How much is enough?

Once you get out of the tens of thousands and hundred thousands of dollars, it is hard to even imagine what a million is. Few of us get to experience a million dollars, let alone tens or hundreds of million. The powers of ten represented by each new zero are incomprehensible when we hit a billion. Then talk about those zeros as dollars and you must ask, "How much is enough?"
Sent June 30, 2017

Acknowledge that was done...

I am still surprised when I read letters like this one. Our privilege allows us to remain blind to our part in delegitimizing minorities since we stole the land of the First Nations and introduced slavery. I didn't do it, but I have benefited from the injustice of it. That makes me part of the problem if I do not acknowledge the wrong that was done.
Sent June 29, 2017

I am because you are

I forgot to photograph this one. Computer photos don't work very well, but....

So simple, With everything I do, say, or think, I add a bit to the creation of the world. Good or bad, without anyone of us, the world would not be the same. Think of a cookie. With too much salt or too high heat or a bit of orange zest, the cookie becomes a different experience. For better or worse, it changes everything about that cookie.
Sent June 28, 2017

A really bad idea...

I wish there was something I could say that would convince people that pure capitalism is good for no one but the wealthy. Privatizing public utilities and services will only raise the cost to those of us who have the least and put money into the pockets of those who have the most.
Sent June 27, 2017

What working for peace looks like...

This list is endless and maybe the most important thing we can do is to smile at everyone we meet. A smile opens a door and is an invitation into community. Just imagine a world where everyone is smiling.
Sent June 26, 2017

Commit to something...

This whole concept of spending 2% of our money or our time has me fascinated. Can you imagine what we could accomplish for each other and for our planet if we committed 2% of our time and/or money? Find something, ...anything, and commit to it. We can change the world.
Sent June 26, 2017

Choose to live without fear...

It seems that fear is showing up in every corner of our globe and we are not immune from it here in the United States. Being afraid will not change any outcome, neither will choosing to not be afraid. But, moment to moment, choosing to not be afraid will change each of the moments we live without fear. It is my life and I choose not to be afraid.
Sent June 23,2017

Calm, compassionate spirits...

This sort of implied threat is everywhere these days. We need people with calm, compassionate spirits to lead us through these troubled times. We all can be those leaders.
Sent June 22, 2017

An alternative to war....

War seems to be a theme that I keep returning to. This time, I did some research about the effects of bombs and munitions on our environment. It is horrific. If we had not been at war for nearly half of the 20th century and, so far, all of the 21st, we may not have reached this global environmental crisis as soon. We would go along way in reducing our footprint by finding an alternative to war.
Sent June 21, 2017

When will we learn!

It breaks my heart every time someone who apparently has a "right" to own a gun, uses that gun to show he disagrees with the politics, racial background, or religion of others. When will we learn? I do believe that some people should not have a right to a gun, but more than that, I believe we need to model a higher standard for how we handle our disagreements with each other. Whining and tweeting and blaming will not make the world a safer place.
Sent June 20, 2017

An issue we can agree on....

The "stealing" from our Social Security fund may be the one issue that can bring left and right together against our corporate governement mentality. None of us would be allowed to default on loans, why should our government?
Sent June 19, 2017

We are all the same....

It is so simple, we are all the same.
Sent June 19, 2017

"From A Distance"

The lyrics of this song were inspired by the photo taken on December 7, 2072, from the Apollo 17 Spacecraft. They speak of the awe we all had when we saw our Earth for the first time. To this day, I am inspired by that photo. A friend sang this song at our Corvallis Community Choir Concert last Sunday. I hope this inspires you to do something good for our Earth.
Sent June 17, 2017

Our planet, our home...

Doesn't this just give you goose bumps? This was the very first look at our planet since the Big Bang, millions of years ago. I get chills everytime I see it. How could we possible give up trying to save our planet for every single species of plant or animal? If our house was on fire, we would all pitch in to put out the fire. Let's do the same for our planet.
Sent June 16, 2017

Enough is enough...

It seems like a simple question. There is so much time and effort going into limiting what our tax dollars do for people in need, but there is never a thought given to limiting how our tax system benefits the wealthy.
Sent June 15, 2017

Spend 2% on peace....

What an idea! If we spent just 2% of our GDP on peace, we could change the world. And, if every country on the planet spent just 2% of their GDP on peace, we could not fail.
Sent June 14, 2017

War, the environmental impact...

“The environment has long been a silent casualty of war and armed conflict. From the contamination of land and the destruction of forests to the plunder of natural resources and the collapse of management systems, the environmental consequences of war are often widespread and devastating,” ---The Guardian, 2014

Not surprising.
Sent June 13, 2017

A better way...

I understand the need for a strong defensive military. Hitler and his Nazis could have taken over the world if he had not been stopped. But, the numbers of our own soldiers that have died in our own wars is incomprehensible. I just believe there is a better way.
Sent June 12, 2017

Trump cannot stop this!

Just imagine all the people of the world working together to rescue our planet. If that doesn't send chills down your back nothing will. To make it work, we all have to commit to whatever we can do. I do not give Trump the power to stop this!
Sent June 12, 2017
(I know, another typo. Arg!)

Shall we legislate manners?

I understand we cannot legislate manners and that "free" speech is one of our most precious rights. But, how do we come to the point that anyone would think that his or her right to scream and threaten trumps someone's right to be who they are?
Sent June 10, 2017

A legacy of war...

I have never in my lifetime been able to find a place in my brain that accepts the option of dropping bombs on people. Are we destined to be at war and killing people who are standing in bread lines? Or, using toxic chemicals on children? Or, using gas chambers or lynching to kill people who believe or look different from us? Why is peace so much more difficult than war? Why aren't we demanding that countries spend 2% of their GDP on peace?
Sent June 9, 2017

Not a moment of peace...

On May 27, 1992, a mortar killed 22 people standing in a bread line in Sarajevo.

Can you think of a single moment in the last 25 years that war has ceased for even a moment? Not even one moment of peace for 25 years! What is wrong with this picture? And, of course, why?

One answer: Privatized and profit driven military and security companies (PMSC)
Sent June 8, 2017

The needs of the world....

I believe this is the biggest mistake that we could make. Instead of being a leader in protecting our planet, we will be remembered for putting corporations ahead of the needs of the world. That is a dismal legacy.
Sent June 7, 2017

Our planet or their profits?

We no longer will be working with the people of the world, in a united effort, to save our planet. Instead, our president is promoting jobs in the very industries that threaten our environment. I mostly feel very sad.
Sent June 6, 2017

It is MY money!

This may be the biggest scam of all time. And, we can't even blame Trump. It has been going on for a long time. I worked for 30 years, paying into my social security account. My money has been stolen. Worse, I am supposed to pay for the loss. The money that we paid must be returned.
Sent June 5, 2017

Basic Standards of Decency...

Mona Charen is not an editorialist that I regularly agree with. But for this column on "basic standards of decency" I would stand on the corner and wave a flag of support. Coming from her, speaking for the political right, it is worthy of a postcard.
Sent June 3, 2017

When will we learn?

What is happening? How do people come to believe that violence is the answer to any problem. When are we going to learn from our racist history and move into an acceptance of everyone? Why is it so hard?
Sent June 3, 2017

"Noose" incidents...

This morning's paper had an article in it about the increase of "noose" events between the 2016 election and February 1, 2017. The Southern Poverty Law Center recorded 1,800 incidents involving nooses, representing every state in the country. In the past there would be a few hundred. Scary!
Sent June 2, 2017

Take a stand!

This card seems so obvious and unnecessary. The number of racist attacks are increasing across our county. I cannot help but note that these attacks appear to be encouraged by the rhetoric and policies of this administration.

PS - Today may be the day Trump will announce his stand on staying with the Paris Accord on Global Warming. Today, more than any other, we all need to make our stand known. Do something for our Planet Earth today!
Sent June 1, 2017

Answer the questions...

This quote says that answering questions is the most important issue. Leaving those questions to ferment in the dark will be our undoing. Openness and clarity will keep our country strong. Only those with something to hide would disagree.
Sent May 31, 2017