tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28891368297371734602024-02-07T18:41:24.295-06:00Mighty Waters of LifeCarla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-46992066376332677992019-02-27T10:09:00.000-06:002019-03-03T16:45:17.099-06:00One Child's LifeThis morning I woke up thinking about a child living in poverty, feeling hunger, being ill, not having warm clothing. And then I thought of a billionaire. What makes the actual life of the billionaire more important than the life of a poor child? And, from there, what makes the life of a poor child less valuable than the lives of my upper-middle-class friends who are flying to warm places in airplanes, staying in resorts, and playing on warm beaches? Both the billionaires and the upper middle class received considerable tax breaks this year. The poor received nothing, and the near-poor will quite possibly end up paying more taxes than they did the year before.<br />
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In my mind's eye, I saw the child, and the billionaire, and I cried. As I write this the tears keep coming. How can our culture be so heartless, so uncaring? We try to protect ourselves from the knowledge of our selfishness and being culpable for seeking our own advantage rather than working to help those who need it.<br />
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And, if I line this up with the latest indications of the impacts of human-caused climate change, the rich-poor injustices only mount. It is the rich nations and rich families that create substantially more greenhouse gases that drive climate change. The poor live in areas that are more likely to be polluted. They do not fly to other states and countries to vacation. They keep the heat turned low. If they live in subsidized housing, too often the heat is electric, which is hugely inefficient and very costly. The people who live in subsidized housing are not only poor, but they are also likely to be families with young children, people with significant disabilities or elderly.<br />
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This isn't about "fairness" here, it's about the value of human life and the reduction of suffering. There is suffering that is unavoidable. Terrible illness can afflict anyone of any economic class. But suffering from cold, hunger, lack of adequate clothing, lack of health care, and no or unreliable transportation, these are not experienced by the wealthy or middle class in this country. Those who experience hunger, inadequate housing, health care, or lack of transportation are those who are poor. It is shameful that whether we acknowledge it or not, we clearly value the lives of the wealthy and middle class far more than we value the lives of those who are poor.<br />
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It is beyond time for this to change! We need to change the tax structure in this country. We also need to figure out ways to stop contributing to the swollen bank accounts of the very wealthy of other countries. Worldwide, we need to level the playing fields, to assure everyone on earth the rights delineated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. <a href="http://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf">http://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf</a><br />
<br />Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-87781893038306274012012-06-21T18:41:00.001-05:002012-06-21T18:44:47.348-05:00Writing Letters to the Editor and to Congressional MembersSo the energy thing really has me going. Sand mining continues apace in this area of Wisconsin. New mines are being sought, developed and opened faster than most of us can even begin to keep up with. Town and County boards are unable to understand the ramifications of the projects they approve, and believe what representatives of the industry tell them. There will be new jobs, they say. It will actually improve the roads because there will be a bigger tax base. There are no health implications. These are all suspect kinds of statements, because there is little to no evidence that mining of any kind improves much beyond the corporate bottom line. I am going to explore in much greater depth the water implications of sand mining because it's hard for me to believe that using millions of gallons of water that then sits in holding ponds is "a good thing." In fact, I suspect it may be a very Bad Thing.<br />
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I went to a workshop recently about writing effective letters to the editor. I intend to take the sand mining issue, especially the water implications as my focus for a while. I hope to be able to get some letters to the editor in both larger and smaller newspapers in the next few months, so that people will think more critically about allowing these kinds of mining operations to take place without many safeguards in place, without making the mining corporations pay for all the damages to air quality, water resources, and the lives of citizen-taxpayers living in the vicinity.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-19641033423379837892012-05-21T09:16:00.000-05:002012-05-21T09:16:04.679-05:00Starting Again - New DirectionI have not posted on this blog for some time. However, recent events in my region of Wisconsin have sparked my concerns for the land, water and people of this special place on the planet. Our State has now suffered under a regressive political party that has reduced the income of thousands of people to put wealth in the hands of a few members of the 1%. Our environmental quality is being degraded due to lack of enforcement of environmental regulations, to the growth of sand mining activity in our area, and to the lack of protections for air and water quality.<br />
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I am a Catholic Christian, definitely in my senior years. I am a woman who, at the beginning of my working life, worked as a planner in antipoverty agencies, regional planning agencies, and in policy and budget planning for a State health care financing bureau. For the last 16 years I have worked as a psychotherapist and I've also been a spiritual director for the last six years. I care deeply about people, individually and collectively, and the planet we all inhabit. I believe that the Creation - all of it - is sacred, because it is loved by God.<br />
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Humans emerged from the dust of the earth. We have the life of God breathed and breathing in us. We have a special place in this world, having the capacity to comprehend, reflect upon, and live in awe in this awesome universe/multiverse. We do not have the right to destroy other people, other species, the land, the air, the water. To do so is not only a mistake, it it is evil.<br />
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We have the sacred privilege to know and love God, (the "God of our understanding," as they say in AA). We have been enjoined by spiritual leaders of all religions to love "our neighbor" whomever she or he may be. We have the joyful responsibility to tend and care for this earth. I am devoting this particular blog to exploration of the human mission here on earth, as described above, i.e., love for God, neighbor (everyone), and the earth. Much of what I write will relate to what is happening here in west central Wisconsin. I will look at how the love of God, love of neighbor and care for earth is being reflected (or not) in what happens here, and in the responses of various individuals, groups, policies and political alliances to unfolding events. I will make suggestions about ways to better show, tell, and expand such love. I will bemoan what appear to me to be failures and celebrate when I see examples of care and creative response.<br />
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Here are some of the kinds of issues and events that concern me most at this time:<br />
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<ul>
<li>how people with greater needs are treated, especially those people with mental illness, addiction, chronic physical illnesses</li>
<li>what happens to people with few financial means</li>
<li>the sand mining issue, especially as it relates to water quality, public health, people's livelihoods and their ability to enjoy their own homes and land</li>
<li>health care access for people of few means, limited or no health insurance, and significant needs, while the health care systems engage in an "arms race" of competitive building programs that raise health care costs for all</li>
<li>glorification of greed, selfishness, and wealth (old name was Mammon)</li>
<li>trivialization of the dignity and potentials of people, focusing on superficialities</li>
<li>the ugliness and noise of too much of everyday life </li>
<li>increased destruction of habitats for other species, landforms (hills, rivers, creeks), and environmental beauty</li>
<li>increased yearning on the part of many for more beauty, meaning, love and kindness, as well as connection with others and with the natural world, especially with the "plant people," the "bird people," and the "four-leggeds."</li>
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<br />Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-90099854656644891602011-05-15T11:01:00.000-05:002011-05-15T11:01:41.353-05:00A New FocusA few weeks ago I realized quite clearly that global climate change generated by human activity was <u>the issue</u> of our time. I began some serious reading about global warming and its consequences back in January and February. I also observed my own reactions to this reading. I learned that I could only read so much before being overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and deep sorrow. Then, for several days I would avoid. Then I would feel guilty and avoid the issue for a while longer.<br />
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In early April, I picked up a new book at the local library on an impulse. <i>The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living,</i> written by Mark Boyle, is a fascinating and hopeful story of a man who clearly accepts that both global warming and peak oil are here, will have increasingly profound effects on every aspect of human life, and that drastic human action is required to mitigate the consequences. What impressed me most about the book is the amount of creativity and discipline Mark Boyle exercised in his year of living without money. His commitment to maintaining connections with friends, family, and his broader community and to experiencing fun in the process of getting his message out to the world inspired me. I was particularly interested in what he had to say about the transition movement.<br />
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Reading the book led me to having a conversation with my friend, Sondra, who has had some contact with people in the transition movement in the Twin Cities. I was reminded that she had given me a name of where to get the book, <i>The Transition Handbook: From oil dependency to local resilience,</i> by Rob Hopkins. I had not followed through, and wanted to get from her once again the name of the fellow who had the books for sale at a reduced price. Coincidentally, she was just about to go to a meeting of the Twin Cities group that next weekend. She was able to pick up a copy of the book, and I am now reading it. I find I'm reading it slowly, too. There is so much to think about, and assimilate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhEfvPBTZ3_cUelmU68kXhBbIaDOpMVvpvu1G7SkuhHxUTUe3LSMSUfoYvpMOOTBtWkGVd6KgT-_Mjm8e8ZTPei_1t6k_pniSoDhbnGgsVhnnTBe702waqrLpa4WN5Ygnu6ZzX-3-N4MS/s1600/transition.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhEfvPBTZ3_cUelmU68kXhBbIaDOpMVvpvu1G7SkuhHxUTUe3LSMSUfoYvpMOOTBtWkGVd6KgT-_Mjm8e8ZTPei_1t6k_pniSoDhbnGgsVhnnTBe702waqrLpa4WN5Ygnu6ZzX-3-N4MS/s320/transition.jpeg" width="320" /></a>I'm still struggling with some feelings of overwhelm and desire to avoid thinking and feeling about the pincers of global warming and peak oil, but also sense a growing willingness to be with these thoughts and feelings and not go into denial about what is happening. At the same time, there is within me a growing sense of hope and curiosity about how we - all humanity - will face these incredible challenges and use the creativity, optimism, intelligence, capacity for empathy and resilience that we can mobilize as a species. Two things stand out for me right now: the transition movement and permaculture.<br />
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As my reading, talks with people and little home experiments progress, I'll report on them. Right now, it's back to reading the next chapter in <i>The Transition Handbook.</i>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-66234387673193482522011-03-22T20:31:00.000-05:002011-03-22T20:31:14.840-05:00Comparing Budgets, Apples and OrangesPoliticians often compare a state or federal budget to the budget of a family. They say that just as households can’t spend more than they earn, neither can governments. But really, the comparison is not a good one.<br />
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First, look at the income side. A family’s income comes from wages (selling the family members’ labor), from sales of goods or services, and/or from payments provided by some other entity, a trust fund, a Social Security check, or disability insurance check. The sources of family income are limited to earnings, inherited or earned wealth (money-capital that earns money), or payments from other sources, such as government or insurance. Families also pay taxes on their income, at different rates depending on the source and kind of income.<br />
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The income of state or federal governments is dissimilar, because they have power to levy taxes to pay for their activities. States and the federal government also receive payment in fees, leases, and some sales. <br />
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Now, look at the expenses side. Families spend money on a variety of goods and services to support the lives and values of the family members. Their lives depend on having adequate food, water, shelter, heat, electrical service, clothing, transportation, health and medical care, education, and some forms of financial insurance.<br />
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Governments traditionally spend money on infrastructure, schools, roads, bridges, water and sewer, railways and other forms of public transportation, buildings to house their operations, public parks, preservation of natural resources, regulation of various activities, and provision of the common defense. In addition, governments provide social insurance, that is, income and payments for the health and wellbeing of those who are too young, too old or too sick or disabled to provide these for themselves.<br />
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A family budget has to balance income and expense, and each family has limited ways of doing this. At times, in order to save the life of a family member, a family incurs debt. The heart bypass operation is a success, or the accident victim is saved, or the cancer is defeated. Yet, the financial cost was horrendous, far outstripping the family’s resources. With good luck, the family is able to pay back the debt. With bad luck, say … the family member died, the debt incurred obviously didn’t just go away. The family has lost an earner, can’t pay the debt, and, eventually the family loses its house, has to try to find rental housing, and cannot even find a bankruptcy lawyer. <br />
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Governments on the other hand, have more latitude in balancing income and expenses. While they can incur debt, they also have the option to raise taxes. Government decisions about when to incur debt and when to raise taxes, and in what manner, are a matter of policy, not necessity. When a government leader states that cutting expenses is the only way, the necessary way to balance a budget, he or she is lying or mistaken.<br />
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What is often missed in discussions comparing family and governmental budgets is the issue of who provides the necessary finances and who benefits from the spending. In the case of family budgets, who finances the family is a matter of decision by the adults in the family. Such decisions depend on available employment, family circumstances and family values. Children are not expected or able to provide family income, in most instances. On the expenditure side, it is the family members and those others with whom they decide to share who benefit. <br />
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In the State of Wisconsin, the governor puts together a budget document that identifies the sources of revenue, and allocates expenditures. This document stipulates who will pay how much in taxes and fees. It also determines who benefits in the form of salaries for state employees, contracts for services with corporations or individuals, transfers of funds to local governments, and/or direct payments to or on the behalf of individuals, corporations and public agencies. The Legislature then considers the budget, holds deliberations on its provisions, makes changes to it, and finally, votes in a state budget. <br />
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Government budgets are moral documents. Political decisions guide the allocation of dollars for both taking in revenue and expending state dollars. In our case, these policy decisions are meant to be a reflection of the values, priorities and vision of the people of the State of Wisconsin. <br />
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We expect of families that their primary values will be the preservation of the lives of the individual family members and of the family as family. We expect of families that they will do their best to support, raise and educate their children, and care for their elderly, ill, or disabled members. We expect of families that they will do their best to live within their means. Yet we also have embedded in public policy the understanding that no individual and no family can do it alone for a lifetime. Families are bound together in a multitude of relationships with people outside of the family. There is a social dimension beyond that of ‘family.’ Part of that social dimension is that when families are having trouble, we provide them with assistance, support and encouragement. <br />
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We expect of our State of Wisconsin government that its primary value will be the preservation of the lives and wellbeing of the citizen residents of the state. Other values include the preservation of the quality of the land, soil, water and air within Wisconsin’s borders, the maintenance and expansion of necessary infrastructure – both physical and social, and the cultural diversity and creativity of communities within the State. <br />
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Unremarked in many of the discussions about budget balancing is any discussion of business and financial capital. Businesses are usually established through indebtedness, through borrowing capital owned by others. Businesses earn money through the sale of goods and services to individuals, other businesses and governments. Businesses routinely incur additional debt. Businesses, too, operate on the basis of values and priorities. Their values include: maintaining the existence of the business by making enough income to stay in business and paying back their debt; providing an income to the owners/workers; and making a profit, generating additional money to spend or invest in business expansion, investment in other business, or to lend at interest. Business budgets project earnings and allocate money for business operations, debt repayment, and payments to owners (investors, stockholders).<br />
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Many businesses are more like families, small-scale, located in a relatively small geographic area. Some businesses are more like governments, covering large geographic areas and a multitude of activities. Some businesses are beyond governments in scale, having budgets whose income and expenditures are global in scope and that affect the lives of, literally, billions of people.<br />
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Local, small businesses are understandable to most of us, simply because they operate more like our family households. However, global corporations that can sway or topple governments are not so understandable. Over the last 40 years corporations have become global in scope, moving much of their manufacturing capacity and operations overseas to use cheap labor. Global corporations have played a huge role in supporting repressive governments around the world to keep a passive and powerless workforce available to them. They have also swayed the United States government through lobbying and other uses of influence to engage in economic destruction of the financial viability of governments in Latin America, Africa and Asia by convincing those governments they needed huge projects funded by loans. The loan money was then spent to hire U.S. based companies such as Bechtel, Halliburton, Xe, and so forth. The people of those countries lost land, community cohesiveness and traditional freedoms. (Documented in David Korten’s book When Corporations Rule the World, and John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.)<br />
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In addition, there has been a massive redistribution of wealth in the United States, as global corporations moved away from “expensive” U.S. unionized labor to areas where unions are prohibited and labor is cheap. One result of this is that in the United States, the wealthiest one percent owns/controls more than one-third of the total wealth of the United States. In the last 15 years, the upper five percent increased its income, while the lower 95% saw its income decline relative to the upper five percent. (See the website, http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph)<br />
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What is happening in Wisconsin is that global corporate enterprises are swaying our State government, through their contributions to politician who will act in their interest and not in the interest of the resident citizens of the state. In addition, lobbyists for such corporations are constantly at work, not to mention social contacts, on golf courses, in clubs and at parties where no lobbying reports need be made. Global corporate money is endangering Wisconsin families for their own corporate profit and purposes, not for the public values we hold, the life, safety, health and wellbeing of our citizens. Global corporate money has written the proposed State budgets, put right wing legislators in power, and threatens our democracy.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-32612197081824838512011-03-05T09:14:00.000-06:002011-03-05T09:14:17.144-06:00Political Struggles<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', 'Courier New', monospace; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://movetoamend.org/motion-amend"><<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The political situation in Wisconsin continues to intensify as Governor Walker and the Republican leadership in the State Senate and Assembly dig in. They now have passed what are surely unconstitutional measures to compel the 14 Democratic State Senators to return to the Senate so there will be a quorum and their pro-business, pro-wealthy budgets can be passed at the expense of people on Medical Assistance, the public employees, and the environment. This situation is brought to us by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to equate money with free speech and corporations as people. Thus, the image above. Corporations are not people, and money is not speech.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am increasingly concerned about my State and my nation. Real living people are being harmed by governmental decisions taken by Republicans in Congress and in the states. Decisions about cutting services to people who are poor, the ill and the disabled, in order to protect the already massive incomes and wealth of the top 1% are just plain wrong. Our governments should be by the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE, and of the PEOPLE. The PEOPLE are the point, not the corporations or only a tiny percentage of the people.</span></span>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-23308504924502713862010-01-01T17:04:00.000-06:002010-01-01T17:04:47.087-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 8Article 8.<br />
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* Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.<br />
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This is tricky. How does it get decided what is a "competent national tribunal" for determining an effective remedy for someone being held as an "enemy noncombatant," having been snatched from their own country, and then transported to some other country, or into some kind of "no man's land." There needs to be a court of highest appeal. A person who has been caught up in a raid because a fellow national identified them as a terrorist to an occupying army needs to be able to appeal to a court that is not part of that occupying army's country. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c5lQ0Otir0j9NuB49xXGkhyphenhyphenY5DLO-ipLEseQ_BM5yRE60xADSA86vitghnjZxMPTlCL-AvxAc5udMi6ZUSLfBWbxBSTWtP6OuOoT24rWulY2FirC_T_2wctiE0sQGd8IN5XUbeCwKMlv/s1600-h/guantanamo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c5lQ0Otir0j9NuB49xXGkhyphenhyphenY5DLO-ipLEseQ_BM5yRE60xADSA86vitghnjZxMPTlCL-AvxAc5udMi6ZUSLfBWbxBSTWtP6OuOoT24rWulY2FirC_T_2wctiE0sQGd8IN5XUbeCwKMlv/s320/guantanamo.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><small>Processing suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees at Camp X-Ray at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, January 2002. (© AFP / Shane T. McCoy)</small> <br />
</div>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-89913648367183838642009-11-29T11:03:00.001-06:002009-11-29T11:06:09.287-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURrzpEGt69wfH05US23DOZfcJaRq0VG8wAwKNSujZugdsKNZx-rGkkUnoAGz_PPQHWnw6Y51zm5118ngbeYvgDFf38U-BwvzW4F6QXYrOmv42uAMhsSRWB1KoMoDjZmRuLDKb20z-5QQh/s1600/justicescale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURrzpEGt69wfH05US23DOZfcJaRq0VG8wAwKNSujZugdsKNZx-rGkkUnoAGz_PPQHWnw6Y51zm5118ngbeYvgDFf38U-BwvzW4F6QXYrOmv42uAMhsSRWB1KoMoDjZmRuLDKb20z-5QQh/s320/justicescale.jpg" /></a><br />
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Article 7.<br />
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* All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.legal-explanations.com/definitions/equal-protection-of-the-law.htm">following</a> defines equal protection under the law. It is: n. the right of all persons to have the same access to the law and courts and to be treated equally by the law and courts, both in procedures and in the substance of the law. It is akin to the right to due process of law, but in particular applies to equal treatment as an element of fundamental fairness. The most famous case on the subject is Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) in which Chief Justice Earl Warren, for a unanimous Supreme Court, ruled that "separate but equal" educational facilities for blacks were inherently unequal and unconstitutional since the segregated school system did not give all students equal rights under the law. It will also apply to other inequalities such as differentials in pay for the same work or unequal taxation. The principle is stated in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution: "No State shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."<br />
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In this and other countries, (see comment from November 1st blog post) equal protection is at best something that is paid lip service. In fact, women, minorities, refugees, the poor, and those who are very ill or disabled do not have equal protection before the law. For example, the racial composition of prisons in the United States would indicate that people of racial minority status are more often charged, convicted, and receive harsher sentencing than those who are of caucasian origin. In the U.S., people who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered face discrimination in the military, are not allowed to marry (in most states) their partner, and face job discrimination if their GLBT status becomes known.<br />
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In many countries, First Nation peoples are discriminated against. And, in many parts of the world, women are not entitled to the same degree of education, and human rights as are men. Almost everywhere, as a wise man once told me, "poverty is a crime" and is punishable by misery, illness and even death, while those who are wealthy are respected, receive health care, live longer and are treated better in their legal systems than those who are poor.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-6088128139461781862009-11-22T07:31:00.000-06:002009-11-22T07:31:16.421-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINHec5amhvpcFHfA5MHdbbm_aUsrMOURYQeaE3lsIyPsSD3ERkjoyBxr-r0ERFMWL7gnXFZTKNyQtrXtg5Emg8EUfnG_UA7m-5_d1OOwA3ZhUy3RkZZKL6sDw5PoAXKzJFjPf5341MKT4/s1600/nysuffrage_1913_1c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINHec5amhvpcFHfA5MHdbbm_aUsrMOURYQeaE3lsIyPsSD3ERkjoyBxr-r0ERFMWL7gnXFZTKNyQtrXtg5Emg8EUfnG_UA7m-5_d1OOwA3ZhUy3RkZZKL6sDw5PoAXKzJFjPf5341MKT4/s320/nysuffrage_1913_1c.jpg" /></a><br />
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Article 6.<br />
<br />
* Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.<br />
<br />
Recently, a friend sent me a much-forwarded email titled, "I am a person." It was a pictorial account of the struggle for women to get the vote and to be accounted as a person in our own right before the law.<br />
<br />
I am grateful to all the women who worked, struggled, demonstrated, suffered imprisonment or beatings and yet stood firm until our rights as persons were recognized. I am grateful that I can vote. I am grateful that I can run for political office, own property, manage my own money, and determine for myself whether I will seek employment, start my own business, or take early retirement. <br />
<br />
My hope is that everyone everywhere will be able to exercise these rights.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-80667072535147636302009-11-14T18:54:00.001-06:002009-11-14T18:54:38.098-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDHQ2sSY3_dAstTGz4HnRovgnNkoIT-eXw4XGtYQT9ZkrLQoTG14VHnEqq0iLhQqEm6wJTqi5LPgiD8vgv3gIaU5Og89UKdyRpPQTl4oLNuU8zRkuUrdux0x_OTO7wFnhDDVBWCtVn1K0/s1600-h/Water+Torture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDHQ2sSY3_dAstTGz4HnRovgnNkoIT-eXw4XGtYQT9ZkrLQoTG14VHnEqq0iLhQqEm6wJTqi5LPgiD8vgv3gIaU5Og89UKdyRpPQTl4oLNuU8zRkuUrdux0x_OTO7wFnhDDVBWCtVn1K0/s200/Water+Torture.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
Article 5.<br />
<br />
* No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.<br />
<br />
I remember many years ago as a school child first hearing about torture in the context of the Spanish Inquisition. I was horrified! Later, as a middle school and high school student I read books about how the communists tortured people in southeast Asia. Again, I could hardly believe that human beings would do such things. Later, I heard about the School of the Americas, (now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), and could not understand how my government could support torture in other countries, and actually teach the methods of torture. And, finally, the torture memos, the photographs from Abu Graib, and the reports coming out of Guantanamo have shown me that my government definitely has engaged in torture in violation of this human rights declaration, treaties, the Geneva Conventions and more.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture">A Wikipedia</a> article defines it. <b> Torture</b>, according to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_Against_Torture" title="United Nations Convention Against Torture">United Nations Convention Against Torture</a>, is:<br />
<blockquote class="templatequote"><div>...any act by which severe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_and_suffering" title="Pain and suffering">pain or suffering</a>, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confession" title="Confession">confession</a>, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intimidating" title="Intimidating">intimidating</a> or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in, or incidental to, lawful sanctions.<br />
</div><div class="templatequotecite">—<cite>UN Convention Against Torture<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture#cite_note-0">[1]</a></sup></cite><br />
</div></blockquote><br />
Amnesty International works for human rights and justice around the world. Their website has a <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/counter-terror-with-justice/page.do?id=1351077">section on countering terror with justice</a>, in which they call upon the United States government to stop using torture:<br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #111111; font-family: TradeGothic; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">COUNTER TERROR WITH JUSTICE</span></span></b><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #111111; font-family: TradeGothic; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
</div>In the name of the "war on terror," the U.S. government has subjected people who have not been charged with or convicted of any crime to:<br />
• <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/torture/page.do?id=1351081">Torture</a> and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment<br />
<br />
• Abductions (known as <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/extraordinary-rendition/page.do?id=1351083">extraordinary rendition</a>), "<a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/extraordinary-rendition/page.do?id=1351083">disappearances</a>," and <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/extraordinary-rendition/page.do?id=1351083">secret detention</a><br />
<br />
• Illegal and indefinite detention in <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/guantanamo/page.do?id=1351079">Guantanamo</a>, <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/guantanamo/page.do?id=1351079">Bagram</a>, other <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/guantanamo/page.do?id=1351079">U.S. facilities</a>, and secret <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/guantanamo/page.do?id=1351079">CIA sites</a><br />
<br />
• Denial of legal rights, including <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/fair-trials/page.do?id=1041195">fair trials</a> and <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/habeas-corpus/page.do?id=1041196">habeas corpus</a>--the right to challenge the legality of one's detention<br />
<br />
Additionally, the U.S. government has employed <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/military-contractors/page.do?id=1101665&n1=3&n2=157">companies</a> that have been implicated in cases of killings, torture, and rape, and has failed to adequately <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/counter-terror-with-justice/accountability/page.do?id=1011660">investigate and prosecute</a> abuses.<br />
</blockquote> I am deeply saddened by this participation of my government in such violations of human rights. I feel like a German in the late 1930's, or a Russian in the late 1940's, watching my government act out of control, often in secrecy from its own citizens, refusing to pay attention or to listen to the voices raised against such actions. I can only hope that our current governmental leaders will take the necessary steps to bring to justice those who authorized, justified and committed torture.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-25670166622416655482009-11-11T17:27:00.001-06:002009-11-11T17:27:07.093-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Xt2uFY08Y5IERHLWwkrhdNv6RIsQRbTjqrXH0djDMDRy-1jJZV8apBhngkkVpnR-ho0mbZ7DogSMazGUYGSY1RYDVFSCfvBCmtBbRnFivsHig_Wb8LZpmmq-8q2kV2W3sE6E4Lb5pP7O/s1600-h/2009tiprptcover_150_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Xt2uFY08Y5IERHLWwkrhdNv6RIsQRbTjqrXH0djDMDRy-1jJZV8apBhngkkVpnR-ho0mbZ7DogSMazGUYGSY1RYDVFSCfvBCmtBbRnFivsHig_Wb8LZpmmq-8q2kV2W3sE6E4Lb5pP7O/s320/2009tiprptcover_150_1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Article 4.<br />
<br />
* No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.<br />
<br />
For some time I've been hearing and reading bits and pieces about a resurgence of slavery and human trafficking worldwide. A few years ago, there was much talk of China's violations of human rights amidst charges that China was using slave labor in some of its manufacturing plants. More recently, a spate of articles about young people sold into slavery and working in the United States have appeared in the national press.<br />
<br />
Here is a quote from a <a href="http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/factsheet.html">Fact Sheet from a United States government agency</a> directed at schools:<br />
<blockquote><strong>What Is the Extent of Human Trafficking in the United States? </strong><br />
Contrary to a common assumption, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. <br />
</blockquote><blockquote>According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked to the United States for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. An unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor. <br />
</blockquote> The State Department issued a <i>Trafficking in Persons Report</i> in June of 2009. <br />
<blockquote><b>Secretary Clinton (June 16, 2009): </b>"The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States. In acknowledging America’s own struggle with modern-day slavery and slavery-related practices, we offer partnership. We call on every government to join us in working to build consensus and leverage resources to eliminate all forms of human trafficking." -<a href="http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/06/124872.htm"><b>Full Text</b></a> <br />
</blockquote><blockquote>And, from the <a href="http://www.nmci.org/news/news_items/trafficking.html">National MultiCultural Institute</a>, a quote on the extent of the issue in terms of numbers of people who are enslaved: <br />
</blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>The number of people held in slavery worldwide is estimated to be between 12-27 million, more than at any time in world history.(International Labor Organization and United Nations) Each year, according to the United Nations, between 700,000 – 900,000 people fall victim to trafficking across international borders and are bought, sold, transported and held against their will worldwide. The U.S. Government estimates that between 14,500 17,500 victims are trafficked into the United States annually and that there are currently 200,000 people in this country who have been trafficked. A large proportion of the victims are women and children. <br />
</blockquote><blockquote>One of the undersides of globalization, human trafficking exists in at least 127 countries and has become a highly lucrative business. Not only is it the second most lucrative illicit enterprise in the world after drug trafficking, it is also the fastest growing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The International Labor Organization estimates global profits from human trafficking at $44.3 billion USD per year. <br />
</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Go to the links to learn more about human trafficking and slavery in the 21st century. If you are in a position to meet victims of human trafficking, do what you can to identify whether a specific person is a victim of human trafficking, and make appropriate referrals to helping agencies and advocacy groups. All of us can become more informed, express our outrage to elected officials and work together to cut off the supply of money that feeds those who traffic in human lives.<br />
</blockquote><blockquote> <br />
<br />
</blockquote><h2><br />
</h2><br />
Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-6887437112705010862009-11-07T09:03:00.000-06:002009-11-07T09:03:29.852-06:00Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 3Article 3.<br />
<br />
* Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIGbrPDDIBkh8QiZoQynFblvKlnevQih-rCo5SA-DDAhu8y1_S7EuR90y0RymKQj2FT0K609Yu-kk0Nag6EEzt7K1xJVTahfOxP6QzuIsOgF62s3-0HZxdNMl0RhjuA-mTXf_7R3tTUbv/s1600-h/war-tapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIGbrPDDIBkh8QiZoQynFblvKlnevQih-rCo5SA-DDAhu8y1_S7EuR90y0RymKQj2FT0K609Yu-kk0Nag6EEzt7K1xJVTahfOxP6QzuIsOgF62s3-0HZxdNMl0RhjuA-mTXf_7R3tTUbv/s320/war-tapes.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.altfg.com/Stars/w/war-tapes.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.altfg.com/blog/documentary/the-war-tapes-the-ground-truth-screening/&usg=__wkChnI-i1b9o9eE0FejUF-j2Mgg=&h=375&w=500&sz=52&hl=en&start=190&tbnid=30hM7QqQDN2U6M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsoldiers%2Bat%2Bwar%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D180"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from the documentary film "The War Tapes</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"</span></span><br />
</div><br />
Most people in the United States will agree in theory to Article 3. Yet day to day living in some of the poorest areas of any large city would give lie to such agreement, as protections for these rights is limited at best. Police protection, and even fire protection, are often less available and less prompt than in more wealthy parts of the city. In metropolitan areas, if one is African-American, Latino, or Native American, just driving through a high-end suburb could result in a traffic stop and search, with the implicit threat of being beaten or worse. And, in war zones, no one's rights to life, liberty or security of person are protected.<br />
<br />
Bill Moyers Journal, the PBS television show, devoted last night's edition to <a href="http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11062009/profile.html">"The Good Soldier."</a> I was able to watch the last half of the program in which four men from different wars, World War II, the Viet Nam War, and the current Gulf War, talked about their experiences of war. They revealed its aftermath in their lives upon returning home, and the years of recovery needed after they participated in killing. They discussed their current commitment to end wars. It touched my heart to see men confess what they had done, and then talk about what the effects of their experiences and actions in war were on their own lives. It was the killing of innocents and the deaths of friends that haunted them. Feeling himself turn into an "animal," as one man named it, required years of therapy and self-inquiry, plus a public commitment against war, before he could live more easily with himself. I was encouraged by their articulation of the many reasons to stop the current U.S. wars and avoid warfare in the future.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-46024481861729209782009-11-04T22:24:00.000-06:002009-11-04T22:24:21.275-06:00Article 2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc5hJKx_sen3A1mSfGXkHpF0zHC9rSNJZUwkbmqHhnv6P7RX8M48EcVdfINcQP26ds9cLDYGa-PdUazFZzOhUHoTMVl8YfMZ0JLcg6ipwYHeJ7LFjdx2AtFyxizeu1cpImtc-9i2u0Pgz/s1600-h/GregMortensonimages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc5hJKx_sen3A1mSfGXkHpF0zHC9rSNJZUwkbmqHhnv6P7RX8M48EcVdfINcQP26ds9cLDYGa-PdUazFZzOhUHoTMVl8YfMZ0JLcg6ipwYHeJ7LFjdx2AtFyxizeu1cpImtc-9i2u0Pgz/s320/GregMortensonimages.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>* Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.<br />
<br />
Everyone, everywhere on earth, is entitled to the rights and freedoms others have, without exception because of who they are or where on this earth they are. How amazing! Most often, it seems that those with greater means are thought to deserve more rights than others, more freedoms. But here this document, signed almost 61 years ago, shows that at one time the nations of the world agreed that human rights and freedoms do not depend on accidents of birth, place, or gender, nor on choices made regarding opinions, religions and so on.<br />
<br />
If these values were to truly govern international law, I do not think humanity would tolerate making retroviral drugs freely available in the United States, but not in developing countries. I do not think humanity would tolerate the selling of arms and munitions to dictators to use against their own people or to start wars with others.<br />
<br />
Women, men and children with HIV/AIDS in Africa, Southeast Asia and other places in the world deserve access to lifesaving medications. Stopping the sale of weapons to organizations and countries that would use them against their own people or their neighbors would prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, either from direct assault or from the losses associated with warfare, such as no breadwinner, having to flee, not being able to plant crops and so on. Think for example of Afghanistan, where someone is selling weapons to the Taliban, to Al Quaeda, to war lords, etc. Think of the policies of the United States using drone planes to drop bombs, sometimes on the basis of bad information, that kill civilians. The implication is that such civilian lives are worth less than the lives of American soldiers. <br />
<br />
And, now think of Greg Mortenson, who wrote the book, <i>Three Cups of Tea,</i> about working in Afghanistan to build schools that would teach Afghan girls. This is an example of someone living out the commitment to see that the rights and freedoms to which some are entitled are also there for those who have far too often been denied them.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-45555783674092472912009-11-03T21:16:00.000-06:002009-11-03T21:16:26.580-06:00More on Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights* All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."<br />
<br />
<br />
This is reminiscent of "All men are created equal..." plus there is an acknowledgment that women and children are also born free and equal in relation to dignity and rights. Being "endowed with reason and conscience" human beings "should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." These are values embedded in most religious or spiritual traditions. <br />
<br />
What would it mean to really hold to the idea that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights? Would it mean that we could ignore their deaths? Torture them? Kill them? Is this acting towards them in a spirit of brotherhood? Would we condemn such free and equal beings to lives of poverty and ignorance? Would we refuse to help them develop their reason and their consciences, or stand by while they were being abused by parents, peers, spouses, political adversaries, or police/militaries?<br />
<br />
The news media are full of stories about people being attacked, assaulted, disrespected, going hungry, homeless, fleeing violence, fleeing environmental devastation. We collectively need to make these values real, to base our actions on these values, rather than paying lip service to them and then acting in ways that openly contradict what we pretend to profess.<br />
<br />
Listening to Jim Wallis talking about the great divides in our nation and others, divisions of gender, race and class, I was impressed with his grasp of the need to state wrongs that have been done, apologize for them and make reparations. This reminds me of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, in which those who committed crimes during apartheid were allowed to confess these crimes publicly and given amnesty. That is a different story than the one I wrote about yesterday that is taking place in Argentina. The defendants have plead not guilty in spite of the fact that they were in power in the 1980's when thousands were killed, tortured, disappeared under their military government in Argentina. <br />
<br />
May our respect for the dignity of each person be increased, may we acutely feel their pain when our actions rob others of their rights and dignity, may our consciences and reason speak to us loudly and may we act always in the spirit of brotherhood. May we acknowledge the wrongs we do to others, apologize and make reparations. May we who live in privilege understand that the price for our privilege was paid by others who had no choice but to do what benefited us far more than it did them. May we understand that we need to make reparations to them and/or their descendants for what has been taken from them.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-72681814196577794502009-11-02T22:41:00.000-06:002009-11-02T22:41:59.415-06:00Universal Declaration Article 1"Article 1.<br />
<br />
* All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8339305.stm">BBC News</a> online today reported that the<b> </b>last military ruler of Argentina, Reynaldo Bignone, and five other retired generals are now on trial. The trial is expected to last at least until February, 2010.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>The men are charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping, torture and disappearance of 56 opponents of the military government in the late 1970s. <br />
The abuses are alleged to have taken place at the Campo de Mayo base on the outskirts of the capital, Buenos Aires. <br />
Human rights groups say up to 30,000 people were killed or disappeared in Argentina between 1976 and 1983.<br />
</blockquote>Obviously, torture and disappearances do not constitute "acting in a spirit of brotherhood." Nor do so many other instances over these last 30 years; the United States' "School of the Americas" is said to have taught torture methods to representatives of governments throughout South America.; From a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War">Wikipedia article</a> about those years in Argentina, "This generalization of state terror tactics has been explained in part by the information received by the Argentine militaries in the infamous <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Americas" title="School of Americas">School of Americas</a> and also by French instructors from the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_secret_services" title="French secret services">secret services</a>, who taught them "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-insurgency" title="Counter-insurgency">counter-insurgency</a>" tactics first experimented during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_War" title="Algerian War">Algerian War</a> (1954-62).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Argenpress_17-6">" </sup><br />
<br />
Imagine a world in which each child born is welcomed, loved, sheltered and nurtured into full adulthood, educated to make her or his unique contribution to the world. Imagine a world in which no person is subjected to inhuman treatment, to torture, to being 'disappeared' or to being killed. May it be so.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-32966612075516419932009-11-01T20:45:00.000-06:002009-11-01T20:51:12.201-06:00United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CAVDtAVcqim9pS0TTd7-2pW1ft6rtutAhYPbHGzMPSZuUyNGOyCHAvtxyUcTlMkMVrW3ZEw0tD6R_YB5ILz1SVUkfMiYzIJG2zIkEnEwtSxhEuN9r45FODKUHOBx4y0PLCNJcICq6VuZ/s1600-h/un-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CAVDtAVcqim9pS0TTd7-2pW1ft6rtutAhYPbHGzMPSZuUyNGOyCHAvtxyUcTlMkMVrW3ZEw0tD6R_YB5ILz1SVUkfMiYzIJG2zIkEnEwtSxhEuN9r45FODKUHOBx4y0PLCNJcICq6VuZ/s200/un-logo.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<br />
After posting on praying the news on another <a href="http://www.lovingpresence.blogspot.com/">blog</a> throughout October, I've decided to blog here about praying the news in relation to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I will be doing this at least through November. <br />
<br />
Here's a little background on this decision. One issue that appeared frequently in newspapers and blogs throughout much of September and October was the issue of health care reform. Many people were suggesting that "health care is a right," while others were claiming, "health care is not a right." I remembered that some time ago I had read in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that health care was one of those universal rights.<br />
<br />
The United Nations Charter had acknowledged that there are basic human rights. According to this <a href="http://www.universalrights.net/main/creation.htm">site</a> the preamble to the U.N. Charter stated <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">"We the peoples of the United Nations [are] determined -<br />
.. to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small"</span>. </span><br />
<br />
As the cruelties against the Jews of Europe and against prisoners of war in Europe and Asia became widely known, it seemed necessary to specify what those fundamental human rights are, so there would be no possible misunderstanding. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>The United Nations decided to establish a commission to accomplish the task. The UDHR was drafted by a commission Eleanor Roosevelt chaired. According to Wikipedia "The membership of the Commission was designed to be broadly representative of the global community with representatives of the following countries serving: Australia, Belgium, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Lebanon, Panama, Philippines, United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, Uruguay and Yugoslavia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7"></sup> Well known members of the Commission included <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt" title="Eleanor Roosevelt">Eleanor Roosevelt</a> of the United States, who was Chairman, Jacques Maritain and René Cassin of France, Charles Malik of Lebanon and P. C. Chang of China,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8"></sup> among others." <br />
<br />
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration on December 10, 1948, with 48 in favor, no nation opposed, and eight abstentions. It was the first time the nations of the world had mutually specified basic human rights to which all people are entitled.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Preamble</span></span></i><br />
The Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads:<br />
<blockquote><ul><li><i><b>Whereas</b> recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Whereas</b> a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,</i></li>
<li><i><b>Now, Therefore</b> THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.</i></li>
</ul></blockquote>How we need to heed these words now! Let us "keep this Declaration constantly in mind, ... and strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures...secure their universal and effective recognition and observance."Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-73738411037319071372009-07-11T10:11:00.000-05:002009-07-11T10:31:10.746-05:00Health Care for All - AgainThis morning's email brought me an email from the Organizing for America organization. It used to email me about getting Barack Obama elected; now the emails are about my support for enacting policies that represent the reason I supported Obama in the first place. Today's email urged me to write a letter to the editor about what national legislation regarding health care should involve. Here's a quote from the email:<br /><blockquote>If the final plan is to uphold President Obama's principles of reduced costs, guaranteed choice -- including the choice of a robust public insurance option -- and quality care for all, your voice must be heard.</blockquote><br />I agree with the principles. And, the details are extremely important. Here are some things I hope are included:<br /><ol><li>Regarding reduced costs - There used to be regional health planning agencies in the State of Wisconsin. When hospitals wanted to add hugely expensive building projects or equipment, they had to submit plans to their regional health planning agency, which would make an evaluation of the necessity versus costs to consumers if the plans were implemented. This kind of oversight kept costs down. <br /></li><li>Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies spend huge amounts of money on advertising and lobbying. If they were not allowed to pass these costs on to consumers, health care costs would go down.</li><li>If Medicare were allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies, health care costs would go down. <br /></li><li>Guaranteed choice - most HMO's do not allow free choice of providers. For example, I am a mental health provider, and the clinics in which I work are not allowed to be on panels for one of the major HMOs in our area. Their choices of mental health providers, chiropractors and dentists are extremely restrictive. Thus, what guaranteed choice is must be spelled out clearly to allow people a real choice. For example, if an employer changes health insurers, the employees should be allowed to keep their service providers and have those services covered by their insurance.</li><li>"Robust public health insurance option" --- why not let everyone buy into Medicare? It is a system that already works.</li><li>Quality care for all - As a mental health provider I hear dozens of stories a month about how people feel about their physical health care, the concerns they have about how they are treated, and their fears that their care is not really responsive to their needs, or even downright dangerous. I believe that national policy should set up a strong ombudsman program for health care. In Wisconsin, there is already a nursing home ombudsman program that works very well. It can be a model for an expanded health care ombudsman program.<br /></li></ol>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-57376648937340099862008-03-19T07:32:00.000-05:002008-03-19T07:57:49.155-05:00War is Not Healthy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-kGQWBUwV7mqFuP433JG_lBPbswoUDVTXoLzZFxkSbQ61SzCAAwJPzJ6oYbWQbidUfKeQVKSF0ED98Wj3du-JzZ4rcc7CmKpYJyLGPLHITAbexAkiaunoNCSoFmcmKn6v10zmahNzwKc/s1600-h/fiveyearsblogswarm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-kGQWBUwV7mqFuP433JG_lBPbswoUDVTXoLzZFxkSbQ61SzCAAwJPzJ6oYbWQbidUfKeQVKSF0ED98Wj3du-JzZ4rcc7CmKpYJyLGPLHITAbexAkiaunoNCSoFmcmKn6v10zmahNzwKc/s320/fiveyearsblogswarm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179433773492594306" border="0" /></a><br />Today marks the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war. Although no official body has kept count of the total dead, it is estimated that up to one million have lost their lives in Iraq during this time. Almost 4,000 American soldiers have been killed and 60,000 have been injured in combat or in what have been deemed non-combat accidents or illnesses. No one knows how many troops and Iraqi civilians have been exposed to depleted uranium that seems to act as a ticking time-bomb in their bodies.<br /><br />The physical and mental health injuries will cause pain and suffering for years to come for American soldiers and those who love them. As a psychotherapist I have treated many people with post-traumatic stress disorder, mostly from early abuse. I know the suffering they endure for years before they find help and heal. Reports that the military downplays PTSD and that there are long waits to receive help for it from the Veteran's Administration hospitals and clinics trouble me immensely. At the very least this nation can and should support our wounded troops to recover from their injuries and heal from their wounds. Such support should be available to each of them and include support to their families as well. It is the least we can do.<br /><br />I cannot even imagine the situation of the people of Iraq. This war has done a better job of terrorizing that population than Saddam ever thought of doing. Injuries, PTSD and a generation of orphans and refugees are what the war has brought to the people. If the reports of the health consequences of depleted uranium are anywhere near accurate, the damage will extend to unborn generations of Iraqis and also to the children of Iraq war veterans of the United States and its allies who have served there.<br /><br />Stop this war now! Bring war criminals and profiteers to justice! Heal the people and the land harmed during this war by providing health care, and economic assistance/reparations, and pledge "never again."<br /><br />See other blogs posting in opposition to the Iraq war at: <a href="http://march19-blogswarm.blogspot.com">http://march19-blogswarm.blogspot.com/<br /></a>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-41088651483298809292008-03-18T09:25:00.000-05:002008-03-18T10:44:21.271-05:00The Health Care System is Complex<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHYZ3l-KkJ34N0Zp1ryMYL7DKCF1xSR9qFF66EzgQPCIkyktp_GFSBAhOdMBEfxavLDafS55LQ-6ONvQtVNNf5UZOr5gFZEyxpU716txluxMvWi2aNAfkRLznjrzrjQ1C17aTDe54ANe2/s1600-h/complexsystems.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHYZ3l-KkJ34N0Zp1ryMYL7DKCF1xSR9qFF66EzgQPCIkyktp_GFSBAhOdMBEfxavLDafS55LQ-6ONvQtVNNf5UZOr5gFZEyxpU716txluxMvWi2aNAfkRLznjrzrjQ1C17aTDe54ANe2/s200/complexsystems.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179104164817397362" border="0" /></a><br />I have been researching the issue of health care recently, as readers may know. It all started with the "unbinding" message of the story of Lazarus, Jesus and the role of the community. This issue has so many tails and tales! In this post I try to sort out a few tails to grasp to begin to understand how it could happen that all would have health care when they need it.<br /><br />The first tail. Let's begin with the person who needs health care. This person has to know that they have a need, that there is someone/somewhere to meet their need, that they can actually receive services to meet their need and that they can afford the care. The person also has to know what they can do for themselves and what they cannot.<br /><br />Yesterday, I heard this story. A woman of about 65 years old who has a very low income receives health care services from a local clinic. She recently had what was probably influenza and has ended up quite ill with a sinus infection. She called the clinic and told them that she is very ill, too ill to use public transportation. (She doesn't have a car.) She asked them to prescribe antibiotics for her. The clinic refused and said they needed for her to come in. She said she was too sick. There was an impasse. The clinic does not make house calls. Taking an ambulance is not an option. The woman resists the idea of paying cab fare, because she is so poor. She is angry and feels left out of a system that she views as uncaring.<br /><br />However, in our area there are non-medical transportation services, potential volunteers to drive people to medical appointments and agencies that would probably pay for cab fare in such a circumstance. However, this woman doesn't know how to access any of these services. Moreover the clinic receptionist did not provide that kind of information, and perhaps didn't know that information. Nor did the receptionist connect her with someone in the clinic who could help her access those services, listen to her distress or help her find a solution to her dilemma.<br /><br />The second tail. Service providers, whether they are clinics, hospitals, wellness centers, individual practitioners or group practices, whether they are completely medical or integrative health care, for- profit or non-profit, large or small, all have a multiplicity of pressures and demands to satisfy. There are governmental licensing requirements, professional standards to meet, cost pressures both like and unlike those of any other business, competitive factors, and the need to make enough money for a surplus (whether that is called 'profit' or not).<br /><br />As an example, let's take a local clinic which provides training to medical residents, and which treats many low-income people. It is not-for-profit, and has a well-trained medical staff, most of whom have been at the clinic for many years. This clinic receives much of its funding from insurances, the medical assistance program and private pay. It also receives some support from educational institutions which place trainees in various disciplines there for internships and practical experience. This clinic has had to cut back in some "non-essential" services because of budgetary constraints. It must generate some kind of surplus from some source if it is to incorporate anything new or improved, as it must have the funds to add staff, equipment, technology or space. Whatever is required to make the improvement will cost money.<br /><br />The third tail. Health care financing is perhaps the tail that wags this dog. It is this tail that requires the making of difficult decisions by those who need health care services and those who provide them. Health care financing comes from many different sources: out of pocket private pay, health insurances through employment or private purchase, governmental programs such as medical assistance and medicare, private foundations, and local governments. There is considerable debate about what needs to be done in relation to health care financing to increase access to health care services and to provide sufficient revenue to service providers so that they will continue to provide those services. Further, there is much discussion about how to reduce health care costs within the whole complex system. United States health care costs are extremely high, and health outcomes are fairly low compared with those of other industrialized nations.<br /><br />The fourth tail. Governmental regulations specify who will be covered for health services paid for by government funds; who can provide health care services at all, and under what conditions; and how the various funders must conduct themselves. There are governmental regulations regarding health care services, providers and funders at all levels of government: local, state and federal.<br /><br />The fifth tail. Health care information and education is provided to consumers by an array of service providers, public agencies, the media, and governmental organizations. Professional training in providing health care services takes place in colleges, universities and technical colleges operated by governments, private non-profits, church institutions, and foundations.<br /><br />The sixth tail. Health care knowledge, technology, information and mystique also play a role in what health care consumers know and want, what service providers make available, and what funders will pay for. There are some fairly strong trends towards, for example, use of complementary, supplemental, integrative or alternative therapies, much of which consumers are paying for outside the usual health care financing system. Health care professionals are increasingly being trained to offer or to work within integrative systems that include alternative health care services such as massage, therapeutic touch, herbalism, energy healing modalities, hypnosis, acupuncture, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Image is from http://<b><a href="http://necsi.org/projects/mclemens/viscss.html" target="_top">necsi.org/projects/<wbr>mclemens/viscss.html</a></b></span>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-21807338394950975542008-03-13T09:38:00.000-05:002008-03-13T10:37:35.469-05:00Healing and Health Care for All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP202JJLRp9a8izqnngjwFmRsKTDS7lGI-t6u-Xt3QIxnx4hdJpmKKzNf_AmNs46epwL3H2SyZ2C1sE1bYJG6eXA-Z4U7EYTTVZjJPtv7_YGNdS0ocj1HtlRWHRPV364htTk-vH5UqW-Up/s1600-h/230px-Vallotton_-_La_Malade,_1892.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP202JJLRp9a8izqnngjwFmRsKTDS7lGI-t6u-Xt3QIxnx4hdJpmKKzNf_AmNs46epwL3H2SyZ2C1sE1bYJG6eXA-Z4U7EYTTVZjJPtv7_YGNdS0ocj1HtlRWHRPV364htTk-vH5UqW-Up/s200/230px-Vallotton_-_La_Malade,_1892.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177248270794090066" border="0" /></a><br />Since the dawn of human consciousness, it is likely that we human beings have turned to healers when sick or troubled in our minds. Through long prehistorical periods up to the present day, the healing arts and sciences have continued to develop, elaborate, fragment and be brought together again. In my own community, I know people who are dedicated conventional medical personnel, alternative healers using energy healing modalities, and those who bridge the body/mind/spirit divisions and whose very presence brings comfort.<br /><br />Within my community are huge health care non-profit corporations which are big business for a relatively low-income area. Oddly, our medical/health care costs are high compared to other states and other parts of our state. But, we also have a free health clinic, started by a few dedicated people and staffed by hundreds of volunteers over several years.<br /><br />I have a friend who received care from the free health clinic for years. Finally, her high blood pressure and diabetes destroyed her kidney function. Then she was able to get on medicare because she now had end-stage renal disease. At the time she was going to the free clinic, she was so grateful to it and to the doctors who volunteered their time. She and others would stand in line for hours, waiting for the clinic to open because there were so many people needing to be helped, and only a certain number could be admitted, first-come, first-served. Now, my friend goes to dialysis three days a week, and each time she goes, it takes about 3-4 hours. It can take a lot of time and energy to be ill. I am so glad she has more comprehensive health care available to her now, but so sorry she had to get to this point in order to receive it. I can't help that feel that if she had had good access 15 years ago, perhaps she would not now be "end-stage." <br /><br />In my practice as a psychotherapist I listen to people who sometimes talk about their experiences with the medical health care system. Many of them speak of doctors and nurses who don't listen to them and don't pay attention to their reports of pain or other sensations that aren't "quite right." They feel disregarded and simply "pushed through the system." Others, who are nurses or doctors, talk about the pressures they experience. They are expected to see more and more patients in less time, while also learning more complicated ways of recording medical data, and keeping up with the latest medical advances.<br /><br />How can all this be different? How can the focus become a focus on healing? Not a focus on medicine per se or on shaving off dollars from patient care so as to afford the latest in medical technology. How can all the various people involved become more respectful of each other, and more aware of how they are being perceived by others in encounters that could be healing encounters? How can those who in health care systems who are not involved in direct contact with patients know the consequences their decisions have for the patients their systems serve?<br /><br />Jesus was a healer. His disciples were commissioned to go out and teach and heal also. Early Christians seemed to take for granted that they would engage in healing ministries and provide for the sick. The development of healing practices in the western world was based in spiritual communities. Both Christian and tribal cultures contributed knowledge and methods of providing healing. Many hospitals and clinics still have religious roots. Let's explore how these roots can be strengthened and the systems unbound from concerns for wealth.<br /><br />How will we unbind each other from the strangling bonds of unhealthy habits, ill health, sickness, lack of access to health care and unhealthy systems of dollar-driven health care delivery? Over the next few days, I'll be looking for models, solutions and suggestions. Then I'll let you know what I find out.Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-87058320434693541902008-03-11T10:01:00.000-05:002008-03-11T10:39:36.573-05:00Unbinding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNy4BLY6zJohXzdn3ETYiVyGJ1DaTf62mVdDTEUWd4SBkd2YX3iqgz76unaYM45mANqkSGnqey6wHrNzk04IloRK1tZvgiXDZQXsFG_uig11iwl9XhcZe64XQgTtmB0QDbftWWXcnjWD8/s1600-h/lazarus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNy4BLY6zJohXzdn3ETYiVyGJ1DaTf62mVdDTEUWd4SBkd2YX3iqgz76unaYM45mANqkSGnqey6wHrNzk04IloRK1tZvgiXDZQXsFG_uig11iwl9XhcZe64XQgTtmB0QDbftWWXcnjWD8/s200/lazarus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176507032453244450" border="0" /></a><br />"Unbind him and let him go. Unbind her and let her go." So, quoted Reverend Lynn Scott at Sunday's Taize worship at First Congregational. She went on to point out that Jesus says this to the gathered community. At Painted Prayerbook, (<a href="http://www.paintedprayerbook.com/">www.paintedprayerbook.com</a>) Jan Richardson makes the same point:<br /><blockquote>"Jesus enacts Lazarus’ raising, but he does so in the context of a community. Jesus calls Lazarus forth, but he calls upon those around Lazarus—sisters, kinfolk, neighbors—to unbind him and let him go."</blockquote>The idea that we of the community are required to unbind our brothers and sisters from those things that bind them in "death in life" resonates within me like a deep tolling bell or a slow but insistent drumbeat. If we have been commanded, certainly we will receive the power to do what has been commanded.<br /><br />We could unbind people from their bonds of curable diseases - think of access to health care for all. The bonds of economic exploitation could be unbound and people set free - think of the "cheap labor" of undocumented immigrants and labor camps "offshore." And then there are those pushed to the margins of society by disability, discrimination, poverty or illness. Think of those who are homeless, or those who live in "elderly/handicapped" housing, who could be unbound from their isolation and their experiences of being unloved or simply not even seen.<br /><br />In such unbinding, we as a gathered global community would provide access to health care for all, living wages and freedom from hunger and homelessness, a joyful community of care and celebration for all of us. There are models for each of these kinds of unbinding. In the next few posts, I will write about some of them.<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-76275166334023995922008-03-08T13:21:00.000-06:002008-03-08T14:01:54.568-06:00AlmsI looked up the dictionary definition of 'alms' today. It was quite interesting to note that the word's etymology links back to the Greek word, 'eleos' meaning pity and related to 'eleemon', meaning merciful. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines alms as:<span class="sense_label start"> 1. </span><em>archaic</em> <strong>:</strong> charity, and <span class="sense_break"><span class="sense_break"><span class="sense_label start">2</span><span class="sense_content"><strong>.</strong> something (as money or food) given freely to relieve the poor. </span></span></span><span style=""><span class="a"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary">www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary</a> </span></span><span class="sense_break"><span class="sense_break"><span class="sense_content"><br /><br />Several religious traditions either advocate or require almsgiving as an obligation of belonging to that tradition. Wikipedia has a good discussion. </span></span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alms"><span style=""><span class="a">www.wikipedia.org/wiki/<b>Alms</b></span></span></a><br />As a Christian, I've been told about tithing, giving to the church and so forth, and I've read and heard about the plight of the poor both here and globally for all of my life. Yet, in recent weeks the sufferings of those who are poor, or disabled, or sick and in want, have been on my mind so much more. I think it has to do with something changing inside me. In the past, part of my response to "the poor" or "the least of these" has had to do with feeling guilty for not being among them and for not doing enough for them. In my thinking and feeling now, it isn't about guilt as much as it's related to 'mercy' - that quality of desiring to alleviate suffering itself. My gut twists, thinking about how it would feel (or has felt) to be homeless, hungry, ill, or abandoned. I don't want to alleviate suffering so my gut won't twist, but because it is suffering.<br /><br />Perhaps this all has something to do with my main prayer these days, often called the Jesus Prayer. "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." So much of the time I end up focusing on that word 'mercy.'<br /><br />Jesus clearly had a great love for those who were poor and outcast. Responding to their needs and suffering filled his life of teaching, healing and prayer. As the risen Christ has sent the Spirit of love and mercy to all creation, my prayer is that I may be given grace, strength and wisdom to follow in the steps of Jesus. I am looking at where and how I can increase direct giving, whether I can shift my therapy practice to accommodate more people of less means, and how I can better work for social justice, as injustice vastly increases human suffering.<br /><br />And, may all who are able, also be aware of where they can make some small inroads in the suffering of the world.<br /><br /><br /><div class="run_on"><br /><em></em> </div> <div class="run_on"><br /><em></em> </div>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-68465749039995352962008-01-31T21:16:00.000-06:002008-01-31T21:35:40.186-06:00Death? or Life?This says so much! What do we want to buy with our tax dollars?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnq6cDfjk1Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnq6cD5jk1Q</a>Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-63046241191367255462007-12-06T11:14:00.000-06:002007-12-06T11:21:32.260-06:00Spiritual Life/Public LifeA quote from Evelyn Underhill: <blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Here the further question of the relation of spiritual life to public life and politics comes in. It must mean, for all who take it seriously, judging public issues from the angle of eternity, never from that of national self-interest or expediency...Did we act thus, slowly but surely a body of opinion-a spiritual party, if you like-might be formed; and in the long run make its influence felt in the State. But such a programme demands much faith, hope, and charity; and courage too.</blockquote>I wonder, if we were to apply the standards of "the least of these," and the Beatitudes, what kind of a public policy might we have?Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889136829737173460.post-27347478754415612482007-08-05T14:31:00.000-05:002007-08-05T15:04:41.181-05:00Abundant Life and JusticeToday in her sermon on the text from Luke12:13-21, Jill Christopherson contrasted the abundant life with "the good life." The text sets out on of Jesus' parables in which he tells the story of a rich man.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Someone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.' But he said to him, 'Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitor over you?' And he said to them, 'Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Then he told them a parable: 'The land of a rich man produced abundantly. and he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?" Then he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.'<br /></blockquote><br />She went on to contrast the self-involvement and self-referencing of the rich man, with the life of abundance and sharing that characterizes healthy families and communities. Jill mentioned that in the 1990's of all the children born in that decade, 6% were born in "the north" and 94% were born in "the south" and the 6% had more world resources used for them than were used for the 94%.<br /><br />No doubt the rich man thought of himself as being just what was expected, and no doubt, he lived according to the values of his time and place. We do too. Yet, those values are not the values of life for the 94% or for the living creatures or even the fundamental elements of earth, air, and waters of the planet. May we learn to live in true abundance of life and an overflowing justice!Carla Peterson at Soul Focushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537237255571851495noreply@blogger.com0