On poverty

So many in this world are poor.  In the US income inequality is growing, as the national discussion of the 99% and the 1% indicate. 

Poverty's sorry companions are hunger and disease.  Each contributes to the other, in a downward spiral through misery to heartbreak and death.  I mention heartbreak becuse the weak suffer more and across the globe, that means children.

Most of the world lives this way, especially in our planet's southern hemisphere.  We in the northern hemisphere must look at ourselves.  Our governments exploit their governments.  The wealthier you are, the more likely you are to benefit from the system - the laws and luck of a culture. 

Here is a website that explains the problems pretty well.  

Now...what to do, what to do?  Buy local.  Buy fair trade.  Buy less.  Give generously.  Very generously. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

And out like a lamb....

It's April!   I'm so grounded in truth there is a little truth in the claim that I'm humor-impaired, so April Fools day has little value to me.   But it's sunny and the start of a very springy month, and I'm very glad of that.

The saying is that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, so now it's lamb season.  In fact it probably is.  I know I've seen a lot of new calves as I drive around the region. 

It's also the season of renewal, from the flooding of the Nile to Passover, to Easter, to spring blossoms.  I love Spring!

As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter-- the death and resurrection of the Prince of Peace -- I want to note that Christians have no monopoly on peace and justice. 

Here are some thoughts from a variety of cultures:

Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the peace you wish for the world." Martin Luther King:  "We must learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as fools." Holy Qur'an, 5:33 "the taking of one innocent life is like taking all of Mankind... and the saving of one life is like saving all of Mankind" Dalai Lama "If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.” Mother Theresa of Calcutta: "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” No single faith or culture has the monopoly on seeing the value of and connection between peace and justice.   I hope as you, dear reader, celebrate the holidays and the northern hemisphere's seasonal renewal, you also 1) try to provide peace to another 2) talk to your enemies 3) learn to live together 4) work to save a life 5) be the peace you wish for the world. Whatever your faith and culture.   Peace and justice, y'all Molly

Immigration reform - when?

America badly needs immigration reform.  Our status quo is NOT working.  We have 11 million hard-working people "without paper," undocumented.   We have the potential, often actualized, of abuse of these workers because they fear deportation.  We have an economy crying for low-wage workers and milllions who answer the call, and cannot particpate in our democracy fully and openly.  

Immigration reform has stalled in Washington DC becuase it has become a partisan issue, and the prevailing speed for partisan gridlock is PARK.  Nothing happens.   Perhaps that will change after the 2012 presidential election.  Perhaps.   Obama wants to try again, but it will be safer for members of Congress if they don't have an election looming over them.   Perhaps if a Republican wins, that party will be eager to mend its relations with Hispanic voters. 

Perhaps not.  Here is an ominous report on Candidate Romney's approach - make life so miserable for the undocumented that they 'self-deport."   This is draconian.   what will making life more miserable look like?  here a a few ideas

1. Unable to find a decent job, workers will turn more to those who will exploit them.
2. Unable to find a decent job, workers will turn to crime. 
3. If the crime is not solved, the victim of crime suffers.
4. If the crime is solved, the accused will be deported.  And what of that worker's family?
5. If children cannot attend school, their futures are doomed.
6. If undocumented cannot get medical care, they will be sicker and will die. They'll suffer.  
7. If they cannot get drivers' licenses, they are more likely to drive unsafely. 
8. Women and girls may turn to prostitution, voluntarily or involuntarily.

I don't want my government to impose these outcomes on anyone on our soil.  

I want comprehensive immigration reform.  I expect more from our government than its current inertia.

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

On prisons and pals

Today I offered to become a pen pal to a prisoner.  I did this once when I was a teenager and it didn't go well.   He wanted sex and money.  I'm older and wiser now, and hope to avert such requests. 
I also contribute monthly to a nonprofit that supports the salvation of dogs and prisoners, by the inmates training the dogs to be service animals.   Prison Pet Partnership Program, it's called.

Criminal justice in the US is a mess and I don't give it a lot of energy but am well aware of how messed up it is.   I hope pen palling will help one prisoner.

The starfish metaphor remains with me.

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

On slavery, priorities, virtues and vices

It's still percolating in me, this notion that slavery is in my own town in the form of child sex trafficking.  I have wondered which starfish to rescue and the answer is clearer.  

If you know about slavery in your town, can you remain complacent?  Can you NOT act?   So many things wrong in our world -- our own bodies (are we as fit and healthy as we should be?), our home, our families, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, our nation.   I guess we all have our own priorities on what to work on fixing.  

I guess you can be against something (like injustice) and for something (like justice) without throwing your heart, voice, time and money at it.  

I must remember this.   We all are working to make the world better in some way or another, and my ways are not the only ways.   There is probably a sin of pride and virtue of humility involved in this. 

I am going to work on trafficking, community building, and my health (that fitness thing) at once by participating in a fundraising run to benefit the local center that helps victims of sexual assualt. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

Sex trafficking - fighting slavery, part 4

Last night I viewed the movie Sex + Money.  It was disturbing.  When is prostitution voluntary and when is it slavery?  Perhaps the difficulty in finding that dividing line is why the term "trafficking" is used now.  Sex between consenting adults is one thing.  Sex between a child and an adult is something different, and it is illegal as well as morally reprehensible. 

Sex trafficking is now the second most lucrative form of organized crime.  Unlike weapons or drugs, a girl can be sold over and over again. 

Most girls (and boys) who enter prostitution do so at the AVERAGE age of 12-13.  Often they are drugged, and while drugged, raped and photographed, and videoed.  If the girl tries to leave, she is threatened with more violence, and with the revelation of the photos and videos.

Girls (and boys) who are so entrapped are usually runaways, or more tragically, throwaways -- children whose parents reject them.  Sometimes, and more frequently recently, girls are the homey ho's of a gang.  Gangs are getting into the pimping business. 
Almost, almost always, the victims of sex trafficking were sexually abused  in their home of origin.
I learned last night sex trafficking takes place in every town in the nation.  It takes place in my little town. 
There are so many ways to stop this. 
1. Don't be a John (a customer, if the J word makes you flinch)
2. Don't sexually abuse a child
3. Don't have children you don't want to love and cherish and protect.
4. Don't use pornography (do you really think everyone in those pictures is over 18 and in this voluntarily?

Sharedhope is dedicated to fighting minor sex trafficking.  This group was featured in the Sex+Money film.   It has put out a report card to evaluate each of the United States.  My state got a "B".  

When our governor signs the 10 bills our legislature passed this last session, we may be in line for an A.  I certainly hope so. 

Why is it that if a man has child pornography or inappropriately touches a kid, he's prosecuted as a sex offender.  But if he pays for the service he's a john and he goes unpunished?  if anyone is "caught," it's the girl, who is thrown in jail for prostitution!

I'm very interested in the Swedish model which has decriminalized prostitution and CRIMINALIZED buying sex.  This protects the women and puts the penalty on the man.  This is unjust. 

Understanding that girls (and boys) are so badly abused, that they are kept hungry and off balance, a nonstop siege on their sense of selfworth, that they are beaten and raped, to profit one man and to pleasure another, is obscene.  It's evil. 

Thinking again about the starfish, I think the star I want to throw back is in my own town.  I will donate to the sexual abuse resource center and the shelter for runaway teens before the month ends.  I will ask the governor to sign those 10 new bills.  I will write a thank you note to my legislators for voting for them. 

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

How to fight slavery,part 3

Talk about it!  (as I am doing right now)

Trafficking is the 21st century name for slavery.  I think the word slavery is clearer to most people. Also, think about the persons.  "Slaves" vs "traffickees?"  "trafficked persons?"  "Victims?"   I think the term slave is clearest and strongest.  "Victim" is accurate but not specific.  A victim can be many things besides a slave, sad to say.

I am still considering the fable of the starfish.  You know the one - the child throws the starfish back into the sea to save its life.  The old person points out it's impossible to save them all, so what's the point?  The child tosses one more into the sea and says, "it matters to that one."   Then the old person, and soon many others, join in and they do save all the starfish.

Which slave can I save, and how? 
Locally or far away?
Man (usually labor slavery), woman (domestics and sex slavery), or child (sex, military, and labor)? 

It distresses me to make these distinctions, to make a Sophie's Choice decision.  But there is no need to.  I save any slave I can.  If my words lead another to action, I'll never know which slave I helped.  I pray for this, BTW.   If I reject slave chocolate and lead others to as well, I am probaby helping African labor slaves.  Great!  If I give money to educate girls in Asia, perhaps I help keep a girl from becoming a sex slave. 

If I buy local and fair trade every chance I get, I can be much more confident my purchases are promoting justice and NOT supporting abusive practices, including slavery. 

Tonight a local service club that has taken up the anti-trafficking guantlet is showing a film called Sex+Money.  Doubtless when I go to bed tonight I will know more than I do right now, and will have something worthwhile to share in part 4.

Peace and justice, y'all

Molly

ways to combat slavery. part 1?

I have reflected much recently about human trafficking and how to stop it.

(maybe it's wrong to call this "part 1" because I have written on this topic before. Well, I've been wrong once or twice before.)

It's comforting to know that this isolated Quaker is not alone in this quest - in my community, I have found allies in a Christian church, and in a Republican state senator who I usually disagree with strongly. It is wonderful to have allies!

Allies told me about a neat app for Iphone or Android called Free2Work, which gives a scorecard to companies and specific products. Divine Chocolate gets an A, by the way. Hershey's gets a D. How sad, considering the honorable history of the company when it was founded. Ditto Cadbury, which hurts me more because that's a Quaker company. Or, was.

www.slaveryfootprint.org has a survey to help identify the slavery in the supply line of what you buy. They have an app too - Free World. It requires Facebook to log in, however.

The Christian group is on fire. Full of Christian zeal. The group is called FREED. You can find it on facebook, of course. More on this later.

The troublesome truth God gave me during the prayer part of the last FREED meeting is this: Slavery can persist in a free and democratic society. 21st century United States proves this, since there are labor slaves and sex slaves in this nation.

That means - and this is hard for me -- Peace is NOT the answer to fighting slavery. Sure, it helps, because peace allows people to get on with their business and not be displaced, for example. And peaceful societies are less likely to conscript children for their wars.

Peace's sister Justice is the answer to slavery. Slavery is unjust. Therefore Justice is the answer.

I have dedicated much of my heart and time and self-identity to peacemaking. This is not wrong, but it won't end slavery, which is something I care about deeply.

If you want peace, work for justice - Pope Paul VI
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere - Martin Luther King
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your Lord ? Micah 6:6-8

So, God has been suggesting this to me for some time.  It took more focused prayer with the FREED group (in Quakerese, it was a popcorn meeting).  The humble part is hardest for me.  

I have more work cut out for me.

Peace (and Justice!), y'all

Molly

On world hunger

We humans like to eat. It nourishes us, it satisfies us. I am grateful I always have enough to eat, and so do the people I love. Yet so many souls on this earth go to sleep with an empty tummy. This bothers me.

In 2010, 925 million people were hungry. Most were in Asia and the Pacific. A significant minority are in sub-Saharan Africa. A tiny minority are in developed countries such as the U.S. (Numbers courtesy United Nations)

Most of the undernourished are children. Undernourishment complicates and exacerbates illnesses. It's implicated directly in many deaths and makes the suffers fall to other diseases.

The world produces enough food. But not everyone has enough land to grow food or money to buy it.

Poverty is the prime cause. Harmful economic systems, in which a very wealthy and tiny minority control the resources and the rest must do without, is another main cause. Conflict causes hunger. Conflict displaces and destroys.

Peace prevails if conflict has just and nonviolent resolution. Peace's sisters are justice and love. With more justice, resources are more evenly distributed. In a just society with calm (another of peace's sisters)and stable conditions, people can find work or stick around to grow and harvest food.

Something to chew on....

Peace, y'all

Molly

On God letters

In my own shorthand, for my perpetual lists, that's what I called my letters to leaders on subjects I felt called to write about to promote peace and justice.  I used to write regularly to my representatives in Congress, the President, the heads of state Amnesty International asked me to write to, and my representatives in the state legislature.
Replies were predictable and rarely satisfying. 

Still, especially in these days of email and online petitions (which I sign frequently), a single letter has value.  Even if the response is rote, the decision makers tally the letters.  More than 5 letters (of the non-formletter type, the truly personal ones) constitute grassroots clamour, a true groundswell.

So I should keep on with the God letters, even though it's a chore.  And so should you!  

Last Christmas I derived great pleasure from writing big checks to charity.   I wonder if I could also derive pleasure from writing God letters?   I wonder which has great impact, my voice or my money? 

Money is finite.  Voice, like love, is infinite.   I guess I should use the gift of language for good, and exercise those marvelous First Amendment rights more vigorously. 

And so should you.  Let's clamour for peace and justice!  Let's make a groundswell of public support!

Peace, y'all

Molly

On the murder of Osama Bin Laden

I can't feel joy about this. I recognize the closure many Americans feel, and am glad for the closure. But not the death. Proverbs 24.17 advises "do not gloat when your enemy falls;when they stumble, do not rejoice."

I felt embarrassed seeing the gloating crowds outside the White House last night.

I hope my nation can heal. That we can focus on helping each other, on forming a more perfect union, rather than on vengeance.

Hope this chapter passes quickly

Peace, y'all

Molly

More on Micah's words

Months ago these words started germinating in me. "what does the Lord require but that we love mercy, act justly and walk with our God?". Today I thought hard on these words. In English, mercy and justice are sort of opposites. And love is more than sentiment, it's action, an active verb. So it's clear to me what it means to walk with God. (though it is hard to do). But nurturing both justicevand mercy is still a puzzle.

Then a serendipitous thing happened. Tomorrow is Quaker Lobby Day in my state Capitol, and 'the issues we'll lobby on are criminal justice!! Talk about justice and mercy.

Quakers in my state place priority on efforts to repair the harm suffered by victims over soohong punishments to offenders.

We want to enable offenders to redeem themselves and reintegrate in society.

We wantto replace costly incarceration through diversion, drug treatment, job training, and education.

We want to redress racial inequity of the current criminal justice system.

Tomorrow I will lobby with Micah's guidance. I don't think God requires this. I think God prepared me for tomorrow some how.

Peace, y'a, and act justly, love mercy, and walk with God!

Molly

more on the federal budget

Wow I didn't realized I haven't posted in so long. I'm back. For now anyway.

The feds sure spend money on war. We used to call it that--The Department of War. This changed last century to the Department of Defense. How Orwellian.

Well, here is a look at the 2011 budget. Billions of dollars (did you know the lowest number starting with "b" is "billion?) and the biggest slice is for war. 30% is for current military spending. 18% is for past military, including veteran's benefits, and (ominously) interest on the national debt from previous military spending. $1398 Billion. That's $1.3 TRILLION. Any way you slice it, that's real money. And obscene amounts of it.

Non military spending -- that is, every other thing the feds do, is more than this. This is right. We should spend most of our money on nonmilitary things, like international relatons, foreign aid, justice, environmental protection and (my favorites) National Parks.

I agree that national defense is a federal function, but our military is a cancer on the federal government. It consumes it. Its product? Wealth to military contractors, and death and destruction for "others." For the womend and children and poor in other places. It's wrong in so many ways.

Oh yes, that military largess also paid for the F-15 and F-16 in the air show I saw yesterday. Was the entertainment value worth what that bird and its well-trained pilot cost us? No way.

I would like the military to hold bake sales and give billions to schools. What about you?

Peace, y'all

Molly

A funny sort of trouble

Today at work I was researching the Vancouver Peace And Justice Fair, thinking my agency might do some outreach there. I printed something from the website but didn't retrieve it right away. My boss summoned me to his office and chided me for the printout, reminding me of our ethics rules and the ban on personal printing. Imagine his surprise when I told him it was for work! He asked if it were approved. No, said I, we are planning.
This amused me. But probably it shouldn't. Maybe the boss has it in for me, or has polarly opposed views.(yeah, who could oppose peace, love, and justice?)

More on the Ruby Ridge fired workers

Yesterday, through a translator, I learned more about the plight of the fired workers from one of those workers. He said that Ruby Bingen, who owns Ruby Ridge dairy, is denying he ever worked there so he cannot collect unemployment, and says bad things about him when potential new employees call to verify previous employment.

These workers all have families. How can they provide for their families with the Bingens persecuting them?

I learned that things are still bad for workers stil at the dairy. There, 2 workers must milk 1700 cows daily, and 6 workers handle the other 400 cows. The 2 with the impossible workload are the ones in the union.

The workers must provide their own equipment-gloves, aprons, safety items--the Bingens provide only the cows. After the expenses are considered, the workers make less than minimum wage. Is this legal?

Also, the Bingens force the workers there to sign a pledge that they won't join a union as a condition of continued employment. Is this even legal?

Bingens sell their milk to Darigold. I've heard Darigold is giving legal support to the Bingens for their defense in the suit the workers have filed. IF this is so, Darigold is as guilty as the Bingens.

I don't know how those people can look at themselves in the mirror.

update on the Ruby Ridge workers

Darigold is trying to resolve the issues of the fired workers from the Ruby Ridge dairy,(the Darigold Dozen), who were fired after trying to form a union. The workers have a suit for violation of state rules for employment and federal laws against discrimination. Hooray for Darigold for trying to find resolution.

Darigold is in this because Ruby Ridge dairy is a Darigold coop member. I don't know what happens at other dairies in my area but think I will find out, and share. I hope dairy users will buy from dairies whose workers and cows are treated with respect and care.

The fired Ruby Ridge workers are anxious and need your moral and financial support.

peace, y'all

Molly

The rally for Ruby Ridge fired, the Darigold Dozen

I was born in the 20th century and reached maturity then too. A recent college grad, born also in the 20th century but reaching adult in the 21st, referred to me as "20th century" when commenting on my lack of skills with technology. Well, I try. If a tool appears to have value to me, I learn it. For instance, I had no interest in texting until I learned my daughter would respond to me promptly when I do. So now I text to keep in touch with my kid.

All this is prelude for the fact that 1) I am going to post pictures from the rally for the Ruby Ridge fired workers, the Darigold Dozen, the brave men who stood up for their rights as workers and were fired thereafter for other reasons, the owners allege. RIGHT. Just coincidental, is it, that all of the fired workers were the ones leading the unionizing effort?

and 2), to find other blogs relating to workers, union rights, immigration issues, dairy workers, and human rights and put my 2 cents in there. I am not fluent in Spanish so I will do what I can in English for these men and all the other workers who will benefit if these guys succeed.

If you have ideas to help these workers, please pass them along (and do them as well!)

Peace, y'all

Molly

Si se puedes!

Yesterday I participated in a rally to support the beleagered fired workers from the Ruby Ridge dairy. The Darigold dozen! To my surprise, they (the fired workers) fed us lunch as well. Tortillas and very spicy grilled beef.

We had a short march and vigil on the road to the dairy (respecting private property) and did garner the attention of a local TV station. It encouraged me that the number of people participating seems to be growing.

Click http://www.utne.com/Politics/The-Dark-Side-of-Dairies.aspx to read the Utne Reader article about the dangers the dairy workers face. And please, consider the source of the milk your family drinks and who besides you pays for it, with their health, their dignity, and their trampled human rights.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Do Justice

While I await inspiration and energy, I want to share the day's entry on the perpetual calendar from Alternatives for Simple Living (800-821-6153).

The first principle is not "Think about Justice," or even "Believe in Justice." it's "Do Justice!" Besides our prayers, our contributions, and our pressure on governments, we help the world's poor by consuming less, thereby making more available for others. Biblical Justice reflects God's great love for the poor and our parallel call to live in a way that positively responds to their needs."

So concise and right!

I am consuming less this month by declining to buy. I am having a month of retail abstinence. The hard part is staying away from lattes. The rest is not too bad. Last night we went to Costco to buy a few things on our grocery list. I felt interest but no temptation from all the other stuff there.

More on justice. Just a brief pause to consider it gave me an idea. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that felons in prison have a right to vote. My local newspaper deplored this but I embrace it. The disenfranchised in our culture are the ones who suffer injustice - children, illegal aliens, plants and animals, air and water, the poor. Isn't it justice enough to lock up those folks?

Peace is non-linear and today it's circular

The path to peace is not linear, and today I'm seeing this quite clearly. My decision to reuse my eternal calendar from the good people at Alternatives for Simple Living (http://www.simpleliving.org/) lead me back to Doris Janzen Longacre's Living more with Less.

Alternatives for Simple Living is a non-profit organization that equips people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and create meaningful celebrations (cut and pasted straight from their web site). It's Christian in a gentle and practical way.

Doris Janzen Longacre was a Mennonite, and this book is part of the Mennonite Central Committee's work to meet human needs world wide. It's nourishing. Like hors d'ourves rather than a 3-course dinner. Her categories are

Do Justice

Learn from the World Community

Nurture People

Cherish the Natural Order

Nonconform freely

Yummy! It comforts me to organize my own activities along these lines. Is my food donation today a "nurture people" and "do justice" ??? Is my party tonight to make it fun to take down the Christmas tree sort of "nonconform freely?" Am I doing a bit to cherish the natural order when I recycle?

As I drink coffee grown and processed by Gustavo in Turriabla Costa Rica I feel pretty good. I honor the memory of Doris Janzen Longacre.

Back to circular. I got this book years and years ago and it has rested quietly on my bookshelf for quite a while. It's practically new to me once more.

I did some work with AltSimLiv years ago too. And I am led there once more. (More on this in Sept or October 2010.)

Peace, y'all

Molly