Oklahoma's Senator Inhofe or Israel's President Peres?

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman.


Those were the words of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Pretty simple and clear. The American public decides who wins American Idol or Dancing with Disgraced Republicans but Alfred Nobel appointed a committee of scholars to decide the recipient of the Peace Prize. As a friend of mine likes to say, "It's their spoon so they get to stir."

This year they decided to base the award on words, not achievements. Words matter. The committee honored President Obama's willingness to to engage in dialogue and negotiations

"as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts."

World opinion matters. Of course the yokels and the haters believe our country should be the world enforcer because we are the biggest, strongest and richest. Lacking knowledge or understanding of world history they laugh at the idea that there is value in respectful listening and peace making. The truth is that we will not always be the biggest, the strongest or the richest country. Even if our empire were to last longer than the British Empire, (it won't) we would still need more open hands and fewer clenched fists because the world is more crowded and more connected than at any time in history.

So I am delighted that the Nobel Committee honored my country by selecting our President. I understand that it is a symbol given at the beginning of long journey. I also understand that the people who are angry or spiteful about the award care more about petty politics than about the values that make democracy possible.

Jim Inhofe, Rush Limbaugh, Hugo Chavez and Khaled Al-Batsh, a leader of the militant Islamic Jihad in Gaza stand together in disagreement about the award. President Shimon Peres of Israel and Desmond Tutu endorsed the announcement. I know which side I prefer.

From Tulsa's Holiday Hills To San Francisco's Mission

Wednesday is the first day of school. I always love the sights and sounds of children, teachers and parents greeting each other with anticipation for the new year. I am keenly aware of how lucky I am to work in a vibrant and diverse San Francisco neighborhood. I am privileged to own a home nearby where I hope to live again. Neighborhoods shape our view of the world and our place in it.

Throughout my life I have lived surrounded by affluence. The typical 50's- 60's subdivision, Holiday Hills, of my childhood, Tulsa's upscale enclave of Maple Ridge where I spent my Junior League years, the gold paved streets of Palo Alto, the beautifully manicured neighborhood where I raised my children when they were in elementary school and the exclusive estates which surround my current home in Woodside have all been filled with people like me. My neighbors in these places have been mostly white, well educated Americans who have never known hunger,faced discrimination based on color or creed and don't worry about obtaining adequate housing, education or health care. Life presents everyone with challenges but throughout my life I have enjoyed opportunity and support. It is very easy to be a conservative when one is privileged. I assumed that everyone had similar opportunities and that social programs coddled people. I was very uncomfortable with anything that veered from the norm, whether it was landscaping with native plants instead of pansies or men and woman who found love with same sex partners. When everyone you know well is like you it is easy to label people who are different as wrong or weak.

I am still an affluent, white woman with a country club membership and business class seats on airplanes but my life is much richer because of my contact with the wider world. As I walk to work on streets where grime is mixed with beauty and where I am surrounded by people whose path is very different from my own I feel more connected to the world than I ever felt in my 'hood. Everyday I realize how much I don't know about the world and how much I want to learn. It's all good.

Educating for Their Furture Not Our Past

Today was the first day of school for my seventeen year old son. I think this is the very first time on his academic journey that I did not shed a tear at the launch of a new year. I am not sure why my eyes remained dry. After all today is a milestone in several ways; he drove himself to school and is starting college a year early while he earns his last few high school credits. Yet for the first time since he toddled off to "Mommy and Me" I am not nostalgic. I am excited about his new adventure because Middle College is a unique opportunity to escape the four walls of traditional high school and transition to more responsibility and academic rigor. I don't expect the program to be perfect or believe JW will have a flawless year but I am grateful to be part of an alternative that is not reserved for scholastic stars or designed for drop-outs. We need more alternatives for "regular kids" like JW.

I believe the next generation of parents will demand transformation of schools. I am not talking about more detailed standards or increased high stakes testing. I mean deep change in how we reach students and in what we want them to know and be able to do. There won't be one perfect model of a 21st century school. There will be many types of learning communities that will enable our society to what Robert Epstein describes as

"mass education on an individual basis."

Epstein, former editor in chief of Psychology Today, has a great take on what today's teenagers need and why they are not being well served in the traditional high school.

Wordle Middle School Movie Reviews

Synergy Summer film club for middle school students. We are using wordle to review movies. The word clouds spark discussion and are sometimes used as the foundation for writing projects.

All images were created using Wordle @ http://www.wordle.net

What Are We Doing

I love schools. I thrive on the energy in the hallways and classrooms. I am delighted by the chatter on the play yard. I adore talking to children and watching excellent teachers work their magic. I believe in the possibilities. I'm an optimist. I buy that cheesy bromide "children are the future," and I know that educators have a tremendous opportunity to influence the future through guiding children. I admire most of my client schools and treasure every day I spend at Synergy but the truth is I fear that too often we fail to effectively reach children. I am sure that schools, all schools, need to change. Formal education, from elementary school through grad school, is in need of transformation.

Public schools will change last because state legislatures and federal mandates never drive authentic transformation; at best they follow the lead of others and more often, as Sir Kenneth Robinson says, they look to the past for direction. In theory independent and other private schools have the freedom to define their own metrics of success, try new teaching methods, take risks and tilt at windmills. Sadly exciting innovation and authentic educational reform is too rare in non-public schools but that's another post- hell that's an entire book!

Eighteen years ago John Taylor Gatto wrote,

A few years back one of the schools at Harvard, perhaps the School of Government, issued some advice to its students on planning a career in the new international economy it believed was arriving. It warned sharply that academic classes and professional credentials would count for less and less when measured against real world training. Ten qualities were offered as essential to successfully adapting to the rapidly changing world of work.

Here are the ten qualities Gatto attributed to Harvard:
1) The ability to define problems without a guide.
2) The ability to ask hard questions which challenge prevailing assumptions.
3) The ability to work in teams without guidance.
4) The ability to work absolutely alone.
5) The ability to persuade others that your course is the right one.
6) The ability to discuss issues and techniques in public with an eye to reaching decisions
about policy.
7) The ability to conceptualize and reorganize information into new patterns.
8) The ability to pull what you need quickly from masses of irrelevant data.
9) The ability to think inductively, deductively, and dialectically.
10) The ability to attack problems heuristically.

Are these the qualities that a well educated person needs for the 21st century? Think you can come up with a better list? Please share- I'd love to see it.

How would you answer any of the following questions?

What is the curriculum of necessity for the 21st century?

What should schools do to prepare today's students for their future?

What does a well educated 21st century person need to know and be able to do?

Thanks

100 Days- No Regrets!

Early in 2008 I decided to support Barack Obama for president. It was not an obvious choice. As a woman and mom I was attracted to Hillary Clinton but the more I listened to the debates and watched Barack Obama navigate the campaign it became obvious that he had the temperament and the intelligence to be the leader we need. Dreams of My Father is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. It is a remarkable story about families, cultures and self discovery and it is honest and elegantly written. When I put down the book I was certain of two things. First, I wanted my children to read the book and second, for the first time in my life, I wanted to work in a campaign.

One hundred days into his term I have no regrets. My life and expectations for the future have altered in the past eight months but my certainty that Barack Obama is the right president for these difficult times has not changed. I believe he is atransformation leader in a time that calls for transformation.

My strong desire for societal transformation may seem strange. Like many of my generation, the early 50-somethings, I am lucky. We were too young for Vietnam, we benefited from opportunities made possible by the Civil Rights and Feminist movements and have, for the majority of our adulthood, enjoyed low interest rates and soaring stock values which allowed us to travel, shop and dine in a manner once reserved for the super rich. But the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren is shameful.

Our self-absorbed consumptive practices have contributed to planetary peril. Our low tax, big spending ways made our social entitlements unsustainable long before the stimulus bill. Ignorance of science and history has left the masses susceptible to manipulation of fear mongers, hate groups and corrupt leaders. Our culture of desire celebrates the Gordon Gekko philosophy, greed is good and it is rare to hear religious or political leaders inspire people to work for the greater good.

In his inauguration speech, which I like more every time I read it, President Obama described the transformation we need:


What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

I am glad we have a president who reminds us of our duty instead of deriding the role of government. I will pay my taxes without complaint because that it is the way I support armor for tanks in Iraq, surveillance technology for soldiers in Afghanistan, hot breakfasts for poor children, health care for those less fortunate than I, steel beams so bridges won't fall down and engineering fees so levees don't break.


Through the stock market's roller coaster ride, the dismal reports of job losses and home foreclosures, the threats from Iran and North Korea, the alarming situation in Pakistan and the sickening affirmation that our worst fears about CIA torture are undeniable, through it all, Barack Obama has been the leader I hoped he would be. With no regrets and belief that we are gradually building a better future for our children and grandchildren I am glad Barack Obama is our president.

There will be a lot of commentary about Obama's first 100 Days. Here are links to some of the most thought provoking, from both sides of the political spectrum:

Conservative David Brooks and more liberal mark Shields discuss Obama's approach to the torture memos and his first 100 days here.


Reagan biographer, Lou Cannon, writes of the similarities, both good and bad, between Reagan and Obama here.

My favorite blogger and commentator Andrew Sullivan does not opine on the first 100 days but discusses the difficulty decisions ahead for Obama here.

Nothing Is Better On A Warm Spring Day......

Gavin Newsom, the politically ambitious San Francisco mayor, once again proved that he is not afraid of smashing barriers in areas once considered taboo. Today he announced that his office was issuing an edict to decriminalize the consumption of edible cannabis. Medical marijuana has been legal since Prop 215 was passed in 1996 but usage and possession for non-medical purposes has remained technically illegal. The state's extreme budget woes have prompted discussion of legalizing all forms of cannabis. Fearing that former supervisor Tom Ammiano was scoring political brownie points by pushing legalization in Sacramento Newsom announced his bold move today.

San Francisco has a long history as a culinary capital so it is only fitting that our fair city launch the legalization of edible marijuana. Many of our star chefs and world renown restaurants will inaugurate new dishes that incorporate the slight blueberry flavor of ganja into old favorites. We look forward to new adventures for the palate and the mind.

Our family debated where to sample the new San Francisco treat. We thought we would try the new version of It's It but did opted instead to visit Mitchell's, a family favorite famous for unusual and tasty flavors. Mitchell's offers free samples and I welcomed the opportunity to give the kids their first experience in a small amount and while under my supervision. Claire, always a the picky eater, declared that the odd color(green tub pictured above) was unappetizing. JW, always ready to take a risk, gobbled down her sample and his own before enjoying a double dip of his old favorite Ube, or purple yam, pictured above. I was going to ask him his opinion of Cannabus and Cream but as soon as he climbed in the back seat he went sound asleep while listening to Michael Franti's Ganja Girl on his iPod.

I don't smoke and wine is the only mood altering substance I imbibe but I am grateful to Mayor Newsom (see his news conference here) for his latest burst of creativity. What a great way to celebrate the first day of April!

Gotta Laugh Every Day

I figured out how to post a video with music. It's really simple. You can't use iTunes music. Boo! Just buy the music from Amazon or obtain MP3 tracks from somewhere. itunes used to let you change tunes from MP4 to MP3 but not anymore!

I am a true NPR fanatic but lately the news is so dismal that we listen to satellite radio on the drive to school. This morning the kids tolerated my choice of stations and I was really excited when Classic Vinyl played Van Morrison's Into The Mystic, one of my all time favorite songs. As soon as I heard the first few bars I exclaimed, "Oh, I love this song," and as soon as those words were out of my mouth JW groaned, "I detest Van Morrisson. He is really baaaad oldies." Rolling my eyes I retorted, "JW I love this song so much I want it played at my funeral." Totally deadpan he replied, "Well I guess that means I won't be going."

So the news makes me woozy, my dad calls me at 1:50 in the morning and upsets me so much I loose two hours of sleep, my remodel is a financial nightmare and I try to take solace that my real estate value is no worse than my stock portfolio but really that does not make me feel any better but.........there is always something that makes me laugh. Today it was JW.

At least I hope he was kidding.

How can you not like this song? It is perfect for my pictures of Crissy Field and Fort Point. If you are reading this on FB follow this link to see pictures of the Golden Gate. I am a rank amateur with only an iPhone but you really can't go wrong with pictures of San Francisco Bay and, no matter what JW says, Van Morrisson.

http://www.acivilizationworthyofthename.blogspot.com/

It's Not Morning In America Anymore

I learned my lesson- never, ever blog from my iPhone. Yesterday I was writing in 'stream of conscious', meaning to go back and edit this morning. I did edit and post a decent revision of my thoughts on my dad's decline and the implosion of the conservative movement (see below) but after posting I realized that my unedited mess had already appeared on my FB profile. YIKES!

So however rambling and messy my thoughts it was affirming to hear them articulated today by David Brooks on the ABC Sunday morning show with Cokie Roberts and then to read David Frum (former columnist for NRO). Here is the take away quote from Frum:

The conservatism we know evolved in the 1970s to meet a very specific set of dangers and challenges: inflation, slow growth, energy shortages, unemployment, rising welfare dependency. In every one of those problems, big government was the direct and immediate culprit. Roll back government, and you solved the problem.

Government is implicated in many of today's top domestic concerns as well … But the connection between big government and today's most pressing problems is not as close or as pressing as it was 27 years ago

Here is the video of Brooks on the ABC Sunday Morning Show saying that a spending freeze now would be "insane".

Homer, The GOP, My Dad and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer

I love to find myself in literature. It is why I never tire of reading. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about epic journeys, the fall of heros and tragic flaws. Literature is full of smart people who do really stupid things. I am a reasonably smart person and I have certainly been guilty of some real bonehead moves. Eventually though I stop hitting my head against brick walls, own my failures and move on, able to laugh at my meltdowns, dead-ends and idiocies. But now I am having a hard time accepting my failure to rescue my dad. Long ago I accepted that Daddy was not the hero in my story and now I am struggling to accept that I am not the hero in his. I make progress and even find peace with the difficult and final truth but then a phone call lassoes me back into the drama of Daddy’s dumb choices......

He refuses to live in my home or to let me manage his small income. Every month he runs out of money, doesn’t buy enough medicine, verges on homelessness, falls so ill that he lands in the hospital where he gets better and is discharged just in time to collect the next social security check which he quickly spends and the whole cycle starts again.

I’m not making this up. In less than twenty years he has gone from living in one of Tulsa’s most prestigious neighborhoods, Southern Hills, to getting evicted from the Motel Six.

Why does this remind me of the Republican Party and the collapse of the markets? Because the implosion of the party, the markets and my dad’s integrity are all rooted in the same sick soil- hubris, denial and reliance on short term rescues that don’t work because they don't make fundamental changes.

Hubris is more than pride or arrogance; it is an unquestioning confidence in one’s own ability and a distortion of reality. Hubris is a tragic flaw in many characters from literature. In one of my favorite epics, The Odyssey , Odysseus led his men in a brave battle and clever escape from the cyclops. Full of hubris and sure he was out of danger, the hero mocked the wounded giant who predictably become enraged and doomed Odysseus to twenty years of misery during which all of his men all perished.

My dad is at the end of his odyssey, incontinent, can’t drive or find his wallet but his is full of hubris. He was a great geologist who made a lot of money, had some interesting life adventures and did many generous and wonderful things for other people. But things have changed. Despite twenty-five years of loosing battles with the IRS and only intermittent drilling success my eighty-year old dad has unwavering confidence that the next big deal is just around the corner, within his grasp. When he slams the door on my offers to help he is like Odysseus shouting to gods. It is a foolish attempt to bolster his courage.  

His hubris is coupled with denial. He refuses to accept his extreme physical challenges and the abysmally low price of oil. He cannot acknowledge the fundamental changes of his life and his actions are harmful not only to himself but to  lifelong friends who have helped him. He has lost their trust and respect as Odysseus lost his men. 

Like my dad the Republican party has enjoyed many authentic successes. Like Odysseus, the conservatives preformed heroics. Inspired by Ronald Reagan,  they vanquished high interest rates, inflation and bloated government spending. But like Odysseus they lost their way and, in the last eight years, gave us huge deficits (despite inheriting a balanced budget) and a war that is probably the worst foreign policy move in the history of the U.S. While getting us into deep do-do at home and abroad they turned a blind-eye to serious attacks on the rights and freedoms that are this country’s foundational elements. Andrew Sullivan description of the Republican legacy is much better than mine:

.....invoked the power to suspend the First and Fourth Amendments for seven years, authorized the seizure and torture of American citizens, launched two decade-long wars of attrition, doubled the national debt, presided over the worst financial bubble since the 1930s, provided the weakest level of economic growth in decades, and left the US in the grip of the steepest depression since the 1930s

.

Based on their recent history it requires lethal amounts of hubris for the Republicans to assert they have any moral authority or wisdom to lead. Their tax cuts and big spending brought us the depressing headlines and the destruction of our investments. Now, having no real ideas or plans to debate, they cannot admit the failure of their ideology.  The country needs engaged problem solving and fresh ideas but the Republican leadership (if there is any leadership in the GOP) clings to the past of culture wars and Reaganomics. Once upon a time the party responded to challenging times with vision and hard work but now, like my decrepit and stubborn father, they refuse to make fundamental changes in response to hard realities. 

In my dad's life and in the current national crisis the short-term fix is worse than no solution because it will fuel more lethal hubris and denial. My father thinks he is maintaining his independence but in truth he must be rescued every day by friends who have taken care of his daily needs at great cost to themselves. Now, having exhausted their good will for short term rescues, he faces life in the shelter or public housing. The short term rescues have only delayed the inevitable. 

The Republicans claim that they are fighting for free markets and our children's financial security but low taxes and for the rich and a spending freeze will leave millions unemployed and our children will inherit massive entitlement debt and a country with third rate infrastructure. Another bubble will not prevent the collapse that is inevitable if we do not make fundamental changes in the way we consume, spend, invest, save and pay taxes. 

Americans have been blessed with wealth and freedom and my father was blessed with talent and health. Now my dad is a self indulgent old man who refuses to clean up his act and live responsibly. I fear that too many Americans will refuse to accept that our planet is in peril and that, with the retirement of the baby-boomers, health-care and entitlements will collapse unless we change course. We can't hide from the harsh realities and we can't continue short term fixes.

I don’t really have an ending for this post. I don't have any answers or inspiration from literature. I think I will always be sad about my dad who was a good man with tragic flaws he refused to address.  Our country must address serious problems and I am excited about the economic and cultural adventure our generation has been forced to begin at midlife. I am excited to see and be a part of the changes that will result from this economic reset.
(I detest Microsoft but this Ballmer speech is really great!)

Why I Won't Shut Up - Blogging About My Values

I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as an active member of a Southern Baptist church. I gained much lasting value from many years in Sunday School, Training Union, Sunbeams, Girl’s Auxiliary and Youth Group. From that association I learned many positive lessons that have formed the foundation of my life. I learned that we are called to love and care for one another, not just those who resemble us in appearance, religious preference or political stance, but to respectfully love and care for all of God’s creation.

Through the example of my grandmothers, loving adults at church, parents of some of my friends and a few wonderful teachers I learned that our highest calling is to help those who are in need and to be compassionate and kind toward those who are faced with difficult challenges. I learned to reject hatred, prejudice, and meanness toward others in favor of love, inclusiveness, and kindness.

Those are the fundamental moral messages from my Oklahoma childhood that inform my beliefs and actions today.

I learned other things growing up in Oklahoma: I was taught that gays and lesbians--they were called “homosexuals” in those days--were inferior people. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant to be “homosexual” but I saw that it was common for many people to use derogatory terms like “homo,” “queer,” or “faggot” to torment those who were different. I observed that teachers and parents never objected to cruel teasing and harassment of effeminate boys or masculine girls.



As an adult I have enjoyed my close friendships with gay and lesbian people. I owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their patience with my initial discomfort, born out of ignorance. Through conversation and occasional heated debates I have learned to liberate myself from the fear and rejection of sexuality which differs from my own. My life is enriched because I became aware of my own bigotry and I learned to let go of the need to make distinctions based on sexual orientation.

Ten years ago I was confronted with my own youthful moral failings. As my lifelong friend Eric lay dying in his beautiful home I, and several of his close friends, sat by his side. During his last week I would crawl in bed with Eric and hold him as we listened to music or whispered remembrances of sailing, Mrs. Miller’s third grade class, wonderful meals and hilarious adventures and misadventures. As Eric slept more and more I browsed the book shelves which lined his bedroom. The day before he died I found our ninth grade yearbook. Smiling I quickly took it from the shelf but as I read the messages to Eric from our classmates my smile vanished and my stomach churned. The vast majority of inscriptions on the pages devoted to autographs were hateful; some suggested that Eric wear a dress, a couple opined that he should live in the zoo and more than one used the word “fag”. My cheeks were burning as I searched for my message to Eric. Hoping that I had written a warm, supportive message to my friend I finally found my girlish handwriting. “It has been interesting being your friend, even though you have changed A LOT!” Have fun at Holland Hall. I hope you fit in better there.”

Those words still make me sick. Why in the world had Eric forgiven me for abandoning him in junior high? How I wanted to apologize for my callous indifference to his youthful pain. I wanted to kneel at his beside and beg for forgiveness but thankfully I knew my desire was self indulgent. Eric did not regain consciousness until the last moment of his life so we never had the opportunity to discuss the cruelty of Nimitz Junior High. I promised myself that day that I would never again turn away from hatred and injustice. That is why I no longer worship in churches that practice bigotry. That is why this week I devoted my FB status to Freedom To Marry week. That is why I am writing about my support for gay marriage.
Here is a quick review of my reasons for supporting gay marriage:

1. I believe the Constitution already grants the right to marry to gays. In Loving vs. Virginia the Supreme Court stated:

"The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men. ... Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival,"

and the ruling in Griswold vs. Connecticut says,

"We deal with a right ... older than the Bill of Rights--older than our political parties, older than our school system."

2. I agree with Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig who says it is wrong to deny to some what the state gives to many.

3. I reject the notion that gay marriage is a threat to hetero-sexual marriage. As Lessig points out divorce is threatening to the institution of marriage. Gay marriage, an example of people dedicating themselves to one another, is a celebration not an attack on a sacred institution.

4. Sexual orientation is not a choice and it is morally wrong to deny people the right to love and happiness because for their inborn sexuality.

Through my work and in my life I try to help create a world where there is greater love, better understanding, dignity and respect toward all, regardless of race, faith or lack of faith, and regardless of sexual orientation. That is the definition of A Civilization Worthy of the Name.

Photoblogging My Birthday

Gorgeous day in my city by the bay so I blogged my birthday, starting with the walk to school through lunch.

Reviewing My Mid-Century Mark

Last year at this time I thought the best thing about being 50 was that it was better than being dead. I know- disgustingly negative. Shame on me!

So I am happy to report that my mid-century year has been great- even though I have never upped my daily mileage (3), significantly increased my speed. (4 miles an hour- pathetic) or discovered a magic wrinkle remover.

Simply put I have made time for what is really important.

A friend of mine participated in a Facebook project that asked people to list the 10 most significant things in their personal lives during 08. Reading her list prompted me to make my own. Making the list turned into a joyful task. There is much to be thankful for.

1. I accepted a job that I love because it reflects my values. I also treasure the people with whom I work. I took a huge salary cut and this is not a step up on a career ladder but I have no regrets. Indeed I am ecstatic!

2. I began researching the lives of woman who started progressive schools. This has reawakened my love of history and helped to strengthen my progressive philosophy.

3. I stopped worrying about my son's extreme dyslexia. I put together an individualized learning program for him and engaged instructors who are highly gifted in their fields even tho they are not "official" teachers. He is much happier although managing his time and persisting with difficult tasks are still growth areas for him. He has plenty of friends, is physically fit and is figuring out his strengths and passions.

4. My daughter was accepted to a wonderful high school and is extremely happy. I did not make this happen but it is going on the list because her happiness brings me great joy.

5. I allow my son to take risks and make mistakes. He has come home drunk (once) and high.(at least twice) We talk and impose consequences but I do not go crazy with rage, worry or disappointment. He will make mistakes. We will survive. He is learning and making better choices.

6. I have stopped attending a Lutheran church - even on holidays. I have been a Lutheran for 18 years because I wanted to keep the family together at church. I never attended on a regular basis because I have never agreed with much of the religious and political dogma embedded in the Lutheran denomination. I have never, ever accepted the social conservatism of the Lutheran church which is demonstrated in policies and statements that endorse discrimination against women and homophobia. The promotion of of the Republican party does not belong in church. I am also deeply upset by anti-scientific thought. Life is too short to keep silent about important things like human rights and rigorous scientific thought. God is not a Republican or a Democrat. Rejecting dogma is not the same as rejecting faith.

7. I worked in my first presidential election. I made over 600 phone calls for Obama and articulated my thoughts in personal essays. We celebrated Obama's victory with friends and enjoyed several spontaneous dancing in the streets celebrations throughout the city. I almost cried when I saw a runner waving the flag as he dashed down Castro and when I heard the crowd on Fillmore break out into a spontaneous chorus of God Bless America.

8. I reconnected with old friends through email and Facebook. This is lots of fun and prompts reflection and laughter.

9. I started giving money to panhandlers. I have let go of the need to control what they do with the money. It isn't really giving if I have to control how it is spent. I still carefully research donations to charities to make sure their goals and means are aligned with my values but giving on the street is a whole new way of giving.

10. During the last three days of the year I became the legal, financial and health guardian for my father who is incapable of caring for himself. I have no idea how this is going to work out- I don't see a happy ending. I could not do this without Bill, Joel, JW and Claire.

A Progressive's View of Violence

The past few months have been wonderful because I love my job, I am overjoyed with my daughter's happiness in school and of course delighted by the results of the presidential election. The past few months have also been very difficult due to family matters related to a remodel gone sour, my father's health and financial situation and now the death of my step-sister's son. My blessings and challenges have prompted me to re-read a favorite book by Ira Sandperl, A Little Kinder. It is no longer in print but it should be.

Here is a quote which is inspires my work with children and families.

We get what we do; not what we intend, dream or desire. We simply get what we do. Recognizing this and applying it would, in a generation, bring about the transformation that alone can put an end to the fear, suspicion, and misery which at present holds such terrible sway over all our lives.

I don't think we can expect politicians and governments to substantially change long standing conflicts. We can expect them to rise above torture and to act thoughtfully but in the end politics will never end war and bombs will never bring peace.

The only way to change the world is to change the way that people think about and treat one another. A school community is an opportunity to teach and practice fairness, self-reflection, compassion and non-violence. We need more schools who are authentically dedicated to transformation of civilization. I am lucky to be affiliated with such a school.

Ira's statement is a simple spiritual truth.

You can read more about Ira here.

लव लॉस life

My family has just experienced a devastating loss of a loved one. The loss was sudden and senseless. I don't think one can ever come to terms with a death like Adam's. I can only accept that it is incomprehensible and unfair. I know that this is the way of life sometimes.

I am reminded of Robert Kennedy's variation of the verse from Aeschylus's Agamemnon. Kennedy misquoted or intentionally tweaked the verse when he announced the death of Martin Luther King to a crowd of supporters in an Indianapolis African American neighborhood. It is also the epitatph on Kennedy's grave marker.

In our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart
until, in our own despair, against our will,
comes wisdom through the awful grace of God

Obama and the CIA

Spies and covert operations do not strike me as progressive subjects but after a long break from blogging my thoughts about the election I am ready to write and post again. Doing so might be a life preserver for my sanity which is seriously in danger since I became the legal, financial and health guardian for my dad, who is now living in my home. More on that later.

Like everyone else I arched an eyebrow when President Elect Obama announced his selection of Leon Panetta to head the CIA. I agreed with DiFi who is not crazy about the choice. The LA Times quotes her as saying,

"I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director," Feinstein said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."

But then I read my favorite blog, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. The Dish is a great resource, doing what the best blogs do, surveying the web for news, commentary and humor, and dishing it up in well written, concise posts that keep me coming back for more several times each day. Today in this post Sullivan reports that the Panetta appointment has the support of neo-cons, Richard Perle, Chariman of President Bush's Defense Policy Board, and of Douglas Feith, who was Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under GW. Sullivan links to Ben Smith's post in POLITICO and to Michael Ledeen's opinion in NRO.

The take away quotes:
from Ledeen:

I always liked Panetta. He served in the Army and is openly proud of it. He seems to be a good lawyer (oxymoronic though it may seem). He's a good manager. And he's going to watch Obama's back at a place that's full of stilettos and a track record for attempted presidential assassination second to none.........I think it is a smart move.

from Perle:

Panetta is'a very smart, very capable guy with a lot of experience - I think he's the right sort of person to take a shot at improving the place.

Perle is a big critic of the CIA also said,

It's going to take somebody from outside to right that ship, if it can be done.

from Feith,

possible implication of appointing somebody from the outside is that the president recognizes that there are serious problems at the CIA and he wants somebody who is not a part of those problems,

Once again our President-Elect is demonstrating intelligence, political courage and skill in consensus building. Fingers crossed that water-boarding and illegal renditions are over. Then we can, once again, be authentically proud of the American tradition of dedication to human rights. Cool.