As we sat in the “story time” area of our shop yesterday, working on a curriculum about service learning, a neighbor stopped in and thrust a news article into our hands. She was distraught about the news that Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst / presidential daily briefer and now anti-war activist, was getting ready to board a ship sailing to Gaza. This ship, named The Audacity of Hope, is one of a group of ships forming a flotilla to bring attention to and potentially break the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip. Today the White House issued a warning to the nearly 40 Americans planning to sail on that ship that the U.S. would not only do nothing to protect them, but might prosecute them if they do break the blockade and survive to return to the United States. This won’t be the first time people risk harm, prosecution, or death for something they really believe in. Nor, thank goodness will it be the last.

Craig and Derrick in Their San Mateo Shop

Two decades ago someone like me wasn’t allowed to serve in the U.S. military openly, so after eight years of service, I left. Back then someone like Derrick wasn’t allowed to openly serve as a deacon, elder, or minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, so he joined a congregation that fought against that ban. That congregation, the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, had a long history of working for peace and social justice. Along with fully accepting Derrick and me for who we were, the people there also introduced us to the power of nonviolent resistance against injustice in all its forms, and opened our eyes to the many ways we were called to make the world a better place. By truly embracing us as individuals AND as a couple, they also set us on a path to where we are today.

It is 2011 and gays and lesbians can serve in the military and in the Presbyterian Church USA. My prayer is that my GLBTQ sisters and brothers, and all of the allies who have tirelessly worked for inclusion, will celebrate these victories and then join the global quest for peace, justice, and equality.

Image Courtesy Glen Edelson http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenirah/

I’m a big fan of Jim Burklo’s “Musings,” often posting them here at Tikkun Daily with his permission. This one reminded me of the Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment (ESRA) to the Constitution that Tikkun/NSP has been promoting and which once again got introduced in Congress. Check out Jim Burklo’s more individual/personal set of commandments.

1) Thou shalt not separate social from personal responsibility: thou art thine own keeper, and the keeper of thy brothers and sisters, too.

2) Thou shalt provide all children with basic survival needs for health, food, shelter, and safety even if it means bending the rules.

3) Thou shalt honor thy aged fathers and mothers by guaranteeing them comprehensive health care and a livable minimum pension and by paying their caretakers a living wage.

Tonight we’ll celebrate President Obama and Attorney General Holder’s decision to NOT defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. Following in the footsteps of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and then California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the White House announced that the Justice Department could not defend DOMA, in part because “congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships – precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution’s) Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against.”

Could this be the beginning of the end of DOMA?

One of the biggest risks of nonviolent protest is that those whom you are protesting might respond with violence. Ask Mohandas Gandhi and those who struggled for India’s independence. Ask Martin Luther King, Jr., and other African-Americans who joined in the civil rights movement. Such was the case most recently in Bahrain on the morning of February 17th. Yet in 2011 in the United States of America, if you were to engage in a silent and nonviolent protest in front of a major national leader, say merely turning your back on her while she was giving a speech on, say, the importance of free speech, would you expect to be brutally beaten and jailed by her security detail? Until receiving an email message from Ray McGovern, we would have answered that question with a resounding no.

We got word today that Borders was declaring bankruptcy. I’m the co-owner of a small business and a partner in a small publishing cooperative and I was wondering what would happen to all the books, DVDs, CDs, and other products Borders had “purchased” from publishers but hadn’t yet paid for. Would Borders return those products to us? Would they pay us if they wanted to keep the products? Or, would they hold onto them and sell them and get whatever money they could for them without ever having to pay us?

I’m betting you can guess the answer.

Fires Set on Vehicles Outside House

I watched in horror as the scene unfolded before me. My friend had contacted me on February 6th to tell me about a brutal attack against Ahmadiyya Muslim Community members in a village in Banten Province west of Jakarta, Indonesia. According to reports, hundreds of people descended upon a house in that village, began attacking the structure and setting vehicles ablaze, and then went inside. Lifeless bodies were soon dragged out of the house and beaten mercilessly by the crowd while police stood by and did nothing. My friend implored me to get the word out about the attack.

I hesitated. At first, because I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then, believing them, I worried about the reaction people would have when they saw these atrocities. I also had no clue what call to action I could share. Now I do. Read on.

As a very young person, the access that I was given to highly classified information was an awesome sign of trust and came with an awesome amount of responsibility. It also came with a lot of training, restrictions from accessing information unless I had a “need to know” and a lot of discussion about “what ifs.” It would have taken an unfathomable “what if” for me to even consider disclosing information to which I had access to the public, as PFC Bradley Manning is accused of having done.

If guilty, he will face severe punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Until he is tried, he deserves to be treated like any other prisoner facing trial, yet reports from his lawyer indicate that his treatment is anything but normal. I may not be able to stand with PFC Manning if he is, in fact, found guilty of leaking classified information, but I and others SHOULD stand up FOR him right now. Why? Read on!

UFE's State of the Dream Report

For quite a few years, whenever the opportunity has presented itself, I’ve talked and written about the real state of “wealth redistribution” in America. My company, Reach And Teach, worked with HS teacher Tamara Sober and United for A Fair Economy (UFE) to create a web site to help teach a different view of economics than what is found in the typical High School economics textbook. Despite tons of clear data showing how much harm the last 30 years’ of economic policies have caused for the majority of Americans, that data has seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Just the other day, though, one of my more socially liberal friends forwarded a story about how the top 1% has seen massive wealth increases in the last 30 years while the lowest 40% have seen not only a drop, but have fallen into the negative wealth zone (owing more money with very little assets).

Could this finally be a tipping point?

Anna Stevenson, her beloved husband Lewis, and their beloved pooch, Poppy.

Yesterday was a bit of a hard day. I had to do end-of-the-year tax payments and the gozintas and gozoutas for the year weren’t looking very good. Some other stuff was going on that really had me down. Sigh.

I had to open up my old email software to find the message from our accountant so I could print out the quarterly payment forms. When I clicked on my “personal” folder it opened to a message from my friend Anna which she wrote to me back in 2004. Anna died around a year ago and I was pretty surprised that on the day before New Years Eve I’d land on a message from her.

Intrigued about what she had to say? Read on.

Tell Your Senator to Vote for Cloture

Senator Reid has announced that he’ll take a cloture vote on Saturday on two bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives. The first bill would repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the immoral and harmful rules preventing gay people from serving honestly in the armed forces. The second bill, known as the Dream Act, would help children of undocumented immigrants get an education and allow them to embark on a path to citizenship.

The Senate requires 60 votes for cloture, closing debate on a bill and moving it forward for an up or down vote by senators. Senator McCain, among others, has threatened to fillibuster to prevent cloture. We need to tell all of our senators that these two bills deserve a simple up or down vote and that they should stop any fillibuster that would prevent a vote on these bills. As you can guess from my previous posts, I support repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tel and I support the Dream Act. No matter what your position on these two bills, they deserve to be voted on. Contact youu senators  now and tell them to vote for cloture on these two bills. Demonstrate that our democracy still works.

On Sunday December 5th, Afghan children and a U.S. combat veteran shared their experiences of the war with each other and people across the world. Their stories were heart-breaking, their mutual calls for an end to the war powerful and clear, and their gift to anyone willing to truly listen and learn about the situation in Afghanistan is priceless. You can take part in the next two conversations on Sunday December 12th and 19th.

SSgt. Craig Wiesner in 1986 at the Defense Language Institute

In 1987 I left the United States Air Force after serving honorably for eight years. I couldn’t stand the idea of having to hide who I was, having to live a lonely isolated life, and despite being willing to live without love or true companionship, facing the constant threat of being outed and having my career destroyed.

This week, Congress can help to right a wrong that has destroyed lives, careers, and perpetuated prejudice and discrimination against people who simply wanted to serve their country. The military has spoken and those who serve have said that they want an end to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Let’s show our military that we listen to them and urge Congress to put an end to this stain on our nation’s honor.

Secretary Clinton visits the DMZ conference room in Korea

I’ve stood in that room, a conference room at the DMZ between South and North Korea. Just inches away from soldiers who might some day be firing at me and my friends, you really get it, you get why you do the job you do, whether it is inches away or miles away from that guy staring through the window. As we head into Thanksgiving weekend, I remember my years stationed in Korea and I worry about all the people, on both sides of the DMZ, and whether South Korea can hold fast, hold off, and not respond to the second serious attack this year by the North. People have died. Many more could.

The New York Times has an interactive feature where you can go through and make the tough decisions on ways to eliminate the United States budget deficit. I just solved the problem. You can see the choices I made by clicking here.

Beyond armchair budgeting from folks like us, the Times also provides 16 experts with their opinions on ways to eliminate the deficit. Click here to read that article.

When you’re done, how about coming back here and sharing your thoughts about ways to eliminate the deficit (or if you’re someone who doesn’t think it needs to be eliminated, educate the rest of us on why you feel that way).

The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) recently published a report showing that there are nearly 1,000,000 homeless children enrolled in U.S. schools. This represents an alarming 41% rise from just a few years ago. Most people don’t imagine a child’s face when they think of the face of homelessness, but the average age of a homeless person in our country is nine!

Click here to read a report by NAEHCY with more details.

A photograph of a younger Baranski-Walker designing an S.O.S-Chicago poster.

Our partner in peacemaking here in San Mateo CA is heading off to Poland tomorrow to receive the Medal of Gratitude from Lech Walesa for work she did 30 years ago. Freedom from dictatorships, won through the blood, sweat, and tears of many in the nonviolent labor movements both in Poland and around the world, is something we need to remember and celebrate. Today Donna Baranski-Walker is involved in another nonviolent struggle, helping Palestinians rebuild destroyed homes and working to make their communities safe. Will it take 30 years for the world to recognize the value of that work?

If you happen to be a young person, in or just out of college, and you’re interning or volunteering for a non-profit organization today, and wondering if what you’re doing really matters. It does!

Read more to learn about the incredible past, present and future of peacemaking and the ongoing fight for social justice for all.

Sometimes the work of trying to bring justice to a world that seems so broken feels like a battle that can never be won. But every once in a while, something happens that reminds you that you must keep working for justice. This week, the family and friends of a little girl named Abir, and the many many many other people who have struggled to seek justice after she was killed, got a boost of hope. An Israeli judge issued an incredible ruling, and my friends at the Rebuilding Alliance wanted to share the news with the world. They’ve been working to not only get justice in this case, but to also build hope for Abir’s community, by building playgrounds in her memory.

April 8th, 1990

20 years and four months after our marriage in the First Presbyterian Church, and 2 years after the County of San Mateo issued our marriage license and the minister who had married us 20 years earlier got to sign our marriage certificate, a federal judge declared today that our marriage remains legal (we weren’t the plaintiffs in the case, but were married in San Mateo County during the brief window when California allowed gay marriage). And… he declared the ban on gay marriage passed by voters in California to be in violation of the United States Constitution.

Pass the chocolate cake – it is time to celebrate… and get back to work after the frosting is gone because there’s a whole lot of work to do.

My mother-in-law thinks we are crazy, taking half a day off work to cook, serve, and clean up for around 50-100 homeless folks who come to our church on Wednesdays. We only do this once every five weeks, part of a rotation of folks who make sure that there’s a hot meal for homeless folks in Palo Alto every day. Yes, at the end of our six hour shift I am pretty exhausted, more so, it seems, now that a decade has passed since we started. But crazy? No. We still get a lot out of it. So why am I going on and on about this and how does the title of this post fit in? Easy. The guy who got us started doing this homeless meal just wrote a lovely “musing” about homelessness, mental illness, spirituality, and toasters, and I thought I would share it with you all.

But before you click to read more, please say a prayer for our friend Susan, one of our meal team members, who is having surgery today to remove a cyst from her spleen. She wants to be surrounded by prayer as she heads into the operating room.

And now you can read the rest of the story. Read on!