betmo’s thankful edition

it’s that time of year again where the leaves blow in the cold autumn wind and folks all over america suddenly get thankful for family and friends who get on their nerves the other 364 days a year.  yep- it’s almost thanksgiving.  in the interest of full disclosure, thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

i must say that i have been reviewing my life lately- as i have reconnected with my past over at facebook- and i am so very thankful i live the life i do.  at this moment in my life, i wouldn’t change a thing.  i have good friends and a faithful, loving family who puts up with me- and i even have folks who enjoy reading what i write   and, because i live in america, i am not the one getting blown to bits by americans over in foreign lands.  i can live in safety because my countrymen are busy depriving others of theirs.

and, in full, decadent, american style- i am serving turkey with all the trimmings.  all homemade because i have the luxury of time.  i have time to devote the effort and love needed to make my loved ones happy.  i have loved ones to make happy.  i am indeed one of the most fortunate women on the planet.  i did not say the richest- i said the most fortunate.

i hope everyone is thankful for what they do have- and takes a moment to dwell on that instead of what they don’t have.  namaste.

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Violence is Easy. Peace is Hard.

“I will offer you a simple litmus test to determine whether a person has healthy or unhealthy religion. What do they do with their pain-even their daily little disappointments? Do they transform their pain or do they transmit it? People who are practiced in transforming actual life pain, like Jesus on the cross, are the only spiritual authorities worth following. They know. They can lead and teach. The rest of us just talk.” ~Richard Rohr, OFM

In our neighborhood this month, a local man named Steven Mallory unprovokedly assaulted a volunteer at the free meal site for the poor. After fleeing the scene, minutes later, he brutally attacked the police officer who stopped him for questioning. In self defense, the policeman had to shoot, and he killed Steven. Our “inner city” neighborhood, although not a stranger to crime, was shaken to the core. So much violence! A life ended, others severely damaged–all within minutes [for the complete story and video: Violent End to a Violent Life: Our Neighborhood Nightmare].

From the moment I heard there would be a prayer service in response to that horrid sequence of events, I knew I would attend. The service was last week.

The short, simple event attempted to respond peacefully to that violence. People who knew or were related to the perpetrator, people who serve in the neighborhood, neighbors–we all gathered in the site that provides free meals. We sang, reflected, and shared. We stood and extended our hands, symbolically calling down a blessing of peace on the area–in each of the four directions.

Unquestioningly, the testimony of the volunteer, Rylan Bebermeyer, who had been assaulted at that very room, moved me deeply. His lip was split in the unprovoked punch, an attack he did not even see coming, an attack that required 15 stitches to fix. As a neighbor to the Café myself, seeing his bloody gurney going into the ambulance had been my first indication of the trouble that day. He had looked like a character from the movie Rocky–and he even almost chuckled as he recalled that fact himself to the group.

Rylan also recalled that he had prayed early that morning that he would be open to whatever the day would bring to him. As he spoke of the incident his face mirrored deep peace. He expressed no anger–only gratitude: “I never once had a feeling of anger toward Steve. What good would have anger done?”

Instead Rylan remembered gratefully the many people who assisted him–including even the woman upon whom he fell: “…right over there [pointing]. I fell on her. She kept me from hitting the corner on my way down.”

Nonviolence is not “goody two-shoes,” otherworldly, nor something vapid or “feel good.” The person who can integrate undeserved pain deliberately inflicted on him is not taking the easy way out. Our neighborhood is healing. Violence is easy. Peace is hard.

———

Thanks to the blog “St. Anne, Pray for Us“ for bringing the quotation from Rohr to my attention.

Crossposted at BorderExplorer’s blog.

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None of them knew what to do

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, President-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush
all posed for a group picture in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday. (White House photo by Eric Draper). It was a very momentous occasion, requested by President-elect Obama and hosted by our current president (OCP). First there was a private meeting at which reportedly, the old heads advised our new president-to-be on how he could avoid being caught in a White House bubble of group-think, and how a President Obama could make it more possible for his people to bring him bad news. At the end there was a dynamite photo-op for everyone, during which these distinguished gentlemen were discussing the current Oval Office rug.

In an escalating Israeli/Palestinian conflict, at the same time half way around the world, there were people working very hard to kill each other . The headlines had been very troubling for several days: The Raw Story: A Norwegian doctor reports that “Israel intentionally targeted civilians*” (1/5/09). McClatchy: “Airstrike kills 3 at Gaza school-UN*” (1/6/08). Informed Comment: “Israel/Gaza Cyberwar and parallels to Abu Ghraib*” (1/6/09). And recently, Informed Comment: “Something Horrible has been Discovered*” (1/7/09) Cole’s post linked to The Telegraph/UK headline: “Gaza medics describe horror of strike which killed 70” (1/8/09).

Any talk of the Middle East? One could wonder whether the Oval Office occupants had anything to say in their meeting about how the United States has been forever unable to help generations of these determined combatants achieve a lasting peace. In turn each of these powerful “leaders of the free world” have been singularly unsuccessful as Middle East peacemakers. War-makers, yes; temporary agreements, yes; but peacemakers with permanence, no.

Madeleine Albright’s book, “Madam Secretary” recounts a great deal about how hard former presidents have tried for peace. About Carter, elected in 1976, she said,

President Carter was one of our most intelligent chief executives and one who showed a fierce  dedication to conflict prevention and individual human dignity both during and after his term in office. He was a proactive President who achieved much in foreign policy, including the historic Middle East Peace Accords at Camp David. . . . Politically, however he was unlucky.

About Bush 41, Albright observed, regarding her work in the Clinton administration in 1997,

People were worried about Saddam’s weapons and asking what we were going to do. . . No serious consideration was given to actually invading Iraq. The senior President Bush had not invaded when given the chance with hundreds of thousands of troops already in the region during the Gulf War.

In Albright’s Chronology of her diplomatic work are included these pertinent entries: 11/4/92 – Bill Clinton elected President. 6/26/93 – U.S. bombs Iraqi intelligence headquarters in retaliation for assassination attempt against former President George Bush. 9/13/93 – Israeli and Palestinian leaders sign Oslo Declaration of Principles. 1/23/97 – MKA sworn in as 64th secretary of state. 10/15/98 – Middle East talks result in Wye River Memorandum. 7/11-25/2000 – Middle East summit. 9/28/2000 – Israeli politician Ariel Sharon visits the Temple Mount/Haram alSharif, violence breaks out. January 2001 – Last efforts to negotiate Middle East settlement failed.

“More than meets the eye.” Following shortly after that we saw the Republicans take over. For a time the Middle East appeared to be quiescent. It was not of great concern to George W. Bush, until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. That tragic loss of American life set the U.S. on a path in the Middle East that largely ignored the unsolved conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Walls went up, Israel withdrew from Gaza, Hamas won an election, Ariel Sharon left the picture and tensions grew. The war in Lebanon happened. In all of these things the U.S. efforts were absent or made relatively little difference. All eyes have been on Afghanistan and mostly, Iraq.

President-elect Obama has promised to turn attention form Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan. And he is not talking much about Israel and Palestine, reminding that “we have one president at a time.” At the end of last year an important article appeared on Steve Clemons’ blog, The Washington Note: “Daniel Levy: What Next on Israel/Gaza? Why Should Americans Care?” (12/28/08). This brilliant thinker asked a number of important questions that should have prompted some actions or answers from the Republican administration or former Republican leaders or opinion makers.

But these are the stories that appeared. From at-Largely came this story, “John Bolton continues to have no clue but plenty of propaganda…*” (1/5/09). See also Think Progress: “Gaza Crisis Means We Should Attack Iran Now#” (1/1/09). And this appeared at ThinkProgress: “Perino: Ground Invasion Will Help ‘Create A More Stable And Secure Area’ For People Of Gaza*” (1/5/09). AlterNet asks my question: “Why Do So Few Speak Up for Gaza?*” (1/7/08). And now this Happy News — AlterNet: “Israeli Militants Poised to Resettle Gaza After Assault*” (1/7/09).

I have not listened to the news today. Absolutely everything might have changed. It will not make any difference what the Bush administration does because, as Politico says: “Gaza reshuffles [the] Israeli political deck” (1/8/09) for Barack Obama. And none of his predecessors in the Oval Office can tell him what to do, because they do not know. None of them figured out the magic formula. Perhaps there is none. But one thing upon which you can count is that our new President will give it his best. He sees the world with very different eyes than the people in the picture, and that is a good thing.

Hat Tip Key: Regular contributors of links to leads are “betmo*” and Jon#.

(Cross-posted at The Reaction.)

My “creativity and dreaming” post today is at Making Good Mondays.

Technorati tags: news news and politics president israel gaza middle east

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Sentiment of the Season

And now, time for today’s saccharine message.  Just kidding on the sweet reference…

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peace- huh! what is it good for?

absolutely everything.  i haven’t been writing much lately because i have been doing much thinking.  processing- i suppose.  the more things change- the more they stay the same.  human nature.  i have also been reading about chinese buddhism- a book by master hsing yun ‘only a great rain‘- and i am convinced that the ancients were really on to something there.  this planet and this life is filled with chaos and hatred and negativity- and really, it’s only going to get worse as more and more folks suffer.  we have 6 billion people on a planet that can’t sustain that many and we are using up our resources like crazy.  we don’t have much time as a species.

but we can certainly make this life the best one we can- and i respect the buddhists premise that in seeking dharma towards our enlightenment- we must strive to help all other sentient beings get there too.  what a nice idea.  the truth is we need each other.  the buddhist believe everything is interconnected- and science has pretty much proven that idea over and over- and that one cannot exist without another.  john donne said as much when he said ‘no man is an island’- and as times become tougher and resources become scarcer- we will need each other as never before.

there is a gap in our skill sets over the last 100 years.  we have millions of people in this country who believe that feeding yourself involves driving to the grocery store and buying food to take home and cook.  they believe that getting a drink involves turning on your tap or buying water in plastic bottles.  our way of life isn’t sustainable and the few folks out there who know how to build a cook fire or catch rain for irrigation or which vegetable grows well in which season- well, their numbers are dwindling.  family farms are dwindling.  it’s getting to be very depressing to live right now- here  on this planet where everything seems to be going wrong at the same time.

but it doesn’t have to be.  a big part of what i learned working in human services- teamwork.  yep.  one person doesn’t- and shouldn’t- carry the weight for everyone all of the time.  while one person rests, another takes up the burden and we all work together.  president obama cannot do this alone and he is putting together a great team at the top to help guide america through these tough times.  but they can’t carry the insurmountable weight themselves.  we must look at each other with new eyes.  we must see that we are all americans and all fellow inhabitants of planet earth and we must work together to carry the burden.  look at what people accomplished by sharing the load- the great pyramids; grains to feed the whole world; the internet- but we must reach down deep inside for our inner strength.  we must remain positive and strong- we cannot afford to allow fear and insecurity take hold again as we did collectively after 9/11.

we are made of stronger stuff.  we are made of tougher stuff- and quite frankly, there are billions of people on this planet who lived through worse times than we.  when you feel sorry for yourself, or get depressed- remember that there is always someone somewhere worse off than you.  it helps reset the perspective button.

from my google reader:

please keep stoking the embers of positivity

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submitting isn’t peace

wow- what a week! and it’s only tuesday. guess it still feels like last week when the world’s economy is up in the air. and the farce- i mean election- here in america still drones on. apparently, and i missed this, there was a debate between candidates last friday. at least i think it was last friday- who even knows? i mean really, why would you hold a debate in the middle of an economic crisis? oh right… so, my posts lately at my blog have been a bit doom and gloomish and here too- and really not much has changed that outlook. actually, it’s a bit disheartening when the research i started almost 3 years ago- turned out to be right on. it’s scary. but, onwards and upwards…

so, i started thinking about peace- as i do every monday night preparing for posting here at the peace tree- and i read through the google reader for inspiration. yep. sigh. not much good news out there.    i read lots of blogs and there are a few that pique my interests- lately the focus for me has been about right versus left. i am having a really hard time with people who are right of center. really hard. i cannot fathom how much the rightwing hates the left, but apparently, it’s enough to get them to vote against their own best interests rather than vote away from the iceberg. and i began to realize that i will most likely never reach anything close to enlightenment in this lifetime.

because i won’t forgive the rightwing and the bevy of corporates and the christian zealots for destroying this planet and this country.

one blog i read questioned whether right versus left was counterproductive. of course it is. any conflict that resorts to violence is counterproductive. and believe me- some folks on the right would love to open hunting season on anyone from the left. anytime you put opposites in a competition, it gets ugly. which is why the tragedy in iraq is so…. well, there aren’t words for ethnic cleansing. the tragedy is compounded by the greed and lies that started it and is now ruining millions of lives here and there- as well as helping to kill the planet.

and still people vote republican. i cannot wrap my head around it.

we have to stand against the coming fascism.  voting isn’t enough anymore.  the deck is stacked and the good guys don’t win.  we must pass on the seeds of activism and freedom so that it doesn’t die with us.  it is probably the very least that we can do.

“Peace is not the absence of conflict; it’s a way through it. Because we humans are always going to be in conflict in some form or another, making peace means actively addressing conflict and injustice – not running away from it — using nonviolent methods.”

cross posted at the peace tree

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Music Too!!! I Love Music.

Over at my Alien Trucker site I have a feature that is mostly music. I call it “If You Get Confused…” in reference to the Garcia/Hunter song “Franklins Tower” made famous by the Grateful Dead. (One of the lines Jerry sang was “If you get confused listen to the music play.”)
My tastes are eclectic, covering a wide range of styles from the Blues to old country. I like all kinds of music but cover songs seem to be my favorite. So Many artists pay tribute to the originals by doing fine renditions of the songs. In this one I present Dolly Parton doing John Lennon.

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wish lists

i know that there was a movie out recently- ‘the bucket list’ or something to that effect- but i didn’t see it. i don’t make wish lists anymore. when i was packing to move, i ran across an old list i had made when i needed something to look forward to and i realized that i had everything on that list. and of course, i started thinking about all that i had and the so very many people who don’t have even a fraction of what i have- and it made me grateful that i do have what i have. i used the vacation as a time to start through the summer reading list- lord knows i didn’t take any real political books (naomi klein stayed home ) i didn’t want to really be put on a list somewhere- i mean i have to be on somebody’s list somewhere- but not on the no fly list (for my husband’s sake). anyhoo, i took some of the buddhist themed books and it really seemed to click in my mind. the idea that we are all inherently bound together on this planet- like it or not- and that we need to reconnect with each other in a loving and compassionate way- because violence only begets violence. and we need to reconnect with the planet on a basic level and restore a harmony and a balance. and we don’t.

the biggest theme i have been taking from a cross section of books- we have to start the process from within first or it won’t work. working towards peace won’t work if we are anti-war. my big hurdle is overcoming my distaste and disgust for the right wing neo cons- let’s face it, the sean hannitys and the michael savages of the world are not easy to like- let alone feel any sort of basic respect for. but i have to work on that- on a basic human level. we can’t pick and choose who we feel love and compassion for and expect there to be peace on the planet. as long as there’s the ‘us versus them’ mentality or the ‘our way is best’ mindset- there will always be war and greed and power struggles. not easy. i can see why folks turn to one of the three big religions- hey, just abdicate all power to an unseen entity and then pray for forgiveness. no responsibility or accountability- in the name of god. far easier than actually changing the way you approach the world.

engaged buddhism is actually practicing what you learn- connecting with the planet and the people in order that all may share happiness and peace. not through proselytizing- but by just projecting the peace and happiness from within us to the world. sharing it with others and realizing that they are all searching for the same goals we are. and as i said- i struggle. i am a real newbie when it comes to walking on the eightfold path. yep. i have a feeling it is going to be an uphill struggle for me not to isolate myself away from the stupidity and greed and selfishness that our culture promotes. i want to set up a meditation place for myself in my new home because i have a feeling i am going to need it. the backyard bunnies feel like better companions for me than human beings at this point- but i am going to walk. i am not going to try- i am just going to step out onto a new path on life’s journey.

mindful politics: a buddhist guide to making the world a better place

the tao of eating: feeding your soul through everyday experiences

creating true peace: ending violence in yourself, your family, your community, and the world

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political and peace poetry

i am very proud of some of the poetry i have written for peace poets- with the poetryman. pm has many things going on- a book through amazon, as well as, numerous blogs and collaborative efforts. the peace tree is another site i write for- and pm took it over when the previous owner needed to leave it behind. haiku is a japanese form of poetry and i love the fact that you have to boil it down to such a rigid structure. each word is carefully selected in order to convey the thought of the poet. haiku is not traditionally political but i find that the structure suits my writing style- and i am sure the ancients would understand the evolution of the genre. please- take a peek- a bit of summer reading on the internets.

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How I learned to Drive Manual Transmission

Yesterday, I spoke with my ex-husband about his upcoming trip to Israel with our son. They needed a car, they needed trip insurance, they need some hotels, and he needed my professional help. Yes, I’m a travel professional. Don’t try this at home. We talked about what kind of car he wanted to rent, and he said “Not a Fiat 500″ and we both burst out laughing. We’d met on Kibbutz, in Israel, and that Fiat played a part in our story.

In May, 1969, I moved to Israel. I was 20 years old, a college drop-out, and an idealist who felt shattered by the direction the United States had moved: Richard Nixon was our President, we were enmeshed in a horrible war in Viet Nam, our nation was torn apart. What better thing for a young Jewish girl to do than move to a new nation, become a pioneer, farm, get my hands dirty. My parents dropped me at the airport, and off I went on my new adventure.

I met my ex- on the first day I arrived. He literally grabbed my art portfolio out of my hands and carried it to the housing block I was assigned. He was on a bicycle. He thought he was dashing. I thought he was an asshole. So began 22 years of ragged togetherness before it ended in divorce. Hell, we get along better divorced than we ever did married, but that’s a whole nother story.

This story is about a four cylinder Fiat 500, a car that was manual transmission and only had two cylinders working. It wasn’t our car. It didn’t really belong to anyone, exactly. This girl purchased it in Spain for $500, drove the hell out of it until she appeared on the Kibbutz one day, parked it, and stayed for a month. She left, and somehow the car (and the keys) stayed. Somehow, we had those keys. So, we just sort of decided we had right of first whatever.

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back from the longest walk

spadoman has returned from the longest walk as he has a bad case of bronchitis, but he is on the mend and posted over at his place today. he will be sharing some of his experiences along but i jumped the gun and decided to post his latest here today. welcome back my friend! betmo

I’ll start at the beginning. The trip itself is over for now. I am home. I had to come home. I got sick with bronchitis and wasn’t having any luck healing while working and on the road. I guess that’s the end, not the beginning, but when I left Ashland on January 27th, I didn’t have any idea of what was about to happen on The Longest Walk.

The trip itself had a few segments. When I left I traveled South towards New Mexico and Arizona across the midsection of America. I pulled into Flagstaff Arizona a day after a 17 inch snowfall. I went a little further South to Sedona where I stopped in at my brother’s place. My brother and his wife were gone on a cruise. My sister was staying with my Mother at my brother’s place. I stayed a few days and visited with Mom.

On February 4th, a Sunday, I took off and headed West. I was going to veer to the Northwest and Tahatchapi pass, but weather had moved in and the reports said that the pass was closed due to snow. I went straight West into the Northern edge of Los Angeles and took The Grapevine North on I-5.

I thought it strange that there was no traffic going South and there was no cars or other traffic behind me. I was the last car headed North. they had closed the pass behind me. I passed a long line of semi trucks that were slowly creeping across the San Gabriel Mountains and pulled into a rest area for a snooze.

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circle of life

thanks to fran for getting that song stuck in my head fran talked about the circle of life in her last post about talking with her mom about letting go of her past life- her home- and how her mom had done that for her grandma. as you can see- it got me thinking. i do that often these days- there is much to think about and try and process. and i have been trying to find some inner peace because part of me is a fighter- and stubborn at that (yes, really) and the other part of me isn’t- and there’s inner conflict. my rational self usually comes out on top- but not always. and so- here i am. life has a way of coming around full circle too. fran talks about the turnabout of caring for a mother who was always so independent and took care of them- and i have a similar situation with my mom. there are so many adjustments to make and emotions to work through- and the circle turns.

i feel kind of the same way about global events. not that we don’t have control over some of them- but that if humans go extinct- perhaps that’s part of the circle. we are born- we live- we die. now, the religious among us believe that we end up in either heaven, hell or purgatory (i can’t remember but i think the pope may have done away with that on some level)- and so our soul lives forever. perhaps. there’s really only one way to find out- and then we can’t share i am not a buddhist but i do try to find peace in the buddhist tenets- and i have to say that out of any religion i have looked at- the buddhists have something here. in full disclosure- i am a recovering christian.

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spadoman update

our co-conspirator- i mean co-blogger- spadoman is currently walking “…for peace and justice, I am walking to clean up mother earth, I am walking for all life, which is sacred, and I am trying to make a difference. I will spend the rest of my life on this endeavor, even long after the walk is over.”

i believe the southern group of walkers is currently in arizona. spadoman does walk a bit but he also drives support vehicles and cooks and whatnot. whatever the folks need done. the recent spate of illnesses plaguing america didn’t leave him out either and he is recovering from bronchitis- but emailed to say he is better. this is what he had to say about the walk:

“This spiritual walk is amazing. The most humbling experience of my life. I am on the elders counsel and have assumed the duties as transportation coordinator, like I did in the movie business, but with out the 4 grand per week paychecks. My eyes are being open to many more concerns. More than you mention. The greedy corporations are really killing mother earth. As we go through indian reservations, the people talk to us and tell us of their problems. It isn’t the usual white man taking our land, and although that still exists, it is the poisoning of the land with chemicals, the youth that have no where to turn and no direction and buy into the corporate drug and crime life of gangs. the people are helpless as they are abandoned here in these desolate parts of america. What happens to these people happens to all of us. never before have i felt so together with people of color. All life is sacred is the theme and is never forgotten. This is for all humanity, not just for indians. We are writing a manifesto to deliver to washington, dc when we get there in july. i will be instrumental in this writing and am so honored to do so. I went to Cesar Chavez’s national United farm Worker hedquarters and it was such an honor to be there. I have made many new friends from around the country and around the world.”Check out some of the blog articles and pictures at:

longestwalk.org

truthout recently covered the walk as well- check it out here

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our very own spadoman

as many of you know, spadoman is participating in the longest walk and is on hiatus indefinitely. mrs. spadoman emailed me to give me the head’s up on this breaking story out of bakersfield…

“We’re walking for all these good causes, fighting heart disease and diabetes and other illnesses. We’re walking for peace and justice,” said Joseph Spado, who is involved with the effort.

story here

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Let’s tell Betsy Ross how good we feel

Not bad for a guy who used to be a postal worker in a Chicago suburb, eh? I love John Prine.

Crossposted at Journeys With Jood

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