My dream came true

I had a wonderful experience last Friday and want to share it with everyone. I (andmy family) attended the citizenship ceremony at the US District Court and witnessed 28 people become brand new American citizens.

Then I dashed outside the courtroom to the table the court had provided me, and handed out League of Women Voters pamphlet "They Represent You," a free directory of all the elected officials in our counties, and how to contact them (and vote them in or out). My husband and I gave out dozens of these.

I also offered to register the new Americans to vote. I registered 8 new Americans right then and there, and several others took the form with them to mail in later.

It was sweet--I checked over the forms to be sure they were filled in right, and had to remind a few folks to check the YES box to confirm they were American citizens!

It has always been a dream of mine to register brand new Americans, and last Friday my dream came true.

Anyone can do this (at least in my state). I went to the county Auditor's office to get the forms, I arranged a table, and brought a pile of pens.

I can't wait to do this again. The court's person said they would have another citizenship ceremony in another month or two. They'd worked hard to bring this back to our community, and I am thrilled about it.

Latin American conflicts

My thoughts are in Central America. My daughter and I will go to Costa Rica on Friday and I really need to tend to a few last-minute details. And today's entry in the Cat Lovers against the Bomb notes that 10 years ago, Guatemala's Truth Commission found that 93% of the civil war deaths were at the hands of the military.

When I was in grad school my prof for the Latin American politics class said the problem was that in Latin America, the countries are occupied by their own military. I guess Guatemala illustrates this point clearly and tragically.

Our military doesn't 'occupy' the U.S. because of some law from Reconstruction times. Plus the Bill of Rights, I think. That would be a good exercise in civics for baby boomers. Find the answer to this: why does the US military NOT meddle in domestic affairs?

War's costs in Guatemala

The Cat Lovers Against the Bomb (thanks, Nebraskans for Peace) reminded us that ten years ago yesterday, President Clinton said US aid to Guatamalen military was wrong. I did a little looking on internet to learn more about Guatemala's recent history. I feel regret and shame my government (for the people, by the people, of the people) helped harm so many innocent people.

Then, using the CIA fact book, I compared Guatemala to Costa Rica, a nation with no military, and with USA, a nation we are most familiar with. Here are a few comparison points

Guatemala
Suffrage 18 & universal , except members of Active military, who are confined to barracks
Population 4.2 million
GDP (gross domestic product) $49.73B $
GDP/person $5400
Life expectancy @ birth 69.99
Infant mortality (per 1000 births) 28.79
Literacy 69.1%
%GDP spent on education 2.6

Costa Rica
Suffrage - 18, universal and compulsory

Population 13 million

GDP - 70.19B

GDP per person- $11,000

Life expectancy @ birth 77.4

Infant mortality (per 1000 births) 9.1
Literacy 94.9%
%GDP spent on education 4.9

USA
Suffrage 18 and universal
Population 303 million
GDP $14.58T(rillion)
GDP/person $48,000
Life expectancy @ birth 78.14
Infant mortality (per 1000 births) 6.3
Literacy 99%
% GDP spent on education 5.3


Costa Rica is little but by eliminating its military, has much more $$ available for health and education than does Guatemala. Costa Rica: no wars, high literacy, higher life expectancy. Dividends of peace.

I find it sad that Guatemala's active military is confined to quarters and cannot vote on election days. Guatemala has been stable for a few years now, and I hope it lasts. Guatemala vividly illustrates the costs of war. High infant mortality, shortest life expectancy in our hemisphere, rampant poverty, incalculable impacts from human rights abuses.

Yes Mr. Clinton, the US's role in supporting the Guatemala military was wrong.

Silent weekend dividends once again

My faith is deepening. I am praying more. I am talking somewhat less. All is well here. So much to be grateful for!

Peace be with you

Molly

Good words about love

For Valentine's Day festivities where I work, I googled up some fine quotations about love (and life.) I share some of them here.

We are all born for love... it is the principle existence and it's only end. --Disraeli

The life and love we create is the life and love we live. --Leo Buscaglia

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. --Bertrand Russell, Earl Russell

By ourselves we can enjoy life, but to really appreciate life we must find companionship.
--author unknown

You who have received so much love, show your love by protecting the sacredness of life. The sacredness of life is the greatest gifts that God has given us. --Mother Theresa

There are only four questions of value in life . . . What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love." --From the film Don Juan DeMarco

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love. --Henry Drummond

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind. --Henri Frederick Amiel

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; That word is love. --Sophocles

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. --Lao Tzu

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
--1 Peter 4:8-9
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

Who, being loved, is poor? ~Oscar Wilde

Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes

Enjoy these and love joyfully

Peace and Love, y'all

Molly

NAACP and draft cards

This post should have been yesterday. Yesterday, Feb 12, is the anniversary of the founding of the NAACP 100 years ago, and the first time Americans burned their draft cards (in 1967) to protest peacetime draft. It also was the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln but it would be hard in the U.S. not to notice that fact.

Thanks once again to the fine folks at Nebraskans for Peace for their "Cat Lovers against the Bomb," (CLAB to them) from which I got these good facts.

Reminds me that everything happens some time, so creates an anniversary. And we use anniversaries to remember things. Besides the anniversaries above: on this day in the past, people lived and loved. Some good things happened, and lots of bad things happened.

Perhaps if we all do good today, we will have happier memories to look back on.

peace, y'all

Molly

Pray for each other and for the world

Today I prayed very intensely. I used ACTS, adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication. I am praying for peace, for the leaders of democracies around the world to defend their citizens and the rights of their citizens. I am praying that we all realize each other's humanity and human rights, that we can all work to make things better around the world. Please join me in these prayers

Molly