This weblog goes back in time, with newest entries at the top. Older entries are transferred to the archive. If a search engine or a link brought you to this page and you don't see what you're looking for, search the site: You can also go to the Pray for Peace News archive (click here) or an index of everything at this site (click here).
18 Dec. 03
News and What's Important
The big news monopolies want us to watch their watered down news on TV and we do. But that's just news light. If you want real news, go to the Internet. You can get newspapers from all over the world, just as if you had a great newstand on your street. There's also Pacific Radio. It's listener supported radio by the people and for the people. Now you can tune into KPFK from anywhere in the world: KPFK.org. Click on "listen live." Set a bookmark or just keep the RealPlayer icon and click on it to hear KPFK anytime you're online.
18 Dec. 03
Good News for Medical Marijuana
Yesterday the Los Angeles Times reported that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled two to one that the federal government cannot punish medical marijuana patients who use it on the advice of their doctor and obtain it at no charge. Read the article here at the L.A. Times for the next few days (i'll try to obtain a URL at the TruthOut archives). http://www.latimes.com/la-me-medpot17dec17,1,948177.story
The other notable court decisions this week struck down some of the unconstitutional Ashcroft terrorism "patriot" act arrests, etc. How dare they call it a "patriot" anything. Orwell, darn you, you started all this
14 Dec. 03
Why I Write an Online Journal
The other day I was reading Writer's Market directory and saw something that had never occurred to me before. An article on how to find an agent said, "Recently, writers have been posting their work on the Internet in hope of attracting an agent's eye." (p. 94, 2004 ed.)
Maybe some authors do that, but my motivation is just to speak my mind. One of the objects I inherited from my father was a large megaphone with his company's logo on the side. He used it in a presentations to his salesmen to emphasize that to get what you want, you have to speak up. He had the megaphone and I have surrealist.org.
I've posted a half-million words and the point is that the more words you post, and the more combinations of words, the more the search engines will find you. It's like a spider - the bigger the web, the more food you catch. The more people who visit here, the better it is for me because I get to spread my world view just that much more. If I can provide a logical explanation, a good argument, a little encouragement, or a puzzle piece for someone, it makes my day! I get frequent email from real people all over the world. That's proof to me that people read what I write.
No, I don't need an agent right now. Some of my manuscripts I would rather share freely. For example, my I Ching. I have set it up so you can read your I Ching at my site using the manuscript I wrote. It's easy to use and will always be here for free as long as surrealist.org is on the air. If someone wanted to publish it for me I would say okay, but that's not my goal in posting it. That part of my site gets the most hits, so it brings a lot of people here. That's all I ask - read a little bit and see if it strikes a chord with you, then read a little bit more.
14 Dec. 03
Big News: Saddam Hussein
They caught him in a hole, swabbed his cheek, showed his beard, then George W. Bush went on TV and spoke for a minute. Party in the streets. Hurrah, they caught Saddam! Now what? Will they try him in the Hague? In Iraq? When do our troops come home?
13 Dec. 03
Up for Some New Year's Predictions?
At the end of the year the nation's star tabloids roll out their front page predictions about what will happen in the coming year. Here's one that doesn't come from an astrologer, numerology expert, or psychic, and wasn't in the National Enquirer, but rather The New York Times. It comes from a Dec. 12 editorial by Paul Krugman called "A Deliberate Debacle" (http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/121303I.shtml): "In the end the Bush doctrine - based on delusions of grandeur about America's ability to dominate the world through force - will collapse."
Amen and God bless America! Our country needs to mend some bridges and stop trying to manipulate the world for greedy self-serving purposes. We need to tell the world that not all Americans support George W. Bush's neo-con imperialist agenda. We want to be world citizens and help bring about an era of peace and sharing. To read the Pray for Peace plan to end terrorism, go to: peace plan.
13 Dec. 03
Grief in America Christmas 2003
This month as you are hanging up your stockings and addressing your holiday cards, take a few minutes to mourn for the soldiers lost in Iraq. Say a prayer for their families that they can somehow make it through this first holiday season without their lost loved ones.
11 Dec. 03
American Government Cover-ups?
Scottsdale author Dean Vesic (author of Nov. 2, 1963: The Day America Changed Forever, due Spring 2004) estimates that "ninety-five percent of all Americans believe they're being lied to about something."
What does it mean? If the statistic is correct, here's one speculation: Ninety-five percent of Americans can't be wrong. We are being lied to by our government. What should we do?
11 Dec. 03
The Wars on Drug Addicts and Terrorists
These days, anyone who has four grams of a plant can get thrown out of high school, fired from a job, or even put in jail. "Terrorist" in John Ashcroft's dictionary can refer to any peace-loving war protester. A terrorist could even be a kindly great-grandma who gets agitated at the demands of the TCA in the airport. Imagine what they would do to a stubborn little old lady who refuses to take off her shoes or sasses back at the person pawing through her suitcase. Would the TCA use batons to subdue a ninety year old woman? They would probably just detain her, but who knows? It all adds up to a coercive authoritarian system that takes away ordinary people's dignity.
We here at Pray for Peace are reminded of the comments by Rev. Niemoller, who wrote about events in Germany in 1933-1939:
They came first for the Communists
. . . but I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews
. . . but I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Unionists
. . . but I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Unionist.
Then they came for the Catholic
. . . but I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me
. . . and by that time
. . . there was no-one left to speak up for me.
To create a peaceful world we have to end the "war on" everything we don't like. Are Americans just a bunch of frightened little children who have to start a war on every weakness or failing of human nature?
Besides, America made Saddam Hussein during the Cold War. We armed him and used him to fight Iran, a proxy war between the USA and USSR. We also made Osama. Why did the Bush Administration fly members of the bin Laden family out of the USA in the days after 9-11? They were honored business partners and the Bush Administration wanted to protect them from possible harassment. The terrorists now congregating in Iraq? America made them too. We cleared the way for Iraq to become a terrorist haven by removing the government that was in place. Yes, Saddam was a bad guy and all that, but demonizing him is just a ploy to excuse America's past behavior of supporting him. Besides, if everyone things Saddam is a big demon who deserved to be thrown out of power, then more people will agree to complicity with Bush's illegal war.
Wake up, America! We don't have to cower in fear just because our leaders are incompetent. We have to stand up for our rights and tell our leaders how to govern us. They work for us, not the other way around.
23 Nov. 03
In Defense of PADA
PADA, the Prabhupada Anti-Defamation Association, has been fighting a thankless battle over the last two decades to expose corruption in the highest ranks of the Hare Krishna Movement. ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the guys with pig tails who appeared on the scene in the 1960s. Recently a current ISKCON member criticized PADA's mission. He said:
"They [the Hare Krishna gurus] are very exalted Vaishnavas [followers of the Krishna religion] and offending them publicly like this is very very offensive and it will have a very very very very bad effect on you people you are doing this. Especially you are offending many advanced vaishnavas, who are very very dear to Srila Prabhupada, and other vaishnavas and I am sure Prabhupad will be very much displeased with this. If you at all have any gratitude to Prabhupada, then delete this site immediately, and Prabhupada said If you love me then love my dog, so these vaishnavas are all servants of prabhupad, and I dont know what yu will gain by this site. - HARE KRISHNA"
This letter comes out of the group's party line, which is that their leaders can do no wrong and it's blasphemy to suggest otherwise. A system like this is great if the leaders are worthy of such blind obedience. However, usually the leaders in any system are not perfect, but they may still like to think of themselves as perfect. It's human nature to want to believe in something and protect something you love, so petty perfectionist leaders collect followers to love and idolize them and protect them from criticism.
I'm seeing this from a unique point of view, since I was once in the Birkenstocks of that iskcon devotee. I know how it feels to cover up for people even though your gut feeling tells you it's wrong. More than my gut was speaking to me. I went through some of the worst health problems of my life during those years. Everyone did, it seemed. All my friends in the temple complained about their health. Something about being used as a puppet or a pawn makes you ache inside. They tell you to respect the leaders and really, that's the only way to be accepted. Everybody must bow to the leader or leave, or live under constant scrutiny and stigma.
So Puranjana, please keep sending out the PADA newsletter and posting to your web site. My message to people who are caught up in a system where you must protect your leader, remember: it's supposed to be the other way around. A good leader should be mature, creative, and resilient, and should not need an entourage of people to help him save face. Let your leaders defend themselves.
You might think that an iskcon follower is very different from everyone else in society, but you see the same patterns in mainstream culture. It happens in all sorts of groups from the smallest family unit up to the largest corporation. "Sure, we knew Uncle Charlie was a little weird and we saw him acting strangely with children, but nobody would have thought . . ." or "Well, it seemed a strange break from procedure, what to speak of possibly breaking a few laws here and there, but it was upper management's decision. What could we do?"
Ignoring other people's ethical breaches is the first step toward becoming a criminal yourself. All perpetrators justify their abuse with excuses like: "If I were really that bad, people would stop me for sure," "If they can do it, I can do it," "People did the same thing to me, i'm just getting even." "It wasn't really WMDs we were after," and so on. So the message here is: listen to your gut feelings. Know what is okay for you and follow that ethical standard in all areas of your life.
I'll tell you from experience, it's difficult to notice flaws in someone you want to admire. However, you have to be aware that a person can be great in some ways, but still be dangerous. You must have boundaries to protect yourself from harm. That means taking the blinders off to look at reality.
23 Nov. 03
Kennedy Assassination Fortieth Anniversary
Forty years has gone by and still the same people control our government. We are no closer to the truth about the Kennedy assassination than we were forty years plus one day ago. Obviously, i have never believed the "lone gunman" theory. I was seven when it happened and they gave us the option of going home from school early. I went home. Even at seven years old I knew something really unfortunate had taken place beyond the death of one man. The mystery and intrigue of the event has touched my life ever since.
Last night I was out and about and met a man who said he was in eighth grade when Kennedy was killed, and that he and his father had just met Kennedy and shook his hand a month before the assassination. Last week I met a man in the grocery store line who said he was born Nov. 22, 1963 and that his whole life he has pondered meaning of the Kennedy assassination. This was an event that shaped the lives of an entire generation.
If there was a conspiracy involving more than one man and his lone gun, then the murder of President Kennedy might be the most monstrous unsolved crime in history. It's the ultimate dramatization of the dark side of humankind.
It's also an archetype. We've lived with it for so long. Instead of locking the dark side away, let's get some clarity. Let's find out what really happened and be willing to look at the truth. I want to know. The answer is probably fairly obvious, but our god-given sense of denial prevents us from seeing it. Why does it still make people cry? There are still unlearned lessons in the experience. Real security comes from processing the material in a nightmare, not from finding new places to hide.
19 Nov. 03
9-11 Truth
To see a collection of alternative theories about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 click here. Happy surfing! Don't get "burned out." They say the truth will set you free.
17 Nov. 03
Legalize It
If you're so inclined, take a moment to sign a petition for the legalization of marijuana, written by Rev John M Glynn III. He says:
"This is an open petition to anyone that sees the Cannabis plant as a spiritual tool. I propose that not only does the US government suppress our freedom to pursue happiness as laid down in the founding propaganda but they also suppress the religious freedom of those of us who use the plant to commune with a higher power."
Click here to sign and read others' comments: http://www.petitiononline.com/hevnsent/petition.html
17 Nov. 03
Just Checking
Today is the inauguration of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sacramento. Simultaneously, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) has launched Arnold Watch (http://www.Arnoldwatch.org) to hold the new gov'na accountable. Keep an eye on the web site if you're interested in this story.
2 Nov. 03
Hate = Fear
In these times, in this new century, hate is obsolete. Most of us could easily fill in the blank: "I hate so-and-so." Speaking for myself, it would be easy to name someone who hurt me or hurt someone or something that I hold dear. "I hate my ex-landlord" or "I hate the woman who sued me in Oregon" or "I hate George W. Bush" (or substitute any neo-con, pnac, utopian anarchist, christian-r-wing-nut you care to mention). Sure, hating makes us lowly humans feel better in the short term, but it's a powerless position that only brings more problems in the long term.
Hate is an expression of fear, the only means we have of punishing someone when we feel powerless. "I hate you" is the ultimate insult that we can give. Hate may have a useful purpose, in the sense that it might help a victim see that what happened (or continues happening) is wrong. If hate works the right way within a person's psyche, it will motivate the person to take action to stop whatever wrongs are perpetrated. However, most often hate is like a wildfire that burns the finer emotions and hurts everyone in its path.
Hate exists within the individual who's doing the hating. There's no reason to hate my ex-landlord. Without feeling angry, I can continue to work through the court system to get my deposit back. If there is a legitimate issue at stake, such as what happened in the California energy emergency, then cool heads will prevail in the legal process. I also made a conscious decision years ago to let go of the hate I once felt toward Mrs. A. for suing me over the roof of the house we sold her in 1992. She got her money; I got some hard lessons in life. We're even. Learn whatever is possible to learn from it and move on. Hanging onto hate from a debacle like that is the worst possible thing that could happen to me, so I've struggled to forgive.
As for Bush and his buddies, well . . . I find that more difficult because it's ongoing. They do something new on a daily basis to waste money, shred our international relations, exploit the environment, and hurt people. Still, hating them will probably not lead to effective solutions. This day, approaching the beginning of the holiday season, is a perfect time to learn how to let go of ill feelings, even if just for a day or a week at a time. Continue to pursue justice, but with detachment. Maybe something good will come by working out of the motivation of love instead of fear.
There is a future. I have to keep telling myself that because the times seem so dark. What we really need is a grassroots higher consciousness movement to keep our leaders on track. We have to band together to lobby them. This is all we want (not too much to ask):
- restoration of the environment
- abundant organic food supply
- research and development of alternative energy
- honesty in business
- transparency in government
- join in treaties as a cooperative world citizen
- end the policy of "pre-emptive" war
- end the death penalty
- end the so-called drug war and culture war
- end all use of radioactive weapons, including depleted uranium
You can work alone in front of your computer or you can work with a group, or form a group. Or just give money to a group like Environmental Defense, the Sierra Club, and other people doing good work. As long as you're moving forward, you're part of the movement.
Here are some suggestions of organizations that will accept your tax-deductible donation:
Americans for Energy Freedom, 3020 El Cerrito Plaza, #113, El Cerrito, CA 94530. This is the Apollo Alliance, see http://www.apolloalliance.org/, working for a policy of alternative energy.
Environment California, 1107 9th Street #601, Sacramento, CA 95814. This is the California environmental effort sponsored by the California PIRG, see: http://www.pirg.org/. PIRGs, Public Interest Research Groups, are an alliance of state-based, citizen-funded organizations that advocate in favor of the public interest.
FAIR, 112 W. 27th Street, New York, NY 10001. FAIR stands for Fairness and Accuracy in Media http://fair.org/.
DRCNet Foundation, c/o DRCNet, P.O. Box 18402, Washington, DC 20036-8402. This organization works to end the war on drugs, see: http://stopthedrugwar.org/
Teaching Tolerance, c/o The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104. This group brings hate groups to justice and investigates hate crimes. They also teach tolerance in classrooms across the country. See: http://tolerance.org/ and http://www.splcenter.org/.
KPFK Public Radio, 3729 Cahuenga Blvd. West, North Hollywood, CA 91604. This is a progressive radio station that is pro-peace and justice. They never coddle Bush and his cronies. The station is totally listener supported with no corporate financing. You can hear their broadcast on the Internet at http://kpfk.org/.
Center for Nonviolent Communication, 2428 Foothill Boulevard, Suite E, La Crescenta, CA 91214. This organization works toward world peace through communication. To learn more about their methods, go to http://www.cnvc.org/.
Environmental Defense, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010. These are the folks who are lobbying for the environment, trying to hold back the offenses of the Bush Administration. Give generously. See http://www.environmentaldefense.org/.
American Rivers, P.O. Box 965, Frederick, MD 21705-9859. If you like rivers, donate to this group. They are helping to revive polluted rivers and track the health of American waterways. See: http://americanrivers.org.
The Sierra Club Foundation, 3435 Wilshire Blvd, #320, Los Angeles, CA 90010. This is the Angeles Branch of the Sierra Club, but you can donate to your local branch or any branch and be assured that your dollars will help protect the environment. See: http://sierraclub.org/.
If you don't need to show a tax deduction for some reason, but just want to give money to a good cause, how about the Democratic party? The elections are coming up soon. Also, consider joining a group that collects donations for candidates, like MoveOn. They can put your money to work for you. See http://moveon.org/.
If you can donate thousands - do it today from the heart. If you can only donate $5 or $15, it will help. Enclose a friendly note encouraging the people in the organization with their work. They will appreciate it.
