‘PEACE ON EARTH – GOOD WILL TO ALL’

Perhaps you are familiar with the hymn LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH. . .and let it begin with me.  The words should strike a resounding chord in the hearts of every person, whether they be Christian, Jew, Islamic, Buddhist, Baha’i, atheist, agnostic, etc.  After all, we are all one with humanity, are we not? 

The presumption that we share the same ideals – that we are all equal, all deserve to be treated with dignity and all share the same civil rights is unfortunately Pollyannic.

Where we fail as a species compared to others including predators, is our frequent obsession with our own selfish desires, hoarding material goods, raking in billions of dollars, ‘doing whatever it takes’ to beat those we see as our competitors.  Unlike other predatory species who consume other life forms merely to survive, human predators base their consumptions on greed, power, and devouring those whom they believe stand in their way.

Our founding fathers established a democratic union based on equality and justice for all.  Few Americans have ever read the entire U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Constitutional amendments passed since our nation’s founding, most especially Republicans, Tea Party and Libertarian legislators and self-absorbed citizens.

To be against government, yet run for office like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ron Paul, etc. is not only ludicrous but completely hypocritical. If they actually believed in our ‘Government of the people, by the people, and for the people’ they wouldn’t be so tightly tied to corporate moguls like the Koch Brothers, big oil, gas, coal, and dangerous chemical manufacturers.  Rather they would pass legislation requiring the wealthiest to pay their fair share of taxes, prohibit sending jobs overseas, outlaw savings accounts outside our shores, and the myriad of loopholes greedy corporate CEOs enjoy at the expense of the middle class and extremely poor (the other 99%). 

Peace on Earth requires the passage of broad immigration reform, full integration of our communities, police forces, judicial systems, city, state, and national legislatures, places of worship, corporate management, etc.

Peace on Earth mandates abandoning hate, color lines, establishing a complete overhaul of our judicial system throughout our cities, states, and our nation's capital.  

Peace on Earth cries out for pro-active, progressive, liberal democratic education, peaceful protests, the removal of money from politics, complete separation of church and state, ending white supremacist organizations and media that spread only hate, violence and division.

One cannot practice ‘an eye for an eye,’ if Peace on Earth is to exist.  Peace on Earth cannot occur where state legislatures violate the U.S. Constitution by implanting religion into social studies textbooks, prohibiting women from accessing the same healthcare as men, forbidding women from earning the same wages as their male counterparts, and refusing to raise the minimum wage so that all Americans can be lifted up out of poverty.

The ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP, LULAC, AFLCIO and the American people must file a law suit against the Texas State Board of Education for merging religion into our state adopted social studies textbooks, listing Regan as the best president ever, eliminating the truth about slavery, The Alamo, and the election of Barack Obama.  Moreover, we need to file law suits against every state legislature and governor who passes laws prohibiting access to Affordable Healthcare (Obama Care), the right to vote, etc.

Since when did our Constitution grant individual states the right to side-step our U.S. Constitution?  Are we not these United States of America?  Republicans, Tea Party and Libertarian legislators don’t see it that way.

Peace on Earth has no room for the constant and historic murder of Black men and youth, state judicial systems that permit grand juries to determine the fate of those who commit the murders, be they members of a police force, or the ‘Stand Your Ground,’ racists.

Peace on Earth harbors no place for the divisive false accusations against Mayor DeBlasio by PBA President Patrick Lynch.  Clearly Lynch can’t see the forest for the trees.  His words instigated an unwarranted community division between the office of the mayor and the Latino and Asian communities.  What sort of mayor would have ignored the blatant violation of civil rights toward Mr. Garner, resulting in his death at the hands of a NY cop, while six others stood silently by doing nothing to bring about justice?  He had to speak out as to the necessity for racial and sensitivity training throughout all law enforcement

Are you aware that Black police officers fear retaliation from other cops if they speak out against internal racism?  I suggest you research this topic.

The murder of the two New York police officers was not the fault of Mayor DeBlasio, but a mentally ill man, who had a history of violence and attempted suicide.  He did not have any gang affiliations as right-wing talk shows spout.  He approached three guys just before he shot the police officers, asking them what their gang affiliation was.  He may have been raised Islamic, but his actions did not reflect the faith of Islam practiced by most throughout the world. Just as we have right-wing religious extremist zealots who incite hate, yet call themselves Christians, so too does every faith have their share.  That doesn’t mean that the majority of faith-based Christians, Jews, or Islamics are dangerous.

Peace on Earth holds no place for pointing fingers, false accusations, painting every person with the same brush who is other than white, or those of a faith other than Christian.  In other words, Peace on Earth can only exist when hate mongers like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, Rick Perry, Gregg Abbott, Dan Patrick, Scott Walker, PBA President Patrick Lynch, and the majority of GOP/Tea Party legislators throughout this land are out of office, and their corrupt corporate puppeteers are removed from the election process.

The primary and greatest danger to Peace on Earth are those who refuse to open their hearts and minds to the whole truth, preferring to wear mental horse-blinders, dwelling in a world of ignorance, closed-minds, spawning hate and violence against their fellow humans.  Their blindness has nothing to do with sight, but distorted minds following corrupt corporate and extreme right-wing media blather.  They are easily brainwashed, because their intellectual capacity for exploration and discovery is non-existent.

The secondary leading threat to Peace on Earth are the complacent, apathetic, uninvolved populace who put their selfies, reality-TV, Instagrams, and social lives above the good of all others.  These are the individuals who don’t vote, don’t participate, and are too self-absorbed to care about the utilitarian good of all, the preservation of our Constitutional Civil Rights which guarantee equality and justice for all.  These selfish wonders often include some educators, nurses, physicians, and other professionals, who don’t understand the workings of our democratic republic, and the import of voting.  Like Nero, who played while Rome burned as an enormous fire ravaged Rome over six days, destroying 70% of the city, leaving half the population homeless, these complacent souls are too busy texting, socializing, shopping, etc. to donate even a few hours a week 

toward restoring our civil rights, electing those who represent real democracy, and voting in every city, state, and national election.

If our founding fathers had chosen to live as two-thirds of nation now do, ignoring the destruction of our democratic republic, the United States would not have been born.

Perhaps I am far more passionate than many about equality, justice for all, restoring and preserving our Constitutional Civil rights, which can ultimately bring about Peace on Earth.  I am thankful for the hundreds of friends who have joined me in working toward these goals.  There are millions more like us, and for those of you reading this, who have yet to join us, do so now.

A peaceful existence requires unrelenting work, dedication, devotion and passion.  

Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on Earth, 

the peace that was meant to be.  . .

To take each moment, and live each moment  in peace eternally, 

let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.

IMMIGRATION REFORM - PATRIOTIC AND LONG OVER DUE

KUDOS TO OUR COURAGEOUS ETHICAL AND HONEST PRESIDENT

If you are my age, you may be very familiar with the lyrics of AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL. . .

My Country Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty, of Thee I Sing. . .

You may also be familiar with the folksong by Woody Gutherie, THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND . . .

This Land is my land, this land is your land, this land was made for you and me. . .

and or course there’s Neal Diamond’s famous  THEY’RE COMING TO AMERICA, the lyrics and a video of which you will find on the links https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gjh9_coming-to-america_music and http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neildiamond/america.html.

You may wonder what these songs have to do with President Obama’s recent Executive decision to reform our broken immigration laws.  Despite the fact that he has pushed immigration reform as one of his top priorities before he officially took office in 2008, the Republican/Tea Party majority of Congress has refused to make an up or down vote on this bill. 

Here’s the rub – for whom were the lyrics of those famous songs written?  Those are not Native American songs, for this was and is their native homeland.  No, those songs were written for the immigrants who have come to America in hopes of being free from tyrannical dictators, free from pitiful poverty, and the right to worship or not as they wished.

I recently posted a photo that I truly love from TIME.  It is a black and white snapshot of a proud Native American.  The caption reads, SO, YOU’RE AGAINST IMMIGRATION?  SPLENDID!  WHEN DO YOU LEAVE?”  The photo may be found on my Facebook url https://www.facebook.com/ kathleen.perry.94064, shared by https://www.facebook.com/attn/photos/a.196549437047190.41358.160389977329803/774939982541463/?type=1.

I have written about the Manifest Destiny numerous times – the audacity of white Europeans to believe that they have the right to rape, pillage, and conquer any land and her people, most especially if they are of another race, creed and culture.  What is worse, many so called Christian religions supported the invasion of America, the mass murder of millions of Native Americans, and deporting millions of other tribes   

Of course their refusal to pass anything President Obama has put forward for the past six years, beginning with his first inauguration, speaks volumes as to who is really unwilling to pass legislation which the majority of Americans favor.  

After all, President Obama ran on Immigration Reform, Affordable Healthcare (aka Obamacare), Raising the Minimum Wage, Equal Pay for Women, Protecting Women Against Violence, Funding Education, our Military Benefits, Strengthening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, Unemployment Benefits, etc.

Republicans and Tea Baggers campaign on hate, lies, fear and threats.  Their legacy – sending jobs overseas, growing the national debt, sending us into a grave recession, cutting jobs, polluting our planet, gutting food stamps, Medicaid, unemployment and military benefits, denying all eligible citizens the right to vote, perpetrating a war on women and minorities, violating the U.S. Constitution of separation of church and state, taxing the middle class and poor while they escape taxation by setting up profit accounts outside the United States, committing war crimes, violating the Geneva Convention, and so much more. 

Their representation is far from patriotic, and yet several state and national GOP/Tea Party Leaders have decided to sue President Obama for employing his Constitutional use of Executive Power to move forward on issues like Immigration Reform, because the they have refused to do the jobs to which they were elected, albeit from a mere one-third of our national voters.

Thanks to 2/3rds of our populace failing to vote, we will soon have packed houses of Republican/Tea Baggers.  Welcome to Taliban-corrupt corporate rule in oligarchic form.

I am sickened, furious and fearful as to the damage Republicans and Tea Partiers have yet to execute.  Yet, I am even more resolute in my determination to move forward with positive, progressive civil rights advocacy.  We have been pushed back to the ‘50s in terms of civil rights.  It must be our full-time effort to restore, preserve, and advance equality and justice for all.  Make no mistake, this must be done faster than the speed-of-light!

I challenge every educator, liberal, progressive Democrat and Independent to join in these efforts.  A nation divided cannot and will not stand.  We must unite as one, work fast and feverishly to achieve our goals.  We are the patriots of this nation, and just as our founding fathers, we must face our enemies with unrelenting passion, and the conviction that we are on the side of justice.

Stand with me, shoulder-to-shoulder with President Obama as he battles the evils of injustice, prejudice, immorality, corporate corruption and greed, and an ever present racist GOP/Tea Party bent on destroying our democratic union.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS

GETTING OUT THE VOTE

For liberals, getting out the vote represents an exercise in our civil rights guaranteed to all citizens of these United States of America.

Unfortunately our current Supreme Court has ruled that our U.S. Constitution does not protect individual rights within states where legislators pass laws prohibiting them.  Equality and justice for all has "Gone to Hell in a Hand Basket.'  These restrictions are created by the GOP and the Tea Party.

Libertarians are confused as to the origin of their label.  They too are a part of this extremist fringe group of 'haters' who have permeated the GOP.  They profess that the only people entitled to their civil rights appear to be the 'good 'ole boy, military-weapon toting males, corrupt corporate moguls who aid and abet those beliefs, and of course the women who believe that the only way for them to live is 'barefoot and pregnant,' and cow-towing  to their Taliban-like legislators.

Whether you are a solid liberal Democrat, or an Independent such as Senator Bernie Sanders, you totally 'get' how our civil rights are in grave jeopardy of disappearing altogether.  Thus, we push to educate the more and more apathetic cell-phone driven American populace as to why they must cast their votes to preserve what little we have left of our democratic process.

Living in Texas has been a life-changing experience.  I first moved here from Tucson, which was then part of  more Democratically controlled city and state governments.  I worked on  Ann Richards' campaign, and all those who tried to follow in her footsteps.  

More and more I witnessed a disastrous deterioration of interest in voting after George W. Bush took over, and his big-billionaire cronies were elected thanks to horrific redistricting.  Voter apathy became the new norm.  Many Democrats felt casting a vote didn't matter.  Sadly, the entirety of Texas has suffered as a result of this malaise.     

Once I heard Senator Wendy Davis speak, I knew in my heart that she was gearing up to run for governor.  Liberals, women, college students, senior citizens, members of minority groups suddenly were invigorated and rejuvenated  with the strong desire to uproot the ruddy weeds strangling our democratic process and killing-off our civil rights.

I have worked tirelessly for over 1.5 years to see Wendy win, which I see as a major victory in restoring our civil rights.  Yes, this is the South, so that racist element hasn't altogether withered away.  Texas has her share of  radical extremists who believe that the right to vote, raising the minimum wage, equalizing pay for women, affordable healthcare for all Texans, endanger the oligarch-like governing which has eroded our civil rights guaranteed to us under the U.S. Constitution.  

Texas has one of the largest contingencies of billionaires in the country.  Along with that, they bring corruption, pocket-lining and puppeteering practices which successfully purchase GOP and Tea Party candidates.  It is our duty as U.S. citizens to vote and preserve our Constitutional rights -- not those consistently amended by Rick Perry, Gregg Abbot, etc., but those promised to us by our nation's founding fathers. 

What could be more important to our national security than functioning as the United States of America, not independent fiefdoms scattered throughout our nation prohibiting our civil liberties?  NOTHING!

Make no mistake, when educating our children and youth is considered a luxury to which only the wealthy white  are entitled -- democracy goes down the toilet.  An uneducated populace produces greater poverty, a growing divide between the super rich and desperately poor.  We are already on that slippery slope thanks to Republicans and Tea Party officials elected to office due to voter apathy.

March, protest, sound-off, stand up, for the sake of our children, their future, this state and our nation, GET OUT AND VOTE!  VOTE DEMOCRAT!  If there's no Democratic candidate running against a GOP, Tea Party or Libertarian candidate, vote for the Independent or Green Party candidates.  Write in the name of a Democrat you believe would serve this state and nation well; but DON'T sit on your duff taking selfies of  your dining out experiences, the cookies you just baked, how many miles you walked on a treadmill without first taking the time to vote!

One of hundreds of days registering young eligible voters 

SHOULDER - TO SHOULDER WITH EMILY'S LIST

According to Republican Paul Ryan. .  . “Now it’s a War on Women; tomorrow it’s going to be a war on left-handed Irishmen or something like that.”     

The War on Women is no laughing matter! 

You tell me, are the following facts noted by Emily’s List a joke?

QRepublicans/Tea Partiers introduced 27 anti-choice bills in Congress in 2013 alone, including a national ban on choice at 20 weeks, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives.  This violates every woman’s civil rights under the Constitution.  

Q 1 out of 4 women WILL experience domestic violence in their lifetime, which I too have suffered.  Yet 22 Senate Republicans /Tea Partiers (all men) and more than 130 House Republicans/Tea Partiers voted AGAINST the Violence Against Women Act, a law which protects women from violence!

Q221 Republicans/Tea Partiers voted to support H.R. 7 – a “Rape Audit Bill,” so that Any Rape Victim could be audited by the government and forced to prove her rape to IRS agents.  You tell me, how are the IRS, the police, and FBI interconnected in matters of rape?

QAlmost 2/3 of minimum wage workers are women; yet the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ‘Deceptive Working Families Flexibility Act, to CUT overtime pay and undercut the rights of low-wage earners.  I don’t see them taking a pay cut, only pay raises, do you?

QWhite women earn just 77 cents for each dollar earned by a man doing EQUAL WORK, where Latinas, and African-American women earn an average of fifth cents for every dollar earned by a man doing the same work.  Stil,l Republicans/Tea Partiers blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act in the House, a bill that would have provided help to victims of wage discrimination on the basis of gender (being female).

Q41 states have pro-choice restrictions at various stages of pregnancy.

QAnti-choice state legislatures Attacked Reproductive Rights more than 300 Times in 2013.

Q12 states have choice restrictions on the books that oppose the federal law Roe v. Wade.

Q51% of the entire U.S. population is women; but only 19% of Congress is represented by women!

QThere is only 1 female pro-choice Democratic governor in all of our 50 states.  We aim to change that!

QThe U.S. ranks 80^th in the entire world in our representation of women in elected office, behind Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Sudan – Third World Countries!

QDuring our 238-year history as the United States of America, 0 women have been elected president; yet women have reigned over hundreds of other countries over many centuries.

P HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH?  

P THEN CONTINUE STANDING SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER WITH OVER 3 MILLION PEOPLE BATTLING ALONGSIDE EMILY’S LIST TO CHANGE ALL OF THE ABOVE.

YOU – ARE – PART OF OUR POPULATION OF PROGRESSIVE AMERICANS DEVOTED TO ELECTING PRO-CHOICE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN TO OFFICE.  COOPERATIVELY WE WILL END THE GOP’S/TEA PARTY’S ASSAULTS ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND FIGHT FOR YOU – AND YOUR FAMILY!

This posting is paraphrased information shared by Emily’s List that I am sharing with you.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE: CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTION: Are Educators Now Exempt?...

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE: CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTION: Are Educators Now Exempt?...: For some time now, school districts have been holding educators responsible for their students’ standardized test scores, regardless of...

CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTION: Are Educators Now Exempt?

For some time now, school districts have been holding educators responsible for their students’ standardized test scores, regardless of their grade-level capacity.  In other words, if a student enters first grade unable to read or solve math problems on a first grade level, then they are by now, behind two years. 

Pre-kinder, kindergarten classes and Head Start benefit children develop mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Not every child has equal access to favorable parenting, nutrition, lap reading, etc., which assists in their all over development.

Moreover, not every child who enters school speaks English.  Each youngster should be tested appropriately to determine their correct placement; however, this is not actually the case.  For example, a youngster new to the U.S. is placed in a class fitting their age, rather than their appropriate developmental situation with regard to language acquisition, mental, emotional, tactile skills, etc.  This positions such children in a state of automatic disadvantage.

Make no mistake, regardless of every child's learning capacity, level of maturity and development, every teacher is held directly responsible for him/her to year’s end, passing every test on grade level.  

During my 42 + years of educational administration and instruction, I have had less than a handful of children ever begin the year on grade level.  This is true for nearly every educator in America.  Yet, we are expected to work miracles with every child, and make sure that they pass all tests, including state and national mandated exams.  Additionally, many school districts and campus principals are holding teacher's hostage by threatening non-renewal of their contracts, should their students fail to meet the 'passing quota.'

Last year, the majority of my fourth graders entered reading at or below second grade level.  Fortunately, they improved dramatically, and did very well on unit tests which did not exemplify in any way that which they were required to take at year's end.  

As all excellent educators, I taught every child according to his/her specific needs, one-on-one, in small differentiated group settings, maintained daily logs as to their work and improvement, conferred with willing parents (always too small in number), met with the grade  level team members, and district coaches, and took dozens of added hours of professional development courses, etc.  

When it came to referring students for special services testing, even after a two-year process of working with specific children, my appeals fell on deaf ears and blind eyes.  Consequently, forcing these children to take the same tests as the other students constituted cruel and unusual punishment perpetrated by the campus administrators.

Although most of my students soared throughout the year and passed with flying colors with commended performance over the years, it was always a result of being forced to 'teach to the test,' during the second semester -- not by choice, but via administrative bullying.

I am civil rights advocate for all.  I believe in and practiced minds-on, hands-on, inquiry/discovery/project-based learning, specific to the needs of each child.  When forbidden to continue teaching my students in said manner, I, as every other educator, was forced to resort to teaching test strategies in order to pass, rather than synthesize and remember that which they were taught.

Educators from across the country have filed law suits against their campus and school district administrators because of these bullying tactics, that not only execute great harm upon the teachers, but likewise their students.

Recently a dear friend approached me about requesting that I address this issue in one of my blogs.  One of her closest friends, whose students performed very well, decided that he must take a stand against the regime responsible for canning multiple teachers, because their students' scores did not match that which the district required.  He then assisted those teachers in filing a class action lawsuit against Houston ISD.   He is not alone in this process.

I retired from teaching earlier than planned for a few related reasons.  First, my campus principal was making it next to impossible to transfer from the school.  Secondly, due to working six days a week from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and Sundays from 8:00 AM-11:00 PM, not being permitted to utilize the restroom facilities when needed or risk the chance of being written up, I lacked sufficient water intake, resulting in severe internal bleeding, losing seven units of blood, causing acute anemia, resulting in a near-death episode.  Many campus administrators hold the same rigid bathroom break restrictions, resulting in bladder, kidney, and esophageal trauma to thousands of educators.

Such working conditions equate to those of the early Industrial Age, and must not be permitted.  Furthermore, the persistent victimization upon teachers by campus and district administrators, who hold their contracts hostage to the testing results of their developmentally, culturally diverse class populations, constitutes abuse toward the teachers and their students.

Unions in states like TX, and WI, have little leverage in their state capitols, which are filled with legislators who know nothing about childhood or brain development, or pedagogy.  Likewise, it appears that many district and campus administrators either forgot the import and impact of such knowledge, or they never acquired it during college.

Across this nation, millions like me are fighting to restore our civil rights as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Who would have thought that in the 21st Century, we would find ourselves struggling to recapture the right to vote, and our basic civil liberties?  

Republican and Tea Party legislators are responsible for these horrific changes and cuts to our state and national educational system.  They don't believe in public schools, or the Departments of Education, Health Human Services and Housing.  Take note -- a nation is only as strong as its educational system, for "Knowledge is Power.'

There is an ever abiding purpose behind the gutting of educational programs and funding.  You see, when the wealthiest few suppress the people of a nation, they become prisoners to ignorance, and poverty.  It is therefore incumbent upon every educator and union representative to stand up, speak out, and do what is necessary to bring about change.  Change can occur through protest, law suits, and most importantly via our votes.

A true educator does not see their position as a job, but rather is a vocation -- a calling much like that of ministry.  As a profession, teaching is honored the world over, with the exception of the United States.  It wasn't always this way.  When I attended elementary school, teachers were held in high regard, respected, admired, and treated with dignity.

Today we find ourselves at a crossroads, whether to remain educators, because we love and believe in our youth, and are called to serve, or find work elsewhere just to survive.

Civil Rights advocacy penetrates a broad, and seemingly inexhaustible spectrum of our society.  Our Founding Fathers paved the path of freedom, equality and justice for all, but it is our responsibility to nurture and demand those civil rights through our participation as the electorate.  We expect our students to respond rather than sit silently along the sidelines waiting for something good to occur.  Just how much do you value our Constitution and Bill of Rights?  How much effort are you willing to give to restore, and protect our civil rights?  Are you willing to include teachers among those who deserve equality and justice under the law?

YOU -- THE ELECTORATE

You, are important!  You, are vital to the future of all Texans, and all citizens of these United States!  Your commitment, action, dedication, and patriotism are  essential, if we are to preserve any semblance of equality and justice for all.

Your mind, heart and soul must lead you to a place where you refuse to sit silent and complacent, waiting for others to march on your behalf.

Women, educators, members of any group labeled as a minority, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, those who practice any faith supporting the Golden Rule, those who hold no faith, but embrace all -- owe it to our children, their children, and our planet, to arm ourselves with goodness, fairness, and a sense of purpose to participate in the democratic process created by our Founding Fathers, fought for by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and taught by Jesus.

There is no room for excuses as to why you are not involved in the current elections here in Texas, and other states.  Whether or not education continues to be attacked and gutted, is up to you. Whether or not our working poor are able to feed, clothe, and shelter their children, is up to you.  Whether or not our children and grandchildren can afford a college education, is up to you.  Whether or not our uninsured receive health care is up to you.  Whether or not we continue to allow corruption to infiltrate our legislative bodies, is up to you.  Whether senior citizens such as myself, retain or lose our Social Security and Medicare, is up to you.

You and I are integral parts in the whole of all humanity.  Every time one of us bows out, sits silent, refuses to participate in the democratic process, we lose an even larger portion of our civil rights.

Is it the gym, the television, social media, grading papers, enjoying a casual drink after work or on the weekends that inhibits your involvement?  I see plenty of pictorial postings of leisure activities, tantalizing tastings, and action-packed adventures posted on face book, twitter, etc.

You can work to gain or maintain a healthy body, but without working to preserve a healthy government by stopping those who are actively diminishing the rights of most, we gain nothing, and lose everything.

Manana, tomorrow, never comes.  You and I can't afford to put off tomorrow what can and must be done today.

Many of you speak about 'negativity.'  What really represents negativity?  From the vantage point of history, when people become lax, and stop caring about their brothers, their sisters, and the children of the world, evil empires rise.  Negativity rests in the words, 'that's not my problem.'  

You have free will and choice.  Allow your conscience, heart, and soul sit on the side of positivity, which includes working to preserve equality and justice for all, NOW, not later.  Later is always too late!

Do your heart, mind and soul share a shred of that which embodied the civil rights activists pictured below?  I speak not of the pigment of their skin, the the 'content of their character.'

HISPANIC WOMEN EMPOWERING OTHERS

HISPANIC WOMEN EMPOWERING OTHERS

http://www.justicewomen.com/news

If you are interested in what Hispanic Women are doing to stop violence against women, check out:
http://www.justicewomen.com/news

~ Noticias y reseñas sobre la violencia contra las mujeres ~


Algunas en inglés * algunas en español

http://www.justicewomen.com/news

Women's Justice Center/Centro de Justicia para Mujeres

http://www.justicewomen.com/

THE STATE OF MIND, HEART & SOUL CONNECT TO CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHTS

Civil rights equate to human rights, which should rest in the mind and heart that determine the state of our soul.

If we exclude any member of the human race, or the rights of one segment of society, then we possess prejudice, which taints our heart and soul.

Many families no longer sit down together to eat their evening meal. It may be because so many parents have to work more than one job, or a single mom has to work nights in order to find someone to watch her children. The less time children are able to spend with their parents, the less parenting exists.

Attendance at churches, synagogues, mosques, Buddhist temples, etc. have dwindled due to the necessity of parents working on days of worship. Eventually this empties the mind, heart and soul, which in turn leads to apathy.

Spirituality is an important factor in determining the state of our mind, heart and soul. It is also the basis of how we see politics, and our personal involvement in preserving civil and human rights.

Each religion has basic tenants, and ideologies, but on factor that is typically similar is how we see and treat our brothers and sisters, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, or creed.

Jesus was a social activist, and advocate. He never turned away the downtrodden, the sick, the weak, criminals, prostitutes, etc. He welcomed them and made them anew through love. Those who call themselves Christian, yet condemn immigrants, women, members of minority groups, refuse to honor the civil rights given to us under the Constitution, deny affordable healthcare to all, deny Medicaid, unemployment insurance to those who lost jobs through no fault of their own, deny women equal pay or protection against sexual assault under the law, deny raising the minimum wage, deny food stamps to our working poor, vote to slash Social Security, and Medicare -- are far from Christian. Indeed, they are not representative of any faith. Rather, they worship false idols of money and power.

How do family time, parenting, living one's faith and politics connect? Politics must be about that which is ethical, moral and best for all people, not simply some. Voting should reflect your total understanding of what is fair and just for all, not a singular prejudice against a certain segment of society. After all, prejudice arises out of ignorance, an unwillingness to learn about others, and accept them as your brothers and sisters.

The moral and ethical issues of loving all our brothers and sisters, seeking peace and harmony, not war, wanting each and every man, woman and child to practice their rights under the law reveals one's soul. Our Constitution is intended to protect those rights; yet, states like Texas, Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and many more, have state legislatures and governors who deny those rights.

Your duty as parents, educators, friends, and citizens of this country and the world, is to practice and impart to our youth the value and importance of justice and equality for all. You do this in the classroom by teaching about people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Susan B. Anthony, etc. You achieve this through Character Education. You sit down at dinner, or a scheduled family time to discuss the connection between faith, ethics, morality, and voting.

If you are of the mindset that the problems of the poor do not concern you, that will translate to a lesson learned by your children and students. If you truly believe that everyone in this country and elsewhere have the same opportunities, then you are refusing to see the truth. If you believe that owning an arsenal of weapons is more important than legislating sound laws to protect our children in school, movie goers, mall shoppers, etc. then your priorities are skewed. If you believe that you have the right to impose one facet of your religion onto others by limiting the rights of any segment of society, then you are not practicing the basic ethical, moral, and tenants of love for all human kind, or upholding our Constitutional rights which must separate church and state.

I urge you to examine the state of your mind, for that rules your heart, and ultimately establishes the state of your soul. Study honestly that which you believe, and how you put into practice love of all humanity, honoring and respecting all people. It is not merely how you greet fellow workers each day, your temperament in the classroom, or at home with family members that determine the state of your mind, heart and soul, it is also how, when, and if you vote in each election.

Unlike other countries, you do have the privilege and right to vote. You also have a duty to vote, and know the values and ethics of those for whom you cast a ballot to preserve equality, freedom and justice for all.

If you are not registered to vote, if you have moved recently, if every member of your family who is eligible to vote is not registered, then do it now! Find a Voter Registration Deputy and get it done!

If you are registered to vote, be sure that your driver's license or state photo ID have the same exact name and signature as your voter registration card. If not, re-register, or your vote may not count.

Take your children with you when you vote, so they see you represent.

Many states like TX, and our own national House of Representatives, possess a majority of legislatures and governors who are denying basic civil rights protected under the law to women, the elderly, and members of minority groups, as well as our working poor. It is your responsibility to vote for candidates who want to restore equality and justice for all, not only the wealthiest 1%, who happen to be predominantly white males.

Seal your mind, heart, and soul by believing, and practicing love for all, and doing everything you can to promote civil rights, human rights, equality and justice for all.