and Sweden.
Not a bad showing. And they don’t have nearly as many blow-hard politicians as we have.