To sing in the mouth of that which consumes you is no strategy. To sing among the teeth descending into you is not acceptable.. I don’t care what the positive thinker says of the need for love and civility. I don’t care for the One who said to turn the other cheek. To open your […]
Tag: religion
God-Given Liberties
I am intrigued by Mike Pence’s use of the phrase “God-given liberties” in his tweet. I’m sure he is using language that religious people and/or those who believe in God could relate to.
But I do wonder why he couldn’t have used words such as “inherent,” “self-evident,” or “unalienable,” rather than “God-given” to describe these liberties enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
I’m pragmatic enough to understand the broad appeal of the phrase “God-given” when it comes to liberties and rights, since most Americans claim Christianity, in one form or another, as their religion and also espouse a belief in God.
I see references to “God-given” all that time, so Pence’s phrasing is not that unusual. But I am a little bothered by the implication that rights and liberties bestowed upon Americans by the Founding Fathers are “God-given,” especially since the word “God” appears nowhere in the Constitution or the Bill…
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Is it worth fighting for?
Before lighting the fireworks, think about what you are celebrating, what works, what doesn’t and at what price. Ask yourself, WHAT DO I STAND FOR?
–
“Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.” – Aristotle
“I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F. Kennedy
“The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decicions independent of the political winds that are blowing.” – Caroline Kennedy
“The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.” – Charles de Montesquieu
“The tendency to claim God as an ally for our partisan value and ends is the source of all religious fanaticism.” – Reinhold Niebuhr
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” – Edmund Burke
“Patriotism means loving your homeland. Nationalism means hating other people’s countries.” -Charles de Gaulle
“Hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life and deathh struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy.” – Liu Xiaobo
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain
“True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywere else.” – Clarence Darrow
“Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That’s the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.” – Martin Luther King
In peace and with a clear conscience, I implore you to search your heart, soul and conscience and decide what you will stand for.
Bisous,
Léa
What Have We Become In The United States?
NO MORE!
I have tried very hard in this blog not to be political. I have extremely strong views, but I have attempted to keep them out of this site. I no longer can.
The United States of America, which has been the beacon of hope to the desperate of the world, now have become the nation that rips children from their parents. What is happening at the southern border is inexcusable. No American, regardless of political leaning, no matter if Democrat, Republic, or Independent, whether liberal, moderate, or conservative, should accept what our government is doing.
Attorney General Sessions used The Bible to justify these actions. I suggest he actually consider the lesson that Jesus gave in Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” The action of the government, separating children…
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Fear is not an option
Originally posted on 20 November 2015 in response to the Paris attacks and in light of the recent verbal assault of Donald Trump in a Country where more than 300,000 die in gun related deaths each year I have chosen to reblog this post. France is proud to be a safe country where the purchasing and owning of guns is strictly controlled. We are also proud that our children can go to school without the fear of dying.
“When adults tell me, ‘I have the right to own a gun,’ all I can hear is, ‘My right to own a gun outweighs your student’s right to live.’ All I hear is mine, mine mine, mine.” – Emma Gonzales Survivor Parkland Shooting
“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will and always so when it violates the rights of individuals.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Virtue has a veil, vice a mask.” – Victor Hugo
“I say I am stronger than fear.” – Malala Yousafzai
–
fear is not an option
le journal
the internet
telematin
France 24
the word floods
all forms of media
as the body count
rises in Paris
islamic states of hate
(i refuse to capitalize hatred)
declared war on France
–
i set down the paper
address my laptop
john lennon’s haunting strains
filling my head
nous ne nous rendrons pas
our media is not stuck in
shock and awe mode
nous sommes unis
on with life
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
–
unlike terrorist
skulking about the city
hiding behind masks,
headcoverings, disguises
nous ne nous cachons pas
we take to the streets
le café
le theatré
all life is calling
VIVA LA PARIS
et
VIVA LA FRANCE
bisous,
léa
Suit of armour
“Quiet people have the loudest minds.” Stephen Hawking
“Don’t underestimate me because I’m quiet. I know more than I say, think more than I speak and observe more than you know.” Michaela Chung
“Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose, larger than the self kind of understanding.” Bill Bullard
Suit of armour
Hard to believe
She choses to wear her
Hair as though the wind
Has had its way
Who would want
To dress so casual
Borderline slovenly
As if it is a uniform
Others cast aside
Her shoes, worn
No, pathetic
So out of date
Lacking style, fashion unconscious
If you even notice her
She is off in a corner
Back to any available wall
Book, journal, alone
Sometimes she is joined by others
Pulled from her pages
She holds them in her gaze
Square on, silent
Nodding her head, offering a hand
Armed with hugs
A quiet word as needed
She holds up the mirror
Offers a different view
Her mask keeps frivolity at bay
But those in need
Always seem to find her
Even seek her out
And for them, she is there
Telling no tales
Bisous
Léa
fear is not an option
“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will and always so when it violates the rights of individuals.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Virtue has a veil, vice a mask.” – Victor Hugo
“I say I am stronger than fear.” – Malala Yousafzai
–
fear is not an option
le journal
the internet
telematin
France 24
the word floods
all forms of media
as the body count
rises in Paris
islamic states of hate
(i refuse to capitalize hatred)
declared war on France
–
i set down the paper
address my laptop
john lennon’s haunting strains
filling my head
nous ne nous rendrons pas
our media is not stuck in
shock and awe mode
nous sommes unis
on with life
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
–
unlike terrorist
skulking about the city
hiding behind masks,
headcoverings, disguises
nous ne nous cachons pas
we take to the streets
le café
le theatré
all life is calling
VIVA LA PARIS
et
VIVA LA FRANCE
bisous,
léa
Birds of Prey – Saigon
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.
– Dalai Lama
birds of prey
the priest and huyen
sit across from the dying mother-in-law
tham, she is Buddhist
and afraid
they smell the rotting meat
of fear
tham is afraid to die
the priest – eager to convert her
in her time of fear
they hover eagerly
will she take their bait?
a precaution added insurance for
her journey
leaving it behind
whatever use it might be
discarded in a heap with silken pajamas
left behind
as she crosses through the final exit
what remains of 53 years
of traditions
rituals handed down
from her ancestors
will they pick those
bones clean
they chant as they recite the beads
and count her among those caught
in their net
Bisous,
Léa
poetry, photos and musings oh my! 