Kate Anne FOR Peace, Justice and Nonviolence ~ Weblog

Back from my Christimas holiday to Cleveland and Erie to spend a homeday which included listening to Thom Hartmann via the web and whiterosesociety.org's hosting of his show. Thom basically cited so many American corporations that are now owned by other countries. We have lost so many of our industries and are now pretty much a country which exports raw materials and imports most of our finished goods -- the definition of a third world country. This is "thanks" to our ridiculous trade policies and our dependence on oil which has turned us into a debtor nation. Sad sad sad -- but maybe there is some justice in it, given our -- or perhaps I should say the Bush administration's warring policies. But sadly the wrong people are paying the brunt of the debt -- it is you and I and our families who are losing ground and the Bush croneys are getting wealthier even as America is languishing. Still the chicken hawks are coming home to roost as even some of them are beginning to see the writing on our third world wall. We need peace and we need America of "we the people" -- not America of and for the multinational corporations. Let's claim our country back in 2006! (And go hear Hartmann's archived 12/29/05 show, archived at http://whiterosesociety.org.)

Peace Hugs,
Kate Anne

Amazing to think it is twenty-five years since we've lost John Lennon -- which means it is almost 25 years since Jackie Hillyer and Kathy Nagle helped me found Ashtabula NOW. I was coming from a rehearsal at the Ashtabula Arts Center (in Ohio) when I lost control of our almost new Subaru on ice, went off the road, and turned the car over 1 and half (?) times. My immediate thoughts before this happened was a calmness, an ontological moment: "I'm going to die, just like John Lennon -- oh well." Then the car stopped rolling. The radio and lights were still on. "I'm alive. God wanted me alive. I've gotta start that NOW chapter." So I didn't join John in death, but in continuing his legacy by contributing to bettering the world for women and their families. And 25 years later, 10 pages of John's records are still held by the FBI and I too am probably written up for my work with the National Organization for Women as well as the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Oh well....

Sadly, my path has led me to learn how the US, at least the government, has betrayed its ideals. I'm not giving up hope. I cannot. But when they vote for huge tax cuts in food stamps and health care and college loans and then turn around and vote to give tax breaks to the wealthy that equal that and more, I am amazed and disillusioned and angered. God, how can they do this?

Then I listened to Wednesday's Democracy Now show on my iPod and heard Amy Goodman's account of US involvement in the massacres in East Timor a number of years ago. We helped Indonesia kill a third of the East Timorese people and allowed Indonesia to snuff out 6 foreign press in trying to hide the story. Fortunately, Amy survived and her story is chilling. Check out the archives at DemocracyNow.org but we have to stop training and subsidizing killers. (And allowing our armament industry to make a killing in the deal.) In accepting his Nobel Prize, Playwright Harold Pinter just made a stinging but apt statement -- I wish it weren't true, but these and other facts speak for themselves, if you just look for them. Too many of us are blind, perhaps because we can't bear the truth, thus allowing more damage. John, John -- help us imagine and make a better world. Please, God, Amen.

But through all of this we need music, such as John's, and we need LAUGHTER. As I previously reported in my friendly/political Peace Hugs blog, http://kateannenyc.blogspot.com , I was fortunate to catch Laughing Liberally a few days ago with Oklahomastan! author Marc Crawford Leavitt. Check out my comments there on Kate Halper and the show and/or check out their website, http://www.laughingliberally.com and take advantage of the healing power of laughter. It all helps us continue.

Through music, through action, through laughter, we will get our country back. It isn't easy going, but we have to face the truth, and talk about it, not hide our heads in the sand -- or in the diversions of television, movies, celebrity gossip, computer games, etc. -- though there is a place for some of that. All things, well at least MOST things in moderation. Nothing is perfect, but it can be better. With God's help, with OUR help, with music, with laughter, with truth and justice. When we talk about "My country, right or wrong", note the whole quote of Senator Carl Shurz [see http://www.bartleby.com/73/1641.html], which continues "if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." Let's set it right -- and live, love, laugh and be happy. Amen.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Concerned about melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and big hurricanes? Please make your voice heard for the environment and urge your friends to make their voices heard too: Go to www.kyotoandbeyond.org and sign the Peoples Ratification of the Kyoto Treaty.

Kyoto is an important international agreement that marks a step forward in addressing the global warming crisis. The United States remains the only major industrial power that has not yet signed. Instead, the United States actively obstructs movement towards fulfilling Kyoto. While U.S. government representatives will be present at the Montreal conference, there is growing concern that they may, in fact, work to obstruct positive action.

A variety of events are being organized leading up to December 3. For information and a list of resources, go to http://www.climatecrisiscoalition.org/ -- and please sign the petition!! Thanks!!!

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Meanwhile, my main email account has been getting returned email citing addresses I never wrote to. Looks like someone is sending out junk email in my name. This does not bring peace to my soul and junk mail doesn't bring peace to others. Like I don't want folks fighting wars in my name, I don't want people sending junk mail in my name either. Sadly, there is not much I can do except to hope that everyone has good junk mail filters. Emails for peace not for junk!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne