Category: Humanity

The Needle is Moving Toward Peace

As of April 30, 98 universities were engaged in civil disobedience across the US – with three more slated to begin over the next few days. 

This is not a one off.

These people are clear and determined. They’ve learned from history and from this very ugly present moment. This uprising of love and desire for peace is student led – with the support of their communities – family, clergy, faculty and more. They have absorbed the lessons of history and are putting everything on the line to say “no more”.

And what precisely is the “no more”?

They’re demanding an end to the genocide of Palestinian people, but not stopping there. They’re demanding their universities and colleges stop feeding the military industrial complex and divert the money towards peace building. 

By and large the encampments have been peaceful. But you don’t hear much about the peaceful. You hear about 1,000’s of arrests. You don’t read about ongoing debates between city and university police or how a few universities have negotiated with the students in good faith.

Now we see how Wisconsin will handle the students. This early morning brought a wave of militarized police following the orders to shut down the Madison encampment. 

I’ve been on the receiving end of militarized police with batons. I’ve witnessed provocateurs – both within and outside movements. They attempt to disrupt the peaceful – with intention or with ignorance. We can’t be distracted by sideshows.

This is an important and defining moment. These students have taken the passion of the 60’s and added the layered learnings of indigenous struggle, nonviolent actions, and the unnerving confidence of ones who know they’re on the right side of history. 

Beyond a doubt the needle is moving towards peace. And they are reminding us once again that there is another way. The question always remains, will we take it?

I was in Madison for the beginning of the encampment. I was impressed with the manner in which the students conducted themselves and cared for one another. They are working hard to break free from the tyranny of violence that robs this country of everything good. This action by authorities was not warranted.

From Wisconsin Bailout the People

For What Its Worth

Young people are at it again. Stirring up trouble and making us think. How dare they have peaceful protests about genocide. How dare they demand an end to their college’s funding of militarism and the slaughter of innocents. The hubris. The arrogance. Challenging the United States’ long held worship of war is not easy. Just ask those who stood up in the 60’s. Or at least ask the ones who remember how good it felt to be on the side of humanity.

Once again young people are forcing us to remember the creeds we extol. Freedom of speech being among them. It’s very hard to reckon how any of us can still believe the self defense claims of Netanyahu while we watch the horror unfolding and the lies exposed.

Now we’re learning that the Israeli claims of terrorists in UNRWA have no foundation – this after the US led the charge to defund the only consistent humanitarian aid available to Palestinians. And how long will it take Congress to reenact that aid?

Remember the pier the US was building to bring relief? Whatever happened to that? Yet the international humanitarian flotilla carrying 5500 tons of aid may not be allowed to leave Istanbul. And children starve to death.

What must it be like to be a Palestinian in this moment when revenge is promoted on a grand scale and the western world silently utters thoughts and prayers and watches. We were lied to from the beginning of this slaughter, both by the ranking Israeli government and by our President. 

But too many of us are saying, “Don’t rock the boat”, not realizing the boat sank a long time ago.

“It’s time we stop”. Listen to the youth. Remember our humanity.

For What Its Worth. This picture is of Jewish students enjoying and celebrating Passover Seder – while protesting the slaughter of innocent Palestinians at the hands of the extreme right wing government of Israel.

It is worth a lot. we must keep overcoming our ignorance to uphold our humanity.

Please take some time to listen to my conversation with Alan Chavoya on militarized police, the need for community control over policing and humanistic activism. It holds groundbreaking information for those ready for change.

From the River to the Sea

“From the River to the Sea” has become the latest casualty in the war of indoctrination. Congress has enacted a resolution calling the words “from the river to the sea” anti-Semitic, while adding millions to Israel’s defense and robbing United States citizens of proper care. But more significantly it comes as Congress supports the ongoing genocide of Palestinians and repression of pro-Palestinian voices grows. 

Lazy thinking. That’s how we’ve arrived here. 

Post WWII western countries wished to be rid of the Jewish refugees. The refugees were relocated to Israel and a Jewish state was recognized by the UN in 1948.

What could have possibly gone wrong with that decision?

Already a hotbed of division, Israel expanded its territory with violence and displacement of the indigenous Palestinian people. May 15 is known as Nakba, the day of observance of Palestinian “ethnic cleansing” and land theft that occurred then and continues now.

True to their imperialistic nature, the US, Great Britain and others, supported Israel to engage in resource grabbing. This included oil and soon will be for the natural gas off the coast of Palestine – that they have just acquired through removal, and killing of Palestinians and destruction of Gaza.

“Keeping the peace” meant condemning the Palestinians to brutal occupation, because Israel is a nationalistic state, not a democracy. Palestinians who live in Israel do not share the same freedoms as Israelis. Checkpoints, water rationing and illegal Israeli settlers’ ongoing violence to Palestinians and their land have only escalated over the past 16 years. Like the apartheid state of South Africa – that the US was reluctant to see abolished – we have continued to pour billions yearly into the defense of Israel and have been willing to witness the eradication of Palestinian lands and lives.

The brutal attack by Hamas on October 7 was anexcuse for more land theft and genocide. These are not empty words. Look at the reality, not the smear campaign of corporate media, not the profiteering war mongers and their congressional lackies.  I have never condoned the violence of October 7, and I will never accept the genocide that has been perpetrated by Israel since that day. 

“From the River to the Sea” is used by both sides. Israel has been able to dominate the narrative – both there and here in the US. It is time to turn the narrative around. It is time to pursue peace and stop listening to the voices of hate.

We have some unlearning to do…

And for some levity in the chaos.

The Play Goes On

We lost a local visionary. Unlikely that many knew of her unless you read her stinging commentaries and delighted in her unrelenting attacks on all things foolish. I feel the bite of sorrow but it has given rise to thought.

The play goes on. And that is how it should be. I often wonder why we don’t stop the madness, why so many of us choose unfulfilled dreams and chaos over the brilliance of being human. 

Out of laziness or mischief, we’re content with words that will never touch our hearts and we fall prey to blind belief too easily. We forget that life’s a game we’re meant to win. Winning is not success with dollar signs attached. That, my friends, is a lottery not a life’s win. 

Fear drives our choices, both individually and collectively, and we accept it as truth. We engage with puppeteers who hold us captive with fear. We give full attention to their musings and seldom question their legitimacy. Our understandings of what is precious in life and what is not meant for us have become twisted. From the touchstone of fear, we allow the domination of greed and power. We succumb to war as our only remedy whether at borders, offices, schools or churches. We play the parts of “us and them” and we act as if it is who we truly are… 

We’ve forgotten the brilliance of being human and forsake the reality of our connectedness. 

Life is our connector. Breath and being on this precious earth are what we share. I cherish those who help me remember. I honor those who refuse to let their candle dim in the darkness of ignorance that parades so triumphantly today. 

In this play of hide and seek with Reality, it’s ours to win. Don’t cower before ignorance. Shine.

“Boldness be my friend. Arm me, audacity, from head to foot.” From Shakespeare’s Cymbeline

Some of us must overcome timidity to have our voices heard. Some of us come into this world determined to be heard. Some of us are born for the struggle. Karen played her part magnificently.

Revolution of Kindness

I read the news to know what’s happening in the world, and to get a laugh between sighs and shaking my head. The 45th president is now selling Bibles. And Joe Biden is willing to risk his presidency because he can’t end his bro-mance with Netanyahu. Those are the laughs. The truths are more sinister. 

The 45th president continues to be supported by people willing and eager to be led. People willing to tear apart our nation rather than work towards a republic of diversity, equity and inclusion. The laugh is that many of them brag of being “saved”. 

Rather than supporting the pussy-grabbing pres, you would think they would be keen to keep Biden in office. His love affair with Israel is right on track with the death wish of Zionist Christians – as the blood of Palestinians runs in the streets and the US remains complicit in genocide – these folks rally for the Rapture.

The Liberals, who fear the Right, sacrifice righteous anti-war and other humane positions on immigration, the environment and more because they don’t want to lose elections – or is it because they don’t want to lose their status quo lifestyles? 

Wisdom has guided us throughout human history, but we have been slow to listen and to learn. We’d rather be led. We’d rather be comfortable. This unconscious living isn’t working very well these days, is it?

Yet it is very apparent that if a drop more kindness could erupt in our hearts as quickly as our anger and our judgement, the ways we live together could change. We could usher in ways of peace. This cultivation of kindness is not out of reach. So, what will it take to bring on this revolution?

A little stepping back, a little more questioning, a little more knowing and a lot less believing; it will take listening to yourself, not the slick salesmen. It will take a keen desire to be human again.

For those who yearn to be human again, I suggest the following:

Prem Rawat, world-renowned peace educator. And TPRF‘s Peace Education Program.

Kindness and Sanity

Ramadan is the most cherished of Islamic holidays and begins on March 10 and continues to April 9. During this time members of the faith fast during daylight hours. It’s a time devoted to prayer and contemplation. 

With this as a backdrop, South Africa has urged the International Court of Justice to order Israel’s compliance with measures issued in January. These measures ordered Israel to halt acts that may be deemed genocidal against Palestinians. The new South African request noted “The threat of all-out famine has now materialized” and asked the court to order Israel to take “immediate and effective measures” ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches the starving masses. 

In Cairo, ceasefire talks continue between Hamas and Israel – with intermittent stalls. This as children are dying of starvation due to shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Also, in acknowledgement of Ramadan, Britain is circulating a United Nations ceasefire petition for both sides of the Sudanese civil war that has raged the past year with thousands being killed and displaced. At this time, the United States seems poised to agree with this Sudanese ceasefire request.

Yet our country has been a holdout in demanding ceasefire in Gaza. We remain in staunch support of the horrific actions against the Palestinian people. We’ve allowed Israeli characterizations of Palestinians as less than human to enter our discourse. We believe the false narratives of Hamas using Palestinians as shields and ignore Israel’s outright murders of Palestinian civilians and even of their own. 

We’ve allowed hatred and retribution to win.

There’s still time to do the right thing. Cities and counties are passing ceasefire resolutions and Democrats are voting uncommitted in a united voice against Biden’s support of genocide. As in reference, in Wisconsin the primary vote on April 2 is for “uninstructed”, if someone wants to voice a call for ceasefire.

Sanity must prevail.

South Africa to bring the US and Britain before the ICJ for Complicity in committing genocide.

Don’t Be Numb

There’s a preciousness to life. One that can be missed if all we’re doing is running around and fixing broken pieces. There are a lot of broken pieces. Like shards of glass the insanity of violence cuts through us. Sometimes we’ve been cut so badly that we can’t feel anymore. We’ve grown numb. Thoughts about heaven and righteous language about “God’s will” give us a pass on feeling. Humanity suffers from ineptitude and God is our excuse for apathy.

We can lay this genocide of Palestinians at the feet of God. We’ve been indoctrinated into believing that God gave the land to the Jews and so this ethnic cleansing must be God’s will, right?

For the most part, Israeli’s have been kept from knowing Palestinians and have accepted that the indigenous people of Gaza are inferior and to be feared. And citizens of the United States, whose infatuation with war seems insatiable, eagerly devour the reminders of the horrific October 7th Hamas attack – with little to no recognition of the suffering of millions of human beings. Human beings, not terrorists. Human beings whose lives have been entrapped for generations in displacement, murder and subjugation. Palestinians in apartheid.

It would take one call from Biden to end this nightmare. And maybe a few calls to the arms brokers and energy giants. Or one united shout out from our citizenry to stop funding this genocide. 

The world is watching. It was watching when Aaron Bushnell, the twenty-five-year-old airman engulfed his body in flames and shouted “Free Palestine.”  

Life is precious. All of life is precious. And as a friend told me, “God is not a real estate broker.”

But you know that. Don’t let yourself go numb.

When Will It Be Enough

As it stands the United States is now complicit in attempted genocide because of our unquestioning support of Israel. The International Court of Justice’s statement regarding the South African case on genocide proves that. 

But that’s not enough, by bombing Yemen, Iraq and Syria we are enticing Iran into a larger war, while Biden continues to claim that isn’t so.  

But that is not enough, on supposed information linking twelve Hamas fighters to the UN aid agency for Palestine, which has 13,000 employees, the United States and nine of its allies have withdrawn financial support of humanitarian aid to Palestinians. 

But that’s not enough, UNWRA aid is expected to run out by the end of February, the remaining Palestinians will face starvation, dehydration and death.

But that’s not enough, because as I speak Israel is bombing some of the last zones where Palestinians were told they would be safe, Over 27,000 people dead with an estimated 8-10,000 buried in the rubble, a totally destroyed landscape…no functioning colleges, hospitals, schools…

But that’s not enough, while all of this is happening both sides of the political aisle are rushing to send Israel 17.6 billion dollars to help continue Israel’s genocide. 

And that’s not enough for the inhuman leadership that we have elected. Now they are attempting to enact barbaric treatment of asylum seekers and refugees at our southern border.

And that’s not enough, no, none of it has been enough to make the citizens of this country decry the lies, the inhumanity and the greed of our legislators. 

When will it be enough? What will it take before we realize what is happening to the Palestinians is happening because of our silence?

Redeem the Power of Love

The International Court of Justice will rule on the provisional requests made by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel this Friday, January 26 (6 am CST). You can listen here.

The case of genocide could take years to decide, but one of the provisions asked for ceasefire.

Another case will begin in Oakland, California on the same day. The case is Defense for Children International – Palestine versus Biden’s administration and calls for an end to the killing of innocents.

You can hear it here. The federal hearing on the case against Joe Biden, Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin will begin at 11 am CST.

Apparently, it takes court orders – that may or may not be complied with – to get world powers to cease their violence on civilians and children. Apparently, we have not yet understood we’re one people living on one planet and what happens to one happens to all. 

We have not understood the fruitlessness of war. But most importantly we have not understood the strength of our humanity. We’re being called to know that strength. We are called to know the depth of our compassion and the power of our collective will to change. 

It’s not anti-Semitic to say stop killing innocent people. It’s pro-human to call for a permanent ceasefire and to begin to repair the harm and the collective fears of everyone. It’s wisdom to recognize the only winners in this bloodbath are those profiting from war machines. It’s imperative to realize that it’s a land grab for resources, as are all wars.  

Humanity seems bent on self-destruction. Yet, historically, it has been the effort towards peace that has eventually succeeded. We are beyond having a single leader save the day. It’s up to each one of us to redeem the power of love and to return to what is possible. 

Somewhere in the neutrality and in the power of being human, we can be triumphant.  Let us try.

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Who Will We Be?

I sat out Martin Luther King Day this year. Beyond Vietnam plays in my head plenty, as does his revulsion of the silent left*. The debates on social media were traps: would Martin be on the side of Israel or on the side of Palestine?  Equipped with quotes of justification we reduce the genius of the man to a snapshot designed to serve our needs.

No I couldn’t urge the day of service this year. I wasn’t touched by Biden feeding the poor after serving up a speech marking 100 days of bombing Gaza – and only being able to talk about the hostages still held by Hamas, not a word about 24,000 Palestinian dead and counting.

No, I wasn’t able to scroll through the memes inviting us to our higher angels. One though, did catch my eye. It asked, “Will you live up to the quote you are posting today for the rest of the year?”

Martin paid for his wisdom. He took the hits and continued to follow his path of nonviolence. He refused to succumb to power and wrote some of his most important understandings inside the walls of jails.  He watched as the friends deserted him for his too much caring for the poor or for victims of a rich man’s war. 

They buried his work for years, thinking they might snuff out the humanity, the urgency, and the recognition that we had indeed gone to far into our materialism and too far from our hearts. I think people spend too much time pondering MLK and not enough time putting knowledge to task.

He showed us how to live; how to examine; how to be forthright and above all how to be human.

And now it is our turn. Who will we be?

  1. “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.