Radical Spirit

Occupy protestors say it is 99% v 1%. Are they right? | News | guardian.co.uk

Is it really 99% v 1%? It has become the rallying cry of the Occupy Wall Street movement - and the Occupy protests around the world. But is it true? It's more like the 0.01% that are the richest, while the 99.99% are being hit the hardest.

In fact, one in every seven Americans lives below the poverty line - that's a record 46.2 million people (although it might actually be higher).
• One in six Americans have no health insurance - 50 million people, a population twice the size of Texas (27m people). Of every 17 Americans, at least one will be earning below the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. 
• 14.5% of Americans households are defined as "food insecure". That means for every seven households, one will have trouble putting enough food on the table. 

Check out the following info:

via www.guardian.co.uk

Gratitude Changes Lives

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.  ~Gerald Good

Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of vices.  ~Thomas Fuller

There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude.  It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance.  ~Joseph Addison

When we are grateful for what we've been given, we are full of positivity that creates more good things for us and around us. Having a grateful perspective on our lives keeps us appreciating the great things that we have around us and we constantly discover more wonderful things in our world. And this gratitude is contagious. The same way that a rumor can circulate in seconds among friends or coworkers, gratitude spreads and causes a more pleasant environment. And in a more pleasant environment, we allow for more positive things to happen, for us and for the world. 

Protect the Fair Education of California's Children

In the midst of the Prop 8 hubbub, a ballot initiative was filed with the attorney general's office to repeal the Fair Education Act, SB 48. This MUST be stopped in it's tracks. 

By it's own statement of intentions it shows how much it's in error to repeal an act that teaches accurate history to the children of California.  

It says that "the public school system is responsible to educate our children in the basic education of reading, writing, and math and not to promote political and socialogy dogma to students as young as age five." It fails to state that in teaching a fair and accurate account of history and not discrediting anyone who had a part in the forming of this nation or the world because of different views, genders, races,  sexualities is doing just that. And that they're intentions are really to dismiss and discriminate against people in history solely for being different.

It also speaks out against "the indoctrination of political and socialogical agenda of all children in the public schools" but intends to do exactly that.  The Fair Education Act is about teaching children a fair and honest history. And whether we agree with or even like the person that is a part of history, it is fair and right to acknowledge that person's accomplishments. if we change history because we didn't like what happened, then we are not teaching history, we are teaching discrimination and lies. 

And the third purpose is to put "children's intellectual and moral maturity" back in the hands of their parents. This does anything but that. This intiative intends to take away a parent's power and put the beliefs of this group into law thus above any differing views of the parents of California. This initiative is put forth by a group that beieves that it knows what is better for the children and thus their parents when it comes to teaching a more accurate history.

This initaitve would also put a stop to anti-bullying education in schools and potentially threaten any LGBT support groups in the school, like the Gay-Straight Alliance, which has done incredible and invaluable work in decreasing the threat of bullying.

This initiative has got to be stopped. The bigotry and ignorance that feeds this kind of deception needs to be called out for what it is, hate. And we need to stop the hate, especially when it further threatens all our California children. 

How many more children do we want to see committing suicide because of a lack of education and protection against bullying? In it's essence, this initative to teach a limited view of history is bullying and it must stop.

Please speak out against this initiative to repeal SB 48 now. Tell your family, friends, teachers, children, neighbors, coworkers about the deception of this initiative to repeal the Fair Education Act. Tell these small-minded haters to leave our children alone.

Protect the Fair Education of California's children.

The CA Supreme Court Has Ruled in Favor of the Prop 8 proponents

From the conclusion of the decision released this morning:

"In response to the question submitted by the Ninth Circuit, we conclude, for the reasons discussed above, that when the public officials who ordinarily defend a challenged state law or appeal a judgment invalidating the law decline to do so, under article II, section 8 of the California Constitution and the relevant provisions of the Elections Code, the official proponents of a voter-approved initiative measure are authorized to assert the state‘s interest in the initiative‘s validity, enabling the proponents to defend the constitutionality of the initiative and to appeal a judgment invalidating the initiative."

                                                                                                 CANTIL-SAKAUYE, C. J.

WE CONCUR:

KENNARD, J.

BAXTER, J.

WERDEGAR, J.

CHIN, J.

CORRIGAN, J.

LIU, J.

 

In the broader perspective, this opinion is fair but in this instance, disappointing.  Of course, it all goes back to the fact that this never should have been allowed to even get on the ballot in the first place. The rights of the minority must never be voted on by the majority.

And so, we step up our intentions to change more hearts and minds regarding equality. And we must speak to our family, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers about the need for equality towards all loving, committed couples. 

Express Gratitude

 1. Express gratitude. – When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value.  Kinda cool right?  So basically, being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness.  And that’s without having to go out and buy anything.  It makes sense.  We’re gonna have a hard time ever being happy if we aren’t thankful for what we already have. - from "The 12 Things That Happy People Do Differently"

It's no surprise that expressing gratitude is number one on the list. Expressing gratitude and having a grateful heart are what shapes the world around you and the inside of you. When you express gratitude, people and situations get lighter, easier, more friendly. And when we have a grateful heart, our perspective on the moment, or even the day, is completely changed. We get to see the positive side of life's challenges. We get to be more understanding of the people we usually think are difficult. So maybe I don't get the cash and prizes today. I can be thankful that I have today.