Short and Sweet: Rep. Joaquin Castro makes Prem Rawat an honorary Mayor of San Antonio TX

Prem Rawat has been a big inspiration to me for a long long time. I also think those Castro brothers have a bright future!

"Thank you for the work you've done with the inmates
at the Dominguez State Jail and for your continued
work in helping all of humanity.

I'm going to read in part, the state resolution that
was prepared."

On behalf of The State of Texas:

WHEREAS through its peace education program,
the [TPRF] foundation has enhanced rehabilitation and
correctional facilities around the world, including the
Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio.

The interactive non-sectarian PEP (Peace Education
Program) workshop helps individuals develop positive
life-skills and discover inner resources such as Self-worth
and dignity.

AND WHEREAS for more than four decades,
Prem Rawat has devoted himself to uplifting others with
his message of peace. And his endeavors have contributed
greatly to the well being of countless people.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Prem Rawat
be honored for his philanthropic achievements and that
he be extended sincere best wishes for continued success
with his important work.

My point of view is that human beings need peace. Each one, including you and me.

I have no first-person expertise on the subject of
Israel and Palestine I can only speculate about what
might work, what would not work.

I'm not a fan of assigning blame to either side. I think both
sides' stances are leading nowhere.

I'm sad to see so many innocents in the way of all the
insanity, both here, as this morning, and there.

If there could be one inclusive democratic nation that
would be fine with me. If they want to make it two
countries, or ten countries, I don't care. What I care
about most is that people start looking at themselves,
recognizing where the real solutions are, and where
peace can be found.

If we make no effort to understand the other person, &
other points of view, wars and misunderstandings will
continue to flourish.

Something I recognize is that most people have a
unique set of circumstances, programming from early
life, cultural biases, etc. and it is very hard for most of
us to see beyond those things. If we learn from childhood
that Arabs are evil, or that Jews are evil, it's hard
to shake those early life beliefs and fears, they are
close to our bones. But they're not us. These beliefs
and fears are not who we really are.

The scene from Borat is a ridiculous but excellent
analogy, if you saw that film -- when he is taken
in lovingly and with great kindness by the old Jewish
couple. But because of what he was taught as a child,
all he can see is dangerous monsters.

Probably this phenomenon, more than anything,
accounts for these conflicts. Instead of recognizing
what we all have in common, we focus on the
differences, our fears, and our inherited prejudices
-- and create conflicts that don't have to exist.

I recognize that the OP is about an extreme analogy.
It's obvious to me that it's not the same situation.

But all things considered I understand why people
make the analogy. I understand why people defend
both sides with equal passion, and why people may
feel offended.

Yet I benefit more from examining & understanding
why things offend me -- why something is personally
offensive to me, even if it's happening on the other
side of the world, not affecting my life directly --
than from proving someone else is offensive.

Thanks for your openness to the possibility that
you were misunderstanding my post. The only card
I have in the game is this one:
It is not the world that needs peace, it is people.
That's where it begins and ends.

there's a powerful documentary film

"Wall"
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm688037120/tt0413018

I understand why people see similarities.
Nothing is black and white.

guard tower:


Israel and the Occupied Territories: The fence/wall violates human rights

http://www.vtjp.org/background/Separation_Wall_Report.htm

there should be a place for people like her. I think it will happen in future years

because I think the compassionate consciousness of
humanity is on the rise. But it will take time.

Institutions have helped people, but also have become dead
end prisons for too many, with poor nutrition and inadequate care,
abuse in many cases.

It comes down to individuals, especially those who choose
care-giving professions, to raise the bar on treatment of others,
quality of life, understanding the whole person and treating
the whole person, including the broken child inside.

A woman like that with the right care could get well.

Institutions could be wonderful places, if well designed and
maintained, So many of us, left entirely to ourselves -- even with
the best intentions to make changes, usually default to what is
most familiar. A place that provides healthy structure is
probably essential for most people like that. A chance to heal,
a chance to find out who she is without the drugs, the
desperation, and the aloneness.

It's gonna take a lot of love to change the way things are,
to make things work out right.

We have the love. We have the wisdom, we have the
solutions, and the generosity of spirit. It's here, it's already
inside every one of us. We must tap into it, every single one of us.
That's the only way.

“It looks like a bunch of old white men running women out of Washington.” (Mika B)

Top African American Lawmaker Says GOP Attacks On Susan Rice Use Racial ‘Code Words’

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) this morning defended U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, calling out Republican use of “code words” in attacking Rice’s professional capabilities.

Appearing on CNN, Clyburn, the number three Democrat in the House of Representatives and the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, added his voice to a growing number of lawmakers concerned with the appearance of the Republican Party potentially blocking a minority nominee to the President’s cabinet so soon after a bruising electoral loss among minorities.
-snip-
Clyburn isn’t alone in his assessment of the issues the Republican Party is running up again in their pursuit of Rice. The hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe also were incredulous that the GOP would be looking for this fight, against a highly regarded woman of color, so quickly. Host Joe Scarborough, a Republican himself, was struck by how his party seemed unwilling to moderate its tone, with his co-host Mika Brzezinski saying, “It looks like a bunch of old white men running women out of Washington.”

"Festival of Lights" is something we've celebrated. All the winter traditions are about

light in time of darkness, and hope.

I clean away dust, so all surfaces in the house are reflective,
and light lights and candles through the dark weeks.

It's not about being an atheist which I'm not, or religious,
which I'm not -- it's about the beauty of light, how it takes
darkness away.

I've never been a political junkie

but DU is turning me into one.

DU's like the heroin dealer who invites you over
and gets you high.. you'll be back....

Name a Republican strategy after a beautiful creature

and do not expect success.
Higgs-Boson Themself* will introduce chaos.

*(They are anonymous, they are legion, they do not forget
and they are on our side.)

this is a real beauty, courtesy of FB/ United Against Homophobia

This halloween, scare your friends by inviting them to enter

a monstrous hybrid vortex. bwaaaaahaaaaahaaaaa

.
,
https://www.google.com/search?q=monstrous+hybrid+vortex&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US fficial&client=firefox-a