I feel like making a regular structure to my posts where I still start out with presenting current event news pieces, both good and bad, followed by short snapshots of noble persons and then progress to subjects that may or may not be related, but I otherwise feel the need to express and communicate. I've become compelled to do this because I otherwise tend to get very distracted and go all over the place.
Current News
Associated Press just reported that according to recent congressional estimate, nearly 4 million US citizens will have to pay a penalty of $1,000 for not buying health care coverage. The reason for them not buying the coverage is because they will not be able to afford it. Unfortunately this will mean paying 1k to old Uncle Sam.
On April 17th, there was a Neo Nazi rally in Los Angeles. About 40-50 members of the National Socialist Movement (a self-acknowledged white supremacist neo nazi group) marched in Los Angeles. Violence erupted when the overwhelmingly larger group of anti-nazi protestors began throwing branches, rocks etc. at the Nazis. Police made a number of arrests of the protestors.
It's troubling to acknowledge that racism is still alive and well in America. It's troubling too that people use physical differences as a mean to differentiate between cultures...which in the grand schemes of things, are incredibly small in comparison to what we hold in common.
Also, a recent development though a little differently than American racism (although its a subject which still has racial and cultural undertones)...is the amendment Israeli Military order #1650, which "could soon stipulate that residents of the West Bank without I.D. cards may either be expelled from their homes or jailed for up to seven years." This would also affect foreign born residents in the West Bank who are involved in peace movements. This means that the Israeli military will essentially be empowered to immediately deport any non-violent foreign resistors who might be protesting the demolition of houses or ill treatment of Palestinian civilians.
Note: It is important to know that 60% of the populations currently residing in Palestine are aged 19 and younger. Whatever your beliefs regarding the justification of the treatment of the Palestinians because of their insistance to use rockets/violence to further their goals...the brutal, savage and inhumane treatment of children and non-violent resisters is never justified.
Noble people
I first saw a bust of Albert's face outside of Chapman University library. I had forgotten about him until more recently when I was interviewing Peter Bergel of Oregon PeaceWorks and he remarked that he had grown up in Orange, CA and his parents had been ardid followers of Albert (and had founded an organization in his name in Orange). Small world. Anyways, Albert is a crazy man. He was a great organist and had the potential and possibility of becoming one of the best organists in his time—however his dive into theology led him down the road towards a position of philosophical-scientist (theologian and doctor). He eventually ended up in Gabon where he established a hospital and worked with his wife and others to treat Gabonese. He also wrote the The Reverence for Life for which he got the Nobel Peace Prize in the 50's. Here is a quote from there
"Affirmation of life is the spiritual act by which man ceases to live thoughtlessly and begins to devote himself to his life with reverence in order to give it true value. To affirm life is to deepen, to make more inward, and to exalt the will to live.
At the same time the man who has become a thinking being feels a compulsion to give to every will to live the same reverence for life that he gives to his own.[....] This is the absolute, fundamental principle of ethics, and is a fundamental postulate of thought.”
— Albert Schweitzer
A moving philosophy. He also created some music that is a mixture of J.S. Bach and Gabonese music. I actually got a CD of Lambarena music from Jeani. It was a pretty funny coincidence to have both Peter and Jeani talk to me about Albert within the span of a week. Very funny and a little strange.
A pretty awesome story. A 20 year veteran nurse (a grandmother too!) couldn't tolerate seeing people go without care and so decided to open up a clinic with some other nurses. They've helped premature babies, kids who have gone deaf from hearing loss and kids who need physicals for sports.
Subject of Today: —will be dealt with in coming posts.
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