Politics & Society

Sunny Schwartz on the web

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Sunny sent out some links to comments about her book. Here’s a great comment from a blog called Lerterland:
And that’s the core contribution of Dreams from the Monster Factory: it upends the soft-on-crime/tough-on-crime dichotomy and takes a long, hard look at getting results. What can be more tough than putting violent offenders in the same room with crime victims and forcing them to confront the consequences of their actions? Encouraging them to get educated and turn their lives around, so that their communities can live in peace? Ultimately, as Sunny shows, the best way to shake up inmates is to humanize them, not dehumanize them.

Inter-Culturalism

American Muslims Challenge China

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Wajahat Ali, playwright and friend of this blog, sent us this press release today. My eye was caught by the phrase “American Muslims thrive because of the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom,” which I am sure Thomas Jefferson would be happy to hear if he could:
American Muslims Call on Chinese Govt’ to Protect Religious Freedom
In response to the outbreak of violence in Xinjiang, China, in early July, 2009, American Muslims across the country will speak out for religious freedom in China during their July 31, 2009 Friday sermon
SAN FRANCISCO – A collection of American Muslim professionals, journalists and community and religious leaders, are calling for American Muslim leaders and religious figures to speak up during their Friday, July 31, sermon for religious freedom in light of the brutal crackdown by the Chinese on Uyghur Muslims in July and a history of repression of religious groups including Christians and the Falun Gong.In response to the collective concern of the American Muslim community, imams and religious leaders across America have been asked to speak out for religious freedom in China and promote awareness of the plight of Uyghur Muslims to their congregations. Members of this collection of the American Muslim community are currently contacting imams and religious leaders at major religious centers and mosques, and are encouraging sermons addressing the importance of bringing attention and support to this embattled community. They are encouraging sermons that bring attention and support to this embattled community while also addressing the importance of religious freedom for all people, including Uyghur Muslims, and the right of all Chinese religious communities to enjoy self-determination and the preservation of cultural identity. Resources to promote awareness about the struggle for religious freedom in China, the repressive situation of Uyghur Muslims, and the difficult situation in Xinjiangare available at the facebook group “American Muslims Support the Uyghurs on July 31.”

Rethinking Religion

Theology on Tikkun Daily

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We welcome theological discussion on this blog. But I am very aware of how quickly we could become known for a set of ideas that will be offputting to the very people we want to join the discussions with us, as readers and fellow bloggers. Nancy Vedder-Schults and I have both just posted some reflections on death: theological reflections. There was quite a degree of agreement between us. These are not the official views of Tikkun Daily!

Culture

Release from Death

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Nancy has gone to the heart of so much anguish in our society in her ‘Death Defying 2’ post.. I had cancer a few years back and was told it had metastasized, so for a few weeks I had a good test of how I would feel about dying (until a PET scan reversed the CAT scan finding and I was OK). I was very unhappy for my family, but to my surprise I was fine about my own after-death prospects, because what I expect is just an end. No more. No Platonic dualism.

Politics & Society

The Tikkun Phone Forum

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On Monday evenings I have the great pleasure of interviewing one of our Tikkun magazine or web authors on a conference call. After a twenty minute interview the floor is thrown open to anyone on the call to ask a question or make a brief comment. It’s like a call-in radio show. No charge appears on your phone bill — we pay for it as a way of expressing our thanks to all Tikkun subscribers and paid-up members of the Network of Spiritual Progressives. Anyone can join in, but we ask that you do become a subscriber or member if you can possibly afford it.

Culture

Sun

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The sun loves me. Oh yeah, I know, like the Bible says
the sun shines on good and evil alike
and I like that about old Sol. But when the sun shines on me
touching my cheek like a lover
turning my heart wild and green
lighting my crown like the 4th of July
grand finale, I know
the sun loves me
and on behalf of the planet
I take it very personally. — Elizabeth Cunningham, from Small Bird

This was one of the poems my wife, Debi, read at our service in Tilden Park on Sunday.

Politics & Society

Democrats Drop Key Part of Bill to Assist Unions

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A rabbi and lawyer with a large Union representing health care workers has written us explaining why the latest piece of Democrat feebleness will hurt workers; or to put it less emotively, he explains why the moderate Democrats who oppose “card-check” are wrong in arguing that it is undemocratic because, they say, it gives too much power to unions to “bully” workers and not enough to employers:
I was deeply disappointed to read in the Friday July 17, 2009 edition of the New York Times that the Democrats have decided to drop “card check” from their planned legislation removing barriers from workers exercising freedom of choice for their representatives for workplace governance. As a labor lawyer for the past 28 years I have extensive exposure to the barriers faced by workers in trying to gain the right of representation in workplace governance. As a candidate for public elected office I have seen first hand how the rules for other governance bodies are free of most of the barriers that are placed in the way of workers. As a Rabbi I am saddened that the religious community has not become active on this key question of social justice and that my coreligionists who are employers have not been willing to speak out in favor of basic worker rights. The US constitution (and the Canadian one for that matter, I am a long term dual citizen residing and working in Canada) have somehow allowed corporations the human right of free speech.

Culture

Peacemaking Hits the Pop Scene

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In my twenties in England I couldn’t not know whenever the Eurovision Song Contest was happening: it was a big deal. I can’t say I have paid any attention to it in recent decades. But a friend just sent me this to post. She wrote:
Some of you music lovers may know that each year, for 53 years, the Eurovision Song Contest has brought thousands of international singers and songs into the limelight.This year, 42 countries participated in the final competition at the Olimpiysky Indoor Arena in Moscow. The Israeli entry was a beautiful duet, “There Must be Another Way,” performed by a unique Israeli-Palestinian pair: Noa (Achinoam Nini) and Mira Anwar Arad.

Earth-based Religions

How Daily Are We? My weekend…

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I came in today to find we had all taken a break over the weekend. That’s fine by me: there is so much to read from last week alone. I spent a good part of the weekend creating a small open air service for members of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. We met in Tilden Park, a large wild land that starts at the top of the ridge of hills that provide the eastern boundary of the Bay Area metropolis. You can stand at one or two places on that ridge and look one way to the Bay, its famous bridges, Alcatraz, the Oakland harbor and East Bay cities like Berkeley, and beyond to San Francisco’s skyscrapers–one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world– and then turn and look the other way and see not just wild land all the way to Mount Diablo some twenty miles away.

Politics & Society

Our Ignorance About Homelessness

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A woman wrote to me about Tikkun Daily:

When you include pieces from poor people, and what it feels like to live on the bottom rung of this society, then there will be something for me to read. I don’t belong in the rarified company of people who aren’t interested in the daily lives of us poor people. I replied: “I hear you. Do you want to write me something of your story for me to put on the blog?” She responded:

Thank you for hearing me.