MamaMo

It’s Veteran’s Day – a day of many and mixed emotions for me. I come from a family of strong military service, especially during wartime. My grandfather served as a fighter pilot in WWII. My dad was an Army Airborne Ranger infantryman in Vietnam – I can’t even begin to fathom what his two tours (two years) were like there. My younger sister was an Army chemical/biological/nuclear warfare officer during the Gulf War – I remember not even being able to catch a glimpse of the news playing on TV without bawling. My own love of country and desire to serve the glorious principles that this great nation embodies moved me to join the Air Force.

Last week, I stumbled upon an amazing show on PBS – Medal of Honor, stories and reflections from several living (definitely a minority) award recipients. It left me with tear-stained cheeks and the burning desire to know WHEN will we stop sending the best of our youth/citizenry off to suffer the emotional and physical and spiritual ravages of war.

This is offered for all those who have served and are serving and will serve…

“Briefly, I have traveled this long distance, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to this western continent in the desire and hope that the strongest bond of unity may be established between America and Persia [Iran]. I know this to be your wish and purpose also and am sure of your cooperation. We shall, therefore, offer supplication in the divine threshold that a great love may take possession of the hearts of men and unite the nations of the world. We will pray that the ensign of international peace may be uplifted and that the oneness of the world of humanity may be realized and accomplished. All this is made possible and practicable through your efforts. May this American democracy be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the universality of mankind. May it be the first to upraise the standard of the Most Great Peace, and through this nation of democracy may these philanthropic intentions and institutions be spread throughout the world. Truly, this is a great and revered nation. Here liberty has reached its highest degree. The intentions of its people are most praiseworthy. They are, indeed, worthy of being the first to build the Tabernacle of the Most Great Peace and proclaim the oneness of mankind. I will supplicate God for assistance and confirmation in your behalf.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1912

“I must sing my song. There may be other songs more beautiful than mine, but I must sing the song God gave me to sing, and I must sing it until death.”
* Charlotte Hawkins Brown

“O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.”

A few awesome bumper stickers seen on a car last week at soccer practice:

I’ve been meditating on the following passage this week, and found it amazingly appropriate to the juncture we find ourselves at as a country (and planet). So I thought I’d offer it to you for your contemplation as well.

“Difference of capacity in individuals is fundamental to human existence. It is not possible for all to be alike, for all to be equal. Yet human affairs, in their entirety, should be governed by the principle of justice.

Justice is not limited; it is a universal quality. It must operate at all levels of society. Justice must be sacred, and the rights of all people must be guarded. The laws of society must be formulated and enforced in such a way that it is not possible for a few to amass wealth and for others to be destitute. Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty.

Each member of society should enjoy the benefits of civilization, because every individual is a member of the body of humanity. If one member of this body is in anguish or distress, all the other members must necessarily suffer. How can one member be afflicted and the others be at ease? Yet today because of the lack of harmonious relations, some members of society are satisfied, living in the utmost comfort and luxury, while others are in want of food and shelter. Today’s society lacks the necessary reciprocity and symmetry; it is not well arranged. Laws and principles are needed that will ensure the well-being and happiness of all the members of the human family.

Justice is established on the pillars of reward and punishment. People are motivated to be just by the hope for reward and the fear of punishment. These two sentiments are necessary if oppression is to be prevented. The legislators and administrators of the laws must be aware of the spiritual consequences of their decisions. When an official knows that he will be held responsible for his actions beyond this earthly life, he will be inspired to act with justice. The ruler who knows his judgments will be weighed in the balance of Divine Justice will surely avoid oppression.”
excerpted from Arising to Serve, written by the Ruhi Foundation in 1987

Oh. my. gosh.
I succumbed to peer pressure from Mrs. G and signed up to participate in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) – where you write a post for your blog EVERY DAY for the month of November. So here I am “cheating” already with a lame post, and it’s only the first day!

We must get beyond the “black and white” of perception and embrace the “gray” of reality. “Terms like ‘conservative,’ ‘liberal,’ and ‘progressive’ do not, and cannot, do justice to the complex reality of our politics and our experience as humans,” writes George Lakoff in his new book The Political Mind.

“Barry Goldwater, ‘Mr. Conservative,’ had the general conservative worldview for foreign and military policy and economic policy, but had the general progressive worldview about Native American rights, about religion, about gays in the military (“You don’t have to be straight to shoot straight”), and about governing itself, where he believed in honest, open, and cooperative government as opposed to government by obedience.” pg.70

No matter who wins on Tues., as a nation we are going to HAVE to work together, if we expect to address any of the immense challenges we are now faced with. This will require effort on our part, suspension of judgment of others, the ability to maturely disagree without attacking each other with meaningless “labels”, and the willingness to find our common ground as a firm foundation from which to build our society. Just as it is with genetics, where we are 99.5% similar, why do we center so much of our energy around that .5% difference?