Tikkun Daily Blog Archive (https://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2013/09/page/4/)
After an anti-drone protest at Beale Air Force base, five activists face potential jail time and thousands of dollars in fines. Yet at her sentencing hearing, Sharon Delgado stands strong by her beliefs and delivers an inspirational statement.
The beloved city, Israel’s capital, is besieged by Syria. No one is free. We are the walled city. We are its violent, deceitful citizens. O, dear people, you have been in thrall to fears, and for so long a time. In the Cross of Christ, come free and see in the present moment that what you fear does not exist. The violence of anger will move from your path and you, like the lepers, will become angels—messengers of good news to the city.
Gandhi was once given a seemingly impossible scenario: what would he do if a plane were flying over his ashram to bomb him? He gave an equally challenging answer: he would pray for the pilot. Gandhi’s call to prayer was consistent with his vision of nonviolent strategy, and we have much to learn from his teaching as we seek to address the potential U.S. bombing of Syria.
The Netherlands’ oldest engineering firm, Royal Haskoning, has canceled a massive water treatment project with the Jerusalem municipality after intense pressure from the Dutch government to do so. The reason: part of the plant would have been built over the Green Line, in Palestinian territory. According to Haaretz, the firm pulled out of the deal after strong pressure from the Dutch government, and released a statement detailing its refusal to violate international law.
AIPAC is taking an incredible risk by making an unprecedented full court press to get the bomb Syria resolution. Never in its history has it gone all out to achieve passage or defeat for anything not directly related to Israel. And, because Congress is snugly in its pocket on Israel issues, it rarely needs to fight. The Syria vote will be its test.
Two passions of mine combine in wanting to take apart the meaning of “Can I?”: my love of language, which includes the belief that words are never simply words; and my burning interest in transforming paradigms of power.
People of faith across the country and world are calling on Congress NOT to authorize military intervention in Syria. A Bay Area group adds its voice to the chorus and calls on all Americans to make their voices heard.
Why do Republicans win so many elections? For years, this question has puzzled me. At a rational level, their policies clearly favor a wealthy minority and penalize the middle and lower classes; i.e., the vast majority of voters. Nevertheless, Republicans have won 7 of the last 12 national elections. They have these wins not because they’re smarter or richer, but because in contrast to more progressive politicians, Republicans wholeheartedly embrace and promote compete and win, dominate and control–they activate people’s fight/flight response.
Those who have no sense of personal dignity, including elected officials, are not capable of contributing to democracy, and inevitably scapegoat others for their failures.
A year after a deportation reprieve became available to undocumented youth, analysts are noticing a trend: Very few Chinese immigrants are applying for it.