2gals4peace – Page 17 – 2 GALS 4 PEACE

What Makes A Hero?

As children, we were taught to never tell a lie. We have heard that if you start out telling a lie, it makes telling the truth a whole lot harder. If you lie for almost four years, it makes it even harder. In today’s world, we find ourselves searching for those who speak the truth and for true heroes. Yes, heroes who are admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, and self-sacrificing qualities. Let us look back at a true hero of civil rights and equality. Rosa Parks was born in Alabama in 1913. Both of her grandparents were former slaves. In her childhood, she recalled frequent sightings of Ku Klux Klan members in full garb marching down their streets. She…

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June 19, 2020

Social Justice

Are We Really Terrorists?

Last week, Mitch McConnell and his Senate Republicans, when asked by the press about the current happenings, swiftly walked away answering, “We are late for lunch.” All we could think of when viewing that clip was those who were not stopping for lunch as they protested the injustices in this country and those who are so impoverished that they could not afford lunch. Jane Elliott, an American anti-racism activist, asks in her training exercises, “Would you like to be a black person in this country?” and then follows with, “If you don’t want to be treated that way, why are you allowing it to happen to others?” She further teaches that racism is a learned response. We are not born…

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June 11, 2020

Social Justice

Facing Our Crossroads

There is so much to say following this week and, at the same time, we are speechless. As the American people struggle to make sense of the past week, the whole world watched, as a country that used to be valued as the leader of the free world, seemed to go up in flames. “It may be a MAGA night,” Trump announced via tweet on Saturday which was an appeal to his base. Threatening tweets talking about guns and vicious dogs the previous day served only as an extension of Trump’s own impotence. Incapable of facing the American people as they called out racism, he remained in his safe bunker under the White House. On Monday, peaceful protesters, including clergy,…

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June 5, 2020

Social Justice

Our Brothers and Sisters

We took a break from the Covid crisis today to mourn a brother of color whose life was senselessly taken by police in Minneapolis. The wasting of this man’s life was followed by rioting, looting, and violence. This situation brings back memories of Washington, DC in April, 1968. For 4 days, smoke and flames filled the air over 14th Street and beyond as everything was set on fire by those rioting and looting the area following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Fueled by what the black community experienced as humiliation, poverty, segregation, and discrimination, riots began when angry people filled the street. A rock was thrown through a store window, a small fire was set, the crowd grew,…

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May 29, 2020

Equality

The Golden Rule

As we look at where we are in the world today, we face many challenges to our faith and to our ideals. A steady government system that we felt in the past cared for our basic needs is now under scrutiny. Previously, through good governance, we shared a sense of being part of a large collective community. We now find that there is a sense that we may have to be the ones to lead the task of caring for ourselves and our own families. Clearly, there are inconsistencies in the overall guidance that Americans are receiving these days. Masks - no masks, groups - no groups, etc. On Memorial Day, Florida opened its beaches, restaurants, and retail stores almost…

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May 28, 2020

Peace

Lordy, Lordy – Are We Bored?!

Are you getting bored? Do you feel selfish saying it and feeling that way? Do you find yourself waking and asking what day it is and having to check the calendar to see? Are you still tired after eight hours of sleep? Do you long for the good old days that were not that long ago? Are you going nuts staying at home, working from home, or are you fitting into the changes? Are you working, retired, or just tired? Do you have pandemic fatigue? We started isolation on March 19th. Well, actually it was the evening before. We cancelled birthday parties, movie dates, theater tickets and put a hold on most of our volunteer efforts. We made a list…

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May 21, 2020

Peace

Breakdown Day

We had heard early on in the pandemic that couples were doing well with distancing and staying in their homes. Some felt even closer because of it. Those living by themselves were finding ways to connect on a deeper and wider scale than before. We were all finding ways to cope and people were adjusting. That was then and this is now. Fast forward two months as things progressed. Cabin fever sets in, your hair grows long, and a familiar voice may suddenly resemble fingernails on a chalk board. This past week, we experienced what Andrea has termed Breakdown Day. Our Breakdown Day consisted of driving to the beach for a “day off” and arguing the entire 30-minute drive there…

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May 15, 2020

Social Justice

Apart Yet Together

A news commentator recently mentioned that, during these days, we do not have the luxury of making plans but only of having hope. During these uncertain times, we listened to these comments with concern and believe them to be true. Our plans for a summer trip to New England to see relatives and friends has been cancelled and we can only hope that we are able to go next year. Currently, it is difficult or seemingly impossible to plan a day around social gatherings. We find ourselves grappling with how to shape our “reentry” while staying safe. We have listened to medical experts and scientists and have grown comfortable cloistering ourselves away from people although it can be daunting at…

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May 8, 2020

Social Justice

Steady as She Blows…

During these interesting and vexing times, it can be a struggle to put things in perspective. Sometimes it makes it easier to look to history for some insight. For some reason, we happened to think back to Greek mythology for some political enlightenment. As you may recall from Greek Mythology, there was an island that was occupied by Sirens. Sirens were sort of hybrid beings – women that were half human and half bird. The legend describes the Sirens as dangerous creatures whose sole purpose was to entice and lure nearby sailors with their enchanting music and sweet singing voices. As the fable goes, passing ships would clearly hear the Sirens’ song and were drawn in by its constant hypnotic…

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May 1, 2020

Peace

President Boondoggle – the Swamp Master

We started this week with a cloudy and rainy day. It was akin to a snowy New England day without the shoveling and cold. It was a stay-in day for thinking and putting some words on paper – so to speak. These days our thoughts seem to drift to Trump and his daily tomfooleries. It seems imperative to keep up with his ongoing shenanigans. As of yesterday, Trump suggested that people ingest Lysol and beams of ultraviolet light to treat Covid-19. This was so ludicrous that the company that produces Lysol, based in Britain, had to follow up immediately with a statement urging customers not to ingest the product. Dr. Deborah Birx sat there withering as he made these statements.…

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April 24, 2020

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