Debbie's Peace Blog

Arizona City, AZ: Beautiful 2026 square foot 4 bedroom/2 bath manufactured home for rent

2012-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

The video below is a virtual tour of our beautiful 2026 square foot manufactured home in Arizona City, AZ, that is now ready for a qualified renter.

The home has 4 bedrooms with a huge retreat in the master suite, 2 full bathrooms, a spacious kitchen and large utility room with deep sink and space for freezer or second refrigerator and plenty of shelves or cabinets. There’s a family room, as well as a formal living room and formal dining area.

The carpet is brand new throughout, the rich emerald green softly blending with lighter greens, contrasting beautifully with the coral pink of the edging counter tiles in the kitchen and utility room. These colors allow an imaginative tenant to decorate this surprisingly comfortable home with natural colors of the desert location.

The split floor plan provides complete privacy for the huge master suite. With several walk-in closets, kitchen pantry and lots of cabinets, a large linen closet in the master bath, and a 10 x 10 storage shed outside, the home has plenty of storage.

Serious renters, call 520-494-0437 and leave a message.

The Videos: Gay Marriage: Why the Right has got it all wrong

2012-02-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

For several years, I’ve often written about the right of all people to marry the person they choose, regardless of their sexual orientation and the gender of their chosen partner. In the first of these articles, published in the Arizona City Independent/Edition on March 15, 2006, and reprinted in my essay collection, The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace, I explained what is perhaps the most important reason for my support of same-sex marriage:

“If the U.S. wants to impose a wall between religion and government in places like Iraq [which was foremost in the news at the time], then we must do the same here at home.”

In other articles, I’ve explained that even if gay marriage were to become legal throughout the country, no church would ever be forced to marry two people of the same gender if they didn’t want to do so. And beginning on May, 2009, I wrote my first article addressing the fallacies of as many of the objections to legalizing gay marriage as I could think of at the time.

I’ve since updated that article and reprinted it twice as a single article in this blog. Finally, I’ve expanded my coverage of this issue by explaining these points in the two videos on this page, one on the religious issues and the other on the secular issues involved in the gay marriage question.

I hope I explained clearly enough the basic principle that no matter what any person believes, they have absolutely no right to use the law to impose their religious values on people who are not members of their religion. So, we must continue to work for the end of all laws that limit the civil rights of anyone simply because of their sexual orientation.

Let’s put an end to all hate in our society. This is an absolute necessity if we’re ever going to put an end to poverty and war.

Speech Is Not Always Free: A disabled writer speaks out

2012-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

Throughout my life, I’ve had to deal with two issues:

the often selfish demands of people who insist I use my talents, energies, and resources on their behalf
my ever-diminishing store of energy as a result of lifelong progressive chronic illness

After trying my best to satisfy everyone else’s agenda, I finally had to explain that I couldn’t do all they demanded because:

I had to take care of my own needs.
As I became sicker and physically weaker, I couldn’t do as much as I used to do.

Unfortunately, the almost universal reaction to my explanation has been anger. People have said and done some very mean things to me because of their prejudice against me because of my illness.

What is most puzzling is that this type of reaction has even come from both family members and people who have disabilities that are obvious and more easily understood than the hidden disability of chronic illness. But I’ve never let that deter me.

No matter what anyone else says or does, I continue to write about my dream of establishing a global society in which every person contributes according to their individual abilities and there is no more poverty or war. And now I’m expanding into the medium of videos in an effort to spread my message of prosperity and peace for all.

First, I explain why I refuse to hide my disability. Since the only obvious sign of my condition is my crutch, I’ll make sure it’s visible whenever I appear onscreen. And when I speak about the rights of disabled people, unlike most disability advocates, I’ll be speaking for the rights of people with both visible and hidden disabilities.

So, following is my first video, “Speech Is Not Always Free”:

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-02-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 10, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Trekell Rd.. & E. McMurray Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 10, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Trekell Rd. & E. McMurray Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I am absolutely ecstatic to announce that I’ve finally got several videos edited and posted on YouTube. I’ll soon be featuring all these videos and more on this Blog page too! Yippee! For now, here’s what I’ve posted on YouTube so far:

Speech Is Not Always Free: Living with a hidden disability but still wanting to be a useful, productive, contributing citizen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qEayDKlLYw

Gay Marriage: Why the Right Has Got It All Wrong (Part 1: The Religious Issues):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRVkiNU9J48

Gay Marriage: Why the Right Has Got It All Wrong (Part 2: The Secular Issues):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZbrI5NquTQ

Arizona City Mfg. Home: We currently have a beautiful 2026 square foot home in Arizona City, AZ, available for rent to a qualifying tenant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6X629-mkA

In a couple of days or so, I hope to post my video of Tony Fasline at his weekly peace vigil that he holds every Friday during the cooler months here in Casa Grande. That particular day, my husband, Jim, joined Tony at the corner of Arizola and McMurray. I worked the camcorder while they held signs telling people about the need to focus on ending conflict around the world. Of course, that’s a complicated issue, but we can’t move in the right direction if we don’t keep in mind the best outcome for all concerned. In future, I’ll do more home videos as well to discuss more of the issues that connect poverty and war and why we need an economy that allows everyone to participate in at least minimum prosperity so we can end the resulting conflicts in our global society. Check back often to learn more about these issues.

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-02-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 3, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Arizola Rd.. & E. McMurray Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 3, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Arizola Rd. & E. McMurray Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Still working on the video editing. Almost there, mentally if not practically. Meanwhile, we’ve had two open rental units and think we’ve found a tenant for one, but the other is still available. I have some raw video of that beautiful manufactured home and hope to get it edited and posted here soon. We used to live there, but had to move closer to services. It’s great for a family with kids. Check back often to catch the view when I get that done.

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Ruminating on animals and the afterlife!

2012-01-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday I enjoy reading “Ask the pet editor,” written by Scott Craven, in the Arizona Republic. This Sunday, January 29, 2012, a reader related his belief that after his beloved dog passed away, he’d followed his hunches and found a brand new puppy that he believes to be his old dog reincarnated. In his usual entertaining fashion, Scott assured the reader that he won’t presume to pass judgment on such a personal belief. He then invited others to share their feelings and experiences regarding pet reincarnation. Naturally, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share our story:

Dear Scott,

Oh, I hope you don’t regret requesting feedback on domestic animal reincarnation, especially from all the really weird cat people–like me!

My husband, Jim, and I consider ourselves to be spiritual, rather than sacerdotal, so our religious affiliation is with a progressive group that respects all beliefs and encourages independent thinking. We believe in the possibility that traditional church teachings might be wrong regarding animals and the afterlife. Though we don’t feel comfortable settling on any particular tenet in that regard, we like to imagine that if humans can look forward to an afterlife, then the spirits of our animal friends continue on after they leave this plane. That could mean they experience a series of successive material existences, as in reincarnation. Or, as western tradition says about humans, they could pass on to a paradisaical existence--‘heaven,’ if such a place exists.

By not encumbering ourselves with the doctrine of certainty, we comfort ourselves with the belief that one day we’ll again see Ditto, our precious 8-year-old black cat who succumbed on a sunny afternoon last August to a sudden respiratory infection. We also dream of the day we’ll be able to hold Ray Lee, Booger, and Clarence, who lived long and died peacefully in our arms; and Baxter, Tina, Garfield, and Boyfriend, who disappeared to unknown fates; and all the other precious pets who shared so much of their love with us during their sadly short earthly sojourns.

But do their spirits return to us before we pass on to join them? We won’t claim to know that for sure, but we have witnessed one strange phenomenon: Shortly after we say the final ‘goodbye’ to one of our fur-babies, we notice that one or more of our surviving ‘children’ seem to adopt some peculiar personality trait(s) that we enjoyed in our recently ‘late’ fur-child, trait(s) that the surviving feline never seemed to practice before.

Thus, after Ditto left us, our little black-and-white kitty, Obama--so named because he walked into our house literally off the streets at 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2008)--suddenly began to climb into my lap and treat me to several ‘chin bumps’ with the top of his head. He did that several times over the week following Ditto’s death, then settled down and continued to cuddle in peculiarly Obama (the feline variety) fashion.

Jim and I decided that Ditto was just trying to tell us he’s sorry he had to leave us so quickly and he’ll be waiting when we’re ready to join him!

Who knows if that’s true, but it’s nice to think about! After all, how can there be a heaven without our animal friends there with us?!

In peace,
Debbie

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 27, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Arizola Rd.. & W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 27, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Arizola Rd. & W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

What a week this has been. I’ve done some preliminary editing on one video, but had to take time and energy to tape a couple of our properties that are just about ready to rent. Jim’s still got work to do on the last one, but in a few days, I hope to post the videos so people can know what they’re like. And this evening, Jim and I hope to attend the inaugural meeting of a new group here in town to kick off a campaign for another vital human rights issue. I’ll be able to share information about that as soon as I know what the plans are going to be. At any rate, it’s so great to find people here in our little town who believe in helping other people, not just being big shots and trying to get glory for themselves. It’s really refreshing!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Letter to the Editor, Casa Grande Dispatch, on peace vigils in Casa Grande

2012-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

The editor of the Grande Dispatch attached my name instead of that of my peace-loving friend, Tony Fasline, to Tony’s letter which they were kind enough to print. I merely edited Tony’s draft, adding details about massive Iraqi casualties and the effects of the war on the balance of power in the region. For some reason, the editor attached my name to Tony’s work, and they forgot that Jim and I moved from Arizona City to Casa Grande in 2007. Still, we’re grateful for the opportunity to spread the word about the need to keep working for true peace and prosperity around the world.

WAR NO MORE, LET’S TRY PEACE

Every Friday afternoon from 4:15 P. M. until 5:15 P. M., when traffic is heaviest, a retired Catholic priest and Korean War veteran from Ohio stands on one of our busy street corners hoisting a peace sign, protesting war.

One of the various signs he might be holding up reads “WAR NO MORE/LET'S TRY PEACE NOW.” Recently, a motorist hollered out to him, "The war is over"!

Why does this man still stand on the corner? Is the war really over?

Borrowing from a piece written for publication by the Voice of the People, he would answer: "What did this war we just ‘won’ in Iraq accomplish? Only the overthrow of a nickel-and-dime dictator whose weapons of mass destruction we couldn’t find and whose connections to terrorist groups we couldn’t prove.

“We further accomplished the establishment of a creaky, paper-thin ‘democracy’ that will topple like a house of cards in the next few years. Sunnis and Shiites will fight a civil war, followed by the emergence from the ashes of a religious or military dictator who hates America more than Saddam Hussein did.

“We also accomplished the return of more than 4,000 coffins and the return of tens of thousands troops with wounds, missing limbs, and psychological disfigurement, not to mention the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens. We also upset a delicate balance of power, leaving not only the region but the world in more danger from extremism than ever before. And for this, we paid hundreds of billions of dollars that will leave this country with stifling debt for decades to come. Meanwhile the U.S. is no safer from terrorism than it was before we started this venture.

“What did the Iraq war accomplish? Only the most massive waste of American life, money, and resources since Vietnam.

“Let's try peace now!”

Rev. Fasline wants to invite people to join the protestor in order to raise the consciousness of many others to the importance of seeking peace, rather than war. Call him at 520-426-0070 to learn of the vigil sites each week. You can also find the location of each Friday’s vigil posted by late Thursday on Debbie Jordan’s Peace Blog at imaginetheworldatpeace.blogspot.com/ or on her two Facebook pages (Debbie Jordan and The World I Imagine - end poverty and war) and Twitter account (@lady4peace).

For America and Peace,
Rev. Anthony Fasline
Debbie Jordan

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-01-19T08:09:00.001-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 20, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Peart Rd.. & W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 20, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Peart Rd. & W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I have a great progress report to post this week! Last night Jim and I taped my first two ‘issue’ videos, and now I’m working on the editing process. And now that I pretty much know what I’m doing with Adobe Photoshop Premiere Elements, it’s going very smoothly, so far. I’ve put together the two pieces for my first video and cut out the trash bits, those places where I had trouble saying what I wanted and had to go back and say the same thing over again. All the ‘stars’ know what that’s like. : )

Anyway, next comes adding the titles, at the beginning and the end. And finally, I have to line up the captions and a long crawl that’ll be a vital tool in the first part of the video. Once that’s all done, it’ll be ready to upload and share. Wow!

After that, I have a second video to play with almost the same way, except it’s a lot longer than the first one. So I’m going to be pretty busy through the weekend, at least. Please keep on sending out those positive thoughts, folks. They’re having a positive effect, and I really need them!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-01-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 13, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Colorado St.. & W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 13, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Colorado St. and W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Last Friday evening, we finally found a local source for video information who is willing to consult when I have problems in the future. Hooray! And thank you, Lord!

This means Jim and I will be taping my for-real videos this evening, then I get to play with the video editing software for a day or two. So I could have something to post by the weekend. Again, hold onto positive thoughts. Just shows the importance of persistence and patience. One of these days, it will make a difference!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2012-01-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 6, 2012
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Trekell Rd. & W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 6, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Trekell Rd. & W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Still trying to get the video connection between camcorder and computer to work. According to several experts, I’ve got the right equipment but the hardware still won’t work as it’s supposed to. AAARRRGGGHHH!

Anyway, I’m going to consult one more source later this morning, so I may have something positive to report soon. Please, pray, light candles, focus positive tech thoughts in my direction, and maybe something good will happen. One of these days, . . . Oh, heck! This can’t go on forever!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

A video you cannot forget - especially on November 6, 2012

2011-12-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

Few messages I’ve seen and heard have been as compelling as this one is to me:

STUNNING - 'I REMEMBER, SO I'M VOTING, AND NOT REPUBLICAN'

Please remember on November 6, 2012. Do not forget!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-12-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 30, 2011
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Pinal Ave. & W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, December 30, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. & W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Video editing update: We finally think (hope!) we’ve got the right cable we think we need to load--up or down? I don’t have a clue!--videos from camcorder to computer. We’ll try it out this evening and see if we’re in the ballpark. Hold onto great thoughts for this to work. If it does, then we’re going to start doing videos in which I discuss many of the topics I also write about. Great hopes for future progress, everyone!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-12-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 23, 2011
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Pinal Ave. and W. McMurray Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, December 23, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. McMurray Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I can hardly believe how many things keep popping up on our agenda to keep us busy now that Jim’s based at home every day. One thing is certain: Neither of us is bored. Ot our age, we can only do so much before we need to take it easy for a while. Still, it’s nice to be able to rest whenever we need to. It’s a much different lifestyle than the way things were when we were younger. Still, we both hope to have a more time after the first of the year to enjoy our favorite activities: Jim’s painting and my writing. Hold out great hopes for that eventuality!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Update on my Open Letter to Romney and Gay Marriage Opponents

2011-12-16T04:51:00.000-08:00

I just emailed a copy of my recent “Open Letter to Mitt Romney and other Gay Marriage Opponents” to campaign websites of the following Republican presidential candidates:

Michele Bachmann
Newt Gingrich
Jon Huntsman Jr.
Ron Paul
Buddy Roemer
Mitt Romney
Rick Santorum

I also wanted to email the Open Letter to Rick Perry’s campaign website, but there is no email address listed where someone can send a statement that he and his staff haven’t pre-approved. Obviously, he doesn’t want to be told anything that contradicts his almighty positions.

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-12-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 16, 2011
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
N. Pinal Ave. & W. Cottonwood Ln.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, December 16, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. & W. Cottonwood Ln. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Now that Jim’s retired, we’re making progress in several areas, mostly setting things up so we can enjoy the time ahead and use our talents and skills to make a difference in this world. Besides everything else, we’re both concentrating a bit more on our passions, my writing and Jim’s painting. That’ll get better as we move more things off our preliminary agenda. So stay tuned for more exciting things to come. Who knows? I could actually finish the book I’ve been working at off and on for the past couple of years. Maybe even more than that. Hold out great hopes for real progress in 2012!

Meanwhile, send out your positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers for all the suffering souls all around the world!

Open Letter to Mitt Romney and other gay-marriage opponents

2011-12-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

To give credit where it’s due, I’ll admit you’ve got nerve telling a gay Vietnam veteran that you don’t believe his spouse deserves the same rights that people like me, as the wife of a straight Nam vet, enjoy. Not for a minute do I believe you didn’t suspect that man’s sexual orientation. In fact, you admitted you knew where he stood when you said, “So we apparently disagree on that.”

The real problem is the reason you gave for being on that side of the issue. You said, “At the time the Constitution was written, it was pretty clear that marriage was between a man and a woman, and I don’t believe the Supreme Court has changed that.”

Does that mean you’d consider slavery to be just fine until Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation? Or would you have waited for the Supreme Court to declare its support of that courageous presidential action before you freed any of the slaves you’d insist upon keeping hostage?

Would you have campaigned against suffragists like my grandmother until the highest court in the land finally did the right thing and acknowledged the right to vote for my grandmother and her sisters, daughter, and granddaughters--and I must add, your wife?

Doing the right thing shouldn’t depend upon immoral and unfair laws. Granted, the First Amendment of that Constitution you mentioned states: “Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise [of religion] . . . ” That means you have the right to belong to a religion that bans same-sex marriage, and even relationships, within its membership.

On the other hand, the first provision of the religious freedom clause bans you and your religious organization from imposing those rules on others: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, . . . “

A little historical perspective is needed here: For years before the writing of the U.S. Constitution, the Church of England was not only ascendant but the law of the land, including all the British colonies. At times, all tax-paying British citizens and colonists were forced to pay tax monies that went directly into Church coffers, whether or not they were members of that religion.

Most of the Founding Fathers were active members of some Christian religion, but not all of them belonged to the Church of England. Many of the early opponents of Anglicanism had emigrated from Europe to the American colonies seeking freedom to worship as they chose.

Unfortunately, too many of those same freedom-seeking pilgrims eventually imposed their own beliefs on everyone who lived in or near the communities they established. The wise men who wrote and signed the Constitution that defined their new country acknowledged those early colonial mistakes by forbidding any religious institution from forcing rules on people who chose not be members of their organization.

Sadly, it’s taken over 200 years for most people to understand these simple principles. Too many people, like you, still don’t get that. Imposing rules allows powerful people to control others. If we truly love freedom, then religious freedom must include respecting the basic human rights of members of the LGBT community, as well as those of members of every other minority.

Acknowledging the rights of every human being means giving up a little bit of power, but it would offer more freedom to everyone. Being a bully wastes a lot of energy. I urge you to stop bullying people by using bad laws to impose your rules on other people and you will see this nation thrive in ways you never imagined.

I realize you’re campaigning to become the candidate of a political party that’s taken a clear stand against acknowledging the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Therefore, I have no doubt who I’ll be voting for in November 2012.

On the other hand, it would be a welcome miracle if, should you win the keys to the White House next year, you followed the example of the first Republican president and declared your support for an issue that is even more popular today than ending slavery was in 1862.

Presidents don’t have to wait for the Supreme Court. They can use the power of their office by supporting the legal right of same-sex couples to marry and receive full federal spousal benefits. That is the right thing to do.

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part IV)

2011-12-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Now that I’ve detailed our experiences arranging the various pieces of our retirement insurance coverage, it’s time for me to wrap up this series with a few comments about the situation.

THE GOOD

On the positive side is the fact that Medicare exists at all. Too many conservative politicians want to abolish it completely so they can toss senior citizens and people with disabilities back into that shark tank infested with insurance companies that care more about amassing profits than providing access to affordable medical care. Details in this article apply to the current situation, not the right-wing “wet dream” that, should it ever come true, would be a hideous nightmare for the neediest people in the country.

Currently, Medicare Part A, which covers a large percentage of the cost of hospital care, is available at no charge to qualified U.S. residents when they turn 65 and younger people who’ve received Social Security Disability insurance for two years. The program is supported by payroll taxes from people who are currently employed. A qualified person just has to notify Social Security within two months of the date eligibility begins. Part B covers a percentage of doctors’ visits and outpatient tests and treatments, but the insured person must pay a premium for this part of the coverage.

Many people purchase a Supplemental policy to cover medical costs not paid by Parts A and B, or an Advantage plan, or Part C, which is a comprehensive package that covers Parts A and B as well as co-pays. Most Advantage plans also include drug coverage, which is called Part D when purchased separately with Parts A and B.

Part D is the newest piece of the puzzle and it has numerous flaws, especially the cost to people who need the more expensive drugs. Many of these costs will go down as the government plan, commonly called “Obamacare” by critics, comes into effect in stages over the next few years. That fact should be viewed as an argument to support the new health care law. But to conservatives, whose empty claims to compassion disappeared as soon as they took power in 2001, it’s a reason to attack the program.

One way to lower drug costs even more is to use mail order to purchase drugs taken regularly over an extended period of time. In spite of the fact that many drug providers have featured this service for many years, some people are still reluctant to depend on mail for their medications.

Having used mail order through several different insurers over the last couple of decades, I can say that overall, the service is no better or worse than using a local pharmacy. It’s up to the consumer--that’s you and me--to keep good records and alert the provider when there is a problem. Some companies are harder to deal with than others, but that can also be true with many local stores.

One last positive thing I can say about dealing with Medicare is the fact that the website is extremely helpful and the customer service staff are both friendly and supportive. There are some excellent online charts to help users choose Supplemental and Part D plans, but it did take me several tries over a few days to figure everything out. I finally called and a really nice lady patiently talked me through the necessary steps. Besides that, I signed up for regular email updates from Medicare.

THE BAD

As useful as Medicare, with all its parts, is proving to us, especially with our complicated medical issues, we still don’t like the way it’s designed. First, it took a lot of work, especially on my part since I’m the family “office manager,” to research and set up all the pieces of the puzzle. That’s a lot of time and energy that I could have focused toward other pursuits. In addition, this task is generally being performed by people in physically and/or mentally weakened conditions, so it takes more energy from us than it would from young healthy people who are generally more tech savvy.

In addition, there is the fact that plans differ according to services offered by different providers. We had to choose from a range of Supplemental plans and drug providers based on our current medical needs. Since Jim and I both have complicated medical conditions, albeit somewhat different from each other, we ended up with the same Supplemental plan through the same insurance company. But because we each take a completely different number and range of medications, we each had to sign with a different Part D provider.

The problem with this is we’re stuck with these plans for a full year, until the end of 2012. If either of our medical situations changes and our current plans don’t fit our needs, that’s just tough cookies. We can’t make changes until the next annual enrollment period, which begins on October 15 and ends on December 7, and those changes won’t go into effect until January 1, 2013.

There is a provision for people with certain qualifications to switch to certain Advantage plans, and another situation in which a person must be disenrolled from their previous plan. But this is all just a testament to the fact that when government services are controlled by politicians and for-profit companies, the rules are even more complicated than when the government is the only service provider.

THE REALLY UGLY

As I explained in the first article in this series, as much as Advantage providers tempt people with low overall prices, the hidden costs are a time bomb just waiting to explode in the faces of clients who live far away from in-network providers. And drug co-pays which are low for insured working people skyrocket for retired people who live on a fixed income. All in all, these are just more ways that the for-profit medical industry squeezes every last penny they can out of the most vulnerable people in the country.

Then there’s the insidious “credible coverage” requirement for previous insurance. This one makes perfect sense to the profiteers, but it amounts to financial punishment imposed on sick and disabled people. Here’s how the plan works:

Many younger people with medical problems are being denied coverage by insurance companies because of their conditions. Then when they finally qualify for Medicare, they’re charged a penalty on top of premiums specifically because of the fact that they weren’t able to obtain insurance before that. These extra costs are just one more way that the for-profit medical system in this country torments people who commit the “mortal sin” of being imperfect.

AND IN CONCLUSION

Lest anyone think any of these issues are an argument against government managed health care, I vehemently disagree. The complications arise from the involvement of for-profit companies and the meddling of lobby-supported politicians.

If health care were supplied to everyone in a straightforward manner according to each person’s need, with no costs added to boost corporate profits and executive compensation, the service would be much cheaper and far more successful than it is now. And I’m not opposed to charging penalties to people who want coverage or care when they’ve previously refused to participate in a universal system.

We just need to actually have such a system that doesn’t discriminate against sick and disabled people, as the current for-profit system does. The only way to care for everyone who needs it in an efficient manner would be establish a truly universal health care system which requires everyone to pay what they can afford for coverage.

And now that I’ve come this far down that circuitous path to Medicare, I’d like to say I’ve earned a black belt. But since politicians are always tinkering with the system, I’ll just claim a brown belt now and steel myself for the battles that I know must surely be lurking farther down the road.

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part I)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part II)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part III)

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part III)

2011-11-30T05:22:00.000-08:00

In the first two parts of this series, I discussed the basics of Medicare plans and the one issue that arose within the Medicare system because of a communication snag. But these only involved the plans covering hospital and doctor services, not prescription drugs. That’s the Part D piece of the puzzle.

PART D PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE

Now that we’re well into our senior years Jim and I are both dealing with complicated medical issues. Jim first began to face reality--or, to be more precise, his mortality--when he was diagnosed with diabetes in the early 1990s, but I’ve had to deal with various health problems my entire life.

Since I haven’t had a support system during most of that time, I’ve had to become the expert in my own medical case. That’s why I’m much better educated than most people about the pros and cons of treating every little thing with pills, as too many people are wont to do. And that’s why I’ve developed the philosophy that when it comes to medications, less really can be more. Over the years, that approach has saved me a lot of pain and tons of money that I could have wasted on useless, and often dangerous, drugs.

Another factor we have to deal with now is the way medical insurance is managed for retired people. While Jim was working, his employee insurance covered both of us under his identification data. Now we’re treated as individuals, so our policies and ID numbers are generally different. The only thing that’s the same is when we use our AARP (aka, Geezers United!) membership--which considers Jim the primary member and includes me as his spouse--for our Medicare supplemental insurance policies

On the other hand, our Part D choices are much more complicated than they are for supplemental insurance, especially because we each have different needs. Up to this point, we were well prepared for the steps we had to take:

First, we had to decide whether to get an Advantage plan or go with the multi-part package that includes Medicare Parts A and B and a supplemental policy.
Having decided against Advantage, for reasons I explained in Part I of this series, we chose an insurance company we’d had positive experiences with during the years we were covered by various employee policies.
When we called that company to set things up, they asked us for enough details about our medical conditions so they could help us choose which type of supplemental plan we each needed.

From this point, our choices became much more complicated, but I’ll get into more detail about the downside of that in the next, and last, part of this series when I wrap up my opinions on the overall situation. For now, I’ll just say that because of our different conditions and needs, we had to find separate providers for our Part D policies.

Though we aren’t thrilled with that fact, we have discovered some good things about choosing and setting up our Part D policies:

We each had a wide range of choices about what companies we could get the prescription drug service from.
The most positive aspect of this part of the experience is that Medicare’s website features a fantastic chart to help us compare all the choices available to each of us. It took me several turns at the pages in this section over a couple of weeks, as well as a desperate call to Medicare for help at one point, before I got everything straight for each of us. But without that chart, we’d still be fumbling around, trying to get all that information together in a coherent and understandable form.
If we waited too long after his old insurance was terminated, we’d have to pay a monthly penalty over our regular monthly premiums. Fortunately, the maximum waiting period is 62 days, and with the helpful tools available from Medicare, we were able to make our choices and get things all set up for both of us well within that period of time.

One more good thing was that, except for one of my prescriptions, we happened to have a good supply of all our medications on hand to carry us through that waiting period, so the delay didn’t do us any harm, medically speaking. Since my missing prescription is a generic drug, I was able to buy it at a local pharmacy for a reasonable price for a couple of months until my Part D service kicked in.

So, now that our Part D policies are in place, we have only another 24 hours to wait, as I finish writing this article, to begin taking advantage of the Part D prescription service. Of course, things could be better, but at least we do have this. Just a few years ago, Medicare patients had no help at all with their drug costs. Yes, things have moved forward, but certainly not far enough ahead. Come back here in a few more days and you’ll be able to read a lot more about that in the final article in this series!

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part I)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part II)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part IV)

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part II)

2011-11-26T06:04:00.000-08:00

In Part I, I shared the basic details of Medicare, including the reason we chose to go with Parts A and B and a Supplemental Medicare policy instead of relying on one of those much-touted comprehensive Advantage plans. Now I’ll share some of the wrinkles we had to iron out as we tried to get things set up and began to use the insurance plans with our medical providers.

THE PATH BECOMES ROCKY

The first issues we faced were a result of Medicare red tape. Social Security couldn’t complete the paperwork until they received notice from Jim’s employer confirming his retirement date. Trouble was, the people at Human Resources didn’t finish their paperwork until the middle of his last month on the job, barely two weeks before D-Day--or to be more precise, R-Day. Once that was done, Jim had to take the Medicare form to HR and get it filled out and signed, then mail it back to Medicare.

Because of that delay, we didn’t get our Part B cards until well over a week after it was to go into effect, and we’d already scheduled an appointment with one of our doctors during that first week. Fortunately, the office manager, who happens to be the doctor’s wife, was completely understanding and took our information for an emergency form she uses in such cases. Then she sent it to their billing service, and we hoped everything would work out fine.

But within the next few weeks, we had a couple of other medical appointments, and soon we began to receive calls from them because Medicare was denying our coverage. I called Medicare and found out the problem was that they hadn’t registered the fact that his employee insurance had ended on the last day of his employment.

While he was still working, the employee insurance was his primary provider, while Medicare would be the secondary provider, to be billed only for deductibles and co-pays. Now, of course, Medicare is supposed to be our primary insurance provider and the Supplemental plan we’d purchased from a private company is our secondary provider. But that’s not what our records said at Medicare.

We were told that Jim would need a letter documenting the fact that he was no longer covered by employee insurance. It took almost a full day and involved people at his old employer’s HR Department and the old insurance company calling and faxing back and forth. Finally we had copies of those letters, one for Jim and one for me, in our hot little hands. Then we called Medicare again and learned that as long as we can produce the letter, they were satisfied and nothing else needed to be done. They didn’t even need us to fax the letters to them.

I then had to call people at all the medical service providers or their billing departments to advise them that we’d corrected the problem and things should go smoothly from then on. Ah, but not so fast. This is the one time when the government agency didn’t work as it was supposed to.

Turns out the main Medicare Department is not the agency that takes care of all that. It’s handled by a separate government agency called Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that handles all billing and payment matters. Only after the second denial of a particular payment a week after we obtained those letters did I learn that little tidbit. So, naturally I had to call CMS and get them to straighten out the problem.

When I explained the situation to the very nice young man at CMS, he made sure to keep me on the line while he went through all the steps necessary to update our accounts. Again, we didn’t need to show them the letters documenting the old insurance coverage and termination dates. We just have to make sure we have all that information and can prove it if we ever need to. That’s where good record-keeping comes in handy.

In fact, those good records proved to be a blessing with later issues that came up. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. In the next article in this series, I’ll explain how those records are helping us with our Part D coverage. Watch for it!

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part I)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part III)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part IV)

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part I)

2011-11-22T05:06:00.000-08:00

From the moment Jim knew the date of his retirement, we began planning every step we had to take to transition from middle-age employment to full senior status. We knew the most important part of that process would be setting up full Medicare coverage to replace his employee insurance, which would end on the day he retired.

Over the years, we’ve kept up on Medicare issues, so we knew the basic steps we had to take to set things up. We hoped things would go smoothly, but we aren’t naive. We knew dealing with any organization takes time, effort, patience, and persistence, yet even we were surprised at all the hoops we had to jump through in order to get the job done.

We learned a lot along the way, and I’m going to share those things here. But as I relate the story, I must emphasize two points:

While our experience is individual, I doubt it’s unique. Not everyone will face the same issues, but it’s possible that my sharing these points could help people who do.
Some people will point to our experience as evidence that government-controlled health care is broken. On the contrary, Medicare works very well. Most of these problems were with for-profit insurance companies and the requirements that lobbyists and their Congressional lackeys insist on perpetuating as part of the American health care system.

MEDICARE BASICS

First, here are some basic facts for Medicare newbies:

Medicare is the federal medical insurance program; Medicaid is the program managed by states for people with limited income and assets who don’t have employee insurance. Jim and I are fortunate enough to be concerned only with Medicare, not Medicaid, at least for now.

Medicare has several parts to it:

Part A: Hospital insurance;
Part B: Medical (outpatient) insurance;
Part C: Advantage (comprehensive) plans;
Part D: Prescription Drug plans.

Not included in the official Medicare list but an absolute necessity if we don’t have an Advantage plan is a Medicare Supplemental policy. For some people, Advantage plans work just fine, but most of those plans involve networks. That means you pay the least if you stay with providers in their network. But if you want to see a doctor or go to a clinic or hospital that’s not in their network, you could end up paying a lot more money than if you stuck with Parts A and B and a Supplemental plan.

Because Jim and I both have multiple health issues and we live in a county that’s considered rural, even though both neighboring counties include the two largest metropolitan areas of the state, we were pretty sure if we tried to deal with an Advantage network, we’d have to give up some of the doctors we’ve grown to trust over the last several years.

Turns out the truth is even worse than our suspicions: Even though the regional medical center a mile and a half from our house has recently been credited as one of the best in the state, it’s not in the network of the biggest Advantage plan serving Arizona residents. On the other hand, if we did stay in network to save possibly hundreds or more dollars with a hospital stay, we’d have to travel at least 50 miles one way to reach the nearest in-network hospital. In our conditions and at our ages, that’s not an option. So, we might have to pay a little more month-to-month, but at least we know we can get great care with providers we know and trust for little to nothing right here in our own area.

There are several groups of people who qualify for Medicare. Our eligibility began when we turned 65. We followed Step 1 of good Medicare planning by calling a couple of months before our 65th birthdays to set things up so coverage would begin in the months we turned 65.

Since Jim was still working and his employee insurance covered prescription drugs, we didn’t need Part D, so we opted out of that at first. But we were automatically charged for Part B for several months until we learned we didn’t need it while he had comparable employee insurance. That’s when we canceled Part B and saved a bunch of money. Then a couple of months before his retirement date, we went to the local Social Security office to renew Part B, beginning on the day his retirement was set to begin.

Now that I’ve introduced the basics of Medicare, in the Part II of this series, I’ll tell you about some of the bumps we encountered in our journey to set things up so that we should be prepared for any medical possibility--Good Lord willin’ and the crick don’t rise, as they say down south.

Managing the Medicare Maze (Part II)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part III)
Managing the Medicare Maze (Part IV)

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-11-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, November 18, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Broadway St. & 5th Ave.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, November 18, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of Broadway St. & 5th Ave., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Whoa! Just when we think we’ve got our medical insurance crazy quilt all sewed up, another strip of red tape rears its ugly head. How’s that for a totally mixed-up metaphor?!

I’d hoped to finish and post my blog article on the Medicare maze this week--until we got some letters showing two more problems, not with the government aspect of the puzzle but with one of the corporate players in the game. In fact, when I do put the finishing touches on that article, I plan to emphasize the fact that the insurance and drug company lobbies are keeping the process so messy that as much as the government agency tries to keep up with it, even they can’t be aware of all the problems we’ll have to face. That’s not only shameful, it’s a complete waste of time, money, and energy, both physical and psychological. So, as soon as we iron out this latest wrinkle, I do plan to tidy up that article and post it for everyone right here and on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Watch for it!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

The Trouble with Electric Shopping Carts (Part IV)

2011-11-12T03:36:00.000-08:00

In the first three parts of this article, I detailed the steady deterioration of electric shopping cart services at stores in Casa Grande. Now it’s time to wrap up this series by explaining what happened when I tried to get help with this and other problems related to my disabilities from the Casa Grande Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues.

When I first wrote the two-part article about electric shopping carts for my column in the Arizona City Independent/Edition, I also called and sent a letter trying to get the attention of someone on the Committee regarding the problem. We lived in Arizona City at the time but did all our shopping in Casa Grande, 15 miles north of our home.

I’ll give Committee members the benefit of the doubt and just say the reason they might not have responded to my original complaints might have had something to do with the fact that we weren’t residents of the city. Still, that logic doesn’t compute when you consider most subsequent developments in relation to the issue.

In 2007 we moved to Casa Grande, and a few months later I volunteered to serve on the Committee. At that time I explained that since my original complaint regarding the lack of enough working carts, stores had begun to replace their old carts with new ones without arms, making it difficult, or even impossible, for people with certain types of disabilities to use the carts and, thus, shop in those stores.

Finally, a Committee member called several large grocery and discount stores in town to survey them regarding the replacement of their old electric shopping carts with armless carts. When I attended my first Committee meeting as a member, they presented me with the survey report. After that, there was no more talk of armless electric shopping carts--or any other issues connected with hidden disabilities.

Conversations at meetings were mostly about visible disabilities, such as mobility, sight, or hearing problems. I heard little or no discussion of other disability issues, such as those affecting people with seizure disorder, mental or developmental disabilities, AIDS, or those confined to nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities.

The same problem existed with outside activities sponsored by the Committee. For instance, the annual Disability Awareness Day was focused on difficulties faced by people confined to wheelchairs or those with visual impairment. The one time I was able to attend a Disability Awareness Day luncheon, I told a couple of people attending who held management positions at the local Wal-Mart that I hadn’t shopped at their store for a couple of years because of the problem with armless shopping carts. They said they’d check into it, but they never got back to me and didn’t even answer the followup email I sent after that meeting.

Besides that, I could never attend the Committee’s annual Halloween party because my nervous system can’t tolerate vibrations from loud music and I’m deathly allergic to dyes in all the refreshments served at the event. In fact, in 2009 after taking a colored pill I’d previously been able to pass in a few days with minor symptoms, I ended up in the ICU for two and a half days. That means that for the rest of my life, I have to avoid all those chemical dyes that make food and drugs so pretty to look at. One more exposure could propel me past the ICU all the way to a slab in one of those little refrigerated compartments in that windowless room in the hospital basement. No thanks!

Meanwhile, two more of my problems continued to worsen, but whenever I mentioned anything I was going through to anyone on the Committee, they showed absolutely no interest. First, even more stores are replacing their older electric shopping carts with newer armless ones. That means it’s getting to be impossible for me to shop comfortably in just about all the larger stores in town. I am fortunate enough to have a manual wheelchair, but anyone who’s confined to a chair knows that sitting low to the ground limits their view of most store shelves and makes it difficult to chat with people standing up near them.

Meanwhile, my physical symptoms are deteriorating, as they have slowly but surely pretty much all my life. I no longer have the stamina to manage most normal activities. When I need to go out to see a doctor or shop at a local store, we have to plan the logistics carefully. My husband does all the driving now, and since I lack the upper-body strength to push my own wheelchair, he has to push me wherever I want to go.

Of course, it would be great if I could use my own electric cart. Unfortunately, our house isn’t accessible and has no garage. We can’t just roll the cart in or out of the house, and if we had a hoist installed on his truck, it would be vulnerable to theft or vandalism. That means I’m stuck with the inconvenience of my wheelchair. At least I do have that.

And since my disabilities are of no interest to anyone on the Casa Grande Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues, I’ve chosen to focus my limited energies to more important and more effective activities, such as writing about a world in which the needs of every single person are respected, even those people who have to deal with hidden disabilities.

Part I: Going the Distance (Part I)
Part II: Going the Distance (Part II)
Part III: Disarming the Carts

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, November 11, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Belmont Ave. & E. Liberty St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, November 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Belmont Ave. & E. Liberty St., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Whew! Jim and I were finally able to put the last piece of the senior medical insurance puzzle into place. Now we’re trying to catch up with all those other things, large and small, that we hoped to take care of during his first weeks of retirement. I hope to regain my focus soon so I can finally begin to write about all the tricks and traps we had to go through and around in order to get things set up so we’ll get the care we need. Then there’s that last part of my report on the problems I’ve encountered with electric shopping carts. I hope to have these articles written and posted by this time next week. Hold onto positive thoughts for that miracle!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

The Trouble with Electric Shopping Carts (Part III)

2011-10-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

If you’ve read my last two posts, you know about some of the problems disabled people have long met with when we tried to use electric shopping carts provided by large stores. Those issues were minor, though, in comparison to the latest situation that has arisen In the last few years, which I first wrote about in my column in 2008:

Disarming the Carts

Here we are, finally settled in Casa Grande, where we’re close enough to stores that I can go shopping more than once every month or two--and wouldn’t you know it? Some of my favorite stores are making it impossible for me to patronize them. They might not realize what they’re doing, but it’s true all the same.

The problem has to do with those electric carts I wrote about three years ago in my two-part article, “Going the Distance.” At the time I explained that many stores don’t have enough carts on duty at their peak shopping hours. I even suggested they truck some carts from their northern stores down to their southern stores for the winter season, then return them as the “snow birds” are flying north so the carts will be available up there during the summer months.

It sounds perfectly logical, but to date, no one has paid any attention to my idea. Pretty soon I’ll post the article on my web site and start spreading the word again, but that’s not my big beef this time. Now, those same stores are beginning to replace their old carts with new ones that make it impossible for me--and probably thousands of other disabled people--to ride at all!

You see, the new carts have no arms. None at all.

For some people that doesn’t present a problem. But for me, and most other people with serious back and/or balance problems, this means we can no longer use their carts. And since at least one major discount store in town has replaced all their old carts with armless ones, that means the store could lose thousands of paying customers in a very short time. I know they’ve already lost me!

With scoliosis, I require side support for damaged back muscles. Reaching the front steering column is difficult for a small person like me because the nonadjustable seats are set very far back and very high up. Leaning forward stretches my damaged back muscles, aggravating my pain. Without protective arms on the cart, people like me with dizziness or stability problems could fall out. The one time I tried riding that cart, the experience was so painful and disorienting that I left the store vowing not to return until they bring back the carts with arms.

I’ve heard a couple of explanations for the situation. One person said the armless carts make it easier to transfer people from wheelchairs into carts and back again. But in the two decades I’ve used store carts in three different states, I have yet to see anyone roll in with their own conveyance and transfer to a store cart. On the other hand, I have noticed hundreds of people with obvious back and balance problems who need the carts to get around. So, the statistics don’t support this theory at all.

The explanation that is probably closest to reality came from a store manager who said the decision was probably an economic one--which doesn’t surprise me at all. This person said that the elimination of a single moving part multiplied by thousands of carts across the country could save the company thousands of maintenance dollars. I doubt they’ve thought about the possibly more thousands of dollars in sales they could be losing with all the disabled patrons they’re turning away.

I’ll be honest, I own a cart myself. The problem is, even when the electric hoist in my little old station wagon actually works--which is rare these days--the cart is much too cumbersome for me to manage on my own. My next option would be to buy a cart rack that goes on the back of a car, but that will cost hundreds of dollars that we can’t afford. And what about all those disabled people the store has turned their back on, figuratively speaking, who can’t afford their own carts?

No, I’m not going to budge. They’re not going to see me until they get those arms on their carts again.

And just in case anyone wonders about the logic in this attitude, let me point out one more fact: In the past, carts had signs warning that arms must be in the down position when the cart is moving, for the sake of safety or insurance or both. When did it suddenly become safe for people with balance problems to ride a cart without any side protection? Not in my lifetime!

I wonder if the company is prepared to deal with the lawsuits when people with a tendency to faint start falling out of those armless carts and hurting themselves. Maybe then they’ll start thinking about the economics of fixing a simple moving part, and serving disabled customers the way they should be served!

Okay, that’s everything from the past. Since I wrote that last article, the situation has deteriorated in several ways. In a few days, I’ll post a new report about my efforts to get help for this situation, along with a list of those stores in my town, all major chains, that have joined the parade of companies that don’t seem to want people with certain disabilities shopping at their stores. Watch for it!

Part I: Going the Distance (Part I)
Part II: Going the Distance (Part II)
Part IV: The Trouble With Electric Shopping Carts (Part IV)

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-10-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, October 28, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wick Ave. & Lincoln Ave. (Near YSL & Main Library)

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, October 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Wick Ave. & Lincoln Ave. (Near YSL & Main Library), Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

We’re almost through Jim’s first month of retirement, and we’ve barely had any time to breathe. On the other hand, we’ve almost got most of the requisite red tape tied up into a nice pretty bow, and when we do, we’ll be able to breathe a lot easier. It’s been pretty exciting, but I’m really looking forward to enjoying a little of our new normalcy. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

The Trouble with Electric Shopping Carts (Part II)

2011-10-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of the article series I wrote in 2005 for my column in the Arizona City Independent/Edition about the original problems with electric shopping carts:

Going the Distance (Part II)

In the first part of this article, I introduced the fact that working electric carts for disabled people are often unavailable at large retail stores. The problem is compounded by the attitude of many employees. That’s why I’m suggesting some changes to better accommodate the needs of disabled customers. A little common sense and courtesy can help stores keep a significant number of their patrons happy, so they’ll spend more money there.

The solution to the cart problem falls into two major areas: cart maintenance and customer relations.

The task of maintaining carts is fourfold: Cart “wrangling,” regular tuneups, emergency care, and cart location.

Wrangling is done by door greeters or other people posted near where carts wait for pickup and delivery. Most grocery stores correctly do this in an area with an electrical source, so unused carts can be plugged in as much as possible and remain charged most of the time.

Sadly, in newer discount stores, this isn’t usually the case. Carts are charged in an area off the foyer where regular carts are stored, but they often sit idle next to the front doors, far from an electrical source. Since the most common problem occurs when they run out of “fuel” in the middle of a huge store, carts should be attached to a “fueling station” whenever they’re not in use.

But even well-charged carts break down. I was prompted to write these articles when a cart I was using stopped moving in the middle of a local discount store. The battery light showed a good charge, and the soft mechanical purr when I pushed the handle indicated the engine was working, so I knew the machine had probably slipped its gears.

Breakdowns can be avoided through regular maintenance, but no amount of upkeep can prevent every emergency. Dealing with the problem in a timely manner is the responsibility of management, at the store as well as higher up the corporate ladder. Of course, it’s also the wrangler’s duty to report ailing carts immediately, so the “little cart doctor” can repair them quickly!

I’ve made one more logistical suggestion to both local and corporate people at one company, but haven’t seen any action yet. Since so many “snow birds” move south for the winter then fly north when things heat up, the company should do the same with a percentage of their carts. It wouldn’t be difficult to manage, since trucks move all around the country, and many trips are “deadheads,” with little or no cargo when rigs must move to distant pick-up locations.

Dealing with the cart issue can be problematic because of the negative attitudes of some people toward disabled people. It’s important for store employees to remember that customers keep them in business, even disabled ones. So the first rule of customer service applies, even in this situation: Every cart request must be taken seriously.

Problems can occur because greeters are often older and/or disabled themselves. When a working cart isn’t available for someone who manages to walk into the store, employees sometimes give the impression they don’t believe it would hurt them to continue walking instead of using a cart. No one can judge how much stamina another person has or what the medical consequences would be if they overdo, so greeters should do everything possible to locate a working cart--and leave their personal opinions to themselves.

One problem occurs because many large stores have two entrances separated by a significant distance. There might be no working carts at one end, while several carts could be idle at the other entrance. Once I entered a door with no carts in sight, and the greeter used a walkie-talkie to learn that a cart was available at the other door. Even better, an employee drove that cart down the long front hall to meet me, so I didn’t have to walk the width of the store to get that cart. Now that was service!

Unfortunately, that was a one-time event. The next time I came in, the greeter on duty said her walkie-talkie wasn’t working. Translation: She didn’t feel like bothering to help me! So I walked the store and made myself sicker than usual for a couple of days. Believe me, my “normal” is bad enough!

Once when I came into the store, several carts were busy sucking up tasty electric “juice,” and the greeter said they wouldn’t be ready for at least a couple of hours. When I limped out through the same door less than an hour later, I noticed that all those “thirsty” carts had long finished their “snack” and were on the job again. So much for “a couple of hours” of recharging!

These problems wouldn’t be so bad if the staff showed real concern for disabled customers. Their attitude hurts more than the fact that walking around the store makes me so much sicker than usual. A simple declaration that they’ll find the next available cart at either door would assure me that it’s worth my time to sit on the foyer bench and wait for that next cart. The fact that I’ve only heard that promise once is the reason I don’t do that.

Another problem occurs because the baskets in those electric carts fill up quickly. One time I needed some large items, so in the middle of my shopping trip, I drove back to the entrance and asked the greeter if I could leave my first load in a regular cart where she could keep an eye on it. She didn’t seem thrilled about the idea, but she reluctantly agreed. Though it meant my spending more money, she acted as if I was imposing on her. As a result, I now deliberately plan my shopping to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

But it’s in everyone’s best interest to accommodate that request, since it would benefit non-disabled customers as well. Stores should designate an area where shoppers can park extra cartloads of goods until they’re ready to check out. If it’s very far from the entrance--in the customer-service area, for instance--they should keep a couple of empty regular carts there so no one has to haul any carts from the front--especially since people in electric carts can’t manage that task anyway.

The problem with small baskets leads me to another issue. I own an electric cart which is smaller than the ones in stores, especially the basket. I got it some years ago, so it’s not as light as newer carts. It’s difficult for me to move in and out of my car alone, even with the electric hoist, so when I shop alone, I don’t bother to bring my cart along. Instead, I hope to find a working cart at the store, but I’m usually disappointed lately.

If I knew someone would help me move my own cart in and out of my car before and after I spend money at their store, then I’d have Jim put it in the car the night before I go out. Of course, that also depends on whether there would be a place for me to park some of my overflow goodies until I’m ready to check out, as explained above.

I wonder if it’s possible to get that kind of service at my local discount store. Maybe when they realize that the money disabled people want to spend there is just as green as everybody else’s, they might decide to do something about it! It never hurts to dream!

Be sure to check back soon because I’m going to post the next article I wrote a few years later about even worse problems with electric shopping carts. Watch for it!

Part I: Going the Distance (Part I)
Part III: Disarming the Carts
Part IV: The Trouble With Electric Shopping Carts (Part IV)

The Trouble with Electric Shopping Carts (Part I)

2011-10-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

In the introduction to my earlier posting of my letter of resignation from the Casa Grande Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues, I promised to post articles I wrote in the past detailing my experiences using electric carts at large retail stores.

In the summer of 2005, I wrote a two-part article, “Going the Distance,” to explain problems I often encountered with store carts that were either lacking a sufficient charge or in disrepair. Then in 2008 another issue arose and I was forced to write “Disarming the Carts.” Those articles were first published in my column in the Arizona City Independent/Edition. I later posted them again in my online column as Phoenix Progressive Examiner for Examiner.com.

Since then, I’ve been trying to get help to address these problems from the people at the stores and at the corporate offices and members of the Mayor’s Committee, but to no avail. That’s one of the reasons I finally had to resign from any involvement with the Committee, which I will explain fully in a later article. First, I’ll post the original articles here, for your enlightenment:

Going the Distance (Part I)

For decades I’ve fought the battle of the electric shopping cart. The first problem I had to overcome was my own attitude toward my developing disability from lupus and complications. For over 30 years, I’ve had intermittent mobility problems, but I can usually maintain a steady gait for short distances with the aid of a crutch (Canadian cane) on my left side. On the other hand, walking any significant distance is so exhausting that I can barely do anything productive for a day or two after that.

By the mid-1980s, I realized it was becoming harder for me to shop in a large store without using an electric cart. It wasn’t easy to face this reality, especially since I’d been taught from childhood to ignore my long-developing disability, usually to my detriment. But I finally had to accept that I’m not as strong as I wish, and I need help to do many things in life--if I can, or should, do them at all!

Unfortunately, once I was comfortable enough with my own limitations to tell others about my needs, I found myself in the midst of the real battle!

Some stores do provide plenty of electric carts for their disabled customers, and they try to keep them in tiptop shape, but those stores are in the minority. The sad fact is, the busier the store, the less likely they are to have a sufficient number of working carts, especially at peak shopping hours. And the more successful stores seem less likely to maintain their vehicles on a regular basis.

Of course, electric carts in the busier stores are well-used, and no one can foretell how many carts will be needed at any given time. Though the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public facilities to provide architectural access for wheelchairs and electric carts, they aren’t required to provide those carts themselves. That’s the letter of the law.

But the spirit of the law calls for a better attitude from store employees toward disabled patrons than what I’ve often experienced. The real problem is not so much that there aren’t enough working carts to meet demand, especially at certain times, but the fact that managers and employees don’t seem willing to address the problem.

I’ve explained the situation to several people at the biggest store in town and at their corporate headquarters, but the response is little more than a symbolic “pat on the head.” Meanwhile, more carts seem to be breaking down, so fewer of them are available, even after the “snow birds” fly off to their summer homes in the north. Worse, the attitude of many employees toward disabled customers who need carts seems cooler than ever.

In the interest of good corporate relations, I’d like to pass along some suggestions that might help the situation. Perhaps others will join me in trying to get store managers and employees to consider the needs of their disabled patrons, who, like every other customer, come there to spend money.

I’ll share those ideas in the second part of this article. Meanwhile, I want to pass along a little story to demonstrate the depth of the problem we disabled people are facing--not the lack of carts, but the attitude of many people regarding our disabilities. This anecdote has been repeated often in motivational speeches and sermons over the years:

Somewhere in the South Pacific there was a hospital ward full of men who’d been damaged in the war (the Big One, WWII, according to reports). Everyone in the ward had problems walking for reasons that doctors couldn’t always explain. “Shell shocked,” they called it at the time; the condition is now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One day a huge snake slithered into the ward, and when someone screamed and pointed to it, all those disabled men made a beeline for the exit--on foot!

The moral, according to all the motivational speakers and preachers, is that we don’t know what we can do until we try. They fail to consider the possible damage to both body and mind that could result from the effort of performing an act we’re not fully equipped to do.

Certainly, people have been known to summon up the courage and will to accomplish great things, but they’ve also been known to do great harm to themselves by doing some of those remarkable things. For someone with a disability, whether doctors can understand or measure the condition or not, that effort might be doubly dangerous.

This is especially true when you consider that the power to perform unusually brave acts comes from a sudden burst of adrenaline, which speeds up the heart rate, raises the blood pressure, and intensifies other bodily functions. Though handy in unusual circumstances, this “fight or flight” mechanism puts extra stress on a number of organs, especially the heart.

For someone whose body is already weakened by illness or injury, experiencing this type of stress can be a dangerous practice. That’s why it’s not always safe for people with certain types of disability to do too much. It is also why doctors now tell patients to listen to their bodies, which is something only disabled persons can do for themselves.

That’s why I have a different moral to offer to that “inspirational” story: Just because a disabled person can do something once, or for a short period of time, doesn’t mean they can do it on a sustained basis. Neither does it mean they should be doing it at all.

I’ll keep that principle in mind in my next article, when I discuss some of the things that need to be done to solve the electric-cart problem at large stores.

Part II: Going the Distance (Part II)
Part III: Disarming the Carts
Part IV: The Trouble With Electric Shopping Carts (Part IV)

Disability Committee Resignation

2011-10-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I finally resigned as a member of the Casa Grande Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues, as detailed in the letter below. While I explain the reasons in general terms here, the personal issue that made me finally decide to take this step involves the fact that no matter how much I tried over a number of years, I could not get anyone on the Committee to understand the need for a greater variety of electric cart services in the largest stores around town.

In the past, I wrote an article series explaining the problem for my column in the Arizona City Independent/Edition. In the next day or so, I’ll post that series on this blog, so watch for it. Meanwhile, here is the notice I just sent to the Mayor of Casa Grande, members of the City Council, and members of the Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues:

To Whom It May Concern:

After much careful thought and soul-searching, I’m forced to resign from membership on the Mayor’s Committee on Disability Issues.

This decision does not mean I’m going to stop writing about issues affecting people with all manner of disabilities, which is only one of the vital social issues I’ve discussed in my earlier newspaper and online columns, and now in my Peace Blog:

http://imaginetheworldatpeace.blogspot.com/

I feel this Committee’s focus is too narrow, concentrated almost entirely on people with a couple of the most obvious disabilities, while virtually ignoring the needs of citizens with other conditions, especially hidden disabilities affecting millions of people, like me.

While I know it’s impossible for anyone to work on all the issues, I’ve tried to educate my readers regarding a wide range of disability issues in my work as a columnist and blogger. That’s why I don’t feel it’s an effective use of the Committee to simply repeat well-known and understood messages year after year. Since I want to help people with a variety of needs and find support for my own needs as a disabled person, participation in these activities is a waste of my time and energy, which are extremely limited because of lifelong chronic illness.

I would love to see Committee members adopt at least one new issue each year, learning and spreading the word about it throughout that year. Among the many groups that could benefit from this attention are students with learning disabilities, prisoners with untreated and often undiagnosed mental disabilities, seniors with age-related disabilities, and numerous people in the area whose lives are limited by the effects of chronic illness, like me.

As part of this broader focus, I believe it would be beneficial for the Committee to organize an annual public gathering in which people affected by that year’s subject condition(s) present information about their situation and follow up with a question-and-answer session in which they can better educate audience members.

In addition, I would like to see at least some member of the Committee respond quickly when any issue is brought to the attention of the Committee. And when action is finally taken, I hope that if one step has little or no effect--and indeed, the situation continues to worsen--Committee members do not simply dismiss the issue because it doesn’t fall within the limited focus that now seems to be considered the only mandate of the Committee.

When I tried to get help for the problem I’ve tried to get the Committee to address, I had to send several messages over about four years before anyone responded. Then one step was taken and the results reported to me. Unfortunately, since that time, the situation has not only not improved, it has deteriorated throughout the city. But each time I bring up the issue, I’m treated as if I’m bothering people about something that is of no importance to anyone on the Committee and, therefore, something I shouldn’t think about, even though the situation further limits my access to local services that most people take for granted.

Believe me, if a problem affects one person who has the courage to speak up, then it affects a lot more people who lack the means to stand up for themselves. That’s why I’ll continue to write about this problem, along with the fact that people with other types of disabilities are ignoring those of us who are not like them. That’s why besides sending this letter to members of the Committee and other city officials, I’ll use various internet tools to spread the word about all the problems I’ve discussed here, and much more.

I regret the situation has reached this point, but it will not stop me from using whatever means I have to continue trying to educate people about all types of disability, without regard to who these conditions affect. That’s because, no matter what my own personal issues are, I understand and work in support of issues that affect people of all kinds. I make no distinction because certain people aren’t considered to be among the favored few. If more people felt that way, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re dealing with now.

In peace,
Debbie Jordan

Friday Peace Vigil, Cornersburg, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
CORNERSBURG, OH
Friday, October 21, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Canfield Rd. & S. Meridian Rd.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, October 21, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Canfield Rd. & S. Meridian Rd., Cornersburg, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Now that we’re into the newest phase of our lives called “retirement,” we’re still busy trying to deal with all the medical and senior insurance odds and ends. Trust me. Old age is not for cowards! It takes everything you’ve got when you’ve got even less than you ever had before. But once we get past all this friggin’ red tape, we hope we can be more productive than we ever have been before. Hold onto the hope!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-10-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, October 14, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
E. Midlothian Blvd. & Youngstown Poland Rd.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, October 14, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the E. Midlothian Blvd. & Youngstown Poland Rd., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Since Jim has recently entered the more relaxed stage of life called “retirement,” he’s busy trying to catch up on several tasks that he’d been putting off when he was still involved in full-time employment. Meanwhile, we’re also trying to tie up some of the more knotty red tape of that wonderful senior “benefit,” Medicare. Trust me, things don’t just fall into place automatically because we’ve jumped through all the hoops they’ve held up for us. No matter how much we do, it seems we always have to turn around and recheck their work too. Frustrating!

Anyway, we hope to have everything arranged by the end of this month. Or maybe we’re just dreaming. Won’t be the first time!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-10-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, October 7, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Courthouse at 125 Market St

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, October 7, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Courthouse at 125 Market St, Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

We are now officially “retired.” Last Friday was Jim’s last day on the job. But not to worry. He’s keeping busy doing a variety of tasks, both in the house and elsewhere. So boredom is not even in the picture.

Speaking of pictures, one thing he’s enjoying doing more of is painting. He already has a page showing one of his paintings on my website, and in time we hope to build on this page and feature much more of his work. I’ll let you know when it happens. He’s also posted many pictures of his paintings on his Facebook page. We hope you like them. Enjoy!

Now that we’re settling into this new phase--the “rest” of our lives--I hope to be able to finally get back to doing more of my own work. Shouldn’t be long now. Watch for it!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Warren, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-09-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
WARREN, OH
Friday, September 30, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Courthouse Square

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, September 30, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Courthouse Square, Warren, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Two more days and Jim and I will be a “retired” couple. On the other hand, we both look forward to this as the beginning of a new period of shared activities to the extent we’ve never enjoyed before. But unlike many people at this stage of their lives, we’re not planning to waste our precious time on selfish pursuits, like traveling for fun or playing golf, trying to find pleasure while forgetting the needs of others. We hope to use whatever resources we have to find ways to be useful, through my writing and Jim’s painting, and making every effort to take advantage of whatever other opportunities for productivity become available to us. We hope that when we reach the end of our lives, we can look back and say that we did our best to leave the world a little better than when we arrived, albeit in the smallest way. Wish us luck!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Campbell, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-09-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
CAMPBELL OH
Friday, September 23, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Rte. 422 (McCartney Rd.) & 12th St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, September 23, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Rte. 422 (McCartney Rd.) & 12th St., Campbell, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

In just one more week, Jim will be a retired old man. We’re really looking forward to the change. We’re almost ready, but there will still be some more things to take care of so we can get on with the next phase of our lives. Wish us luck!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-09-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, September 16, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wick Ave. & Rayen Ave.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, September 16, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Wick Ave. & Rayen Ave., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Jim’s just got a couple more weeks of slogging in the salt mines and then he’ll be officially retired. We’re really looking forward to it. I should be able to get back to doing my own thing by then. I’m holding onto positive thoughts for that!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-09-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, September 9, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Belmont Ave. & Gypsy Ln.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, September 9, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Belmont Ave. & Gypsy Ln., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Jim is now in his last month of employment at the Gila River Indian Community, as he retires at the end of this month. That means we still have things to do to get ready for the next phase of our lives. Meanwhile, it’s sad to hear so many candidates spouting off about how much they want to destroy the very systems that are keeping older and/or disabled people from total starvation while they preach about granting more benefits to their wealthy contributors. If they really believed in shared sacrifice, they’d stop demanding so much more from the people who’ve sacrificed so much already and start demanding real help for the economy from all the rich people who made everything so bad in the first place.

On the other hand, if we finally began to focus on making things fairer for everyone, we could actually solve the problems we’re facing in our society. And we have to stop blaming Barack Obama. From the first day the Republicans took over the House of Representatives, they’ve done nothing but stand in the way of any progress Obama and the Democrats have been trying to accomplish. Moreover, the president is only one person. He cannot do anything alone. He needs organized support from people who truly want to solve economic problems, not just reward the rich in the mythic belief that they’re the barometer of a society’s economic success. As I explained in The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace, as long as anyone continues to live in poverty, we have work to do. It’s time for all of us to get it done!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Moving forward: From the Three R’s to the Four RE’s

2011-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

In these troubled times, the Republican mantra is that we must make sacrifices. Shared sacrifice, they call it. Except they expect the sharing to begin at the bottom and move up just far enough to envelop all those who’ve sacrificed for the past 30 years, whenever right-wingers have been in charge.
Heaven forfend anyone in the upper economic classes would ever have to cut back on luxuries. In fact, the GOP policy is to take whatever is saved by cutting benefits and services to the poor and middle classes and reward their rich cronies with lower taxes and higher corporate salaries and profits.
Meanwhile, the economy is in the toilet and no one seems to know the way out. Worse, by cutting educational funding, among other services, the GOP is not only hurting society now but stunting future economic growth.
Danger signs have been obvious for years, even when Republicans claimed things were great. While they worked well for politicians and their rich buddies, policies that also seemed to benefit folks closer to the bottom contained hidden booby traps.
For instance, when the Bush administration claimed they’d led the nation into the greatest era of home ownership in history, banks were giving lower-income people complicated loans deliberately designed to collapse later on. At the same time, corporate leaders plotted to lay off hundreds of thousands of those new home owners and reward themselves for their crimes.
When the multitude of foreclosures struck, the ensuing costs of unemployment and poverty quickly destroyed the consumer market that their much-touted capitalist economy needs to function. Their greedy plot to grab as much gold as they could as quickly as possible was destined to destroy the economy, first in this country and finally throughout the world.
That’s just the tip of the problem, and it’ll continue as long as Republicans stubbornly impede change. Still, the solution is simple. The journey from this point to prosperity could be short. We just have to agree on the goals, plan the steps, and get to work. Consider this blueprint:
RE-TEACH: Education is the basic building block of a successful society, but too many young people are poorly trained in reading, math, science, and the entire range of skills necessary for 21st century jobs. Besides streamlining primary and secondary educational methods, we must establish a comprehensive public-private system to train people of all ages for today’s jobs.
RE-SOURCES: Plenty of jobs are waiting to be done, from rebuilding aging infrastructure to providing services to people and communities everywhere. All that’s missing is the resources to make it happen. Step One, above, would provide well-trained workers; governments from the local to federal levels, must plan and organize projects; and businesses, from small companies to multibillion-dollar corporations, should sign up to lead projects, even investing resources when and where they can realize eventual returns. Rather than treating this plan as a short-term stimulus, it should be viewed as a firm policy for the long term.
RE-TURN: This is the most controversial step, but if done correctly, it’ll be temporary. Taxes on high-income earners must return to 1990s levels to provide seed money to implement the plan. As I explain in Step Four, below, success would mean these funds would eventually be replaced by revenue from a newly active work force.
RE-WARD: The payoff is win-win-win for workers, governments, and companies. Well-trained, fully employed workers return wages in the form of taxes and payments for goods and services needed to enjoy a dignified lifestyle; tax revenues allow governments to provide necessary services; and sales ensure that companies thrive. This is truly vibrant capitalism--the direct opposite of the reward-the-rich-at-the-expense-of-the-lower-classes system that Republicans have touted for three decades.
This idea isn’t new. Even as the Bush administration claimed things were fine, I began writing articles explaining the plan in detail. I compiled 47 of those essays into The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace. The book can be purchased from online bookstores, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com, as an e-book from Outskirts Press, and downloaded to Kindle.
As bad as things seem, planning and implementing simple positive steps could turn the economy completely around. All it would take is the political will to organize governments, companies, and citizens into a work force for the future, a future in which prosperity and peace are the norm, rather than the exception.

Taking a station break: Having some commercial fun

2011-08-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

When I wrote a column for the Arizona City Independent/Edition, I sometimes took a break from serious think pieces by sharing opinions on some of the more (or less) interesting commercials on the tube. It’s been too long since I’ve done that sort of thing, so I’ve decided to throw in a few entries like that now and then. Feel free to post your comments, especially to share your thoughts about the many ways in which companies try to sell products and services to us.
I’m probably not the only person who’s happy to hear Burger King is dethroning the plastic-noggined monarch that tried in vain to increase their share of fast-food customers. Trouble is, the plastic-headed ruler was a rip-off from more successful Jack in the Box ads.

Not only does the King’s expression never change, he’s stuck with that weird grin that generated the judgment from pundits, from CNN anchors to a USA Today columnist, that he’s just plain “creepy.” Jack’s head might be merely an outsized pingpong ball, but at least he displays situationally appropriate expressions during his always funny ads.

My first thought was that at least the King won’t need embalming when he’s buried. My husband suggested they melt him down and make something useful from the plastic, maybe toys to lure in kids to ask for the food they claim is fresh and healthy. We’ll see how that goes.

A couple of commercials that get under my skin come under the heading of something my father used to say. Dad was a master of turning around old sayings to make statements that reflected more truth than the originals. One of my favorites: The labeled need not be obvious. (Think about it.)

“The World’s Greatest Spokesperson” isn’t and neither are just about all the Nationwide ads featuring the duller-than-dishwater company rep. The only two that might raise small smiles are the one with three-handed shadows to show how policies are bundled and the one about vanishing deductible in which the spokesperson does too. Trouble is, neither ad holds interest the second time around. Besides, I’d rather have the check Allstate sends to the best drivers twice a year than a deductible that pops back into effect if you have an accident.

Then there’s the guy who Dos Equis calls “the most interesting man in the world.” Every commercial he’s in is just a boring string of reasons why the guy’s supposed to be so cool, including the fact that “both sides of his pillow are cool.” If that’s the case, then it’s time to bury him along with the BK King. He’s been dead so long, he’s beginning to stink.

And while I’m at it, I’d like to report a commercial that turned out to be a lie. Earlier this year, we purchased a dishwasher from Sears for two reasons:

Many of their appliances are Consumer Reports Best Buys.
Their RAD (responsible appliance disposal) commercials generated trust that the old appliance would be recycled.

I especially enjoyed the ad where two teenage boys accuse the Sears delivery person of dumping the old refrigerator he’s replacing. When the man explains the RAD program, the expression of the boy on the left, with one raised eyebrow, is priceless. Unfortunately, we learned first-hand that the truth is far different from the promotion.

When I called to order the dishwasher, I explained to the agent several times that the RAD program was a big reason we chose a Sears appliance. Since I always take time to make sure of all the details, I assumed everything was set the way I wanted it. But when two men delivered the dishwasher a week later, they informed me no arrangement had been made--or even requested--for installation of the appliance.

Minutes later, I was on the phone chewing out everyone, from the first agent who answered all the way up to the supervisor I demanded to talk to. I finally learned Sears no longer installs dishwashers--I don’t know about other appliances, but I’m not about to test them again--so their RAD program doesn’t apply in such cases.

Instead, they depend on another company to do the job, but they don’t volunteer that detail when they sell the appliance. I had to call the other company and set up a date three weeks later to get my new dishwasher installed. You can be certain I made sure they recycle the old dishwasher. Otherwise, I’d have looked elsewhere for the service.

Because I was so adamant and had all the names, dates, and call details carefully recorded, the supervisor did refund our delivery charge, but it barely makes up for the fact that we had to wait a full month until we were actually able to use our new machine. When I shared my experience with my sister, she regaled me with an equally vexing problem she had when ordering a trash compactor from Sears. Our negative experiences apparently aren’t isolated events. Suffice to say, the company has lost a couple of customers from way, wa-a-ay back.

Meanwhile, I have not seen another Sears ad touting their RAD program. I wonder if complaints like mine are the reason the campaign ended. I’m happy they’re no longer claiming something that isn’t true, but do miss that kid with the raised eyebrow.

Okay, your turn. I’d love to hear what you think about some of the spots that are supposed to get you to buy a product or service but just don’t make the grade. Do your darnedest. I can use the (station) break.

GAY MARRIAGE: WHY THE RIGHT HAS GOT IT ALL WRONG

2011-08-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

Note: I originally posted this article in two parts on my Examiner.com page in May 2009. I’ve updated several small details, and even though there has been some progress in marriage rights, all the points are still relevant.

As I explained in a posting when I wrote a column on Examiner.com, when Carrie Prejean was ignoring her contractual duties as Miss California USA to appear in venues where she could speak against gay marriage before a friendly crowd, I felt compelled to explain why her position was wrong. Her latest move was no surprise after she babbled: “I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose, same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.”

Besides being inarticulate--what kind of relationship is “opposite” marriage?--this statement is false, which is the crux of the criticism against her.

Prejean followed with a Freudian slip: “In my country . . . ,“ but quickly corrected herself: “In my family, I think that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.” Though she ended with, “No offense to anybody . . . ,“ she’s now doing everything in her power to offend gays and lesbians everywhere by campaigning against the “freedom” that her cohorts have made sure doesn’t exist in the first place.

The time has come to explain why they’re all wrong. Following are the primary arguments that conservatives make against same-sex marriage, along with facts that show just how incorrect they are:

Point: Marriage has always been between a man and a woman because it is an arrangement for the purpose of procreation.

Counterpoint: If that’s the case, then marriage wouldn’t be valid for people who cannot have children, such as women who’ve had a hysterectomy or have been through menopause, or men and women who are sterile for any reason.

Point: Gay marriage will destroy traditional marriage.

Counterpoint: Only the people in an individual relationship can destroy that relationship. Any marriage is good or bad, a success or a failure, because of the behavior of the two people within that union.

Point: Gay marriage violates the religious rights of the . . . uh . . . religious right.

Counterpoint: No church can be forced to sanctify a union that the leaders or majority of members refuse to recognize. For instance, remarriage of divorced people is perfectly legal, yet many churches refuse to marry people who’ve been divorced, or even to recognize such unions. On the other hand, churches that use politics to force their beliefs on those who are not members of their religion are violating our religious rights. They are preventing us from enjoying our right to celebrate the spiritual union of same-sex couples within our religious community. That should be our choice, but fundamentalist churches deny us that choice.

Point: The Bible calls sex between two men an “abomination.”

Counterpoint: Leviticus chapter 11 lists numerous types of animals whose meat is considered unclean so eating it is considered an “abomination.” Today, the most popular of those foods is shellfish, which Christians today only refuse to eat if they’re allergic. Then there’s the uncleanness of people with leprosy, as described beginning in chapter 13. Yet that disease is now so well controlled by medication that in most parts of the world, people who have it are no longer quarantined. Chapter 19 warns against cross-breeding cattle, sowing two kinds of seeds in the same field, and wearing fabric woven of two different kinds of threads. All these unclean/abominable things are in common practice today, even by Christians. So they’re pretty selective about which “abominations” of the Hebrew scriptures they choose to avoid.

Point: But what of Genesis 1:28, in which God commanded Adam and Eve to: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth . . . “?

Counterpoint: Right-wingers quote the fruitful/multiply part all the time, but they conveniently ignore the meaning of “fill.” In fact, it is a qualifying statement that foretold a point where all that multiplying would not only not be needed, it would actually be counterproductive to the survival of both the species and the planet. At the time humans received that command, if it did come from on High--and I’ll leave that question to others--there were few, if any other, humans on the planet. For thousands of years, procreation strengthened family, tribe, and nation by increasing the population, while there was still room to accommodate the increase. But some years ago, the planet reached its “fill” point, and it’s been going downhill ever since. Genesis 1:28 does not say “overflow,” so the importance of procreation must be put into its historical context and the wisdom of moderation should now prevail.

Point: Sex between people of the same gender is unnatural.

Counterpoint: If same-gender sex occurs in nature, then it is natural. And it does occur among many species of animals. In fact, scientists have discovered that same-gender sexual activity occurs most often at times when animals are struggling to survive in areas where they’re dealing with overpopulation and limited resources. Looks like animals are even smarter than humans when it comes to managing natural resources.

Point: Then we get to the ultimate lie, that marriage is primarily a religious issue.

Counterpoint: Marriage was, first and foremost, a legal arrangement between families involving--not love or personal relationships--but property. And the primary property in the transaction was the bride, who was given by the bride’s father to the groom’s family. Thus, the tradition that the father of the bride give her away to the groom is an archaic practice best left out of modern marriages, but that’s a personal choice that should be made by the bride and no one else. The second property issue in marriage was the issue: the children that came from the marriage union. They were important because the more children a family/tribe had, the greater their influence in the community/nation. Then there was the dowry, an archaic custom in which the bride’s father paid the groom and/or his family to take her off his hands. In some societies it was the other way around: The man purchased the wife from her family. Either way, money or property changed hands so that the bride could too. This is very much a legal matter, and it’s about time it was completely separated from religious control. The United States Congress should pass a law that would grant the same legal marriage rights--or whatever they want to call them--to all couples, no matter their gender makeup, then let each church decide whether they want to bless those unions, just as it’s done in so many European countries today.

Point: Marriage is a tradition that has not changed in 5000 years.

Counterpoint: Those who think marriage has always been hearts and flowers are dead wrong. The institution has long been in a state of flux as the rights of women and children have slowly come to be recognized and protected. Throughout history, traditions that are morally wrong--such as spouse and child abuse, discrimination, slavery, and war--have changed with our growth as an enlightened society, though we still have a long way to go in all these areas. And if they’re really interested in following traditional marriage practices, they’d allow polygamy again and stop providing the cover of secrecy that allows people like Warren Jeffs to get away with all their crimes. The time has come to finally end one more form of bigotry by allowing any two people who love each other to enjoy the same rights and privileges now granted to “opposite” couples, whether money changes hands or they plan to have children, or none of the above.

Point: Gays and lesbians should be satisfied with civil unions.

Counterpoint: Civil unions, civil partnerships--whatever they’re called--only grant a handful of the more than 1400 legal rights and benefits given to straight married couples in the United States. Even marriages honored by individual states are not recognized in most of the other states, and many federal rights are not recognized for same-sex couples whose unions are fully blessed in the small number of states that allow gay marriage. The battle will not be over until everyone in the U.S. can marry whomever they choose and their relationship is recognized and honored in every state and county in the country.

Point: Children need both a mother and a father in order to grow up to be psychologically healthy adults.

Counterpoint: The American Academy of Pediatrics is only one of the many professional organizations that have debunked this piece of lunacy. While it is true that children derive great benefit from developing close relationships with people of both genders, even single parents manage to overcome the missing-parent gap by having relatives and/or friends act as psychological surrogates for their children. And when two people of the same gender live together, they tend to develop roles that span the range of psychological behaviors that address a child’s needs under most circumstances, just like “normal” couples, and provide models for good behavior as they’re developing and once the children are adults themselves.

Point: Children who grow up with gay parents of the same sex are more likely to be homosexual themselves.

Counterpoint: This is another fallacy created, fostered, and promoted by the anti-gay marriage crowd. If this were true, then no one who grows up in a family with heterosexual parents would ever turn out to be gay, but that’s simply not the case. And neither are children born to and/or raised by same-sex couples any more likely to be homosexual themselves. In fact, the percentages generally follow the same average in the population that they always have: Throughout history, approximately ten percent of the population, in every part of the world, have been gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (born with organs of both sexes). In most times and places, they were forced to hide their true nature, but they were everywhere, in all eras of history.

Point: Gay marriage violates conservative values.

Counterpoint: Traditional conservatives focused on economic issues, rejecting the notion of delving into people’s private lives. In fact, Barry Goldwater, the uber-conservative of the previous generation, believed government should stay out of the issues of abortion and gay marriage, and that churches should stay out of politics--as in the First Amendment tradition of separation of church and state.

Point: The majority of people in various states continue to vote for laws and constitutional amendments that define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Are they all bigots?

Counterpoint: In fact, the name for this situation is: “tyranny of the majority.” In fact, the history of our country is a saga of growing beyond the bigotry of the majority to the enlightenment that sprang from small minorities, such as slavery, Jim Crow, anti-Asian policies, etc. And since the debacle of Proposition 8, polls are beginning to show that more people in California have come to regret their failure to understand the true meaning of that odious law, and polls reflect similar changing attitudes around the country. It won't be long before the votes will begin to turn things around.

Point: But what if, in spite of all these other arguments, same-sex marriage is just plain wrong?

Counterpoint: Whether same-sex marriage is morally right or wrong is not up to us to decide. We should heed Jesus’ advice and leave the judging up to God (Luke 6:37). Since the legal--and even religious, in the case of liberal sects which accept gay marriage--arrangement is between two consenting adults, it harms no one, and actually has beneficial effects on the parties involved. In the end, there is no basis for using the law to prevent people from honoring what is, after all, a basic human right.

Point: The current (now former, as of this updated posting) Miss California USA claims she meant “no offense” by declaring her belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Counterpoint: Carrie Prejean can say all she wants about her belief in “opposite” marriage. But she is using her notoriety to make sure millions of same-sex couples in this country--their country too!--continue to be denied the same rights and privileges granted to her married “opposite” friends. In the end, her ongoing attempt to continue denying this basic civil right to millions of Americans is offensive!

Encounter with 2011 Equality Walkers from Right to Marry Arizona

2011-08-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today, August 7, Jim and I joined a group of courageous and energetic walkers for gay rights at Casa Grande Library. We regret that we can't walk with them, but if I can get my shaky video of the conversation onto my computer, I'll post it all over the place, including here. Anything we can do to help spread the word that everybody should have the right to marry--or not--as they wish, not just according to the whim of the state or the community in which they live.

They told me about the great website, righttomarryaz.org, set up specifically for the issue of promoting marriage rights for all in the state of Arizona. We need to do what we can, talk about it, write letters, post the message wherever we can on the internet, and donate money if and when we can. Every little bit helps!

So, do what you can. And check this schedule to see if these wonderful people of all ages are coming through your town. If so, you can check the route page to see where they’ll be stopping so people can meet them and chat with everybody for a while. They’re a really fun bunch, and they’ve got a lot of knowledge about the issue. You could learn something. I know I always do!

Coming up, it’s time for me to repost my originally two-part article on why conservatives are absolutely wrong for opposing a positive change to the marriage laws so everybody can marry the person they love, no matter where they live. Watch for that later today!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-08-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, August 5, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Courthouse, 125 Market St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, August 5, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Courthouse, 125 Market St., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

This week we begin the next-to-last month of Jim’s employment at the Gila River Indian Community. He’ll retire in October and we’ll enter the next phase of our lives. We have several things to do to prepare. Meanwhile, we breathed a temporary sigh of relief at the “compromise” that was reached in Washington that allowed Social Security and Medicare to continue--for now. But that doesn’t mean retirees and disabled people can relax and be assured they can depend on the current system. That’s why a big part of our work will continue to be my writing about the need to elect candidates to Congress that care about the needs of real people, not just corporations and millionaires.

As I wrote in my previous article, “Rewarding the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class: Bad economics, bad citizenship,” believing that our economy depends on making rich people richer while ignoring the needs of people in the lower classes is an upside-down approach to running a successful economy. That’s why the economy is in such bad shape now. And those who try to blame everything on the current administration are completely ignoring the fact that conservative Republicans have stood in the way of every positive step that Democrats and President Obama have tried to take in the past year and a half. Jim and I plan to do our best to encourage the election of people who care about the needs of everyone, not just the rich.

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Rewarding the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class: Bad economics, bad citizenship

2011-08-02T03:17:00.000-07:00

It’s time to face the facts: We live, work, plan, rule, and most importantly, are ruled by one major principle: Economic success in a capitalistic society is measured by how well the highest earners are doing. There’s a vital corollary to that theorem: Poverty doesn’t matter to those who are working.
Nothing could be farther from the truth!

The basic planks in this platform are:

Capitalism depends entirely on investment money from the wealthy class.
Since rich people spend more than lesser earners, especially on luxury items, their capital input is worth more to the economy than anything we lower-class schlubs can ever do to feed the economic machine.

Baloney!

This attitude ignores two vital sources of capitalistic funding:

All the money from people in the middle and lower classes pooled into mutual and retirement funds, including 401Ks and IRAs; bank and credit union accounts; interest collections from loans; and much more.
The combined spending of people in the lower classes who pay for goods and services they need and even more.

When you compare what one member of the upper crust is able to throw around compared to that from any one of the rest of us, the rich have the edge. But when you consider the small number of people who earn a million dollars or more with the combined economic power of the rest of us, we’ll always be the overwhelming majority. That’s why our economic value should always be respected in financial decisions, whether they’re made on Main Street, Wall Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue.

Regardless of the cumulative investing and spending power of the lower classes compared with that of the rich, conservatives insist the country’s economic health depends on protecting the wealthy by cutting basic services for the neediest among us. As a result, they’re destroying the economic life of not only the U.S. but the entire world.

It’s time to turn this ship around. Let’s consider some of the worst problems:

Conservatives want to direct more money toward construction and management of prisons than schools. However, studies show that every dollar invested in education is returned many times over in productivity and taxes and much less is needed for law-enforcement and prisons, which actually have a negative impact on the economy.

Conservatives don’t want to spend any public money on health care for low earners, people with disabilities, and senior citizens. But investment in promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition, preventive care, and timely care for people with illnesses or injuries is much cheaper than denying adequate and necessary care. Besides, healthier people are more productive, which is good for the economic health of the country.

Finally, conservatives claim global warming is a myth and cleaning up pollution and dirty industries is too expensive. But the rising cost of pollution-related health problems prove that eliminating and preventing pollution and building green industries ace the most logical investments for a prosperous future.

The upshot is that investment in quality education, health care, and environmental cleanup and protection pay off in the long run. Those investments provide well-paying jobs for people, many of whom are unemployed because of financial shenanigans of the rich and their conservative political allies. That strategy will strengthen the impact of the real economic machine, all the rest of us.

Even if it takes a temporary rise in the taxes of the highest-earning citizens--which would actually just be a return to the tax levels of the last time the economy was doing well--it’ll pay off in the long run even for those “put-upon” rich people. So much for the argument that raising taxes on the rich is too much of a sacrifice for conservatives to allow.

So, when politicians and big spenders think about where to put their money, they should consider investing in America and Americans--the real Americans who work for a living and whose money keeps the doors of businesses open for the long haul.

Friday Peace Vigil, Newton Falls, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-07-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
NEWTON FALLS, OH
Friday, July 29, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 534

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 29, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Route 534, Newton Falls, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Last week I had a bit of a scare for a couple of hours Thursday morning when our youngest fur-baby, Barack Obama Cat Jordan, exhibited signs of possible heart problems. Since my car’s AC is on the fritz (sorry, Barb), I had to wait till Jim got home from work that afternoon so we could take Obama to the vet together. By that time he’d settled down and napped peacefully for most of the day, and he was in great shape. After carefully examining him, the doctor assured us our precious little one had probably got overheated when he’d been out stalking the birds that come for the seed I spread in the backyard.

Even at 6:00 in the morning at this time of year, the southern Arizona temperature is in the mid-80s and the humidity in the teens and 20s. It doesn’t make sense for any creature, on two legs or four, to do anything but quietly watch the birds then come in to enjoy the air conditioning. Now, a week later, Obama seems to have learned his lesson, and he’s staying inside just about all day every day. Meanwhile, our family owes a great debt to the caring doctors and staff of Small Animal Clinic in Casa Grande. Whether it’s a regular checkup or a scary event like this one, for over a decade they’ve provided the greatest love and professional care for all our precious kittie babies!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Girard, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-07-21T09:40:00.001-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
GIRARD, OH
Friday, July 22, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St., Girard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

After posting a couple of articles this week, I’ve been taking care of some personal things, including seeing to our possibly sick cat. Today I realized our youngest, the little black-and-white tuxedo cat, Barack Obama, who appeared at our door at 10:00 p.m. on November 4, 2008 (which explains his name), might have a chronic problem, so we’re taking him to see the “baby” doctor--also known as the veterinarian--this afternoon. We hope for the best, as he’s such a happy, loving, and good-natured kitty-cat. In our family, our little furry Obama is truly known as “the peacemaker”!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Polygamy pros and cons: Getting to the heart of the conflict

2011-07-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

In the late 1980s, I wrote Lion’s Pride, an historical mystery about Mormons who practiced polygamy years after Latter-Day Saints banned it. Though my writing was praised, the premise was considered fantastic.

When Warren Jeffs’ iron rule in Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT, hit the headlines, I published the book myself. Now readers know what I understood as a curious nine-year-old reading about federal arrests in the high-desert haven of Short Creek.

Polygamy is a complicated arrangement that’s been practiced throughout history. Most people believe it’s a religious practice, but it was usually done for pragmatic reasons. In sparsely populated areas with more females than males, men married multiple women to produce many children. Soon small groups generated large tribes and, eventually, great nations. While polygamy was practiced for that reason in biblical times, it was merely tolerated among Jews, not required by religious law.

Requiring polygamy for religious reasons began with Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion. Since his teachings attracted more female than male converts, it was a practical arrangement after Smith’s death and the Mormons’ removal to Utah under Brigham Young’s leadership.

Tens of thousands of their descendants still practice religious polygamy. Sadly, laws outlawing their lifestyle provide cover while men like Warren Jeffs take advantage of their followers. Among known abuses are:

Girls are forced to marry older men, while boys are expelled so leaders can have girls for themselves.
Mothers, considered single by law, collect state benefits and give them to the leaders.
Members must give their income to the leaders.
The church owns all property, so anyone can be evicted without notice.
Anyone who questions the leaders can lose homes, jobs, and families.

Crimes committed by Jeffs and his followers dominated headlines for a decade, but recently, Kody Brown and his wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, show a different side of polygamy in their TLC reality series, “Sister Wives.” Among the rules they follow are:

Only consenting adults can enter a polygamous relationship.
Men need approval from current wives before they take new wives.
Girls and boys are encouraged to get an education.
Children choose whether they want to be polygamists as adults.

The Browns are open about both the problems and benefits of their lifestyle. They agree polygamy isn’t for everyone. One situation demonstrates they don’t take unfair advantage of government benefits. When he started working for his employer, Kody listed one wife and her children on his medical insurance plan. Then a daughter by another wife needed an appendectomy, but she wasn’t covered.

Instead of claiming the girl’s mother was a single mother, they set up a payment plan. Then Kody bared his soul to his employer and arranged for his family to be covered. The fact that they’re still paying for that surgery proves the Browns are nothing like members of Jeffs’ clan, who call their illegal abuse of the welfare system “bleeding the beast.”

The Browns are doing the show to lift the veil and remove the fear that overwhelms polygamists who are otherwise exemplary citizens. As a result of their public declarations, authorities began looking for a reason to interfere with their peaceful family life.

Knowing Kody could be arrested, the Browns moved to Las Vegas. Now Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law School professor, has filed suit on their behalf against the State of Utah. Since Kody only legally married Meri and the others are spiritual, not legal, wives, they’re breaking no other law besides polygamy.

Now the haters are coming out of the woodwork. These activists rightly exposed abuses of the Jeffs cult, but they mistakenly paint the Browns with the same tarred brush. They claim that since some polygamists commit crimes, all polygamists must be criminals. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The fact that some priests abuse children doesn’t make all priests guilty. On the other hand, it’s legal for a man to marry one woman and have a secret affair with another (adultery), but it’s still a crime for a man to marry one woman and support another with the full knowledge and approval from the first (polygamy). Where is the logic?

It would be wiser to repeal statutes against polygamy and remove the veil that protects abusers like Warren Jeffs. Then the law could go after real criminals and leave people like Kody Brown and his clan to enjoy their rich family life together in peace.

Finding money: Social Security and the Economic Crisis

2011-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

When people require extra money, both the reasons for the need and the method used to fill the coffers depends on the economic status of the individual.

Many in the middle classes live paycheck-to-paycheck. A missed payday, medical emergency, or car repair triggers a scramble for cash. People at this level might look for extra work, either overtime at their regular job or part-time at a second job. Many use credit cards, accumulating debt they might not be able to pay later.

In the depths of poverty, life is hand-to-mouth. People barely survive the negative gap between income and outgo and often lack money for food or rent. A few might find extra work, but many seek help from government agencies or charities.

In the rarefied air of the upper classes, need disappears and greed is the norm. Unusual expenses arise when Buffy demands a soiree to outshine the party hosted by her private-school rival, Missy, or Dexter IV expects a luxury vehicle when he attends Dexter III’s alma mater instead of the sports car he used during his prep-school years.

A few hundred thousands to cover these expenses is no problem. Dexter III just convinces his board of directors to boost his annual bonus. Then he gifts his trophy wife with a private Caribbean retreat for those long winter vacations.

When government finds itself short of ready cash for such essentials as military pay and seniors’ retirement, where does Congress look? To the Dexters who can spare a luxury or two and help the rest of us? Or to people at the middle and lower levels, where any unexpected expense could push them onto the road to ruin?

Most conservatives propose the latter. They make frequent reference to the sacrifices people must make, but they balk at any suggestion that the super-blessed be affected by any imagined “hardship.” Instead of raising taxes on the super-rich, they propose raising Social Security taxes and cutting retirement and medical benefits to the lower classes.

Social Security is a tax on the poor and middle class. The wealthy pay nothing more into that fund on earnings above $106,800.00, a pittance for people in the highest brackets. Social Security is a lifeline for the poor, but since benefits are based on previous earnings, the lifelong poor rarely enjoy a decent existence in retirement.

Since Social Security is paid by and most useful to people in the lower classes, the only people who should decide how to design and administer the service should be people who make less than $110,00.00 per year. The same goes for Medicare and Medicaid, which are vital to poor people and irrelevant to the wealthy.

Conservatives argue that concentrating wealth with the few ensures a strong economy, but this philosophy is upside-down. History shows that every era in which hard-working lower classes generate great wealth for the privileged leads to a period in which members of the poor and middle classes lose the benefits and capital they struggled to amass during boom times.

When wealth flows upward, people below suffer, and squeezing the common people eventually destroys the economy. That’s because companies depend less on investment than on income from the goods and services they produce. Without customers, a company will eventually fail and be forced to close its doors. Those customers are the millions of lower-class members who spend most of the money they earn or receive in various benefits to purchase products and services from the companies many of them also work for.

And that labor is another vital piece of the economic puzzle. Nobody generates a million dollars or more through their efforts alone. It takes the hard work of dozens of people just to provide the labor required to support the payment of a million dollars to anyone. If one million goes out to one person, then all the others in the equation must also receive a few thousand for their efforts. The highest earner directs the operation of lower-paid team members, many of whom could likely do their jobs without much direction in the first place.

The conclusion must be that we should worry less about the rich and begin to bolster the status of people in the lower and middle classes. Only then will we start to solve the serious economic problems now threatening the world economy.

Friday Peace Vigil, Hubbard, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-07-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
HUBBARD, OH
Friday, July 15, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
S. Main St. and E. Liberty St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at S. Main St. and E. Liberty St., Hubbard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

On a personal level, I’m getting a bit of writing done in between all the regular life stuff, including everything that needs to be taken care of before Jim retires in the fall. We’re really looking forward to that change. This will be the first time in almost 45 years that we could put each other first, instead of work, or those rare times when he had to find another job. And don’t worry about Jim developing “old retired dude syndrome.” That happens when a guy who’s been used to going off to work sits around the house all day and complains because he doesn’t have anything to keep him occupied. I’ve already been working on a preventive protocol. It’s called “train the husband school.” He knows what’s in store, and we’re both ready for it.

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Columbiana, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-07-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
COLUMBIANA, OH
Friday, July 8, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Routes 14 & 170

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Routes 14 & 170, Columbiana, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I’m still working on little things around here, hoping to “catch up” so I can get back to more creative projects soon. That’s the trouble with life. It gets in the way of what I really want to do. Great hopes for great thoughts!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-06-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, July 1, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Courthouse at 125 Market St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 1, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Courthouse at 125 Market St., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I’m kind of busy around here trying to wrap up several things this summer to get us ready for Jim’s retirement from full-time work in the fall. We have several things on the to-do list in just three months, then it’s going to be good to have him around here more often. Fortunately, there’s little chance that we’ll get to be like those couples where the wife wants the husband to find something to do so he’ll get out of the house and out of her hair. He’s got his painting and his computer drafting, I’ve got my writing, and we plan on spending some shared time trying to get our home in shape, for the first time since we moved in four years ago. About time!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Don’t put them off. Get tested for colon and breast cancer.

2011-06-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

After my struggle over the last couple of months trying to obtain proper medication for my ongoing medical conditions, I’m happy to say I finally had a great experience with a medical test that no one looks forward to but everyone should eventually have done. Yes, this week I had a colonoscopy.

With a history of colon cancer in my family, I’ve made sure my husband and I have had regular colonoscopies since we turned 50. Since we’re anesthetized for the procedure--not to mention the prep process, which doctors admit causes a certain “discomfort”--we have to schedule our tests a week apart so we can be each other’s driver for the trip home afterward. That’s why Jim’s test will be next week. We’ll both be delighted when we can stop worrying about our insides for another few years, depending on the results of Jim’s test.

And while I’m at it, the same advice applies to regular mammograms. With breast cancer in my family too, I’ve been getting that procedure done every year since I was in my early 40s. At least there’s no prep involved for this rather simple procedure. I just have to show up for the test, and any “discomfort” only lasts a few seconds at a time. Besides, if you want real discomfort, just ignore these handy tests and see how bad it feels to deal with either of these terrible diseases.

So, if you’re 50 years old (possibly as young as 40 for mammograms), have a family history of colon and/or breast cancer, or have suspicious symptoms, talk to your doctor about getting a colonoscopy and/or mammogram. I can’t deny that these tests involve a certain “discomfort,” but it’s definitely worth the peace of mind you’ll have when the doctor says everything’s clear and you don’t have to bother with the test again for a while. No excuses. Get checked!

Friday Peace Vigil, Boardman, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-06-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
BOARDMAN, OH
Friday, June 24, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Boardman Canfield Rd. (Rte. 224) and Glenwood

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, June 24, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Boardman Canfield Rd. (Rte. 224) and Glenwood, Boardman, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

I’ve been concentrating on another health issue this week, which I’ll explain in my next posting later today. At least this one turned out more happily than my other recent medical adventures. It’s about time I had a bit of good health news!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Repeal Obamacare? Over my dead body!

2011-06-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Actually, in the title above I reversed the order of potential events. A recent battle convinced me this dire prediction isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the back story:

I’m sick. Really sick. I’ve dealt with serious illness all my life. I don’t usually mention it, except when it comes up naturally in conversation, I need accommodation for my condition, or it’s relevant to my writing about the economic necessity for the country to provide comprehensive and preventive health care for everyone without exception.

My experience shows the profit-driven medical industry is irreparably broken. That’s why I’m sharing this account of my latest conflict with Big Business. The problem occurred because of two factors:

The few drugs I take are vital for my survival. Previously, doctors gave me other drugs, but serious reactions proved I’m taking the best, safest drugs for my combination of conditions.
I have an extreme allergy to the chemical food dyes--red, yellow, blue, green--that make pills pretty. Two years ago, I took two colored pills one at a time almost two months apart and landed in ICU for two days.

That’s why I’m so careful about drugs. No pretty pills. One drug comes in capsules, but I transfer it to clear gelatin capsules purchased separately. The process is tedious, but it beats ICU.

My sensitivity began gradually years ago until it became life-threatening. I’m well aware another exposure could send me straight to that windowless basement room with refrigerated compartments. That’s why I’ll never eat another bite of food or take another pill that’s pretty enough to die for.

Meanwhile, drug companies are cutting product lines, so it’s hard to find certain medications; insurance companies designate where clients can purchase drugs; and people like me get caught in the vise. Two months ago our designated mail-order supplier (which I’ll call MO, for convenience) informed me generic capsules were unavailable and my “choices” were pretty-colored tablets. When I explained tablets are verboten, I was told to find a source myself.

I contacted the manufacturer that produces the brand drug in capsule form. When I called MO back, I learned they only buy drugs through authorized suppliers. No exceptions. After two months they finally said my local pharmacy could order the brand drug, but when my drug store did that, MO denied payment.

Then someone at MO sent me a bottle of pretty blue pills! My initial reaction was that they were so tired of hearing my complaints, they wanted me to take the pills and die! Then they wouldn’t have to hear from me again.

When I called MO about it, I mentioned the “poison” pills often. Finally, MO said my local pharmacy could request an override of the payment denial. Finally! Of course, now I have to pay five times as much each month as I used to pay every three months. Meanwhile, MO did charge for those poison pills, and they’ve made no attempt to pay it back or credit our account.

But there’s a bright light ahead. My husband is retiring soon. Medicare and supplemental policies allow greater choice, including our local pharmacy’s mail-order service. They were our provider several years ago, and their customer service is superb. We can’t wait.

This experience demonstrates two vital points:

Just as with all battles I’ve had to wage to obtain diagnoses and care, the time and energy I spent on this quest for a simple but necessary treatment has made me sicker and kept me from doing my real work.
The only way to correct our fractured medical industry is to establish a universal single-payer health care system in which anyone may choose any provider and all providers must adhere to a national standard of care and serve each individual’s medical needs.

If I hadn’t had to spend so much time and energy researching, educating, and fighting for every little thing I needed for my care over the years, I wouldn’t be as sick as I am today. And my experiences are not unique. Numerous reports indicate this kind of thing, and worse, occurs to thousands of people all over the country.

We must stop wasting human resources and start helping everyone enjoy the most productive lives possible. Instead of repealing Obamacare, Congress should improve it and expand coverage to everyone in the country.

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-06-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, June 17, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Elm St. and Madison Ave. (near YSU)

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, June 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Elm St. and Madison Ave. (near YSU), Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week:

Recently, I’ve been going through what turned out to be a traumatic struggle to be able to continue the correct treatment for one of my medical conditions. Sadly, my experience is not unique. It’s also not the only such fight I’ve had to wage in the decades I’ve been dealing with chronic illnesses. The scariest thing is that problems like this will continue to occur as long as corporations continue to have the power to make decisions that put profit ahead of patient needs. I’m not quite ready to finish writing the report I feel compelled to share in order to educate people about what’s going on. When I’ve reached the end of this particular battle, I’ll try to put it all together as a first-person report. Watch this space. I hope I can get to that step soon!

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Salem, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-06-08T19:04:00.001-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
SALEM, OH
Friday, June 10, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Giant Eagle Plaza, 2401 E. State St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, June 10, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Giant Eagle Plaza, 2401 E. State St., Salem, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Ignorance and Want: Why Dickens Wrote “A Christmas Carol”

2011-06-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

Years ago, families gathered round the fireplace at Christmastime to read “A Christmas Carol” aloud. Now they sit around the wide-screen HD TV to watch one of the myriad dramatizations of the book Charles Dickens wrote so long ago.

The story has been recycled so often that most new versions are updated satires of other-worldly adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge. No longer viewed as a serious parable of social corruption and redemption, the drama has been so eroded, it’s become a sanitized fairy tale. Many versions don’t even feature two of the most critical characters in the book: the children hidden beneath the robes of the second of three Spirits Jacob Marley foretells.

Though Dickens wrote the book to educate people about the dangerous influence of greed, the lesson people generally take away is nothing of the sort. Instead of changing attitudes toward poor people, his seminal work sparked renewed interest in ancient traditions of secular holiday celebrations that had been ignored since the days of Puritan asceticism.

People still believe the story encourages seasonal materialism. They think Dickens wanted us to exchange expensive presents and binge on Christmas dinner. They forget that besides treating the Cratchit family to gifts and goose, Scrooge raised Bob’s wages and promised to pay for his family’s medical needs, with the wretched Tiny Tim being the first beneficiary. He also swore that as long as he was alive, the Cratchits would never again be poor.

The real lesson of Dickens’ story is that employers and governments must ensure the well-being of workers in exchange for their labors. Instead, companies and politicians are doing all they can to cut wages, medical benefits, and retirement funds, and politicians pass laws that minimize corporate responsibility when workers are injured or killed in dangerous work environments. They eagerly cut benefits for people in the middle and lower classes in order to enhance the financial standing of people who are already wealthy.

Dickens must have been sorely disappointed that little had changed for the working poor by the time he died 26 years after publishing the book. Indeed, he’d be just as sad if he were resurrected today and learned that for the past three decades, corporations and politicians have been eagerly reversing so many of the hard-won rights and benefits that were established for workers, one by one, throughout most of the 20th century.

That’s why I’m suggesting we revive a Dickens tradition, with a twist. Rather than watching endless TV reruns of this classic story each December, I’d like to hear the book being read by groups of people in public places around the country. One venue could be Wall Street, that center of commerce and greed which spawned the economic meltdown that spread across oceans and borders throughout the world.

The headquarters of major banks would be significant locations, as would statehouses in Wisconsin, Ohio, and any other states where conservative governors and lawmakers are stripping away rights from hard-working people. I know there are so many other significant locales where people could gather with friends and loved ones to read this moving story.

And the biggest twist of all: Besides volunteers taking turns reading, at least one girl and one boy, dressed in rags, could listen to the story being read aloud. When a reader comes to the point where the second Ghost reveals the hidden waifs dubbed “Ignorance” and “Want,” one boy and one girl could stand up to represent these symbols of our social failures.

These two youngsters could have signs hung around their little necks identifying their roles. More children could stand with signs reading “fear,” “oppression,” “war,” and any number of other conditions that mark the worst abuses of society. Children could even choose their own “names” or other relevant social messages.

Finally, I’d love to see a slew of videos posted on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, even news i-reports pages, showing that the next generation is finally beginning to understand the lesson Charles Dickens hoped to teach the world nearly two centuries ago.

Perhaps if we start early enough to spread the word about this simple plan, something might actually come of it when the holiday season rolls around. It would be a truly blessed thing to see people finally begin to understand how Scrooge really “knew how to keep Christmas well” throughout the year and for the rest of his natural life.

When will Weiner’s weiner story deflate?

2011-06-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

This morning, a news anchor asked a bipartisan panel how long the collective media would continue to cover the issue of Representative Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) tweeted “naughty” picture. Since the guy in the middle, both literally on the panel and politically, often finds the funny in the serious, I was holding my breath, hoping he’d be the one to state the obvious. But again, everybody’s missing the best joke in this pun fest:

How long will Congressman Weiner’s tweeted picture continue to be news?

I don’t know, but if it lasts more than four hours, they should see a doctor.

Bah-dum-DUM!

Sorry, but this story just cries out for sassy remarks. In fact, it’s really a non-story. Even “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” have probably run their course on this one. Let’s get back to some real news and forget about Congressman Tony’s bony . . . uh . . . sorry, couldn’t help myself!

Anyway, here’s why people should let it go and get back to the real world:

Whatever happened did not rise to the level of a crime, so most of the questions being asked are beyond the scope of anybody’s right to know.
Congressman Weiner has assured everyone he did not send the photo. Unless further evidence proves otherwise, we should take him at his word and get on to more substantial issues.
Instead of leaving the issue at that, reporters keep asking him if the picture was actually a photo of his “men’s business,”as Craig Ferguson is wont to say. Instead of responding with yea or nay, Weiner says he has no idea and he has people looking into the issue. That is exactly the point where everyone has gone beyond the bounds of decency.
It’s important to remember that Weiner is a healthy 46-year-old man who married for the first time only last year, at the age of 44. It’s doubtful he was a virgin upon his marriage, which of course, is very much his business. Since his premarital activities never rose to the level of public scandal, anything he did in private is none of our business.

That’s exactly why no one now has the right to ask where the picture might have come from or whose “equipment” it might be. The only point at issue now is who sent it, and that’s something the news media and the public might never know, or need to.

And guess what? The sun will still come up tomorrow. The tides will come in and go out. The world will continue to spin on its axis. And people are still dying in wars and from hunger and thirst.

That is what we should all be concentrating on from now on.

End of story.

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-06-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, June 3, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Courthouse, 120 Market St.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, June 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Courthouse, 120 Market St., Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Personal: This week I'm still busy at those little life chores, but I'm hoping to get past all those distracting things on the personal agenda and back to tackling more of my writing that I can post here. It'll happen, if I just keep at it. Meanwhile, at least I enjoy posting weekly notices of the Peace Vigils that our winter friend, Tony Fasline, and his friends are involved in while he's summering in Ohio. Good to know people all over the country are continuing to work for a better world than the one we have now Pray for the end of poverty and war all over the planet.

Friday Peace Vigil, Poland, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-05-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
POLAND, OH
Friday, May 27, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Junction of Routes 224 and 170

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, May 27, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the junction of Routes 224 and 170. in Poland, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Sports as Metaphor for Life: Let’s hope not!

2011-05-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

This week, two prominent men have come out as gay. In most quarters these items are being treated as the nonevents they are, especially in the case of CNN anchor Don Lemon. Unfortunately, some in the sports world might react differently to reports of Phoenix Suns President and CEO Rick Welts’s sexual orientation.

Welts informed several friends of his sexuality before going public, including NBA Commissioner David Stern. “What I didn’t say at the time was: I think there’s a good chance the world will find this unremarkable,” Stern told the New York Times reporter who broke the story. “I don’t know if I was confusing my thoughts with my hopes.”

According to Suns Guard Steve Nash, “Anyone who’s not ready for this needs to catch up.”

Unfortunately, some in his profession will not.

Many people consider sports an example of the way the world should work. Sports is usually a win-lose proposition: someone wins only if someone else loses. One team wins, the other goes home. Olympic athletes get silver and bronze medals, horses can place and show, but few remember the losers in championship games.

On the other hand, to instill confidence in people with developmental disabilities, every Special Olympics athlete gets a ribbon. But even that practice isn’t without critics. Some believe the spotlight should be focused entirely, and only, on winners.

Sadly, the metaphor explains the way things are now. In politics, one person wins and the rest return to their other lives. Some executives only consider themselves and their companies successful when others aren’t doing as well. That mentality is demonstrated in lists of companies and countries that inform everyone how participants are doing in the “game” of life.

For decades, the argument that men who compete in team sports at a young age are better prepared for life was used an excuse to bar women from advancement in business and politics. Then came Title IX and the growth of sports for girls and women, and that argument no longer fits. But despite gains for women in business and politics, as well as sports, there’s still work to be done.

The sports mentality prevails in other ways. Athletes are encouraged to push themselves beyond their limits, ignoring both physical injury and goals unrelated to sports. This leads to unnecessary injuries and damaged relationships and lives.

Young people who want to give up sports for another activity are often accused of not following through with commitment. Even people who want to change careers in midlife are looked upon as quitters for not reaching goals they set when they were young and knew less about themselves and real life.

Competitors are expected to ignore the body’s natural signals that indicate an activity is causing harm. That’s why so many participants suffer from what are casually termed “sports injuries.” The fact that head injuries weren’t taken seriously explains why so many pro football players suffer from such debilitating conditions as dementia and early onset Alzheimer’s.

This attitude reinforces prejudice against disabled people. We’re considered losers from the get-go, lesser beings than potential winners. And the strength-in-sports mentality spills over into the area of sexual orientation, especially among men.

Gender is usually less of an issue for women than for many males. Men are more apt to question their own sexuality when they learn another man is gay. Women rarely take the issue of another woman’s sexuality as a reflection on their own identity. Even women with religious convictions against homosexuality are usually more comfortable than men about working with or living near a member of the LGBT community.

With all this, I haven’t even mentioned the corrupting factor of money in sports, as well as life. Daily headlines in Arizona papers scream news of the Fiesta Bowl scandal, along with evidence of general corruption in the bowl game selection process. One look at the corruption and economic breakdown of the past few years, and it’s easy to understand the source of the mentality that led us to this abyss.

All this proves it’s time to choose a better metaphor to teach young people about life. Besides promoting win-win activities, society must provide more opportunities for women, disabled people, and members of all minorities to participate in the real “game” of life. We could do more than just “catch up”; we could actually enjoy more shared success for all.

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-05-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, May 20, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner Belmont Ave. and Tod Lane (near Dairy Queen).

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, May 20, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of Belmont Ave. and Tod Lane (near Dairy Queen). in Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

On a personal front: I'm getting some writing done and will post here in a day or so. Also getting set to take our three kitties, one at a time, to see the "baby" doctor over the next few days. We must always take good care of our animal companions, even if they aren't too fond of those needles. Who is?!

Immigration and poverty: Why Congress must reform our immigration laws now

2011-05-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

Whenever I write about the need for immigration reform, someone inevitably posts the statement:

What part of “illegal” don’t you understand?

My response is another question:

What part of “poverty” don’t you understand?

It’s no accident first-world nations have serious immigration problems. Their own policies caused the problem in the first place. For centuries, European nations stole resources from their colonies, then left native populations in poverty with few resources to build a vital economy.

Historically, European nations milked considerable resources from poor countries around the world. Foreign occupiers in third-world countries forced natives to do the hardest jobs: felling trees in thick forests, farming, mining, reaping riches and shipping them to world markets. With few exceptions, profits went to European coffers.

European expatriates established privileged societies, relying on native servants for the smallest chores. They called exploited nations “colonies.” It’s no coincidence that most natives in these far-flung lands were dark-skinned.

Pale-skinned occupiers justified disreputable policies by claiming superiority based on superficial details:

● their light skin made them superior to people of color;
● Christianity was the “true religion,” the religion of “peace”;
● theirs was the “one true God”;
● European languages were easier to understand than those of native populations;
● European culture was “civilized”; native cultures were “savage.”

Occupiers controlled subject natives by:

● suppressing native languages, cultures, and religions;
● controlling native education;
● limiting native employment opportunities, pay, and benefits.

These policies doomed most native people to a life of poverty. Finally, with the dawn of the 20th century, the winds of independence--spawned on the American continent and blowing across Europe throughout the 1800s--began to infect the colonies. Native leaders marshaled their countrymen to wage decades-long struggles against colonialism.

Though most of these campaigns were eventually successful, as Mohandas Gandhi warned his fellow Indians, gaining freedom was just the first step. Overcoming poverty is a harder and longer battle. Moreover, they had to deal with anger against their departing white occupiers and traditional rivalries, such as the conflict between Hindus and Muslims.

With negative emotions clouding judgment, people at every social level had difficulty learning the high art of self-government, no easy trick to master. They had to establish an effective educational system to train down-trodden citizens for jobs they’d previously been barred from. They had to develop skills and raise capital to build businesses, small and large, to employ workers yearning to improve their economic status. And they had to build a political system that serves citizens at every social level while dealing with other countries in the international arena.

Success at self-government and building a new economy proved a more daunting task than exiling their old masters. Some countries have done better than others. India, for example, has developed thriving 21st century industries, from manufacturing electronic products to operating call centers for first-world corporations.

Though it’s one of the more successful of former European colonies, India’s economy is hampered by a huge population wallowing in abject poverty, and Hindu India has long been locked in a virtual struggle with neighboring Muslim Pakistan over the region of Kashmir. The traditionally Indian territory has a Muslim majority but a significant Hindu population.

Gaining independence doesn’t automatically confer peace or prosperity on any political entity, no matter how long they’ve enjoyed independence. That’s why inhabitants of former colonies often relocate to a country where they have a better chance of improving their economic condition. Many move to Europe, but more view America as a place of greater opportunities.

Unfortunately, U.S. immigration authorities often set higher immigration quotas for countries where citizens enjoy greater educational and economic advantages at home. That means people from poorer countries find it harder to obtain legal permission to immigrate here. Since most who “yearn to breathe free” have trouble entering the U.S. legally, many people manage to come in “under the radar.” They don’t do this to break the law but so they can feed their families.

The long-term solution would be for wealthy nations to take a proactive approach to ending poverty throughout the world, especially in countries that were historically plundered by greedy colonizers. In the short run, ending the expensive war on illegal immigration would save billions in enforcement costs, and putting everyone to work would enhance market capital and raise tax revenues.

These steps would go a long way toward ending the current economic crisis. That’s why passing humane immigration laws would be a win-win step for all concerned.

Friday Peace Vigil, Youngstown, OH, and surrounding area:

2011-05-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH
Friday, May 13, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner Market St. and E. Midlothian Blvd.

Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, May 13, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of Market St. and E. Midlothian Blvd. in Youngstown, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: After faithfully standing vigil for peace on Casa Grande street corners every Friday through the winter and early spring, Tony Fasline is back in his Yankee hometown and standing with old friends through the summer season. He’s connected me with organizers of the year-round Youngstown, OH, vigils, so I can post notice of their events, in case any of you happen to be in that area.. Thanks to Ray Nakley, I have the schedule for the rest of the year for Youngstown vigils, so I’ll be posting them here on a regular basis.

Of course, we’ll be looking forward to Tony’s return to Casa Grande sometime in the fall. At that time, maybe there’ll be more people to join him, and possibly me now and then, as he reminds passersby that we must do more to end the war--all wars--and contribute our energies toward building a peaceful and prosperous society all over the world.

Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!

Tony Fasline holding peace vigils for the summer season in Youngstown, OH

2011-05-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

I’ve just received a message from Tony Fasline, who so loyally held peace vigils every Friday afternoon here in Casa Grande throughout the winter and early spring. Back in his old Youngstown, OH, home, Tony and friends have already held his first vigil there. He promises to keep me informed of their vigil schedule up there, so I can let people know what’s going on in various places around Youngstown from now till early fall. At that time, he promises to return to Arizona. During the colder months, Tony--and hopefully I and others--will be back on street corners around here. We’ll keep you up-to-date when those vigils are scheduled as well.

For now, if anyone else wants to organize similar vigils, go ahead and post them as comments in my Peace Blog or on my Facebook walls. That’s exactly the kind of thing I have these pages for.

Meanwhile, I know we all have to live in the real world, but we’ll never have a better one to live in unless we nurture the dreamers and visionaries who point the way. Yes, there’s conflict all over, but we’ll never have peace unless we understand the reasons conflict exists and find ways to solve the problems that cause the conflict. That’s why I do this work.

Aftermath of bin Laden Raid: Retire Geronimo from the Military Manual

2011-05-05T22:21:00.001-07:00

Even as Native Americans across the country share similar feelings with other Americans over news of the demise of Osama bin Laden, they disapprove the assignment of the code name Geronimo to the military operation responsible for taking him down. It’s understandable that people who serve their country, in both military and civilian capacities, to a greater extent than any other ethnic group feel disappointment and anger at this lapse of cultural sensitivity to their feelings.

At least since World War II, the name of Geronimo has been commonly used in U.S. military action. In those days of careless racism, we heard the slogan in numerous war movies. As children in the early postwar years, we often played parachutist, yelling “Geronimo!” as we leapt off anything higher than the ground we landed on, from a chair to a tree limb. No one gave a second thought to the habit.

Of course, that was before most people in the country heard anything about the Windtalkers, the mostly Navajo soldiers who used their unique language to invent a code that couldn’t be broken by the Japanese during World War II. It was also before the days of the Second Stand at Wounded Knee in 1973, where a group of American Indian Movement members occupied the site of the last major massacre of Indians by American soldiers in 1890.

It was a time when Native American children were still sent to boarding schools where all elements of their culture were stifled. Entire families were still being forcefully moved off reservations that had been their home for decades into cities where they were encouraged to assimilate. The official government goal of the time was to destroy the last vestiges of the cultural and tribal connections that had been their strength against historic Eurocentric occupation of their traditional lands.

Now we read that as soon as the special forces had “eliminated their target,” in military speak, they sent the following coded message: Geronimo EKIA. In plain English, this means “enemy [specifically, bin Laden] killed in action.”

One wonders what code names might have been assigned to other members of al Qaeda during the operation. Sitting Bull? Osceola? In different eras of the 19th century, all were considered deadly enemies of the U.S. Army. All of them died while in U.S. custody, or in the case of Sitting Bull, under official military control.

To the native population, however, these men and others were considered great spiritual and military leaders. They were able to lead their people successfully through great difficulties, both in conflict and in peace. And in the current culture of heightened ethnic awareness, the roles and motives of these and other Indian leaders are gaining the respect of people on all sides of history.

On the positive side, a Senate Indian Affairs committee has scheduled a hearing on racial stereotyping of Native Americans for Thursday, May 5. The agenda includes discussion of the use of this type of racist language, especially in relation to official government activities. This development Is long past due. In fact, I can’t imagine what sort of arguments can be made on the side of maintaining the status quo.

I’ll be waiting to hear an announcement coming out of that committee that the name of any past or present Native American leader will be stricken immediately from the military manual and any other official government document or exercise manual. No other conclusion will be acceptable.

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-04-07T08:31:00.001-07:00

PEACE VIGIL (last of this season)
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, April 8, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner E. Florence Blvd. and N. Pueblo Dr.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, April 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of E. Florence Blvd. and N. Pueblo Dr. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: This will be Tony’s last Peace Vigil for the season. Next week he joins his fellow snowbirds, leaving the sunny south to “fly” north to still chilly Ohio. Wrap up, Tony, and remember: Layering is the only way to stay as warm as you like.

Positive thoughts and prayers for all, especially for all those suffering in Japan, the Middle East, and around the world!

Thursday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-03-30T05:46:00.001-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Thursday, March 31, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner E. Cottonwood Ln. and N. Trekell Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Thursday, March 31, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of E. Cottonwood Ln. and N. Trekell Rd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: Oops! Slowed down this week with a cold, but I’m hitting it with my vitamin C recipe, as detailed on my website’s Columns page, and it’s on the run. Should be back to “normal,” as best that can be, by the weekend!

Positive thoughts and prayers for all, especially for all those suffering in Japan, the Middle East, and around the world!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-03-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, March 25, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Pinal Ave. and W. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, March 25, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: Oops! I must confess that I neglected to post this notice of Tony Fasline’s peace vigil for last Friday. In spite of my lapse, Tony did stand faithfully at a well-traveled corner of Pinal Avenue and was greeted by many supportive commuters who passed by. We prefer to concentrate on those reactions and not the rare people who express their disapproval of everyone’s right to state their case in the Public Square. After all, that’s what the First Amendment is all about. One of the things, anyway.

Meanwhile, I’m making progress with my own agenda, especially by by posting Tony’s plans this week. Hurrah! However, I still won’t be able to stand out there with him myself this week, so if any of you can join him, Tony and I will certainly appreciate it. I hope I can be out there one week very soon.

Let’s all exchange positive thoughts, prayers, whatever you choose to believe and share!

My op-ed in Salem-News.com

2011-03-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo! The online edition of the Salem, OR, paper, Salem-News.com, just ran one of my op-ed pieces:

http://salem-news.com/articles/march172011/split-personalitiesdj.php

I'm doing many of these articles in between my Blog postings, so whenever they're published, I'll let you know in this space too. Several others are being considered, so hold onto positive thoughts!

Facts vs. Feelings: Looking at the reality

2011-03-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

Years ago, a woman I worked with returned from a church-sponsored couples retreat--all heterosexual couples, of course--and raved about the inspirational messages she’d heard there. When she parroted the minister’s message that the reason men and woman are different is that men deal in facts and women deal in feelings, I had to speak up or bite my tongue clear through.

“Actually,” I said, “that should be something like ‘men in general deal with the concrete and women in general deal with the abstract.’”

I can’t deal with rhetoric about the inferiority of women in business, politics, religion, and family relationships. And to me, that was the message conveyed in the minister’s analogy.

I explained it this way: “The opposite of fact is fiction. Feelings are real. They are fact, not fiction. Men in general--not all men, thank goodness--learn the dangerous lesson to suppress their feelings. All humans have feelings. Even animals have feelings. When positive feelings are suppressed, a person’s better nature is suppressed and they eventually erupt in the form of negative feelings. That’s why war, the worst example of bad feelings gone amok, is viewed primarily as a male activity.”

Ouch! I’d touched another nerve. This lady was a super-warmonger too. Her main regret in life was the fact that her husband had joined the Air Force right after Vietnam, so he missed the combat experience. More importantly, she’d missed what she viewed as the “romance” of being a war wife.

It gets worse. Being older than she, I’d had to send two different husbands off to serve tours in Vietnam on three separate occasions, all while tending to one, then two youngsters at home. So, add her jealousy to the mix. It didn’t help that our experiences had convinced me and my husband that there must be a better way for societies to solve problems. By then, I was a budding peace advocate. Double ouch!

She had a hard time understanding why I didn’t think everything her minister said came direct from the Mind of the Almighty. Knowing the horrors that have been committed oven the centuries in the name of God, that didn’t do it for me. That’s why I took the minister’s admonition with a huge dose of salt.

But anyone who claims women’s feelings are not real just doesn’t talk to me. And that’s the message I got from that analogy. What’s more, by that time in the mid-‘80s, I was already aware of the nascent research into the fact that what used to be dismissed as mere “feelings” has real physiological effects on the body. From adrenaline to brain chemistry, when we feel things, we’re actually experiencing chemical changes that can effect long-term changes in many of our internal organs.

So feelings are certainly not fiction, and that’s a fact!

Economics: Defining the language

2011-03-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

In the three earlier articles of this series, I discussed the variety of impact on the economy by people who receive different amounts of income. The conclusion, supported by research, is that people who earn the highest salaries return a lower percentage of their earnings than lower-paid workers to the economic machine that keeps businesses and governments running smoothly.

Unfortunately, too many people who exercise the greatest control over policy believe otherwise. They reward wealthy people with even more political and economic privilege than anyone could ever earn. This is usually done by denying people at the lowest economic levels access to many of their most basic needs.

In fact, some people believe perpetuating a poverty class is vital to the economy. They believe it would actually be dangerous to implement policies to end poverty and allow everyone to earn enough money to purchase all the basic goods and services they need to enjoy a dignified existence.

These policy makers claim the only way to solve economic problems is to depend solely on capitalism, at least the way they define it. They warn that Americans should completely eschew any hint of socialism. They believe businesses must be free to operate without restrictions, and government should have only a minor role, if any at all, in the way American businesses are run.

The trouble is, their definition of capitalism leaves a lot to be desired. Especially when you consider the fact that over the years, their form of capitalism has cost millions of people their jobs, their health, and their lives. If they continue to have their way, things can only get worse for all of us as we face a very dismal future.

Understanding Effective Capitalism

That brings us to the real definition of “capitalism.” These days, economists, politicians, and even the people who compile dictionaries focus on the wealth-building aspect of capitalism. To put it another way, they see capitalism as the tool by which a few people become very wealthy through business enterprises that control the lives and well-being of millions of people.

Certainly, private ownership was always an important part of effective business practice. But capitalism began as a very different model than the one that’s in use today.

Capitalism first appeared early in human history. The turning point came with the introduction of basic technology into agriculture, which was the first human industry. When the plow first came into use, farming advanced from mere subsistence, the production of just enough crops to feed, house, and clothe family members, to the point that families were able to produce more crops than they needed for their own survival. With time to do more work than was necessary for basic survival, people also began to produce extra clothing, craft items, and even art.

From the beginning, basic capitalism was based on production, service, and sales. It began when people started to exchange and sell excess agricultural products and items they produced first in homes and later in small shops that gradually developed as many people prospered. Technology spawned not only an agricultural boom but social and economic revolutions.

At first, products and services were exchanged for other products and services in a crude bartering system. Eventually, volume demanded something to symbolize the value of sales, and currency was invented, using such items as rocks, salt, metals, and eventually paper. Over time, successful communities developed sophisticated economic models. Even while trading with neighboring groups and travelers from far away, people still understood that their economy was based on the model of production, service, and sales, using both barter and different types of currency.

As businesses grew, so did the employer-employee model. Workers provided labor to help owners run their businesses in exchange for wages. Employees used these wages to purchase goods and services from other businesses. Eventually both owners and workers paid some of their earnings to governments. That tax money was also used to pay workers and purchase goods and services, just like businesses, owners, and workers.

For businesses, communities, and governments, success depends on a fluid economic model. As long as money keeps moving around the community from one person to another, one institution to another, everyone enjoys a measure of success. That’s the basic nature of capitalism.

Along the way, the goal of making a few people rich slithered into the picture. But the original purpose was to develop creative ways for people to move away from mere subsistence up to gleaning profit from the extra product and time they gained from improved farming techniques. It began with a positive step in human progress but soon warped into a twisted model that now threatens to destroy us all.

The Role of Socialism

Socialism was a basic part of the community economic model even before capitalism appeared. Humans survived in their earliest years on the planet by congregating into small groups so they could share responsibilities and resources. As their numbers grew, they gathered together as families, then communities, but sharing resources remained a significant tool for the survival of the tribe and eventually the village. As societies began to develop into larger communities, the practice of group sharing and providing for people who were weaker or needed extra help to survive waxed and waned, usually guided by the philosophy and religious practices prevalent in each society.

Perhaps the first and best-known American socialist was Benjamin Franklin. His printing business was the basis for one of the earliest American rags-to-riches stories. As a capitalist owner, he began making other entrepreneurs successful by franchising his printing empire. He also invited local businessmen in Philadelphia to join a social networking group so they could exchange creative ideas to enhance the success of their businesses and their community.

Franklin’s networking group became the intellectual and financial incubator for the first municipal fire department, lending library, and other public service projects in the American colonies. Today, almost every community of any size uses tax money to provide various services based on Franklin’s socialistic model of using public money to pay for fire and police departments, libraries, roads, clinics, and other basic services to residents.

According to Benjamin Franklin’s model, well planned socialism is an effective tool for enhancing the quality of life for citizens of any community and is certainly not antithetical to the success of capitalism. In fact, successful communities manage to balance responsible capitalism with basic social services in a way that guarantees residents will have the best opportunity to enjoy productive lifestyles.

Welfare and Unemployment: Payment for no labor

The tradition of welfare and unemployment benefit payments have come and gone throughout history, finally gaining a measure of consistency over the last century. These payments fall into the “good news, bad news” category. They’re supposed to be stopgap measures to help people through temporary economic downturns. Sadly, political circumstances have turned welfare into a multi-generational anchor that prevents entire classes of people from escaping the prison of poverty. And now that we’re well into the worst recession since the 1930s, unemployment payments are literally smashing all previous records in both numbers of recipients and lengths of time people receive those benefits.

Certainly there’s an immediate economic benefit to providing people with the means to meet their most basic needs, especially when virtually all the money that’s handed to them goes right back into the economy. On the other hand, 100% of these payments are provided with no reciprocal exchange of labor contributed to the economy. Unlike the standard work-salary model, social benefits like welfare, unemployment, and other public and private grants cannot be considered a positive benefit to the economy.

What’s more, as I explained in my book, The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace, it would be possible for truly creative leaders to turn these problems around and fulfill the goal of the book’s title to end poverty, which would help to eventually end armed conflict as the most expensive political policy of human endeavor. There is simply no reason governments should have to pay people not to work when so many community needs continue to go unmet.

I offer this friendly challenge to everyone to read the chapter in my book on “Universal Employment.” After you’ve had a chance to ponder some of the ideas I’ve collected from many sources, I’d love to hear your creative ideas for solving the education and employment crises that have become the permanent anchors that prevent most members of society from enjoying dependable and long-lasting economic success.

The real economic value of the privileged: Working hard or hardly working?

2011-03-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

In the first article in this series, I suggested we need to take a close look at the real value to our economy of people at different income levels. In the second article, I explained why people at middle and lower income levels return a greater percentage of their income directly to the economy than do the highest earners, which keeps both government and business machines turning efficiently. Still, there’s another factor to consider when determining the value differences of people at each income level.

For several reasons, the person at the top of the income ladder is also the one whose labor contribution makes him the biggest drain on the economy. To begin with, there’s that large chunk of his income that doesn’t go directly back into the economic machine, at least not right away. Then there’s a more ephemeral measure, the economic value of production from his labor when compared to that of the folks who work lower down the corporate ladder. That’s where the “protect the rich and they’ll take care of the rest of us” philosophy really goes astray.

What is the millionaire’s real economic value to the company that pays his salary when compared to the value of folks working on the line? To put it another way, how much effort would the CEO have to put into his job to be worth a high percentage of the millions dollars he receives each year? If he doesn’t deliver enough to provide a profitable effect on the company’s real income--and I’m not talking about creative bookkeeping here--then he’s stealing a huge chunk of dough that he never earns.

In any well-run company, workers produce products or services at a rate that makes them worth more to the company than the value of their salary and benefits combined. The extra money earned above their take-out is called “profit.” In a well-run business, the more efficient employees the company has, the more profits the company is likely to make. But the profit value per employee tends to be lower at the higher levels. That’s been the accepted norm because executives are traditionally expected to provide leadership and creative ideas.

Leaders or Charlatans?

The problem with paying inflated salaries for people at the top to lead is that the real production leaders, that is, the people who make sure the work gets done, are usually the workers themselves and their immediate supervisors. As people move up the chain, their value comes less from leading people and more from setting policy and providing creative direction so the company can move forward into the future. That’s where higher-paid executives in many American companies have been dropping the ball in recent decades.

For policy, consider two issues regarding employee behavior: bullying and sexual harassment. Effective leaders in these areas will set and enforce rules that protect the rights of every employee and client. If problems arise, good managers provide a means of discreet reporting and investigation, and any judgment against wrongdoers is handled quickly and efficiently in order to ensure the behavior is not repeated and victims, real and potential, feel completely safe.

Unfortunately, companies have been more interested in protecting their reputations instead of stopping the bad behavior and protecting victims. In a shocking number of cases, the person who suffers most at the hands of management has been the victim who dares to report the problem in the first place. In the long run, this lapse costs companies money, which further diminishes the true value of any executive involved in such a crime.

It also means value is lost in any employees who are victims of harassment of any kind. If justice ever does prevail, the company loses by having to pay the victims, who usually take the cash and don’t return to work at that company again. That means the company must hire one or more new employees, train them, and possibly lose them later on for the same reason the earlier employees left. So, real leadership skills are too often lacking in many of the high-paid “big brains” who receive tons of money to lead companies into an expensive legal ditch.

Creators or Dinosaurs?

Then there’s the need for creative thinking, delivering new ideas that move a company forward in the market. One of the best examples--or worst, depending on your point of view--of the lack of creativity has been the American automobile industry in recent decades. While auto manufacturers in Europe and Asia were designing and building more and more efficient vehicles, stodgy U.S. companies continued to turn out gas-guzzling behemoths that cost a mint to operate and blew tons of filthy carbon into an already polluted planet.

As sales of American autos went down each year, these companies cut back on workers’ benefits and eventually their jobs. But contrary to economic logic, even as they were running their companies into the ground, the salaries and bonuses of executives at the highest levels mushroomed. Like the bankers, most of these miscreants finally came crawling to Congress with their hands out to grab the taxpayer green that would keep their operations afloat. Only when they’d received this new capital from the public trough did they finally begin turning out the green products they should have been producing since the first oil crisis in the 1970s.

The conclusion, then, can only be that many of the highest-paid corporate “leaders” need to overhaul their attitudes and start moving their companies in the right direction, in both policy and creative management. If they won’t do that, the only honorable thing for them to do is take advantage of those “Golden Parachutes” that were assured them when they came on board and let somebody with real brains take the helm.

Self-made or User?

And while I’m on the subject, this is an excellent time to explain one more thing about millionaires and billionaires: Have you ever heard the term “self-made” man? Or woman, since success certainly isn’t limited by gender, especially these days. Fact is, there is no such thing.

No one could ever build a successful business without depending on the efforts of hundreds, or even thousands, of loyal hard-working employees. The lower-paid workers deserve as much credit for a company’s success as the person at the top. Even someone who’s spent his life in a cave in the woods while turning a creative idea into tons of cash needs some kind of help to do that. Maybe it was the animals that did it, but it certainly couldn’t be that one person alone.

Whenever I hear the term “self-made,” I’m tempted to look for the big guy’s footprints on the backs of a horde of “little” people. No one can build a multimillion-dollar business alone. There is no such thing as a self-made person. Period.

Next, I’ll discuss the real meaning of several economic terms that are woefully misunderstood and misused in current political discussions. Stay tuned.

Comparing real economic values of people by their income

2011-03-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

In my previous article in this series, I introduced the fact that varying income levels of people has a lot to do with their impact on the economy. Understanding these differences can help people decide whether the current political policy of favoring the rich at the expense of the poor is a valid economic model.

Recent history provides an unmistakable clue to the facts: Policies of the past decade almost totally devastated our economy. We need to understand the financial realities if we’re ever going to turn things around and climb out of the recessionary hole we’ve been trapped in for the last few years.

Worth Millions, Maybe

First, consider arguments for continuing to let the rich wallow in piles of man--uh--money: When they get their fat paychecks, they dine at the finest restaurants, stay in five-star hotels, frequent luxury-car showrooms, and buy lots of real estate, from mansions to vacation homes to investment property. The economic advantage here is that lots of “little people” work at all these places, catering to the demands of wealthy patrons. That arrangement boosts employment numbers and allows some money to trickle down from the wealthy to the masses.

The rich also invest lots of money in stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments. But many of them also tend to move a significant chunk of their wealth to banks in other countries, especially places where they’re less likely to pay taxes. The combination of tax deductions, loopholes, and offshore banking means the best return, in spending, investment, and taxes, that the U.S. economy can expect from people who are worth more than a million dollars is about two-thirds of their income.

Middle Class, Middle of the Road

Next, consider the schlub who schleps to work every day so he can bring home around fifty thousand dollars a year. He can’t treat his loved ones to a meal at the Four Seasons, at least not often. McDonald’s is more his style--or Subway, if he’s watching his calories and carbs. He has one house, and these days he’s more apt to take a “staycation” than be seen sunning on a beach in Acapulco. That’s good news for The Home Depot, bad news for Hilton Hotels. And he will spend a higher percentage of his money, in taxes, groceries, rent or mortgage, insurance, and so on, than the aforementioned rich guy. In the end, this middle-class earner will return close to 90% of his paycheck directly back to the economy.

Since these middle-income earners greatly outnumber the wealthy, the value they return to the economy creates significant working capital for both the government and businesses to keep on providing goods and services for other customers. By earning money and spending a big chunk of it, this middle-income guy is a basic, average member of both the “public,” as far as the government is concerned, and the “market,” according to Wall Street’s point of view.

Poor but Valuable

Now, let’s look at the poor--and I do mean poor--fellow who barely earns fifteen thousand dollars a year. If this person has any family at all, he--or she, because many such families are headed by single women--can barely make ends meet on that amount of money. The family will usually require extra help from the government and/or private charities, such as food stamps and food banks, to make it through each month.

Then there’s the medical help. A shocking percentage of people in this range have no medical insurance. They’re more apt than the average middle-class person to have chronic health problems, especially because what care they do get isn’t the kind of comprehensive support that helps them improve and live as well as they could. Any care they do get is most likely delivered through some sort of public assistance program.

Another area where services are hit and miss is education. Schools in such low-income areas as inner cities and rural communities rarely have enough resources to serve their students as well as they should. Add the fact that a high percentage of low-income parents are likely to work long hours, if they’re around at all, and too many lack the education to provide the kind of help and guidance their children need to succeed. There are exceptions, in students, family members, and schools, but those are notable because of their rarity. That’s the biggest reason economic problems tend to continue from one generation to the next, ad nauseam.

When you consider how much of his or her income this person will spend, that is, return directly to the economy, it comes as close to 100% as anyone can possibly get. Trouble is, that contribution is usually offset by the value of the help, in cash, goods, and services, that the family requires just to survive. So, they’re more of a drain on the economy, right? Actually, not when you consider that just about every cent of the value of those payments to the poor goes directly back into the economy.

So, who’s more valuable to the economy? We’ll look at the meaning of these percentages later in this series. Before that, I’ll discuss the actual economic value of the labor of one person who doesn’t have to labor as hard as the rest of us. Watch for it!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-03-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, March 11, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Pinal Ave. and W. Cottonwood Ln.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, March 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. Cottonwood Ln. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: I’m finally getting some serious writing done! Just before this notice, you’ll find the first of a multi-part article that will end up being a complete chapter in my next book. Several of my op-eds that are currently making the rounds before I keep them for myself and post them here. They’ll also be in my book when it’s done So, small steps, always forward!

Positive thoughts, prayers, whatever you choose to believe and share, and I’m sending them back your way too!

Fixing the Economy: Enrich the wealthy? Or end poverty?

2011-03-10T17:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, which economic class is more beneficial to the economy:

The top earners?
The middle class?
The people who live in poverty?

Most people have an opinion about this matter, but what are the facts? What are the economic effects of spending by people who make a million dollars a year? Fifty thousand dollars? Fifteen thousand dollars? How does capitalism really work? Is socialism good or bad for the economy? What is the real economic impact of continuing to allow people to depend on welfare or unemployment insurance payments, along with other public and private charity benefits?

Several studies have been done to clarify this issue. The numbers generally agree and fall within predictable ranges, so I won’t bore you with statistics here. The important lesson is not the numbers extrapolated from the studies but the principles demonstrated by those numbers. It should come as no surprise that the numbers support the practice of more humanitarian principles than current policies that favor the rich and place undue burdens on poor people.

To put it bluntly, the real cause of the failure of our economic system is greed. More to the point, a society that caters to demands of the wealthy by penalizing poor and middle-income citizens and accepts unemployment and poverty as standard economic policy is doomed to eventual failure. That conclusion runs counter to the commonly held belief that economic success depends on perpetuating the super-wealthy lifestyle of a small percentage of the population.

During recent banking disasters when taxpayers shored up failing financial institutions, top executives continued to receive hideously huge salaries and bonuses. The mantra, according to corporations and economists alike, was that companies have to pay big bucks for the big brains. The apologists totally ignored the fact that these “geniuses” were the same ones who brought their companies, and the world economy, to the brink of disaster. With brains like that, we’d have been better off with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto running the Wall Street circus.

Meanwhile, whenever anyone suggests raising taxes for the wealthiest among us, loud voices shout down the idea by claiming the economy depends on making sure the already filthy rich keep on getting richer. The unspoken opposite side of that policy requires ripping as much money and as many rights as possible away from the most down-trodden in society.

Never mind the morality, or lack of it, with this policy. People who favor the rich certainly don’t. In my next postings, I’ll take a good look at the economic effects of continuing to steal from the poor and middle class in order to support people who don’t really need any help. In fact, later in this series, I’ll discuss how capitalism works, or should work when it’s done right. Watch this space for these articles in the next few days.

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-03-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, March 4, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Pinal Ave. and W. Kortsen Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, March 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. Kortsen Rd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: It’s finally getting warm enough here in southern AZ for me to function like a halfway-normal person. It’s a great feeling!

I’m working on several ideas, and I hope to be able to post an announcement here next week with the link to my latest interview. We tried to get through the discussion yesterday, but the phone equipment kept failing. We’re going to try again on Sunday. If we can get through the whole thing then, the entire interview will be posted online. I’ll definitely let you know, and I’ll try to put it on my website’s Multimedia page as well. Check back soon.

Meanwhile, I’m also getting some writing done, working out several ideas. It feels good, and I’ll have a few things to post here very soon. Thanks for staying with me!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-02-24T14:14:00.001-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 25, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Pinal Ave. and W. Rodeo Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 25, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. Rodeo Rd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: I’m well into that second project I’ve been planning for a long time. When I get ready, I’ll make the first big announcement right here. Also getting some good writing done, so spring is getting my juices going so much better than even the Arizona winter! Brrr!

So, stay tuned! I’m gonna be back to “normal,” whatever that is, very soon!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-02-17T14:48:00.003-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 18, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Pinal Ave. and W. McCartney Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 18, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Pinal Ave. and W. McCartney Rd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week: I’ve just about finished one small project and should have the other well underway by the weekend, and that’ll be an ongoing task well into the future. Add the fact that the weather is really starting to warm up here in sunny AZ--except for a couple of threats of rainy days, again on the weekend. So, it looks like I should be getting back to my old self by next week! Hooray!

Stay tuned! I’ll be back! Very, very soon!

San Franciscans hold weekly Peace Vigil every Thursday

2011-02-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

This week I received an email from Glenn Gable, of San Francisco, who says he’ll be in Phoenix during the month of March and hopes to join a peace vigil in our area while he’s here! I told him about several groups meeting in Phoenix, but don’t know of an actual vigil of the kind we’re talking about in the Valley of the Sun. Then I told him about Tony Fasline’s Movable Peace Vigils every Friday here in Casa Grande, so he might be able to make it all the way down here and stand with us from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. We certainly hope that can happen.

Meanwhile, Glenn told me he often joins a regular Peace Vigil held in downtown San Francisco every Thursday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. in front of the old Federal Building in the Civic Center on the corner of Golden Gate Avenue at Larkin Street. The vigil’s been going strong since Fall 2001 and now involves an average of 15 people, and visitors are always welcome.

When he messaged those facts to me, I told Glenn he’d sparked a serious case of “vigil envy” in us here in Casa Grande. Tony and I would love to have more people join him every Friday--and me when I can make it out to stand with him, which isn’t as often as I’d like. I hope we can keep on doing this for many years to come, for as long as it’s needed.

Of course, one can also hope that in 10 years, these vigils will no longer be needed, and American society will finally understand the moral imperative--not to mention the economic benefits--of finding peaceful, win-win-win solutions to society’s problems, both within our country and around the world. Until then, those of us who understand that promise have to keep on speaking for a better way to do things.

For a long list of peace vigils that are held all over the Bay Area, check out this web page: http://upj-bayarea.org/vigils/

Wow! After looking over this list, I’ve developed a totally terminal case of “vigil envy”! My heart and hopes are with all those True Believers in the San Francisco area. I hope and pray that one day we in southern Arizona will be able to match the zeal of our fellow peace activists in northern California.

And here are some articles and/or pictures on the vigils that I found just by googling “San Francisco peace vigil”:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35588593@N05/3819795052/
http://wrmea.com/component/content/article/4765-south-asians-hold-peace-vigil-in-san-francisco.html
http://www.utahpeace.org/vigil.htm
http://www.sfquakers.org/peajus.html
http://news.sfzc.org/content/view/713/52/
http://www.warmoratorium.org/reports-from-the-field/184-haight-ashbury-peace-vigil-san-francisco-ca.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81996593599
http://yubanet.com/california/Penn-Sheehan-Gonzalez-to-Address-March-16th-Peace-Vigil-in-San-Francisco.php
http://business.highbeam.com/4987/article-1G1-196581126/south-asians-hold-peace-vigil-san-francisco

That was just the first page that came up on Google. The site promised about 73,500 results. Good going, San Francisco!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-02-10T07:26:00.001-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 11, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner E. Florence Blvd. and S. Henness Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of E. Florence Blvd. and S. Henness Rd. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

This week’s personal note: The temperature here in southern Arizona is beginning to stabilize, getting ready to warm soon! Spring is almost here--again, here in AZ. Sorry about that, New England and midwestern states! Anyway, it shouldn’t be too long before I get better organized and start to post more of my own personal articles. Very, very soon! Can’t wait!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area - and personal note:

2011-02-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, February 4, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Trekell Rd. and E. McMurray Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, February 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Trekell Rd. and E. McMurray Blvd. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Meanwhile, I’ve been in a state of semi-“hibernation” due to the cold for much of the winter, and this week has been the worst yet. But sure as the sun comes up, spring will come, much sooner here in Arizona than it does back east. I look forward to that promise and plan to be much more active here at that time. Be patient. I’ll be back here very soon!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 28, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Peart Rd. and E. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Peart Rd. and E. Florence Blvd. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Friday Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-01-21T05:16:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 21, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Trekell Rd. and E. Florence Blvd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 21, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Trekell Rd. and E. Florence Blvd. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-01-13T04:53:00.001-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 14, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner N. Trekell Rd. and E. Cottonwood Ln.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 14, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of N. Trekell Rd. and E. Cottonwood Ln. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2011-01-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, January 7, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner E. Florence Blvd. and N. Arizola Rd.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, January 7, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of E. Florence Blvd. and N. Arizola Rd. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

New Year’s Eve Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2010-12-30T04:23:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 31, 2010
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner E. Florence Blvd. and N. Colorado St.

Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) will hold his weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, December 31, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the corner of E. Florence Blvd. and N. Colorado St. in Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

I don't know if I'll be able to join Tony and whoever else shows up, but if not, my spirit will be with all. As I continue to emphasize in my writing, ending the policy of war will be only one step toward building a truly peaceful society, but it is definitely a vital one. Most importantly, we must do everything we can to end poverty as a policy of governments around the world, because that condition is the primary condition that fosters wars.

I wish for love and peace to all, not only during the year-end holiday season but throughout the entire year and all those to follow!

Enlightened drug policy saves money, lives, communities

2010-12-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

The humble poppy is such a pretty flower, yet it’s the source of so many

addictive substances society must contend with, hopefully in more enlightened ways

than we have been doing for decades.

(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons: Public Domain)

Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé
Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz
1885, Gera, Germany

For years, authorities from many disciplines, from health care to law enforcement, have argued that the current policy of treating drug addicts as criminals is not only wrong-headed but far too expensive, and certainly dangerous. Now Portugal has joined the growing number of countries to prove that providing medical treatment to drug addicts instead of locking them up does pay off.

Of course, there are still critics of reform who argue that drug addicts must be punished and treatment is expensive. They’re correct about the latter, but I contend that the facts make the former point moot. Drug addicts suffer physically and emotionally throughout their lives, even after they become sober. In fact, staying on an even keel is, for them, a lifelong struggle, marked by ups and downs.

What’s more, the economic arguments are actually balanced on both sides when comparing the ongoing cost of throwing drug users into prison versus sending them to treatment. But the nay-sayers fail to consider the long-term economic benefit when they deny the need for enlightened change. Considering only the cost of law enforcement and incarceration misses the point, as that’s only one part of the equation, both economic and social.

Wherever a high percentage of the population spends time in prison, the overall community ends up being victimized. Security becomes a vital and expensive item in community and personal budgets. That extra charge is written into the cost of everything, both goods and services, sold in the neighborhood. That’s why in the U.S., for instance, prices for basic commodities are higher in inner-city stores, at least in those places where there are any grocery, department, or discount stores left.

Sending people to prison for possessing and using hard drugs merely turns them into hard-core criminals, bringing down not only their lives but that of their families and their communities. On the other hand, providing medical and social support to addicts has a beneficial effect not only on their future, but that of their loved ones and the entire community.

The greatest positive argument comes from the social improvements, which affect all of us. Turning people from prison to medical treatment has a positive effect on the community at large, as has been shown in Lisbon. In the past decade, formerly depressed drug-infested neighborhoods have become lively communities where families thrive. The few addicts left are treated humanely, and the government has a standing offer to help them overcome their dependency on hard drugs.

In the long run, any government would benefit both economically and socially by implementing the following policies:

Treat drug addiction as a public health issue by offering treatment to anyone willing to take advantage of it.
Arrest drug addicts only when they commit a crime involving more than simply using a dangerous drug.
Provide educational, job training, and employment opportunities to recovering drug addicts.
Provide counseling and support to families affected by drug addiction.
Direct funds currently used to enforce a failing drug policy toward community improvement projects.

Communities around the country that are doing this kind of thing are reaping the benefits of this open-minded policy. The time is long past due for both state and federal authorities to try the same thing, for the benefit of all.

Poverty: What It Is and How to End It

2010-12-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

On the first day of January, Arizona will join 16 other states that have a higher minimum-wage levels than federal law requires. The purpose of Arizona’s 10-cent increase is commendable: to raise the average income of many of the lowest wage earners in the state. But, as usual, the result will be incomplete and the goal--to ease the rate of poverty in the state--will remain elusive.

In the first place, not every worker is covered by the minimum-wage law. Many people with developmental disabilities work for charitable organizations funded by government subsidies and/or government contracts. These groups aren’t required to pay disabled people a living wage in exchange for semi-skilled labor. Also exempt are people who receive tips, such as many hotel and restaurant employees.

And even though wages are set to go up for many low-income workers, the prices of many goods and services make it impossible for a family of any size to subsist on a minimum-wage income. Even those few extra dollars each week will barely make a ripple in the great need so many families face today.

So, how do we solve the problem of poverty? How can the current economy produce enough well-paying jobs so that workers and their families won’t have to struggle just to pay for the basics, let alone enjoy any of the extras that provide them with some small measure of choice in their lives and their futures?

The best way to answer that question is to define the condition of poverty. Thus, the important question:

What is poverty?

The Oxford American Dictionary (Avon Books, 1980) defines poverty as:

being poor; great lack of money or resources.
scarcity; lack.

My personal definition of poverty is more to the point:

Poverty is a lack of access to one or more of the basic goods or services necessary to enjoy a dignified existence.

In the first chapter of my book, The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace, I explain the difference between needs and wants. I also include a short list of many of the basic goods and services required for a decent life. Sadly, millions of people in this country and billions around the world spend their entire lives in this condition of need, with little or no hope of ever being able to change or improve their situation in life.

I remember hearing the term “war on poverty” when I was a young woman. President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the term in his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. The rest of the ‘60s was marked by a concentrated effort to improve the lives of many people who’d previously been ignored by both public and private economic programs.

Unfortunately, the clash of economics and politics created a system that has spawned a class of multi-generational dependents who seem to have lost hope of ever breaking the cycle of poverty. That’s why I published my essay collection on the issue in The World I Imagine.

Throughout that book, I explain innovative ways in which we can develop and implement creative ideas for educating and training everyone to the extent of their abilities and interests, then match them to the various jobs that need to be done to run a successful economic system. Then, of course, the powers-that-be must ensure that all the basic goods and services necessary for a dignified existence cost no more than half the amount that the lowest-paid full-time worker is able to earn. That will ensure that no one lives in a state of poverty, and everyone will have a bit more than just the basics and, thus, at least a small measure of choice in their lives.

In fact, in a later essay, which I plan to include in my next book, I explain that if we can tackle the twin issues of providing universal education and universal employment, then we’ll have the means necessary to solve all the rest of the problems our society faces at this dangerous time in world history.

Most importantly, we must be ready to develop new and creative ways of managing resources, always keeping firmly in mind the vital goal of ending poverty as an acceptable social policy.

Caps for Good: Knit or crochet a baby’s hat by February 28, 2011

2010-12-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, I read the article by Cokie and Steve Roberts about Caps for Good, the program run by Save the Children to collect infant caps knitted and crocheted by volunteers around the country. The caps will be sent around the world to help keep newborns warm during their earliest weeks of life, when they’re most vulnerable to illness. Imagine: Something as simple as keeping a baby’s head warm can help raise the rate of infant survival among the poorest populations of the planet.

After reading the article in the Casa Grande Dispatch, I went to the Save the Children website and downloaded the instructional booklet for Caps for Good. It’s a good thing I did, because it turns out the current campaign to collect infant caps will end on February 28, 2011, just a couple of months from now. That means if you want to knit or crochet a cap to donate to this worthy cause, you’d better hurry.

If you want to help by making a cap that will warm the head of a vulnerable little tyke, the instructions for making both knitted and crocheted caps are on page 3 of the booklet (technically, page 4 of the PDF document). I intend to dig out some of my old yarn and knitting needles or crochet hooks and see if I can produce a cap or two. It’s been some years since I wielded those implements, but I used to turn out beautiful sweaters every couple of months, and many smaller items, from gloves to caps. Making a simple baby’s cap should be no problem at all.

And lest you fellows think such a project is too sissified for manly men, you should know that men and boys around the country are making a point to learn how to make the caps so they can be real heroes and save the lives of thousands of precious children. So, don’t let anything stand in your way. Make a cap, then use the forms in the PDF booklet to add a personal message to the infant’s mother, then send the cap with the form to the President or your Congressional Representative to let them know what you’re doing and urge them to make enough money available to provide care for children in the poorest countries.

Then you can do one more thing: Tell someone else about the Caps for Good project. Be sure to do that right away, so they can produce a cap before the deadline when this campaign ends. Remember, February 28, 2011. Mark your calendar.

Disability: Reality vs. the one-legged runner

2010-12-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

Note: I promised to post the following article a couple of months ago, but medical issues, both mine and my husband’s, slowed things down for a while. We’re both doing better now, so now I’m back to the grind, and you’ll hear a lot more from me for a while.

In my previous articles on Disability in the Media, I discussed the ways in which artistic productions focus on disability. Now, let me reveal another side of it with a couple of examples that have been covered by virtually all the news outlets, one recent and another from 1980. First, the 30-year-old case:

As a person disabled by chronic illness, I must confess what I think about the fantastic image of the “one-legged runner.” Many people are familiar with media images of Terry Fox, the young man who lost his leg to cancer before he tried running all the way across Canada. He had a two-fold purpose for his marathon-a-day journey: focus more attention on the need for cancer research and raise money for that research.

While his efforts at bringing attention and cash to the cause were successful, few people are aware that Fox had to end his journey well before he reached the halfway point, and nine months later he died of his disease. At the time, I appreciated the need to focus more attention on the need to spend more money fighting disease, cancer and any other type of illness. But like many others with various types of disabilities, I wasn’t completely thrilled by the image of the “hero” amputee that most people saw in the media.

That’s why I was delighted to read Cheri Register’s reaction to the one-legged runner in her book, Living with Chronic Illness: Days of Patience and Passion (Bantam, 1992). Ms. Register and I share a history of dealing with the ups and downs of the unpredictable nature of different kinds of chronic illness. I knew exactly how she felt about the one-legged runner, especially when she revealed that she’d heard the same reaction from others who suffer from chronic illness.

People with different types of chronic illness rarely have the capacity to run around the block, much less cross-country. We don’t have much opportunity to gain media attention and focus people’s minds on donating to research for our particular medical conditions. Thus, reports of the one-legged runner made many sick people fantasize about sneaking onto the sidelines along the course he was running and, when he passes by, sticking out a crutch to trip the “heroic symbol” that gets all the media attention.

Granted, it’s not a very charitable reaction. But it does help us sick people relieve a lot of our frustrations at being shut out of the media loop when the cameras focus on all the unbelievable heroes with different types of disability.

As if the decades-old image of the one-legged runner weren’t bad enough, now we hear about the quadruple amputee who recently swam the English Channel. The angel on my right shoulder reminds me that I must congratulate Philippe Croizon, who completed the crossing in 13 ½ hours. On the other hand, that impish fellow on my other shoulder keeps whispering bad thoughts in my left ear: “Next time he tries something like that, maybe an anchor would slow him down just a wee bit.”

Okay, I’m really trying to be a good girl here. But the reality is, on the rare occasions that I try to explain something about the reasons for my disability, many people will counter with a claim that they know someone with [whatever detail I’ve just shared], and that person is doing just fine. I bite my tongue before I dare to ask if they know everything about that person’s life, such as the many hours, days, or longer, when that person hides the bad times because they only want to come out in public for the “up” times. I’m pretty sure the answer will almost always be “no.”

Then there are the many people who ignore everything I say about limitations I face daily. Instead, they insist I push myself beyond my capacity to do things for them. In recent years, my answer to such abusive demands is always “no.” Because of this, I end up being the one that’s called “selfish.” But I believe that focusing my limited energy in an attempt to help make this a better world, while they’re trying to manipulate me into satisfying some selfish demand of theirs, demonstrates the real difference between us.

Meanwhile, people who really need help don’t have the strength to do the spectacular things those unreal disabled “heroes” use to get all that media attention focused on their conditions. There are plenty of sick people who need help too. We need to find out how to get the media to pay attention to our situations.

The time has come for everyone to rethink their attitudes toward disability. The most important thing disabled people really want is help to break out of the disability “closet” and just be useful, productive, contributing members of society. That’s all I’m trying to do with this work.

Here’s my entire series on Disability in the Media:

Time to end “blackface” practices toward disabled actors and characters

Disabled performers prove capable of filling various roles

Finding the middle ground when casting disabled characters

Disabled performers fight discrimination in the entertainment industry

Media images of disability: Reflecting negative social attitudes

Disability: The media picture vs. reality

Disability in the media: Time to change attitudes

Terry Fox (1958-1981), Canadian cancer fund-raiser,

during his 1980 “Marathon of Hope” fund-raising run across Canada.

July 12, 1980, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

courtesy Photographer Jeremy Gilbert)

Christmas Eve Peace Vigil, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2010-12-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 24, 2010
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Corner Pinal Ave. and Florence Blvd.

Wherever Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) of Youngstown, OH, and Casa Grande, AZ, is, he holds a Peace Vigil for one hour every Friday afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This Friday, December 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., he’ll stand Vigil for Peace at the corner of Pinal Ave. And Florence Blvd. In Casa Grande, AZ. Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Why This Peace Activist Celebrates the Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

2010-12-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

Flying Rainbow Flag

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is but one step forward

in a long fight for civil rights for every human being.

Finally, the Senate has approved a bill repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. With an earlier positive House vote on the issue, the bill now goes to the desk of President Barack Obama, who’s promised to sign it immediately and end the discriminatory practice of preventing gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

Why would a peace activist care about this issue? Because people who want to see the end of conflict in the world don’t feel negatively about those people who truly want to serve their country, its citizens, and its best ideals. We simply want to encourage the political leaders to find more positive ways to accomplish their goals in the world than by killing people.

Standing for peace is not anti-military. In fact, the best thing that can be done for the troops and their families is to help make the world a place where there is no more armed conflict. A world in which military forces can perform positive functions to help people, such as aiding people stricken by natural disasters around the world; helping to build hospitals and schools overseas that are not in danger of being destroyed by enemy forces; bringing food, water, and medicine to people living in remote areas of the world.

Peace people also believe in respect for civil rights for everyone. That’s why restricting people from being able to choose military service, or any other employment, simply because of their sexual orientation is anathema to us. That’s why I take every opportunity to stand for full civil rights for all members of the LGBTQ community. DADT is merely one of the ways in which gay rights are being limited or denied.

So, now is the time to celebrate, but briefly. There is more work to be done to ensure that all human beings will be treated with respect, that their rights will not be denied.

Report from Friday’s Peace Vigil:

2010-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

I had a ball sitting on the corner of Pinal and Kortsen, holding a peace sign and chatting with Father Tony Fasline! (Note to all: see that I’ve spelled Father Tony’s last name completely this time! I dropped the “e” before, but it is Fasline!)

We counted honks (consider them all positive), thumbs ups, and peace signs and I think it came to around 17 or so! A few thumbs downs, and one cussin' out, but if somebody doesn't do that, then we aren't standing up for what's right!

Anyway, I won't be able to do it all the time, maybe once or twice a month, but I'll keep posting the notices each week, so people will know what's going on! Maybe more people will pay attention and join Father Tony--and me, when I can be there!

If you're anywhere in the Casa Grande area next Friday, or some Friday in the future, consider coming out to stand up (or sit down, like me) for peace! Just keep checking this Peace Blog, and I'll let you know when and where!

Attention Peace Lovers, Casa Grande, AZ, and surrounding area:

2010-12-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

PEACE VIGIL
CASA GRANDE, AZ
Friday, December 17, 2010
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Corner West Kortsen Road and North Pinal Avenue

I’ve just had a conversation with Father Tony Fasline (520-426-0070) of Youngstown, OH, and Casa Grande, AZ. Wherever Father Tony is, he holds a Peace Vigil for one hour every Friday afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This Friday, December 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., he’ll stand Vigil for Peace at the corner of West Kortsen Road and North Pinal Avenue. Father Tony invites anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join him. My husband and I hope to be there. Hold out positive thoughts for that!

Disability in the media: Time to change attitudes

2010-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Despite being a double amputee, Robert David Hall juggles a successful

acting career, including a decade-long role as Dr. Al Robbins, coroner on

“CSI: Las Vegas,” and working as a disability activist, especially

as Chair of I AM PWD.

(Picture: Copyright Christopher Veolker, Wikimedia Commons)

So far in this series, I’ve focused on the situation that already is:

the various ways in which disability is portrayed in the media, both positive and negative;
how a few disabled roles require more from actors than people with certain disabilities can manage;
how disabled actors who could play disabled roles are often overlooked when casting those roles;
and contrary to the ways in which disability is often portrayed in the media, how many disabled people are abused in real life.

Of course, people who know what life is really like for the disabled also understand the reasons we need to change many of these conditions. But some people might wonder why we should even bother trying to change the ways in which disability is portrayed in the media.

The reason is simple: In order to effect social changes, we must focus on images of disability as portrayed in popular culture. This could be the only way to change the minds of many people who judge us by images they see on the big and little screens. As I AM PWD Chairman Robert David Hall explains:

“Society’s values and priorities are expressed and reflected in film, television, theatre, news and music. If you aren’t seen and heard, you are invisible. People with disabilities are largely invisible within the arts and media landscape. I AM PWD will change that.”

Thus, the job requires a comprehensive multi-pronged approach. Besides working in communities to improve the lives of people with various disabilities, everyone--from executives to producers to performers to consumers--must take action to change the face of entertainment and news. Employers within and outside of the media must hire more people with various types of disabilities. That means not only casting people with disabilities in various media productions, but hiring more disabled people for jobs in production offices.

We consumers can take action by demanding these changes too. We must support productions that include disabled performers, especially those that present honest portrayals of the reality that people with disabilities must deal with. In addition, we must refuse to support those productions that violate these principles. Write letters, send emails, and make phone calls to let media companies know you expect to see more disabled performers in their productions and disapprove of portrayals that go against these principles.

We must do the same with all the other types of companies too. People with disabilities have always experienced the highest percentage of unemployment in the country. We must learn more about which companies hire disabled workers and buy more of their products and services whenever possible.

And since disabled people experience a higher percentage of poverty than other minorities, we must support laws and policies that provide support and services to disabled people who need them. For instance, besides supporting federal laws that ensure most Americans will receive adequate health services, no matter their medical histories, we must lobby our representatives to improve what was only a first step toward providing everyone with all necessary medical care.

There are many other things we can all do to help make life better for people with various disabilities. Every so often, I’ll share information about the different ways we can all help in this endeavor, as well as many of the organizations that are leading the way in this campaign. Meanwhile, for more information on this issue, you can watch the video below (or go to YouTube to watch the video) from Robert David Hall and I AM PWD to learn more about the problems disabled performers face in an industry that has tried to keep us as invisible as they can.

Now that I’ve discussed various aspects of the images of disability in the media, my next article will be a bit more personal. I’m going to share another side of the media images of disability. I’ll reveal a somewhat naughty (no, not that kind of “naughty”) fantasy that many of us with certain types of disabilities have about the media invention of the disabled “hero.” Check back in a couple of days for that.

Disability: The media picture vs. reality

2010-10-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Even in the 21st century, prevailing prejudice against people with disabilities

would probably keep someone with a visible disability, like that of

Franklin Roosevelt, from being elected president of the United States.

(Photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Warm Springs, GA,

the only place where he could safely reveal his disability,

courtesy Wikimedia Commons: Images of American Political History.

Posting online by Dr. William J. Ball. All images

are believed to be in the public domain.)

So far in this series, I’ve discussed the public face of disability as presented by the entertainment industry. Now it’s time to get personal.

As I’ve intimated in previous articles in this series, I’ve dealt with various degrees of disability almost all my life, and so has my youngest sister. Over the years, our conditions have developed in different ways, to different degrees. Because we share some triggering factors but not others, we have some conditions in common and experience many symptoms separately. The way I explain it is: We have the same thing, only different.

When we compare notes on treatment we’ve received because of our conditions, we also find similarities and differences. The most important factor is that attitudes are pretty much the same. The negative ones are primarily based on ignorance and fear, the same emotions that spawn other types of prejudice. However, this type of prejudice is based on an extra element that’s harder to deal with:

Those who discriminate against others because of religion, skin color, nationality, gender, etc., don’t worry that they’ll become like the people they feel so strongly about. Their fear is based on ignorance about the others. But prejudice directed toward people because of illness and disability is based on a natural, and far too common fear that the same thing could happen to them.

Their discomfort is based on negative feelings about their own imperfection, weakness, and mortality. They know instinctively that in the blink of an eye, they could become just like us. This prejudice is actually an insidious form of self-loathing.

It’s much harder to get through such strong emotional barriers with reason and logic, especially since so many aspects of our society strengthen this fear. The worst culprit comes in the form of religious tradition. Almost all religions worldwide support the belief that there’s something inherently wrong with a person whose daily life is circumscribed by some form of disability.

That explains why, beginning in first grade in our parochial school, my sister’s medical condition made her the target of religious intolerance. One day this innocent child was ordered to hobble on her crutches to the front of the room and stand before the entire class while the nun explained that she’d been cursed with polio because she’d committed some terrible sin.

Imagine the shame my sister felt, being made an object of such cruel condemnation before her entire class when she couldn’t even understand why she’d been “chosen” to be ill in the first place. At that time, the Roman Catholic catechism taught that children aren’t responsible for their actions before the age of seven, considered the “age of reason.”

Since my sister was stricken at the age of six, the nun’s crime of psychological abuse was supported by nothing more than irrational religious intolerance. In fact, their anger toward my sister was so intense that more than one nun took out her frustrations on my little sister, even to the point of pushing her in line when she couldn’t move fast enough on crutches and braces to suit them.

By the time she was in high school, my sister was strong enough to walk without crutches or braces, but she still had issues with coordination. That’s why she was often picked on by the gym teacher, until one day when the teacher used her as an example for the entire class of how not to perform a particular exercise.

This event, along with many others, made my sister finally beg mother to help her get out of gym class. Unfortunately, the school counselor was the gym teacher’s girlfriend, so their complaints proved to be counterproductive. It finally took a doctor’s note to exempt my sister from gym class for the rest of the year. But the counselor wasn’t finished with her yet.

When the time came to help students plan their futures, the counselor thwarted my sister’s hopes for higher education by telling mother her youngest daughter “wasn’t college material.” That’s why this bright young woman gave up any dreams of more schooling and found work in the growing field of computer technology. Eventually she founded a successful company that provided computer accounting services to numerous professionals, including many doctors and lawyers in the Los Angeles area. So much for not being college material!

Like my little sister, the reality I witnessed around me was exactly the opposite of what was shown in the media. In movies and on TV, disabled people were often portrayed as having negative attitudes about their conditions, then some healthy person would come along to teach them how to either accept their conditions with grace or fight to become well again.

I realized early on that while my sister and I instinctively dealt with our conditions as intelligently as any child could, negative attitudes from many people around us often made our lives intolerable. We were often objects of antagonism and abuse because our disabilities upset so many people.

From a very young age, I was constantly chastised for having severe allergies. I was often criticized by adults for not being able to breathe through my nose because I couldn’t get it to stop running. For instance, several times my senior high school English teacher kept me after class to give me a lecture--making me late for my next class--because she was angry with me for constantly sneezing while she was trying to talk.

What I didn’t have the bad manners to tell her was that since she’d dictated the seating order, I was forced to sit in the path of every insidious allergen in the room. I’ve always been sensitive to cold, and my seat was right next to the window. As the weather turned colder, I was subjected to a steady stream of chilled air coming off the nearby glass. Below that was the heating unit, which blew warm moldy air directly at me. Topping it all off, with my desk sandwiched directly between the window-heater array and the teacher’s desk, I spent the first hour of every school day gagging on her godawful cheap perfume.

As if it weren’t enough that I was born allergic to so many things, in the mid-1950s I developed a particularly virulent case of female disease. Needless to say, I was often shamed and punished because of that. Worse, because my disease went untreated for decades because of negative attitudes of people who should have cared about me, I now suffer from a greater degree of disability than I would have if I’d received proper treatment decades ago.

For a variety of reasons, almost everyone from family to medical professionals generally denied my access to treatments that could have helped my condition. When I finally received treatments that slowed or stopped the progress of certain conditions, I was told that nothing could be done to reverse the extensive damage that now limits my capacity to fully enjoy each day.

The trouble is, in the minds of so many people, everything we disabled people do or say is always wrong. They believe that having a disability automatically makes us “bitter.” If we stand up for our rights, we’re labeled “militant.” Strangely, I’ve found that some of the strongest of these accusations often come from people who claim to be pro-civil rights. Still, they draw the line when it comes to standing up for human rights for people with disabilities.

Sadly, the abuse my sister and I have experienced is not uncommon. That’s why I hate to disappoint all the naysayers and abusers, but their anger and condemnation isn’t going to shut me up. I will continue to do everything in my power, within my physical limitations, to fight for the rights of people with disabilities everywhere. One of these days, they might find themselves in need of my help. Not to worry. I will be there for them, as much as I can be, given my limitations.

That’s why I try to avoid watching media portrayals of negative or stereotypical disabled characters. I also try to avoid those stories in which able-bodied actors are cast in the roles of disabled characters, except where a performer with that type of disability couldn’t handle the full range of the role’s demands.

In my next, and the last, article in this series, I’ll explain why the time has finally come to change these negative attitudes toward the disabled. One of the most important and effective places we can start to change those attitudes is with media images of disability.

Media images of disability: Reflecting negative social attitudes

2010-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Even severe arthritis couldn’t keep Lionel Barrymore from working

as a prolific actor, director, artist, and composer. Yet onscreen,

he was forced to portray the stereotypical gruff and “bitter” cripple.

(Picture in the Public Domain from Wikimedia Commons:

Lionel Barrymore in the movie “Camille,” 1936)

When “ER” debuted in 1994, I enjoyed watching the show, not every week but often. Shortly after the appearance of Dr. Kerry Weaver, I stopped watching, and I haven’t seen a single episode since. The fact that Laura Innes is not disabled was one factor in my decision. More importantly, by that time I’d begun to tire of the media image of the embittered cripple.

For decades, I’d watched disabled characters in the media who fell into one of the following extremes:

the angry invalid who blamed everyone, especially God, for being cursed by their condition;
the fighter who must overcome a disability to become “normal” again; and
the hero who performed amazing feats, despite severe physical limitations.

Along the way, any negative expression from a disabled character was considered a sign of bitterness. As a result, certain rules of behavior were imposed on the disabled character. Thus, most plots were about bringing the disabled character to the point of mirroring the following acceptable personality traits:

They must not complain about anything.
They must be express happiness, no matter what.
They must strive for a cure from their terrible condition.
If they cannot be cured, they are often expected to die.

These policies meant that just about every story featuring a disabled person was about their having to learn the lesson not to be bitter but to accept their lot in life with “grace.” And it took the patience of Job on the part of those able-bodied characters around them to teach them that lesson.

What I rarely saw personified in the media was a well-adjusted disabled person who took their condition in stride, did what they could to be as fit as possible, and used their abilities to be contributing and productive members of society. Another reality I rarely saw portrayed in the media was the able-bodied person who abused someone because of their disability. You’d think the world was just chock full of nothing but Florence Nightingale clones ready to sacrifice everything to come to the aid of some grumpy sick person.

And of course, there was that cardinal rule that no starring role would be filled by a performer who was actually disabled. The single exception I recall is Lionel Barrymore. In spite of spending most of the last two decades of his life in a wheelchair, he remained a prolific actor. Still, too often his characters were gruff and sour. By the end of the movie, Barrymore’s character would often learn a lesson in niceness, thanks to some infinitely patient able-bodied character.

On the other hand, Barrymore’s extracurricular activities during this time defined the ideal of a well-adjusted and active disabled citizen. As the director of the 1929 movie, “Madame X,” he developed the concept of the boom microphone, giving actors freedom to move about the set without compromising the quality of the sound of their voices. In 1944, he joined ASCAP and composed numerous musical works in the classical tradition, and he was a talented artist, despite the fact that his hands were badly deformed by severe arthritis.

So much for the stereotype of the bitter cripple in the face of what must have been an extremely painful disability. Sadly, that optimistic spirit was rarely reflected in movies featuring disabled characters.

These experiences are an important part of the reason I now avoid watching portrayals of negative or stereotypical disabled characters. I also try to avoid those stories in which able-bodied actors are cast in the roles of disabled characters, except where a performer with that type of disability couldn’t handle the full range of the role’s demands.

Despite such growing enlightenment and the activism of people like Robert David Hall, Chair of Inclusion in the Arts and Media of People with Disabilities (I AM PWD), the able-bodied star of one of the most popular TV shows today assumed a disability in order to explain his character’s bad temper. When Hugh Laurie began playing Gregory House, I read an article stating that he developed the back story of a severe leg injury in order to “explain” his character’s grumpy nature.

Even if that decision was made by someone else on the production staff, there’s no excuse for it in this day and age. Everything about the role of Gregory House is a slap in the face of disabled actors and citizens everywhere. That’s why I do not watch “House M.D.” And given what I’ve seen of trailers advertising the show, I know I’m not missing a thing.

Moreover, I've recently read that the physical demands of walking with a phony limp have caused Laurie to develop serious hip problems. Hmm. Could this be some sort of "cosmic justice"? The better side of my nature hopes not, but I find it awfully difficult to feel too sorry for the man. All it would have taken to avoid that problem would have been a bit of research into the problems people with certain disabilities have walking with deformed legs, hips and backs. If he'd been smart, he'd have turned down that role.

In my next article in this series, I’ll share a slice of reality, what life is really like for some real-life disabled citizens whom I know intimately. Stay tuned.

Disabled performers fight discrimination in the entertainment industry

2010-09-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Children with aging diseases like progeria are often bullied because

of their distorted appearance, unlike Robin Williams’

natural-looking character in the movie “Jack”

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons, from: The Cell Nucleus and Aging: Tantalizing Clues and Hopeful Promises. Scaffidi P, Gordon L, Misteli T. PLoS Biology Vol. 3/11/2005, e395

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030395)

In recent articles, I’ve listed a few examples I’ve seen that show “Disabled performers prove capable of filling various roles.” However, we must acknowledge the need for “Finding the middle ground when casting disabled characters.” But in many instances, there’s simply no excuse for not filling roles with performers whose disabilities match, or at least come close to, the challenges faced by the characters.

I’ve organized this part of the discussion in somewhat chronological order, so the list parallels my own path of enlightenment regarding the issue. That’s because, as a TV kid, I grew up watching old media stereotypes regarding disability. That’s one of the many reasons I had such a problem dealing with my own growing disability over the years. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

First, here are several disabled characters played by able-bodied actors, though the roles could easily have been filled by people with the same disabilities--in some instances, even the real people the stories were based on:

In 1979, Stockard Channing starred in “Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story,” a portrayal of the hearing-impaired stuntwoman who holds the women’s land speed record for driving a rocket-powered racing car. Then in 1982, Marc Singer played musician, composer, and actor Tom Sullivan in “If You Could See What I Hear.”

At the time, I thought it was pretty good that the stories of these people with disabilities were portrayed as the complex individuals they are. But then in 1983 I was more impressed by the fact that the producers of “Simon & Simon” cast a blind woman, Cheryl McMannis, as a blind Ph.D. in the episode, “I Heard It Was Murder.” Around that time, I read an interview in which McMannis expressed frustration with the industry because she was often bypassed for sighted actors to play blind roles.

Then in the late ‘80s two actors received praise for the skill with which they portrayed a couple with developmental disabilities, but that was before disabled activists began shining such a bright spotlight on the issue. First Larry Drake began playing Benny Stulwicz on “L.A. Law.” Later Kathleen Wilhoite joined the cast as Rosalie Hendrickson, Benny’s eventual bride. While the show did dramatize many issues faced by such a couple, it would have been far more inspiring if the actors were actually developmentally disabled.

Two award-winning movies came along in the early 1990s. Al Pacino portrayed Lt. Colonel Frank Slade in “Scent of a Woman,” and Tom Hanks played “Forrest Gump.” I tolerated one viewing of the latter, as much because of Lt. Dan Taylor, played by Gary Sinise, whose character was first able-bodied and later a double amputee. But with my growing consciousness, I found myself uncomfortable with the stereotypical roles of the developmentally disabled but heroic Gump and the embittered blind retiree in “Scent.”

Another performance that received positive reviews at the time was that of Robin Williams in the movie “Jack.” When he played Jack Charles Powell, a character who was supposed to be 10 years old but had the body of a 40-year-old man, Williams made to attempt to change his normal appearance to portray the distortions and deformities that are the hallmark of early aging diseases.

It occurred to me that Williams’s performance is actually a disservice to the children who experience so much bullying because of their unusual appearance. In fact, if Williams had such a strong urge to play a childlike character, he would have been more honest if he’d played a role similar to that of Adam Sandler’s “Billy Madison.”

On the other hand, this is my chance to hand out another gold star to our favorite forensic drama. In the “Bones” episode, “Stargazer in a Puddle,” the victim was a young woman with one of the aging diseases Williams claimed to have dramatized in “Jack.” True to their practice of showing the harsh realities of death and life, the “Bones” producers used the photo of a young woman whose body and face resemble that of a very old woman, just like that of the child with Progeria, shown above.

You might understand from my first article in the series, “Time to end ‘blackface’ practices toward disabled actors and characters,” I have nothing positive to say about a black actor like Alex Desert playing the blind concession stand operator, Jake Malinak, in “Becker.” It’s bad enough for an able-bodied white actor to take the role of a disabled person. Given the history of discrimination in the media against people of color, I’d hope for more understanding from an African-American actor.

In my next article, I’ll discuss why stereotypical disabled characters provide a false picture of what life is like for people with all manner of disabilities.

Finding the middle ground when casting disabled characters

2010-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

After discussing several successful disabled performers in my previous article, “Disabled performers prove capable of filling various roles,” the time has come to reveal some of the people whom I’ve seen in roles as disabled characters even though they have very little idea what it’s like to actually be disabled. But first, we must consider the fact that there is one qualifying factor in this discussion:

While many people agree there’s a moral necessity for producers in the entertainment industry to cast more disabled actors in the roles of characters with similar disabilities, it’s also true that people with certain disabilities might not be able to fulfill all the requirements of a particular role. That doesn’t mean they can’t manage other roles. People must consider the full range of an individual role before deciding whether it can be managed by a performer with the type of disability being portrayed.

That’s why I grant wide leeway to Tony Shalhoub, who did such a brilliant job as the obsessive-compulsive detective, Adrian Monk. Many of the situations Monk fell into would no doubt be far too frightening, even for many normal people, much less someone with such an extreme level of phobias as that portrayed in the series.

What’s more, during the course of the series, there was at least one other instance in which a person with a disability was played by an actor who didn’t have that disability, but there was a reason for that too. (I won’t give any hints here, because that would be a real spoiler for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode.)

On the other hand, the producers did cast one significant person who actually has a condition that’s not too removed from that of his character. Though he’s known as a brilliant actor and author, John Turturro, who played Adrian’s agoraphobic older brother, Ambrose, actually has Asperger’s Disorder. Turturro’s extensive body of work is testimony to the fact that with proper support, people with all manner of disabilities can achieve great things.

As for the TV series, both Monk brothers were portrayed as extremely intelligent in their areas of expertise, in spite of their psychological quirks. And the often light-hearted approach to the presentation added another element to the process of breaking down barriers in many people’s minds.

Perhaps one day that combination of facts and levity might help some viewers overcome their bias toward people they didn’t accept before they saw the show. So, where it counted, “Monk” producers came through for people with various types of poorly understood disabilities.

There were a couple of other cases in which I’ve seen able-bodied actors play people with disabilities, but certain factors required them to perform beyond those disabilities. LeVar Burton played the blind Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” But a futuristic electronic visor gave him enough sense of sight that it would have been impossible for an unsighted person to play every aspect of that role.

Happily, a similar visor is now a reality, at least in experimental form, as well as an artificial electronic eye. Perhaps one day people with many types of visual impairments might be able to minimize their disabilities because of the vision of Gene Roddenberry and other people connected with the “Star Trek” franchise.

I admit I wasn’t so thrilled when I heard that the very able-bodied Jason Ritter (son of John, grandson of Tex) was cast as the wheelchair-bound former football player Kevin Girardi on “Joan of Arcadia.” Though I didn’t watch much of the show, I did read that there was at least one episode in which the actor had to perform in his pre-accident persona, which a paraplegic could not have done.

These are just a handful of the jobs that were filled by people who couldn’t personally fathom all aspects of the conditions they were portraying. But I have to admit that in certain instances, many factors make this type of casting the most reasonable course of action, and those I’ve witnessed in such cases were presented in very professional manner. Meanwhile, if these shows helped to educate some viewers on the realities of disability, then they’ve done a public service after all.

Finally, my next article will discuss those people I’ve relegated to my personal “hall of shame”: those actors who took on roles that could--and no doubt should--have been portrayed by disabled actors who would have been much better equipped to identify with both the physical boundaries and the psychological depths of the characters in those stories.