Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
counsels
Psalm 5:10-Let them fall by their own counsels,Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,For they have rebelled against You
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
health care
i was for health care until this...i heard and read..September 25, 2009
The Baucus Individual Health Insurance Mandate: Taxing Low-Income and Moderate-Income Workers
by Robert A. Book, Ph.D., Guinevere Nell and Paul L. Winfree
Backgrounder #2325
Abstract: The individual mandate in the Baucus health care plan would impose punitively high, regressive taxes on low-income and moderate-income working families. Its penalties and additional taxes on business would discourage companies from hiring or continuing to employ low-income and moderate-income workers. The plan would substantially raise health insurance premiums. Yet the plan would still leave millions of Americans without access to affordable health insurance. Adding to their misfortune, it would then punish them with a tax penalty precisely because they are uninsured.
A key component of the health care plan released by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) on September 16 is its individual mandate--a legal requirement that nearly every American obtain health insurance or face substantial tax penalties.
The mandate would be implemented through new requirements for employers, a new system of state-based health insurance exchanges, and the IRS, which will impose tax penalties on the uninsured and share personal financial data with employers and health insurance companies.
While making health coverage available to all Americans is an admirable goal, the structure of this particular mandate severely restricts customer choice and imposes a punitive and regressive financial burden on those with the least ability to pay. In effect, the Baucus plan would tell the working poor: "If you have been choosing between food and health insurance, you no longer have that choice. You must buy the health insurance, and we will decide what kind of health insurance you will buy and how much you will pay for it."
The Individual Mandate and the Tax Penalty
Under the plan,almost everyone who is not covered by a government health program would be required to purchase health insurance starting in 2013. The documents that Senator Baucus has released do not specify the coverage requirements except in the vaguest terms, so accurately estimating the premium cost is not yet possible. Pending amendments suggest that no coverage requirements will be specified in final legislative language and the details will be left to the discretion of appointed officials after the bill is passed.
However, it is clear that almost everyone will be required to obtain coverage, and most will be required to pay for it. The mandate will apply to all adults on behalf of themselves and their dependents under age 18. The mandate will apply to 18-year-olds, even if they are still in high school and unable to secure a full-time job without dropping out. The plan would make exceptions for religious objectors, for undocumented aliens, and possibly in some "hardship" cases if approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. However, everyone else would be required to purchase insurance chosen by their employer or approved by a state government-sponsored "exchange."[1]
Those who do not purchase insurance would face a heavy annual tax penalty. Those with incomes between one and three times the federal poverty level (FPL) would face a penalty of $750 per person up to $1,500 per family. This penalty could apply to individuals with incomes as low as $10,831 per year. The penalty for those with incomes above three times FPL would be $950 per person with a maximum of $3,800 per family.[2]
Implementing the Mandate
Those who do not qualify for government health plans or have access to an employer-sponsored health plan would be required to purchase coverage through a state-sponsored "exchange." (It would be possible to purchase health plans outside the exchanges, but plans would have to meet all requirements of the exchange regardless of how they are purchased.) Employees who are offered only single coverage at work would be required to purchase coverage for their dependents under age 18. Otherwise, they would pay the tax penalty.
People whose employers offer health plans would be required to enroll in their employer's plans, unless they can prove that they are already covered through a government program or a family member's employer-based plan. This would force most employees to choose only plans offered through their workplaces.
The Baucusplan makes an exception for employees whose share of the premium exceeds 13 percent of their family income (not just income from that employer).[3] They would be permitted to opt out of their employer's plan and purchase insurance, perhaps receiving an income-based subsidy if they purchase through the exchange.
Families with incomes below four times the FPL that are ineligible for Medicaid (roughly, those with incomes between $29,330 and $88,200 for a family of four) would be eligible for premium subsidies in the exchange. The subsidy is calculated so that the net cost of a standard plan (details unspecified) with an actuarial value of 70 percent (70 percent of what is unspecified) would range from 3 percent of income at the lower end (1.33 times FPL) to 13 percent of income for those with incomes between three and four times the FPL.[4] These subsidies would not be available to those with access to employer-sponsored insurance, except in the case described above. In companies with more than 50 employees that do not offer employer-sponsored insurance, the average cost of the premium subsidy[5] would be charged back to the employer as a tax--a portion of which would be inevitably passed on the employee in the form of lower wages.
Taxing the Sick
The Baucus proposal includes several provisions that will impose higher taxes on taxpayers who need more health care, regardless of income level. It imposes an "Annual Fee on Manufacturers and Importers of Medical Devices," which amounts to an excise tax on all medical devices priced over $100, including everything from wheelchairs and walkers to pacemakers, hearing aids, and MRI scanners.[6] There is a similar annual fee on health insurance companies, clinical laboratories,[7] and manufacturers and importers of branded drugs. All of these annual fees would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices and, in the case of devices and drugs covered by insurance, in the form of higher insurance premiums.
These annual fees (that is, taxes) total over $13 billion and would be allocated according to market share.[8] Yet the true impact would be higher because the taxes paid would be treated as profit for corporate income tax purposes. The results could increase the effective tax to as much as $17.6 billion. This may result in money-losing companies paying tax on "profits" they do not actually have.
Some provisions tax those who need health care, but only if they make enough to pay income taxes. For example, it would reduce the cap on income that can be placed tax-free into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA or "cafeteria plan") from $5,000 to $2,000.[9] In addition, it would raise the threshold for itemized deductions of medical expenses from 7.5 percent of income to 10 percent, further penalizing those with high medical expenses not covered by insurance.
Another provision would increase the threshold for deducting excessive medical expenses for income tax purposes. Currently, medical expenses (other than those paid pre-tax through an employer) that exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income are deductible. The Baucus proposal would raise this threshold to 10 percent. This would raise taxes on more than 6 million households that face high health care costs, about half of which have incomes low enough that they would qualify for the subsidies these taxes are intended to pay for.[10]
The revenue from these taxes is intended partly to offset premium subsidies for households with incomes below four times the FPL, but these taxes would be imposed on Americans who need medical devices or prescription drugs, have high out-of-pocket costs, or pay their own health insurance premiums. In effect, the Baucus proposal would tax the sick to subsidize insurance for the healthy, and many of the taxes would be imposed on the same people "helped" by the subsidies.
Taxing Low-Income Workers
The Baucus proposal imposes a partially hidden, substantial tax burden on those who can least afford to pay. First, workers offered insurance through their employer on a pre-tax basis would be required to purchase it, unless their share of the premium exceeds 13 percent of income.[11] This could impose substantial hardships on low-wage workers in companies with generous (i.e., "expensive") health plans. Because employers are required by law to offer the same health insurance options to all full-time employees, low-income workers in mostly high-paying companies (for example, support staff at a law firm) would be at a substantial disadvantage. They could be required to purchase insurance designed and priced for upper-income people, even if the premium nearly exhausts their paychecks.
For example, someone who earns $15,080 per year before taxes by working 40 hours per week at the minimum wage could be required to pay $1,960 for a generous individual health plan or even more for a family plan. A minimum-wage worker could be required to pay almost 20 percent of his or her income in payroll taxes and mandatory health insurance. This employee would not even have the option of declining the health insurance and paying the $750 penalty, since employees would not be allowed to opt out of their employer plans unless they could prove they had other insurance. In effect, the worker would be forced to buy an expensive health insurance plan instead of other necessities, such as food and rent.
Furthermore, if the value of the employer-offered plan exceeds $8,000 for an individual or $21,000 for a family,[12] the employee would be subject to a 35 percent excise tax on the amount above those limits. This tax rate is much higher than the income tax rates that most families pay on regular income. Figures from the Current Population Survey and the Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey show that more than 570,000 families that pay no income tax or are in the 10 percent income tax bracket would be subject to this punitive 35 percent tax on "excessive" health benefits. More than 7.2 million households--almost 94 percent of those paying the excise tax--would pay higher taxes on their health insurance than on their income.[13] Of course, because purchasing the insurance would become mandatory, those numbers could become even higher if this proposal becomes law. (See Chart 1.) A full-time minimum-wage worker with a generous employer-paid plan could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars in excise tax even if the employer paid the entire health care premium.
The Baucus Individual Health Insurance Mandate: Taxing Low-Income and Moderate-Income Workers
by Robert A. Book, Ph.D., Guinevere Nell and Paul L. Winfree
Backgrounder #2325
Abstract: The individual mandate in the Baucus health care plan would impose punitively high, regressive taxes on low-income and moderate-income working families. Its penalties and additional taxes on business would discourage companies from hiring or continuing to employ low-income and moderate-income workers. The plan would substantially raise health insurance premiums. Yet the plan would still leave millions of Americans without access to affordable health insurance. Adding to their misfortune, it would then punish them with a tax penalty precisely because they are uninsured.
A key component of the health care plan released by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) on September 16 is its individual mandate--a legal requirement that nearly every American obtain health insurance or face substantial tax penalties.
The mandate would be implemented through new requirements for employers, a new system of state-based health insurance exchanges, and the IRS, which will impose tax penalties on the uninsured and share personal financial data with employers and health insurance companies.
While making health coverage available to all Americans is an admirable goal, the structure of this particular mandate severely restricts customer choice and imposes a punitive and regressive financial burden on those with the least ability to pay. In effect, the Baucus plan would tell the working poor: "If you have been choosing between food and health insurance, you no longer have that choice. You must buy the health insurance, and we will decide what kind of health insurance you will buy and how much you will pay for it."
The Individual Mandate and the Tax Penalty
Under the plan,almost everyone who is not covered by a government health program would be required to purchase health insurance starting in 2013. The documents that Senator Baucus has released do not specify the coverage requirements except in the vaguest terms, so accurately estimating the premium cost is not yet possible. Pending amendments suggest that no coverage requirements will be specified in final legislative language and the details will be left to the discretion of appointed officials after the bill is passed.
However, it is clear that almost everyone will be required to obtain coverage, and most will be required to pay for it. The mandate will apply to all adults on behalf of themselves and their dependents under age 18. The mandate will apply to 18-year-olds, even if they are still in high school and unable to secure a full-time job without dropping out. The plan would make exceptions for religious objectors, for undocumented aliens, and possibly in some "hardship" cases if approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. However, everyone else would be required to purchase insurance chosen by their employer or approved by a state government-sponsored "exchange."[1]
Those who do not purchase insurance would face a heavy annual tax penalty. Those with incomes between one and three times the federal poverty level (FPL) would face a penalty of $750 per person up to $1,500 per family. This penalty could apply to individuals with incomes as low as $10,831 per year. The penalty for those with incomes above three times FPL would be $950 per person with a maximum of $3,800 per family.[2]
Implementing the Mandate
Those who do not qualify for government health plans or have access to an employer-sponsored health plan would be required to purchase coverage through a state-sponsored "exchange." (It would be possible to purchase health plans outside the exchanges, but plans would have to meet all requirements of the exchange regardless of how they are purchased.) Employees who are offered only single coverage at work would be required to purchase coverage for their dependents under age 18. Otherwise, they would pay the tax penalty.
People whose employers offer health plans would be required to enroll in their employer's plans, unless they can prove that they are already covered through a government program or a family member's employer-based plan. This would force most employees to choose only plans offered through their workplaces.
The Baucusplan makes an exception for employees whose share of the premium exceeds 13 percent of their family income (not just income from that employer).[3] They would be permitted to opt out of their employer's plan and purchase insurance, perhaps receiving an income-based subsidy if they purchase through the exchange.
Families with incomes below four times the FPL that are ineligible for Medicaid (roughly, those with incomes between $29,330 and $88,200 for a family of four) would be eligible for premium subsidies in the exchange. The subsidy is calculated so that the net cost of a standard plan (details unspecified) with an actuarial value of 70 percent (70 percent of what is unspecified) would range from 3 percent of income at the lower end (1.33 times FPL) to 13 percent of income for those with incomes between three and four times the FPL.[4] These subsidies would not be available to those with access to employer-sponsored insurance, except in the case described above. In companies with more than 50 employees that do not offer employer-sponsored insurance, the average cost of the premium subsidy[5] would be charged back to the employer as a tax--a portion of which would be inevitably passed on the employee in the form of lower wages.
Taxing the Sick
The Baucus proposal includes several provisions that will impose higher taxes on taxpayers who need more health care, regardless of income level. It imposes an "Annual Fee on Manufacturers and Importers of Medical Devices," which amounts to an excise tax on all medical devices priced over $100, including everything from wheelchairs and walkers to pacemakers, hearing aids, and MRI scanners.[6] There is a similar annual fee on health insurance companies, clinical laboratories,[7] and manufacturers and importers of branded drugs. All of these annual fees would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices and, in the case of devices and drugs covered by insurance, in the form of higher insurance premiums.
These annual fees (that is, taxes) total over $13 billion and would be allocated according to market share.[8] Yet the true impact would be higher because the taxes paid would be treated as profit for corporate income tax purposes. The results could increase the effective tax to as much as $17.6 billion. This may result in money-losing companies paying tax on "profits" they do not actually have.
Some provisions tax those who need health care, but only if they make enough to pay income taxes. For example, it would reduce the cap on income that can be placed tax-free into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA or "cafeteria plan") from $5,000 to $2,000.[9] In addition, it would raise the threshold for itemized deductions of medical expenses from 7.5 percent of income to 10 percent, further penalizing those with high medical expenses not covered by insurance.
Another provision would increase the threshold for deducting excessive medical expenses for income tax purposes. Currently, medical expenses (other than those paid pre-tax through an employer) that exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income are deductible. The Baucus proposal would raise this threshold to 10 percent. This would raise taxes on more than 6 million households that face high health care costs, about half of which have incomes low enough that they would qualify for the subsidies these taxes are intended to pay for.[10]
The revenue from these taxes is intended partly to offset premium subsidies for households with incomes below four times the FPL, but these taxes would be imposed on Americans who need medical devices or prescription drugs, have high out-of-pocket costs, or pay their own health insurance premiums. In effect, the Baucus proposal would tax the sick to subsidize insurance for the healthy, and many of the taxes would be imposed on the same people "helped" by the subsidies.
Taxing Low-Income Workers
The Baucus proposal imposes a partially hidden, substantial tax burden on those who can least afford to pay. First, workers offered insurance through their employer on a pre-tax basis would be required to purchase it, unless their share of the premium exceeds 13 percent of income.[11] This could impose substantial hardships on low-wage workers in companies with generous (i.e., "expensive") health plans. Because employers are required by law to offer the same health insurance options to all full-time employees, low-income workers in mostly high-paying companies (for example, support staff at a law firm) would be at a substantial disadvantage. They could be required to purchase insurance designed and priced for upper-income people, even if the premium nearly exhausts their paychecks.
For example, someone who earns $15,080 per year before taxes by working 40 hours per week at the minimum wage could be required to pay $1,960 for a generous individual health plan or even more for a family plan. A minimum-wage worker could be required to pay almost 20 percent of his or her income in payroll taxes and mandatory health insurance. This employee would not even have the option of declining the health insurance and paying the $750 penalty, since employees would not be allowed to opt out of their employer plans unless they could prove they had other insurance. In effect, the worker would be forced to buy an expensive health insurance plan instead of other necessities, such as food and rent.
Furthermore, if the value of the employer-offered plan exceeds $8,000 for an individual or $21,000 for a family,[12] the employee would be subject to a 35 percent excise tax on the amount above those limits. This tax rate is much higher than the income tax rates that most families pay on regular income. Figures from the Current Population Survey and the Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey show that more than 570,000 families that pay no income tax or are in the 10 percent income tax bracket would be subject to this punitive 35 percent tax on "excessive" health benefits. More than 7.2 million households--almost 94 percent of those paying the excise tax--would pay higher taxes on their health insurance than on their income.[13] Of course, because purchasing the insurance would become mandatory, those numbers could become even higher if this proposal becomes law. (See Chart 1.) A full-time minimum-wage worker with a generous employer-paid plan could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars in excise tax even if the employer paid the entire health care premium.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
flatters
Psalm 36:2-He flatters himself in his own eyes;When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
hate crime
Hate crimes (also known as bias-motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation.[1]
A "hate crime" can take two forms: "hate crime" generally refers to criminal acts which are seen to have been motivated by hatred of one or more of the listed conditions. The second kind is hate speech, which is speech defined as crime. While hate crimes are rarely debated, the hate speech concept is controversial, as criminalizing speech can be seen as impugning freedom of speech. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters
A "hate crime" can take two forms: "hate crime" generally refers to criminal acts which are seen to have been motivated by hatred of one or more of the listed conditions. The second kind is hate speech, which is speech defined as crime. While hate crimes are rarely debated, the hate speech concept is controversial, as criminalizing speech can be seen as impugning freedom of speech. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
great depression
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st President of the United States (1929–1933). Besides his political career, Hoover was a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted government intervention under the rubric "economic modernization". In the presidential election of 1928, Hoover easily won the Republican nomination, despite having no previous elected office experience. To date, Hoover is the last cabinet secretary to be directly elected President of the United States. The nation was prosperous and optimistic at the time, leading to a landslide victory for Hoover over Democrat Al Smith.
Hoover deeply believed in the Efficiency Movement (a major component of the Progressive Era), arguing that a technical solution existed for every social and economic problem. That position was challenged by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that took place less than eight months after his taking office, and the Great Depression that followed it which gained momentum in 1930. Hoover tried to combat the Depression with volunteer efforts and government action, none of which produced economic recovery during his term. The consensus among historians is that Hoover's defeat in the 1932 election was caused primarily by failure to end the downward economic spiral, compounded by popular opposition to prohibition. Other electoral liabilities were Hoover's lack of charisma in relating to voters, and his poor skills in working with politicians. As a result of these factors, Hoover is typically ranked very poorly among former U.S. presidents.
Hoover deeply believed in the Efficiency Movement (a major component of the Progressive Era), arguing that a technical solution existed for every social and economic problem. That position was challenged by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that took place less than eight months after his taking office, and the Great Depression that followed it which gained momentum in 1930. Hoover tried to combat the Depression with volunteer efforts and government action, none of which produced economic recovery during his term. The consensus among historians is that Hoover's defeat in the 1932 election was caused primarily by failure to end the downward economic spiral, compounded by popular opposition to prohibition. Other electoral liabilities were Hoover's lack of charisma in relating to voters, and his poor skills in working with politicians. As a result of these factors, Hoover is typically ranked very poorly among former U.S. presidents.
economic crisis
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States. He was a central figure of the 20th century during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war. Elected to four terms in office, he served from 1933 to 1945 and is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Roosevelt created the New Deal to provide relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the economic and banking systems, through various agencies, such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA), National Recovery Administration (NRA), and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).[1] Although recovery of the economy was incomplete until the outbreak of war, several programs he initiated, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), continue to have instrumental roles in the nation's commerce. Some of his other legacies include the Social Security system and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Roosevelt created the New Deal to provide relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the economic and banking systems, through various agencies, such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA), National Recovery Administration (NRA), and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).[1] Although recovery of the economy was incomplete until the outbreak of war, several programs he initiated, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), continue to have instrumental roles in the nation's commerce. Some of his other legacies include the Social Security system and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
universal health care
In 1901, as Vice President, the 42-year-old Roosevelt succeeded President William McKinley after McKinley's assassination by anarchist Leon Czolgosz. As of 2009, he remains the youngest person to become President.[4] He was a Progressive reformer who sought to move the dominant Republican Party into the Progressive camp. He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved forty monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster". He was clear, however, to show that he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle, but was only against corrupt, illegal practices. His "Square Deal" promised a fair shake for both the average citizen (through regulation of railroad rates and pure food and drugs) and the businessman. He was the first U.S. president to call for universal health care and national health insurance.[5][6] As an outdoorsman, he promoted the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources. After 1906 he attacked big business and suggested the courts were biased against labor unions
socialism
Socialism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part of the Politics series on
Socialism
Currents[show]
Key topics and issues[show]
Organizations and people[show]
Religious socialism[show]
Related topics[show]
v • d • e
Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating state, public or common worker ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a more egalitarian method of compensation.[1][2][3] Modern socialism originated in the late 18th-century intellectual and working class political movement that criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society, however, socialism itself is not a political system; it is instead an economic system distinct from capitalism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used the terms "socialism" and "communism" interchangeably, and posited that it would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution.[4] Vladimir Lenin, perhaps influenced by Marx's ideas of "lower" and "upper" stages of socialism[5], later used the word "socialism" as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.
The utopian socialists, including Robert Owen (1771–1858), tried to found self-sustaining socialist communities by secession from a capitalist society. Henri de Saint Simon (1760–1825), the first individual to coin the term socialism, was the original thinker who advocated technocracy and industrial planning. The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organization, and many contemporary socialists share this belief.[6][7] Early socialist thinkers tended to favor an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach.
Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, creates an unequal society, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximize their potentialities in society and does not utilize technology and resources to their maximum potential in the public interest. Therefore socialists advocate the creation of a society in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly based on the amount of work expended in production, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how and to what extent this could be achieved.
Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and program; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionism and economic rationalization, sometimes opposing each other. Another dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and the revolutionaries on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalization of the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. Socialists inspired by the Soviet model of economic development have advocated the creation of centrally planned economies directed by a state that owns all the means of production. Others, including Yugoslavian, Hungarian, German and Chinese Communists in the 1970s and 1980s, instituted various forms of market socialism, combining co-operative and state ownership models with the free market exchange and free price system (but not free prices for the means of production).[8]
Social democrats propose selective nationalization of key national industries in mixed economies, with private ownership of property and of profit-making business. Social democrats also promote tax-funded welfare programs and regulation of markets. Many social democrats, particularly in European welfare states, refer to themselves as "socialists", introducing a degree of ambiguity to the understanding of what the term means.
Libertarian socialism (including social anarchism and libertarian Marxism) rejects state control and ownership of the economy altogether and advocates direct collective ownership of the means of production via co-operative workers' councils and workplace democracy.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part of the Politics series on
Socialism
Currents[show]
Key topics and issues[show]
Organizations and people[show]
Religious socialism[show]
Related topics[show]
v • d • e
Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating state, public or common worker ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a more egalitarian method of compensation.[1][2][3] Modern socialism originated in the late 18th-century intellectual and working class political movement that criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society, however, socialism itself is not a political system; it is instead an economic system distinct from capitalism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels used the terms "socialism" and "communism" interchangeably, and posited that it would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution.[4] Vladimir Lenin, perhaps influenced by Marx's ideas of "lower" and "upper" stages of socialism[5], later used the word "socialism" as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.
The utopian socialists, including Robert Owen (1771–1858), tried to found self-sustaining socialist communities by secession from a capitalist society. Henri de Saint Simon (1760–1825), the first individual to coin the term socialism, was the original thinker who advocated technocracy and industrial planning. The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organization, and many contemporary socialists share this belief.[6][7] Early socialist thinkers tended to favor an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach.
Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, creates an unequal society, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximize their potentialities in society and does not utilize technology and resources to their maximum potential in the public interest. Therefore socialists advocate the creation of a society in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly based on the amount of work expended in production, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how and to what extent this could be achieved.
Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and program; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionism and economic rationalization, sometimes opposing each other. Another dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and the revolutionaries on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalization of the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. Socialists inspired by the Soviet model of economic development have advocated the creation of centrally planned economies directed by a state that owns all the means of production. Others, including Yugoslavian, Hungarian, German and Chinese Communists in the 1970s and 1980s, instituted various forms of market socialism, combining co-operative and state ownership models with the free market exchange and free price system (but not free prices for the means of production).[8]
Social democrats propose selective nationalization of key national industries in mixed economies, with private ownership of property and of profit-making business. Social democrats also promote tax-funded welfare programs and regulation of markets. Many social democrats, particularly in European welfare states, refer to themselves as "socialists", introducing a degree of ambiguity to the understanding of what the term means.
Libertarian socialism (including social anarchism and libertarian Marxism) rejects state control and ownership of the economy altogether and advocates direct collective ownership of the means of production via co-operative workers' councils and workplace democracy.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
silent
Psalm 31:17,18-Let them be silent in the grave.Let the lying lips be put to silence;Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous
secret covenant
Psalm 25:14-The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him,And He will show them His covenant.
abstract
Afairesis, Abstractio or Abstraction
By: Maria Odete Madeira
Abstractio was the term chosen by Boetius for the translation of the Greek term afairesis. Abstractio or abstraction is a systemic operative cognitive dynamics, through which a part, a characteristic or an element of an integrated systemic whole is separated from that same whole upon which it constitutively depends, as concrete existent, particular and contingent, to be constituted (that part) as an object of thought, conceptually existent and available to be approached and cognitively synthesized as a universal entity with an objective value.
By: Maria Odete Madeira
Abstractio was the term chosen by Boetius for the translation of the Greek term afairesis. Abstractio or abstraction is a systemic operative cognitive dynamics, through which a part, a characteristic or an element of an integrated systemic whole is separated from that same whole upon which it constitutively depends, as concrete existent, particular and contingent, to be constituted (that part) as an object of thought, conceptually existent and available to be approached and cognitively synthesized as a universal entity with an objective value.
Monday, August 10, 2009
counsels
Psalm 5:10-Let them fall by their own counsels,Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions.
pieces
Psalm 2:9-You shall break them with a rod of iron;You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
vengeance
Psalm 149:7,8-To execute vengeance on the nations;And punishments on the peoples.To bind their kings with chains,And their nobles with fetters of iron.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
racists
white racists
Current mood: annoyed
Category: News and Politics
white racists wearing black make-up in pittsburgh,pa!!!!!!!!!White racists performing hate crime..........identity thieves,identity fraud..OBEY THEM OR ELSE YOU WILL BE TERRORIZED.....IIIIIIIII AM NOT SCARED>>>I LIVED ON AN INDian reservation so therefore i am a victim..they want the INDIAN MAGIC>>>>>THEY WANT THE INDIAN MAGIC>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>LOOTING..INTIMIDATING PEOPLE OUT OF NEIGHBORHOOD>>WE WANT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
Current mood: annoyed
Category: News and Politics
white racists wearing black make-up in pittsburgh,pa!!!!!!!!!White racists performing hate crime..........identity thieves,identity fraud..OBEY THEM OR ELSE YOU WILL BE TERRORIZED.....IIIIIIIII AM NOT SCARED>>>I LIVED ON AN INDian reservation so therefore i am a victim..they want the INDIAN MAGIC>>>>>THEY WANT THE INDIAN MAGIC>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>LOOTING..INTIMIDATING PEOPLE OUT OF NEIGHBORHOOD>>WE WANT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
racists
white racists
Current mood: annoyed
Category: News and Politics
white racists wearing black make-up in pittsburgh,pa!!!!!!!!!White racists performing hate crime..........identity thieves,identity fraud..OBEY THEM OR ELSE YOU WILL BE TERRORIZED.....IIIIIIIII AM NOT SCARED>>>I LIVED ON AN INDian reservation so therefore i am a victim..they want the INDIAN MAGIC>>>>>THEY WANT THE INDIAN MAGIC>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>LOOTING..INTIMIDATING PEOPLE OUT OF NEIGHBORHOOD>>WE WANT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
Current mood: annoyed
Category: News and Politics
white racists wearing black make-up in pittsburgh,pa!!!!!!!!!White racists performing hate crime..........identity thieves,identity fraud..OBEY THEM OR ELSE YOU WILL BE TERRORIZED.....IIIIIIIII AM NOT SCARED>>>I LIVED ON AN INDian reservation so therefore i am a victim..they want the INDIAN MAGIC>>>>>THEY WANT THE INDIAN MAGIC>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>THEY GONNA BE RICH>>>LOOTING..INTIMIDATING PEOPLE OUT OF NEIGHBORHOOD>>WE WANT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
magic vs,automation
Magic Sunking...hahahahahaha...In other words, SBI! is not magic. For any site to be successful, the proper research must be done. For example..
Your keywords must be brainstormed, researched and analyzed for profitability (i.e. the perfect blend of low supply and high demand) during DAY 3, and your theme (and topical keywords) must be tweaked during DAY 5 "just right".
Monetization opportunities and other potential revenue streams should be investigated during DAY 4, before you begin building your business. In other words, know what you are going to do with your traffic before you start.
It's all part of the SBI! Ready-Aim-Fire process. So many doomed-to-fail companies start out FIRE!... Ready-Aim.
The above are, of course, only two examples of the sort of leg-work that goes on before any successful Web site makes it into cyberspace. So...
Should you opt to skim over the Action Guide, or even worse, ignore it altogether, you are compromising the long-term success of your business. While you'll still retain all the unique functionality of SBI!, you won't achieve the results you desire.....$$$$$$$$$$$make money for her and sunking....
Your keywords must be brainstormed, researched and analyzed for profitability (i.e. the perfect blend of low supply and high demand) during DAY 3, and your theme (and topical keywords) must be tweaked during DAY 5 "just right".
Monetization opportunities and other potential revenue streams should be investigated during DAY 4, before you begin building your business. In other words, know what you are going to do with your traffic before you start.
It's all part of the SBI! Ready-Aim-Fire process. So many doomed-to-fail companies start out FIRE!... Ready-Aim.
The above are, of course, only two examples of the sort of leg-work that goes on before any successful Web site makes it into cyberspace. So...
Should you opt to skim over the Action Guide, or even worse, ignore it altogether, you are compromising the long-term success of your business. While you'll still retain all the unique functionality of SBI!, you won't achieve the results you desire.....$$$$$$$$$$$make money for her and sunking....
Saturday, May 23, 2009
racial holy war
All Topics > Legal > SKINHEADS IN AMERICA >
SKIN
SKINHEADS IN AMERICA
provided by:
Skinheads and other hate crime groups terrorize the innocent while instilling fear into communities across the nation. According to the Southern Law Poverty Center's (SPLC's) Intelligence Project, a non-profit organization that tracks the American radical right, "The racist skinheads' trademark style — shaved head, combat boots, bomber jacket, neo-Nazi and white power tattoos — has become a fixture in American culture."
It's evident that skinheads and hate groups are becoming more prevalent each year. According to the FBI 2005 Hate Crime Statistics, 54.7 percent of the 7,160 single-bias incidents were triggered by a religious bias and 13.2 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias.
In 2006, the SPLC specifically tracked more than 844 cases which included groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi, Black Separatist, Neo-Confederate, Racist Skinhead and Christian Identity. Skinheads can be involved with groups such as these.
"From a law enforcement and safety standpoint, these are people who are on the most violent edge of the extreme right, people whose culture is a violent culture," says Joseph Roy of the SPLC. Roy says the extreme anti-political and anti-law enforcement opinions and culturally violent beliefs of the skinheads are a dangerous mix.
"From those two aspects they're a threat to law enforcement," Roy says. He believes it is inevitable for law enforcement to encounter these groups within their communities. In fact, he says it is more likely for police to encounter skinheads than they are any other terrorist group. Knowledge and education about the ways skinheads and other hate groups operate is imperative.
"It's important for law enforcement to at least have an idea what's going on out there domestically," Roy says.
H.R. 1592
In May, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1592: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) of 2007 to provide federal assistance to state and local jurisdictions, as well as Indian tribes, to prosecute hate crimes.
This act defines "hate crime" as any violent act causing death or bodily injury because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability of the victim.
LLEHCPA will allow local law enforcement the additional resources they need to investigate and prosecute those who commit serious hate crimes.
According to documentation from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), law enforcement has an ongoing role with hate crime victims and the community. The IACP says that officers and their departments can support hate crime victims and members of the community in the following ways:
Provide victim(s) a point of contact in the department to whom they can direct questions or concerns.
Inform them on case progress including the end result of the investigation and/or prosecution.
Help to connect them with appropriate support services, victim advocates and community-based organizations when needed.
Protect the privacy of the victim and their families as possible.
Engage the media as partners in restoring victimized communities through sensitive and accurate reporting.
Support or coordinate community clean-up efforts.
Participate in meetings or other forums designed to address the community-wide impact of hate incidents or crimes.
Collaborate with community leaders to mobilize resources that can be used to assist victims and prevent future hate crimes.
An undercover 'Skin'
Someone who knows the dangers and realities of hate crimes is Det. Matt Browning of the Mesa (Arizona) Police Department. Browning has worked on hate crimes for 12 of his 16 years with the department.
He says even though first responders treat hate crime investigations like any other, there are clues investigators can use to determine if skinheads or other hate crime groups are involved. For instance, tattoos are often very indicative of the type of group who committed the crime.
When it comes to crimes, Browning says most skinheads do not use guns as their weapon of choice. "I've investigated one or two skinhead crimes where a gun was used, but they're usually using knives, bats or boots."
Knowing about the characteristics of the skinheads also can help investigators understand who the suspects might be.
"When you roll up and see a guy laying on the ground with his head three times what it should be, and there aren't any bullets or casings, you probably have what is called a 'boot party,' " Browning says.
A boot party is when a victim is beaten to the ground as a group of skinheads repeatedly kick him with steel-toed boots.
According to Browning, patrol officers are on the front lines of these kinds of crime investigations. Knowing what to expect and understanding the skinheads' mindset is important for first responders.
The skinhead mindset, according to Browning, is completely different from the mindset of a typical gangster. "It's not about drugs and money. It's about race and politics; it's about religion," he says.
Undercover investigations of skinheads or any hate crime groups can be a gamble. Browning says when he began his detective career, he was "lucky," because his investigations took place during a time when skinhead groups in Mesa were on the rise. Browning was basically an "unknown" in the skinhead community.
"The trust and relationship was built at a very early stage of my undercover career," he says. "Because of the trust, I was able to do a lot of different things and was successful at getting into a lot of different groups."
"You're never fully 100-percent covered," Browning says, noting the importance of being careful and keeping stories straight. "These guys are all nationally and internationally linked, so if you're undercover in Arizona, you're going to be hooking up with guys from all over the world.
"If you get burned in Arizona, you're going to get burned in Florida."
Here to stay
Browning says every police department needs to have a hate crime investigation unit in place. He also suggests departments have reliable sources of intelligence within their hate crimes unit. "The only advice I can give to agencies is to get your people going on it," he says. "Start studying up, start finding out who's in your area and what they're doing, and start gathering intelligence."
Although skinheads are most recognizable, "It's not just a 'skinhead thing,' " Browning notes. "When you talk hate crimes, the Black Panthers are another hate organization who want the same things the skinheads do — they want to be separatists. They're not any different."
"If people think these guys are going to go away, they're wrong," Browning says.
Background check
With the Internet, more information is easily accessible. Various hate group leaders conduct elaborate background checks, polygraph tests and employment history checks to make sure new skinhead recruits are legitimate, says Browning. This makes infiltrating a group that much more difficult.
"They're doing a lot of different checks," he says. "If you're undercover and not properly backstopped, there's really no point; you can't go on anymore."
Browning says what concerns him most about hate crimes is that no one knows when it will happen, making it very difficult to predict.
"The victims can be anybody. You don't have to be black or Jewish or Israeli," he explains. "It could be a white person who happens to be shorter than average or it could be someone with a limp."
"Anybody who isn't a benefit to the white race is a potential victim," Browning says. Interracial couples are often involved in hate crimes, but surprisingly, the attack might not be on the person of color.
"If you're a white female with a black or Mexican guy, the female is going to get beat down before the guy does," Browning says. "And if he's still around, he'll get his beating after they get done with her."
Conquering hate with knowledge
Skinhead or other hate crime groups may go through changes in leadership or move to a new location, but as long as these groups exist, hate crimes will continue.
Browning says that for skinheads, every day is a hate-filled battle. "They wake up in the morning hating people and go to bed at night hating people," he says.
He says the skinheads' aggression and rage builds up every day until they eventually snap. He compares it to the pent-up frustration of an active shooter.
"I've seen different crimes where this kind of thing happens. You get a guy who is frustrated more and more and he goes on a shooting spree," he says, noting it's similar with the skinheads' hatred and anger toward anyone who is non-white. "They just lose it."
As for law enforcement, being vigilant and educated about the behaviors, patterns and migration of hate groups is imperative.
Roy says the SPLC offers training free of charge to members of law enforcement.
"We train law enforcement about these organizations, and teach Internet tracking with conferences and seminars all over the country," Roy says. There are varying levels of training, including a general 3- to 4-hour lecture series with an overview of the national groups. Small, computer-based classes are also offered.
The biggest challenge for law enforcement investigating hate crimes is identifying hate groups, where they are invading communities and how they are victimizing the innocent.
We may never know why skinheads choose to terrorize with hatred and violence, but knowing what to expect and how to possibly prevent a hate crime from occurring may be the strongest weapon yet.
"They're not going to go away, they're here to stay, Browning says. "It's just a matter of staying on top of them now."
Racist Skinhead glossary
Skinheads use terms like the ones listed below to communicate within their social circles. Knowing these terms can be important for law enforcement to understand when investigating potential hate crimes.
14/88: Common white supremacist code. 14 stands for the "14 words" slogan coined by David Lane, who is serving a 190-year sentence for his part in the assassination of a Jewish talk show host. 88 means "Heil Hitler" as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
28: Shorthand for Blood and Honour, a skinhead group.
38: Confederate Hammerskins, the southern faction of Hammerskin Nation. Boot party: Beating a victim to the ground then stomping and kicking him with steel-toed boots.
Braces: Suspenders.
Crew: Skinhead gang or faction.
Colors: Marks identifying affiliation — can be tattoos, patches on jackets, etc.
Curbing, curb job: Breaking a victim's jaw or neck by forcing his face against a street curb and kicking the back of the victim's head.
Dr. Martens (Doc Martens): Brand of durable boots popular with skinheads as well as young people in all walks of life, though skins lace the boots differently ("straight-laced") and wear either red or white laces.
Homey sock: Pool ball in a sock wrapped in tape so it doesn't split open when used as a weapon.
Featherwood: Female skinhead.
Five words: "I have nothing to say." Skinheads are exhorted to give this standard response to any and all media and law enforcement inquiries.
Fresh cut: A newly indoctrinated skinhead whose head has recently been shaved for the first time.
Hammerskins: A nationwide skinhead syndicate, also known as Hammerskin Nation, with regional factions and chapters that once dominated skin subculture nationwide.
HSN: Hammerskin Nation
HHFH: "Hammerskin Forever Forever Hammerskin."
Hang-around: A young person who associates with skinheads but is not yet a probate, akin to a gang "wannabe."
Probate: A "member in waiting" who is on probation for a set amount of time before he becomes a full-fledged member of a skinhead crew.
RAHOWA: Short for "Racial Holy War," a slogan that originally came out of the neo-Nazi Church of the Creator; also the name of a defunct band.
Red laces: Bootlace color indicating the wearer has shed blood for the skinhead movement. Racist skinheads will often randomly attack non-whites to "earn" their red laces.
Spider web tattoo: Racist skinhead "badge of honor," often worn on the elbow, indicating wearer has committed murder for the skinhead movement.
SHARP: Short for Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice, commonly known as SHARP skins, who often battle racist skins.
Skinbyrd: Female skinhead.
Straight-laced: A complex boot-lacing system favored by racist skins who lace their boots in horizontal, straight lines rather than X or cross patterns.
White laces: Bootlace color identifying a skinhead as being "white power," as opposed to a non-racist ("traditional") or anti-racist skin.
— Southern Poverty Law Center
SKIN
SKINHEADS IN AMERICA
provided by:
Skinheads and other hate crime groups terrorize the innocent while instilling fear into communities across the nation. According to the Southern Law Poverty Center's (SPLC's) Intelligence Project, a non-profit organization that tracks the American radical right, "The racist skinheads' trademark style — shaved head, combat boots, bomber jacket, neo-Nazi and white power tattoos — has become a fixture in American culture."
It's evident that skinheads and hate groups are becoming more prevalent each year. According to the FBI 2005 Hate Crime Statistics, 54.7 percent of the 7,160 single-bias incidents were triggered by a religious bias and 13.2 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias.
In 2006, the SPLC specifically tracked more than 844 cases which included groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi, Black Separatist, Neo-Confederate, Racist Skinhead and Christian Identity. Skinheads can be involved with groups such as these.
"From a law enforcement and safety standpoint, these are people who are on the most violent edge of the extreme right, people whose culture is a violent culture," says Joseph Roy of the SPLC. Roy says the extreme anti-political and anti-law enforcement opinions and culturally violent beliefs of the skinheads are a dangerous mix.
"From those two aspects they're a threat to law enforcement," Roy says. He believes it is inevitable for law enforcement to encounter these groups within their communities. In fact, he says it is more likely for police to encounter skinheads than they are any other terrorist group. Knowledge and education about the ways skinheads and other hate groups operate is imperative.
"It's important for law enforcement to at least have an idea what's going on out there domestically," Roy says.
H.R. 1592
In May, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1592: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) of 2007 to provide federal assistance to state and local jurisdictions, as well as Indian tribes, to prosecute hate crimes.
This act defines "hate crime" as any violent act causing death or bodily injury because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability of the victim.
LLEHCPA will allow local law enforcement the additional resources they need to investigate and prosecute those who commit serious hate crimes.
According to documentation from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), law enforcement has an ongoing role with hate crime victims and the community. The IACP says that officers and their departments can support hate crime victims and members of the community in the following ways:
Provide victim(s) a point of contact in the department to whom they can direct questions or concerns.
Inform them on case progress including the end result of the investigation and/or prosecution.
Help to connect them with appropriate support services, victim advocates and community-based organizations when needed.
Protect the privacy of the victim and their families as possible.
Engage the media as partners in restoring victimized communities through sensitive and accurate reporting.
Support or coordinate community clean-up efforts.
Participate in meetings or other forums designed to address the community-wide impact of hate incidents or crimes.
Collaborate with community leaders to mobilize resources that can be used to assist victims and prevent future hate crimes.
An undercover 'Skin'
Someone who knows the dangers and realities of hate crimes is Det. Matt Browning of the Mesa (Arizona) Police Department. Browning has worked on hate crimes for 12 of his 16 years with the department.
He says even though first responders treat hate crime investigations like any other, there are clues investigators can use to determine if skinheads or other hate crime groups are involved. For instance, tattoos are often very indicative of the type of group who committed the crime.
When it comes to crimes, Browning says most skinheads do not use guns as their weapon of choice. "I've investigated one or two skinhead crimes where a gun was used, but they're usually using knives, bats or boots."
Knowing about the characteristics of the skinheads also can help investigators understand who the suspects might be.
"When you roll up and see a guy laying on the ground with his head three times what it should be, and there aren't any bullets or casings, you probably have what is called a 'boot party,' " Browning says.
A boot party is when a victim is beaten to the ground as a group of skinheads repeatedly kick him with steel-toed boots.
According to Browning, patrol officers are on the front lines of these kinds of crime investigations. Knowing what to expect and understanding the skinheads' mindset is important for first responders.
The skinhead mindset, according to Browning, is completely different from the mindset of a typical gangster. "It's not about drugs and money. It's about race and politics; it's about religion," he says.
Undercover investigations of skinheads or any hate crime groups can be a gamble. Browning says when he began his detective career, he was "lucky," because his investigations took place during a time when skinhead groups in Mesa were on the rise. Browning was basically an "unknown" in the skinhead community.
"The trust and relationship was built at a very early stage of my undercover career," he says. "Because of the trust, I was able to do a lot of different things and was successful at getting into a lot of different groups."
"You're never fully 100-percent covered," Browning says, noting the importance of being careful and keeping stories straight. "These guys are all nationally and internationally linked, so if you're undercover in Arizona, you're going to be hooking up with guys from all over the world.
"If you get burned in Arizona, you're going to get burned in Florida."
Here to stay
Browning says every police department needs to have a hate crime investigation unit in place. He also suggests departments have reliable sources of intelligence within their hate crimes unit. "The only advice I can give to agencies is to get your people going on it," he says. "Start studying up, start finding out who's in your area and what they're doing, and start gathering intelligence."
Although skinheads are most recognizable, "It's not just a 'skinhead thing,' " Browning notes. "When you talk hate crimes, the Black Panthers are another hate organization who want the same things the skinheads do — they want to be separatists. They're not any different."
"If people think these guys are going to go away, they're wrong," Browning says.
Background check
With the Internet, more information is easily accessible. Various hate group leaders conduct elaborate background checks, polygraph tests and employment history checks to make sure new skinhead recruits are legitimate, says Browning. This makes infiltrating a group that much more difficult.
"They're doing a lot of different checks," he says. "If you're undercover and not properly backstopped, there's really no point; you can't go on anymore."
Browning says what concerns him most about hate crimes is that no one knows when it will happen, making it very difficult to predict.
"The victims can be anybody. You don't have to be black or Jewish or Israeli," he explains. "It could be a white person who happens to be shorter than average or it could be someone with a limp."
"Anybody who isn't a benefit to the white race is a potential victim," Browning says. Interracial couples are often involved in hate crimes, but surprisingly, the attack might not be on the person of color.
"If you're a white female with a black or Mexican guy, the female is going to get beat down before the guy does," Browning says. "And if he's still around, he'll get his beating after they get done with her."
Conquering hate with knowledge
Skinhead or other hate crime groups may go through changes in leadership or move to a new location, but as long as these groups exist, hate crimes will continue.
Browning says that for skinheads, every day is a hate-filled battle. "They wake up in the morning hating people and go to bed at night hating people," he says.
He says the skinheads' aggression and rage builds up every day until they eventually snap. He compares it to the pent-up frustration of an active shooter.
"I've seen different crimes where this kind of thing happens. You get a guy who is frustrated more and more and he goes on a shooting spree," he says, noting it's similar with the skinheads' hatred and anger toward anyone who is non-white. "They just lose it."
As for law enforcement, being vigilant and educated about the behaviors, patterns and migration of hate groups is imperative.
Roy says the SPLC offers training free of charge to members of law enforcement.
"We train law enforcement about these organizations, and teach Internet tracking with conferences and seminars all over the country," Roy says. There are varying levels of training, including a general 3- to 4-hour lecture series with an overview of the national groups. Small, computer-based classes are also offered.
The biggest challenge for law enforcement investigating hate crimes is identifying hate groups, where they are invading communities and how they are victimizing the innocent.
We may never know why skinheads choose to terrorize with hatred and violence, but knowing what to expect and how to possibly prevent a hate crime from occurring may be the strongest weapon yet.
"They're not going to go away, they're here to stay, Browning says. "It's just a matter of staying on top of them now."
Racist Skinhead glossary
Skinheads use terms like the ones listed below to communicate within their social circles. Knowing these terms can be important for law enforcement to understand when investigating potential hate crimes.
14/88: Common white supremacist code. 14 stands for the "14 words" slogan coined by David Lane, who is serving a 190-year sentence for his part in the assassination of a Jewish talk show host. 88 means "Heil Hitler" as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
28: Shorthand for Blood and Honour, a skinhead group.
38: Confederate Hammerskins, the southern faction of Hammerskin Nation. Boot party: Beating a victim to the ground then stomping and kicking him with steel-toed boots.
Braces: Suspenders.
Crew: Skinhead gang or faction.
Colors: Marks identifying affiliation — can be tattoos, patches on jackets, etc.
Curbing, curb job: Breaking a victim's jaw or neck by forcing his face against a street curb and kicking the back of the victim's head.
Dr. Martens (Doc Martens): Brand of durable boots popular with skinheads as well as young people in all walks of life, though skins lace the boots differently ("straight-laced") and wear either red or white laces.
Homey sock: Pool ball in a sock wrapped in tape so it doesn't split open when used as a weapon.
Featherwood: Female skinhead.
Five words: "I have nothing to say." Skinheads are exhorted to give this standard response to any and all media and law enforcement inquiries.
Fresh cut: A newly indoctrinated skinhead whose head has recently been shaved for the first time.
Hammerskins: A nationwide skinhead syndicate, also known as Hammerskin Nation, with regional factions and chapters that once dominated skin subculture nationwide.
HSN: Hammerskin Nation
HHFH: "Hammerskin Forever Forever Hammerskin."
Hang-around: A young person who associates with skinheads but is not yet a probate, akin to a gang "wannabe."
Probate: A "member in waiting" who is on probation for a set amount of time before he becomes a full-fledged member of a skinhead crew.
RAHOWA: Short for "Racial Holy War," a slogan that originally came out of the neo-Nazi Church of the Creator; also the name of a defunct band.
Red laces: Bootlace color indicating the wearer has shed blood for the skinhead movement. Racist skinheads will often randomly attack non-whites to "earn" their red laces.
Spider web tattoo: Racist skinhead "badge of honor," often worn on the elbow, indicating wearer has committed murder for the skinhead movement.
SHARP: Short for Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice, commonly known as SHARP skins, who often battle racist skins.
Skinbyrd: Female skinhead.
Straight-laced: A complex boot-lacing system favored by racist skins who lace their boots in horizontal, straight lines rather than X or cross patterns.
White laces: Bootlace color identifying a skinhead as being "white power," as opposed to a non-racist ("traditional") or anti-racist skin.
— Southern Poverty Law Center
hate groups
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A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates physical or verbal aggression toward or refusal to interact with persons on the basis of those persons' possession and/or exhibition of a certain characteristic. In addition, many hate groups espouse or rhetorically appeal to the proposition that persons exhibiting the characteristic in question are members of a group of persons exhibiting that characteristic, regardless of whether that group's existence, boundaries, and set of members are self-proclaimed or are instead merely alleged by the hate group to possess an independent existence arising from conceptual distinctions that the hate group draws. Such hate groups then frequently invoke membership in that group as a conceptually or rhetorically distinct basis for discrimination, both against the (alleged) group as a whole and against its individual members.
Characteristics frequently invoked by hate groups as a basis for discrimination include the possession of, profession of, or identification with a particular ethnic origin, religion, sex, and/or sexual orientation (usually as opposed to another characteristic within the same category that the hate group prefers), along with membership in a group or class corresponding to the set of persons exhibiting that characteristic or characteristics.
Contents [hide]
1 Violence
2 Hate speech
2.1 Hate groups and the Internet
3 Hate groups and religion
4 Psychopathology of hate groups
5 Classification of hate groups
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Violence
The California Association for Human Relations Organizations (CAHRO) asserts that hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and White Aryan Resistance preach violence against racial, religious, sexual and other minorities in the United States. These groups have hotlines, websites, Internet chatrooms, and propaganda distribution networks designed to transform fear into violence, and to brutalize minorities and vandalize their property. Joseph E. Agne argues that hate-motivated violence is a result of the successes of the civil rights movement, and asserts that the Ku Klux Klan has resurfaced and new hate groups have formed.[1] Agne asserts that it is a mistake to underestimate the strength of the hate-violence movement, its apologists, and its silent partners.[2]
Some hate groups may be classified as terrorist groups.[citation needed] In the United States, crimes that "manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, including the crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; larceny-theft; motor vehicle theft; arson; simple assault; intimidation; and destruction, damage or vandalism of property" directed at the U.S. government, an individual, a business, or institution, involving hate groups and hate crimes, may be investigated as acts of domestic terrorism.[3][4][5][6]
[edit] Hate speech
Further information: Hate speech
Dr. Ehud Sprinzak, an expert on terrorism and hate crimes, asserts that verbal violence is "the use of extreme language against an individual or a group that either implies a direct threat that physical force will be used against them, or is seen as an indirect call for others to use it." Sprinzak argues that verbal violence is often a substitute for real violence, and that the verbalization of hate has the potential to incite people who are incapable of distinguishing between real and verbal violence to engage in actual violence.1 Historian Daniel Goldhagen, discussing anti-semitic hate groups, argues that we should view "verbal violence... as an assault in its own right, having been intended to produce profound damage—emotional, psychological, and social—to the dignity and honor of the Jews. The wounds that people suffer by... such vituperation... can be as bad as... [a] beating."2
[edit] Hate groups and the Internet
In the mid-1990s, the popularity of the Internet brought new international exposure to many organizations, including groups with beliefs such as white supremacy, homophobia, Holocaust denial or Islamophobia. Since the advent of the Internet, a common tactic by hate groups is the use of Cyberstalking. Several white supremacist groups have founded websites dedicated to attacking their perceived enemies. Targets of such attacks include Ken McVay, founder of the Nizkor Project, and Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Using the Internet, hate groups are promoting a more professional veneer which may appear as more scientific and intellectual than hateful.5
By characterizing speech acts as violence, anti-hate groups have attempted to sideline freedom of speech objections to the silencing of hate groups, particularly on the Internet. In 1996, the Simon Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles asked Internet access providers to adopt a code of ethics that would prevent extremists from publishing their ideas online. Internet providers that adopt the code would refuse service to individuals or groups that "promote violence and mayhem, denigrate and threaten minorities and women, and promote homophobia." In the same year, America Online Inc. said it may face charges in Germany for permitting German citizens to access neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic material on the global computer network.[7]
In 1996, the European Commission formed the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia (CRAX), a pan-European group to "encourage the mixing of people of different cultures" from both inside and outside Europe, tasked to "investigate and, using legal means, stamp out the current wave of racism on the Internet."[8]
[edit] Hate groups and religion
White nationalists and white supremacists have created a number of religions. William Pierce, founder of the National Alliance, also founded the religion of Cosmotheism. The former "World Church of the Creator", now renamed the Creativity Movement, is led by Matthew F. Hale and is tied to violence and bigotry.
Some new religious movements (NRMs) have seized upon anti-cult movement (ACM) critique and what they see as hostile acts of their unfavorable former members, and cited them as examples of religious intolerance, persecution, and bigotry. CESNUR’s president Massimo Introvigne, writes in his article "So many evil things: Anti-cult terrorism via the Internet"[9], that fringe and extreme anti-cult activism resort to tactics that may create a background favorable to extreme manifestations of discrimination and hate against individuals that belong to new religious movements. Somewhat in concurrence with Introvigne, professor Eileen Barker asserts that the controversy surrounding certain new religious movements can turn violent by a process called deviancy amplification spiral.[10]
[edit] Psychopathology of hate groups
According to a report published in 2003 in the FBI Law Enforcement bulletin, a hate group, if unimpeded, passes through seven successive stages.3 In the first four stages, hate groups vocalize their beliefs and in the last three stages, they act on their beliefs. The report points to a transition period that exists between verbal violence and acting that violence out, separating hardcore haters from rhetorical haters. Thus, hate speech is seen as prerequisites of hate crimes and as a condition of their possibility. Similar stages have been proposed for genocide.
[edit] Classification of hate groups
The classification of other groups as a hate group is controversial and little or no consensus has developed as to whether political, religious or anti-religious movements deserve the label hate group. In the United States, two of the several organizations that claim to address intolerance and hate groups are the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)[11] and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).[12] The ADL and the SPLC maintain a list of what they deem to be hate groups, to be supremacist groups, anti-Semitic, anti-government or extremist groups that have committed "hate crimes."
The Westboro Baptist Church is also considered a hate group by gay rights activists and many others for its provocative and bitter stance against homosexuality.[13]
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This box: view • talk • edit
A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates physical or verbal aggression toward or refusal to interact with persons on the basis of those persons' possession and/or exhibition of a certain characteristic. In addition, many hate groups espouse or rhetorically appeal to the proposition that persons exhibiting the characteristic in question are members of a group of persons exhibiting that characteristic, regardless of whether that group's existence, boundaries, and set of members are self-proclaimed or are instead merely alleged by the hate group to possess an independent existence arising from conceptual distinctions that the hate group draws. Such hate groups then frequently invoke membership in that group as a conceptually or rhetorically distinct basis for discrimination, both against the (alleged) group as a whole and against its individual members.
Characteristics frequently invoked by hate groups as a basis for discrimination include the possession of, profession of, or identification with a particular ethnic origin, religion, sex, and/or sexual orientation (usually as opposed to another characteristic within the same category that the hate group prefers), along with membership in a group or class corresponding to the set of persons exhibiting that characteristic or characteristics.
Contents [hide]
1 Violence
2 Hate speech
2.1 Hate groups and the Internet
3 Hate groups and religion
4 Psychopathology of hate groups
5 Classification of hate groups
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Violence
The California Association for Human Relations Organizations (CAHRO) asserts that hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and White Aryan Resistance preach violence against racial, religious, sexual and other minorities in the United States. These groups have hotlines, websites, Internet chatrooms, and propaganda distribution networks designed to transform fear into violence, and to brutalize minorities and vandalize their property. Joseph E. Agne argues that hate-motivated violence is a result of the successes of the civil rights movement, and asserts that the Ku Klux Klan has resurfaced and new hate groups have formed.[1] Agne asserts that it is a mistake to underestimate the strength of the hate-violence movement, its apologists, and its silent partners.[2]
Some hate groups may be classified as terrorist groups.[citation needed] In the United States, crimes that "manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, including the crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; larceny-theft; motor vehicle theft; arson; simple assault; intimidation; and destruction, damage or vandalism of property" directed at the U.S. government, an individual, a business, or institution, involving hate groups and hate crimes, may be investigated as acts of domestic terrorism.[3][4][5][6]
[edit] Hate speech
Further information: Hate speech
Dr. Ehud Sprinzak, an expert on terrorism and hate crimes, asserts that verbal violence is "the use of extreme language against an individual or a group that either implies a direct threat that physical force will be used against them, or is seen as an indirect call for others to use it." Sprinzak argues that verbal violence is often a substitute for real violence, and that the verbalization of hate has the potential to incite people who are incapable of distinguishing between real and verbal violence to engage in actual violence.1 Historian Daniel Goldhagen, discussing anti-semitic hate groups, argues that we should view "verbal violence... as an assault in its own right, having been intended to produce profound damage—emotional, psychological, and social—to the dignity and honor of the Jews. The wounds that people suffer by... such vituperation... can be as bad as... [a] beating."2
[edit] Hate groups and the Internet
In the mid-1990s, the popularity of the Internet brought new international exposure to many organizations, including groups with beliefs such as white supremacy, homophobia, Holocaust denial or Islamophobia. Since the advent of the Internet, a common tactic by hate groups is the use of Cyberstalking. Several white supremacist groups have founded websites dedicated to attacking their perceived enemies. Targets of such attacks include Ken McVay, founder of the Nizkor Project, and Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Using the Internet, hate groups are promoting a more professional veneer which may appear as more scientific and intellectual than hateful.5
By characterizing speech acts as violence, anti-hate groups have attempted to sideline freedom of speech objections to the silencing of hate groups, particularly on the Internet. In 1996, the Simon Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles asked Internet access providers to adopt a code of ethics that would prevent extremists from publishing their ideas online. Internet providers that adopt the code would refuse service to individuals or groups that "promote violence and mayhem, denigrate and threaten minorities and women, and promote homophobia." In the same year, America Online Inc. said it may face charges in Germany for permitting German citizens to access neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic material on the global computer network.[7]
In 1996, the European Commission formed the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia (CRAX), a pan-European group to "encourage the mixing of people of different cultures" from both inside and outside Europe, tasked to "investigate and, using legal means, stamp out the current wave of racism on the Internet."[8]
[edit] Hate groups and religion
White nationalists and white supremacists have created a number of religions. William Pierce, founder of the National Alliance, also founded the religion of Cosmotheism. The former "World Church of the Creator", now renamed the Creativity Movement, is led by Matthew F. Hale and is tied to violence and bigotry.
Some new religious movements (NRMs) have seized upon anti-cult movement (ACM) critique and what they see as hostile acts of their unfavorable former members, and cited them as examples of religious intolerance, persecution, and bigotry. CESNUR’s president Massimo Introvigne, writes in his article "So many evil things: Anti-cult terrorism via the Internet"[9], that fringe and extreme anti-cult activism resort to tactics that may create a background favorable to extreme manifestations of discrimination and hate against individuals that belong to new religious movements. Somewhat in concurrence with Introvigne, professor Eileen Barker asserts that the controversy surrounding certain new religious movements can turn violent by a process called deviancy amplification spiral.[10]
[edit] Psychopathology of hate groups
According to a report published in 2003 in the FBI Law Enforcement bulletin, a hate group, if unimpeded, passes through seven successive stages.3 In the first four stages, hate groups vocalize their beliefs and in the last three stages, they act on their beliefs. The report points to a transition period that exists between verbal violence and acting that violence out, separating hardcore haters from rhetorical haters. Thus, hate speech is seen as prerequisites of hate crimes and as a condition of their possibility. Similar stages have been proposed for genocide.
[edit] Classification of hate groups
The classification of other groups as a hate group is controversial and little or no consensus has developed as to whether political, religious or anti-religious movements deserve the label hate group. In the United States, two of the several organizations that claim to address intolerance and hate groups are the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)[11] and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).[12] The ADL and the SPLC maintain a list of what they deem to be hate groups, to be supremacist groups, anti-Semitic, anti-government or extremist groups that have committed "hate crimes."
The Westboro Baptist Church is also considered a hate group by gay rights activists and many others for its provocative and bitter stance against homosexuality.[13]
white supremists
iihate these people...Crucified Skinhead
Symbol Type Skinhead Symbol
Also Known As N/A
Traditional Use/Origins Skinhead on the "Warrior Rune" (which shows commitment to the ‘Armed Struggle’) is a takeoff on Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Hate Group/Extremist Organization Neo-Nazis, Racist and Non-Racist Skinheads
Extremist Meaning or Representation See Below
Background/History This symbol is one of the older, more traditional skinhead symbols. Both neo-Nazi and anti-racist skinheads use the symbol to symbolize the plight of the working class. They also have used it as a threatening message to one another. SHARPs (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice) have distributed literature containing the symbol in order to express the difficulties they confront when they are confused with neo-Nazi skinheads. In some cases, when used as a tattoo, it can also signify that an individual has either served time in prison or committed a murder
Symbol Type Skinhead Symbol
Also Known As N/A
Traditional Use/Origins Skinhead on the "Warrior Rune" (which shows commitment to the ‘Armed Struggle’) is a takeoff on Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Hate Group/Extremist Organization Neo-Nazis, Racist and Non-Racist Skinheads
Extremist Meaning or Representation See Below
Background/History This symbol is one of the older, more traditional skinhead symbols. Both neo-Nazi and anti-racist skinheads use the symbol to symbolize the plight of the working class. They also have used it as a threatening message to one another. SHARPs (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice) have distributed literature containing the symbol in order to express the difficulties they confront when they are confused with neo-Nazi skinheads. In some cases, when used as a tattoo, it can also signify that an individual has either served time in prison or committed a murder
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
civil rights history project 2009
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)
Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009 - Requires, within the limits of available funds, the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (acting through the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture) to establish an oral history project to: (1) collect video and audio recordings of, and visual and written materials relevant to the personal histories of, participants in the Civil Rights movement; and (2) make the collection available for public use through the Library of Congress and the Museum.
Defines, for this Act, "Civil Rights movement" as the movement to secure racial equality in the United States for African Americans that, focusing on the period 1954 through 1968, challenged the practice of racial segregation in the nation and achieved equal rights legislation for all American citizens.
Encourages the Librarian and the Secretary to solicit and accept related donations of funds and in-kind contributions.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
tara
TaraWatch Looks Across the Atlantic for Support
Category: News and Politics
TaraWatch Looks Across the Atlantic for Support
Epoch Times - Apr 14, 2009 - By Martin Murphy
The M3 motorway is still under construction but TaraWatch have not given up their hopes of saving the Irish historical site called "The Hill of Tara" and surrounding monuments; help may be on its way from across the Atlantic. TaraWatch Public Relations Officer, Vincent Salafia, has just finished a publicity tour of the United States, where he met with representatives of both archaeological and Native American institutions.
I asked the TaraWatch representative why he felt he had to travel abroad to get support even though we had the Green Party in Government here in Ireland. Mr Salafia said with respect to the Green Party “They have been absolutely abysmal ... Tara was on the table when they were negotiating their terms for government ... the Greens basically traded off our backs. “We feel very betrayed by the Green party and we do not hold out any hope that they will do anything proactive in terms of saving Tara.”
While in the USA Mr Salafia met with the World Monuments Fund, in New York City, after submitting the nomination for the Hill of Tara to be on their 2010 List of Most Endangered Sites (Tara is on the current list.) “We were trying to mobilise them and get them involved in the UNESCO confrontation by supporting our argument.” TaraWatch's argument being that the motorway should be re-routed rather than having a UNESCO site with a motorway running right through it. Mr Salafia said “We are afraid that what will happen here in Ireland will be similar to what happened in Stonehenge in England, the motorway was completed and then UNESCO said the motorway had to be moved. “So it could be economically viable to move the road here now even though it's under construction, we still have not given up on the campaign.”
Mr Salafia explained that while in the US he made a presentation to the Council on Archaeology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and asked them to sign a statement calling for the M3 motorway to be re-routed, before Tara is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vincent Salafia told The Epoch Times that he was also trying to drum up support from the likes of Mr Daniel M. Rooney the next United States Ambassador to Ireland. According to Mr Salafia a number of US bodies have made statements on the issue which can be found on the Save Tara website www.hilloftara.info. “There is massive interest and support from Irish American and indeed all Americans, particularly the academics... the Smithsonian Magazine recently listed Tara on their ten must see sights before they disappear.”
Mr Salafia also met with representatives of Native American tribes, and proposed a gathering of indigenous peoples on the Hill of Tara, during Heritage Week, in late August. TaraWatch is currently in talks with indigenous peoples in Australia and Africa, as well as North America and Canada, regarding the proposed event. It was Mr Salafia hopes that with this new support a process of engagement and problem solving could restart.
Category: News and Politics
TaraWatch Looks Across the Atlantic for Support
Epoch Times - Apr 14, 2009 - By Martin Murphy
The M3 motorway is still under construction but TaraWatch have not given up their hopes of saving the Irish historical site called "The Hill of Tara" and surrounding monuments; help may be on its way from across the Atlantic. TaraWatch Public Relations Officer, Vincent Salafia, has just finished a publicity tour of the United States, where he met with representatives of both archaeological and Native American institutions.
I asked the TaraWatch representative why he felt he had to travel abroad to get support even though we had the Green Party in Government here in Ireland. Mr Salafia said with respect to the Green Party “They have been absolutely abysmal ... Tara was on the table when they were negotiating their terms for government ... the Greens basically traded off our backs. “We feel very betrayed by the Green party and we do not hold out any hope that they will do anything proactive in terms of saving Tara.”
While in the USA Mr Salafia met with the World Monuments Fund, in New York City, after submitting the nomination for the Hill of Tara to be on their 2010 List of Most Endangered Sites (Tara is on the current list.) “We were trying to mobilise them and get them involved in the UNESCO confrontation by supporting our argument.” TaraWatch's argument being that the motorway should be re-routed rather than having a UNESCO site with a motorway running right through it. Mr Salafia said “We are afraid that what will happen here in Ireland will be similar to what happened in Stonehenge in England, the motorway was completed and then UNESCO said the motorway had to be moved. “So it could be economically viable to move the road here now even though it's under construction, we still have not given up on the campaign.”
Mr Salafia explained that while in the US he made a presentation to the Council on Archaeology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and asked them to sign a statement calling for the M3 motorway to be re-routed, before Tara is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vincent Salafia told The Epoch Times that he was also trying to drum up support from the likes of Mr Daniel M. Rooney the next United States Ambassador to Ireland. According to Mr Salafia a number of US bodies have made statements on the issue which can be found on the Save Tara website www.hilloftara.info. “There is massive interest and support from Irish American and indeed all Americans, particularly the academics... the Smithsonian Magazine recently listed Tara on their ten must see sights before they disappear.”
Mr Salafia also met with representatives of Native American tribes, and proposed a gathering of indigenous peoples on the Hill of Tara, during Heritage Week, in late August. TaraWatch is currently in talks with indigenous peoples in Australia and Africa, as well as North America and Canada, regarding the proposed event. It was Mr Salafia hopes that with this new support a process of engagement and problem solving could restart.
Friday, May 1, 2009
लेओनार्ड peltier
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Court rules against Peltier in documents case
Court rules against Peltier in documents case
The Associated Press
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS
Imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has lost another round in court in his effort to compel the FBI to disclose about 10,500 pages of documents about his case.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled on the case Wednesday, rejecting Peltier's claim that the district court should have reviewed all the documents, not just a sample of about 500 pages.
The appeals court said Peltier didn't make that argument during the trial so the district court in Minnesota didn't abuse its discretion by not doing it.
Further, the appeals court said the lower court was correct in ruling that the Freedom of Information Act's exemptions cover the bulk of the disputed documents, shielding them from disclosure.
Peltier is serving two life sentences for the deaths of two FBI agents during a 1975 standoff near Oglala, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has appealed his conviction several times, without success.
In 2001, he requested all the FBI's records about himself and received more than 70,400 pages of records.
However, the FBI withheld thousands more pages because it claimed they were excempt from the FOIA because they could disclose the identity of confidential sources, among other reasons.
Court rules against Peltier in documents case
Court rules against Peltier in documents case
The Associated Press
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS
Imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has lost another round in court in his effort to compel the FBI to disclose about 10,500 pages of documents about his case.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled on the case Wednesday, rejecting Peltier's claim that the district court should have reviewed all the documents, not just a sample of about 500 pages.
The appeals court said Peltier didn't make that argument during the trial so the district court in Minnesota didn't abuse its discretion by not doing it.
Further, the appeals court said the lower court was correct in ruling that the Freedom of Information Act's exemptions cover the bulk of the disputed documents, shielding them from disclosure.
Peltier is serving two life sentences for the deaths of two FBI agents during a 1975 standoff near Oglala, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has appealed his conviction several times, without success.
In 2001, he requested all the FBI's records about himself and received more than 70,400 pages of records.
However, the FBI withheld thousands more pages because it claimed they were excempt from the FOIA because they could disclose the identity of confidential sources, among other reasons.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
destruction
Psalm 90:3-You turn man to destruction,And say,"Return,O children of men."Psalm 90:5-You carry them away as with a flood.
arm and right hand
Psalm 89:13-You have a mighty arm,Strong is Your hand,and high is Your right hand
ishmaelites
Psalm 83:6-The tents of the Ishmaelites[In the Old Testament, the son of Abraham and his wife Sarah's Egyptian maid Hagar; traditional ancestor of Muhammad and the Arab people. He and his mother were driven away by Sarah's jealousy. Muslims believe that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, whom God commanded Abraham to sacrifice, and that Ishmael helped Abraham build the Kaaba in Mecca.]
dead bodies
Psalm 79:2-The dead bodies of Your servants,They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth
Monday, April 20, 2009
High position
Psalm 62:4-They only consult to cast him down from his high position.They delight in lies.They curse inwardly.
Cry
Psalm 61:1-Hear my cry,O God,Attend unto my prayer,From the end of the earth I will cry to You,When my heart is overwhelmed,Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
laugh nations
Psalm 59 :8-But You.O Lord,shall laugh at them.You shall have all the nations in derision.
belch out with their mouths
Psalm 59:6,7-At evening they return,They growl like a dog,And go all around the city.Indeed they belch out with their mouths,Swords are in their lips,For they say,"Who hears?"
awake
Psalm 59:4,5-Awake to help me,and behold!You therefore,O Lord God of hosts,the God of Israel,Awake to punish all the nations,Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors.Selah
wickedness
Psalm 55:15-Let death seize upon them,For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
tongues
Psalm 55:9-11-Destroy,O Lord,and divide their tongues,For I have seen violence and strife in the city.Day and night they go around it on its walls,Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.Destruction is in its midst,Deceit and guile do not depart from her streets
complaint
Psalm 55:1-3-Give ear to my prayer,O God.Attend to me, and hear me,I am restless in my complaint.Because of the voice of the enemy,For they bring trouble down upon me.
help
Psalm 40:13,14-O lord,make haste to help me.Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion,Who seek to destroy my life.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
cry
Psalm 17:1-2-Attend to my cry,Give ear to my prayer that is not from deceitful lips.Let my vindication come from Your presence.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
pass it on
Had to pass it on. Could not resist.
hugs, Grandma Joan of the North
The Shift Has Hit the Fan: Welcome to the Sane Asylum
By Swami Beyondananda
The shift has hit the fan!
Humanity has shifted its karma into surpassing gear, and political climate change has come to America . Thanks to a grassroots up-wising, we the people huffed and puffed together in the same direction and the winds of change blew in a breath of fresh air. And we can all breathe easier.
The vote in November was more than a vote for a new President. It was a vote for a new precedent - to overgrow the "lowest common dominator" paradigm and take a step towards government of the people, by the people, for the people where the government does our bidding, not the bidding of the highest bidder -- and where the Golden Rule can finally overrule the rule of gold. In the short term, the up-wising has been successful, and the American Evolution has begun. The first big shots have been fired, and we are on the road to recovering from an eight-year bout with Mad Cowboy Disease and Electile Dysfunction.
But now, if we want to heal the body politic of conditions like Deficit Inattention Disorder, Truth Decay and the deadliest one of all, an unchecked Military Industrial Complex, we must elect ourselves. Spiritually, it's time to quiet our barking dogmas and evolve past the Ten Commandments to an even greater realization - the One Suggestion: "We are all in it together." Once a critical mass of us chooses to live by this credo, we can avoid the critical massacre called Armageddon, create Disarmageddon instead, and achieve fulfillment as a species -- Humanifest Destiny.
The End of the Age of Nefarious?
Every journey into the light is preceded by a dark passage, and our entry into the Age of Aquarius is no different. As predicted in the celebrated quatrain...
"When the goon moves into Lincoln 's house
and stupider aligns with Mars
then greed will guide the planet
and fear obscure the stars ..."
...the Age of Nefarious delayed the start of the new millennium. But now the quatrain is heading down a new track, and soular power is shining a light on the endarkened corridors of soulless power.
Just as the eight-year journey that took us from Whitewater to Blackwater was coming to an end, some overzealous Bush-bashers hurled footwear to give the departing regime one final boot. That was understandable, but unnecessary. Better we should keep our shoes on, and use them to stand together at a time when healing wounds is more important than wounding heels. Besides, without Bush there could have been no Obama. His alarming actions awakened more people than Buddha, and a body politic in a fear-induced coma miraculously regained consciousness.
And now there is a new President: Barack Hussein Obama. After eight years of insanity, we can proclaim to the world, " America has a President Hussein!"
So now, we must face another awesome truth: We are living in a world gone sane.
Welcome to the sane asylum.
Trickle Down Goes Belly Up
It's a good thing our political fates are on the upswing, as our economy has taken a sharp downturn. The house of credit cards economy based on trickle down has gone belly up, and we must face another, sadder truth. Individually and collectively, we've been suffering from Deficit Inattention Disorder, and since we were unable to do the math, we must now do the aftermath. It's a buy-o-logical fact. You cannot spend more than you have. Nature knows this. We can use no more energy than what we have in reserve. We cannot charge energy on our Ascended Master Card and repay it next lifetime.
So yes, the casino economy coming down, but there is an upside to the meltdown. There is a great opportunity in the crisis. Consider this. When the dollar hits zero, we can pay off our entire $10 trillion national debt and hardly feel it!
Meanwhile, over the past eight years we have seen the fall of reptilian entities like Enronosaurus Wrecks, and most recently a character named Madoff made off with billions. Our entire economic system has been revealed as an extraordinary ponzi scheme where ordinary people are left holding the empty bag.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new. It's the same old needy-greedy where our collective fear of not having enough -- "scare city" -- has empowered those privatizing privateers who are plundering our planet with their mining operations: that's mine, that's mine, that's mine. This mining has overmined the planet and undermined humanity. Thus, the emergency we face right now.
So, what do we do? I am glad I asked that question. We must go beyond the fear-based state of emergency, to a state of emergent seeing. That is where we emerge and see the genuine wealth that is all around us: the virtually infinite energy from Father Sun, the prolific nourishment Mother Earth brings us every season, the love we generate from our hearts, and the inventiveness of our minds. With this realization, we have a one way ticket out of scare city ... and we enter a state of a-bun-dance. That is where we get up off our assets, move our buns, face the music and dance together. In using our resources to create good goods and greater goodness, we can weave a web of mass construction that will make us all interdependently wealthy.
Heartland Security and Purple People Power
So ... how do we do this? How do we go from our habitual "every cell for itself" consciousness that has caused our current "mining disaster", to acting on the evolutionary truth that we are in reality "all cells in the body of humanity?" How do we shift from survival of the fittest to thrival of the fittingest?
First we must move from the fear-based Homeland Security to the love-based Heartland Security, and realize our one true security is in the land of the heart. While the beliefs in our head fool us all the time, the love in our heart is foolproof. When we face up to love, we can face down the fear.
What this means in practical reality is that we must step across the "red-blue" political divide that has kept us separate, and show our true colors as one purple people. Yes, we have all been wounded by polarizing politics, so let's give ourselves a purple heart, and take the next courageous step to cohere around our shared "heart core" values and become ... we, the purple.
I have a dream .. that the rednecks shall lie down with the blue necks, and we tune out the polarizing mainstream media, which is sadly a brainwashing machine stuck on spin. More than ever, we need forums not againstums, dialogue instead of debate. When the body politic stops mass-debating and chooses to have healthy, pleasurable intercourse, we will finally create a healthy brainchild together.
This February, we celebrate Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial, and our friend Richard Lederer (the anagram master known as Riddler Reacher), tells us that when we scramble the letters in "Barack Hussein Obama," we get "Abraham is back: One U.S."
You don't have to be a Barack-backer to see that instead of relying on leaders from above, the next evolutionary step is for us to become the leaders we have been waiting for. I am Lincoln . You are Lincoln . We are Lincoln . And by linkin' together, we free ourselves from slavery to the divisive beliefs in our minds, and form a more perfect union in the land of the heart.
Sure, these ideas may seem far-fetched, but we are nearer to fetching them than ever before. Remember, we are now living in a world gone sane. Change is ahead, change is afoot, and everything is changing from head to foot. Like it or not, we are destined to have heaven on earth.
Might as well get used to it.
hugs, Grandma Joan of the North
The Shift Has Hit the Fan: Welcome to the Sane Asylum
By Swami Beyondananda
The shift has hit the fan!
Humanity has shifted its karma into surpassing gear, and political climate change has come to America . Thanks to a grassroots up-wising, we the people huffed and puffed together in the same direction and the winds of change blew in a breath of fresh air. And we can all breathe easier.
The vote in November was more than a vote for a new President. It was a vote for a new precedent - to overgrow the "lowest common dominator" paradigm and take a step towards government of the people, by the people, for the people where the government does our bidding, not the bidding of the highest bidder -- and where the Golden Rule can finally overrule the rule of gold. In the short term, the up-wising has been successful, and the American Evolution has begun. The first big shots have been fired, and we are on the road to recovering from an eight-year bout with Mad Cowboy Disease and Electile Dysfunction.
But now, if we want to heal the body politic of conditions like Deficit Inattention Disorder, Truth Decay and the deadliest one of all, an unchecked Military Industrial Complex, we must elect ourselves. Spiritually, it's time to quiet our barking dogmas and evolve past the Ten Commandments to an even greater realization - the One Suggestion: "We are all in it together." Once a critical mass of us chooses to live by this credo, we can avoid the critical massacre called Armageddon, create Disarmageddon instead, and achieve fulfillment as a species -- Humanifest Destiny.
The End of the Age of Nefarious?
Every journey into the light is preceded by a dark passage, and our entry into the Age of Aquarius is no different. As predicted in the celebrated quatrain...
"When the goon moves into Lincoln 's house
and stupider aligns with Mars
then greed will guide the planet
and fear obscure the stars ..."
...the Age of Nefarious delayed the start of the new millennium. But now the quatrain is heading down a new track, and soular power is shining a light on the endarkened corridors of soulless power.
Just as the eight-year journey that took us from Whitewater to Blackwater was coming to an end, some overzealous Bush-bashers hurled footwear to give the departing regime one final boot. That was understandable, but unnecessary. Better we should keep our shoes on, and use them to stand together at a time when healing wounds is more important than wounding heels. Besides, without Bush there could have been no Obama. His alarming actions awakened more people than Buddha, and a body politic in a fear-induced coma miraculously regained consciousness.
And now there is a new President: Barack Hussein Obama. After eight years of insanity, we can proclaim to the world, " America has a President Hussein!"
So now, we must face another awesome truth: We are living in a world gone sane.
Welcome to the sane asylum.
Trickle Down Goes Belly Up
It's a good thing our political fates are on the upswing, as our economy has taken a sharp downturn. The house of credit cards economy based on trickle down has gone belly up, and we must face another, sadder truth. Individually and collectively, we've been suffering from Deficit Inattention Disorder, and since we were unable to do the math, we must now do the aftermath. It's a buy-o-logical fact. You cannot spend more than you have. Nature knows this. We can use no more energy than what we have in reserve. We cannot charge energy on our Ascended Master Card and repay it next lifetime.
So yes, the casino economy coming down, but there is an upside to the meltdown. There is a great opportunity in the crisis. Consider this. When the dollar hits zero, we can pay off our entire $10 trillion national debt and hardly feel it!
Meanwhile, over the past eight years we have seen the fall of reptilian entities like Enronosaurus Wrecks, and most recently a character named Madoff made off with billions. Our entire economic system has been revealed as an extraordinary ponzi scheme where ordinary people are left holding the empty bag.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new. It's the same old needy-greedy where our collective fear of not having enough -- "scare city" -- has empowered those privatizing privateers who are plundering our planet with their mining operations: that's mine, that's mine, that's mine. This mining has overmined the planet and undermined humanity. Thus, the emergency we face right now.
So, what do we do? I am glad I asked that question. We must go beyond the fear-based state of emergency, to a state of emergent seeing. That is where we emerge and see the genuine wealth that is all around us: the virtually infinite energy from Father Sun, the prolific nourishment Mother Earth brings us every season, the love we generate from our hearts, and the inventiveness of our minds. With this realization, we have a one way ticket out of scare city ... and we enter a state of a-bun-dance. That is where we get up off our assets, move our buns, face the music and dance together. In using our resources to create good goods and greater goodness, we can weave a web of mass construction that will make us all interdependently wealthy.
Heartland Security and Purple People Power
So ... how do we do this? How do we go from our habitual "every cell for itself" consciousness that has caused our current "mining disaster", to acting on the evolutionary truth that we are in reality "all cells in the body of humanity?" How do we shift from survival of the fittest to thrival of the fittingest?
First we must move from the fear-based Homeland Security to the love-based Heartland Security, and realize our one true security is in the land of the heart. While the beliefs in our head fool us all the time, the love in our heart is foolproof. When we face up to love, we can face down the fear.
What this means in practical reality is that we must step across the "red-blue" political divide that has kept us separate, and show our true colors as one purple people. Yes, we have all been wounded by polarizing politics, so let's give ourselves a purple heart, and take the next courageous step to cohere around our shared "heart core" values and become ... we, the purple.
I have a dream .. that the rednecks shall lie down with the blue necks, and we tune out the polarizing mainstream media, which is sadly a brainwashing machine stuck on spin. More than ever, we need forums not againstums, dialogue instead of debate. When the body politic stops mass-debating and chooses to have healthy, pleasurable intercourse, we will finally create a healthy brainchild together.
This February, we celebrate Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial, and our friend Richard Lederer (the anagram master known as Riddler Reacher), tells us that when we scramble the letters in "Barack Hussein Obama," we get "Abraham is back: One U.S."
You don't have to be a Barack-backer to see that instead of relying on leaders from above, the next evolutionary step is for us to become the leaders we have been waiting for. I am Lincoln . You are Lincoln . We are Lincoln . And by linkin' together, we free ourselves from slavery to the divisive beliefs in our minds, and form a more perfect union in the land of the heart.
Sure, these ideas may seem far-fetched, but we are nearer to fetching them than ever before. Remember, we are now living in a world gone sane. Change is ahead, change is afoot, and everything is changing from head to foot. Like it or not, we are destined to have heaven on earth.
Might as well get used to it.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Shame
Psalm 4:2-How long,O you sons of men,Will you turn my glory to shame?How long will you love worthlessness,And seek falsehood?
nations
Psalm 2:1-4-Why do the nations rage,And the people plot a vain thing?The kings of the earth set themselves,And the rulers take counsel together,Saying,"Let us cast away their cords from us."
chains
Psalm 149:7-8-To execute vengeance on the nations,And punishments on the peoples;To bind their kings with chains,And their nobles with fetters of iron.
battle
Psalm 140:2-Who plan evil things in their hearts.Psalm 140:7-9-You have covered my head in the day of battle.Do not further his wicked scheme,Lest they be exalted.Se-lah.As for the head of those who surround me,Let the evil of their lips cover them.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Crown
Psalm 118:6-The Lord is on my side.Psalm 119:89-Forever,O Lord,Your word is settled in heaven.Psalm 126:1-We were like them that dream.Psalm 132:14-Here I will dwell.Psalm 132:18-Upon himself His crown shall flourish.
disgrace
Psalm 107:12-They fell down,and there was none to help.Psalm 107:27-They stagger like a drunken man.Psalm 109:12-Let there be none to extend mercy to him.Psalm 109:17-As he loved cursing,so let it come to him.Psalm 109:18-20-As he clothed himself with cursing,as with his garment,So let it enter his body like water,And like oil into his bones.Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.Let this be the Lord's reward to my accusers,And to those who speak evil against my person.Psalm 109:29-And let the cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
रस एंड immigration
What are the first steps toward a just immigration policy?
Next Tuesday, March 17th join Rinku Sen and an insightful panel of speakers to find out. RSVP today!
The president and Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) and the publisher of ColorLines magazine, Rinku Sen argues that when it comes to crafting immigration policy the United States has a clear choice to make.
Rinku Sen
"Will we decide to legitimate and legislate a climate of institutionalized racism by adopting more hostile policies and practices such as racial profiling, discrimination, exclusion and English-only that will further demonize, degrade and polarize people? Or can we create the political will to embrace a path of social inclusion and racial equity by advancing policies based on the principles of dignity, respect, equal opportunity, fair treatment and human rights so that we uplift and unite people?"
Joining Rinku Sen in the discussion about Race and Immigration are panelists Eric Ward, the National Field Director of Center for New Community and Marissa Graciosa, the Campaign Coordinator of Fair Immigration Reform Movement.
March 17th, Race and Immigration call
Next Tuesday, March 17th join Rinku Sen and an insightful panel of speakers to find out. RSVP today!
The president and Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) and the publisher of ColorLines magazine, Rinku Sen argues that when it comes to crafting immigration policy the United States has a clear choice to make.
Rinku Sen
"Will we decide to legitimate and legislate a climate of institutionalized racism by adopting more hostile policies and practices such as racial profiling, discrimination, exclusion and English-only that will further demonize, degrade and polarize people? Or can we create the political will to embrace a path of social inclusion and racial equity by advancing policies based on the principles of dignity, respect, equal opportunity, fair treatment and human rights so that we uplift and unite people?"
Joining Rinku Sen in the discussion about Race and Immigration are panelists Eric Ward, the National Field Director of Center for New Community and Marissa Graciosa, the Campaign Coordinator of Fair Immigration Reform Movement.
March 17th, Race and Immigration call
Saturday, March 7, 2009
hate crimes
Hate Groups' Rise Fueled by Nativism
by Dave Bennion
Published March 05, 2009 @ 04:53AM PST
Dee at Immigration Talk with a Mexican American has been blogging on the murder last week of two young Chileans studying in the U.S. The killings were apparently motivated by nativism and carried out by an unbalanced man whose neighbor said he had asked her if she was "ready for the revolution to begin and if [she] had any immigrants in [her] house to get them out." Dee's latest update takes a look at how Dannie Baker's hatred of foreigners filled an otherwise empty life, and how he may have believed the murders were his way of contributing to society by ridding it of foreign influence.
As regular readers of this blog will know, hate crimes against Latin@s have become a regular feature of life in the U.S., as people like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs, and Tom Tancredo build their careers on inspiring fear of immigrants.
Dee points us to a recent Southern Poverty Law Center report on the continued rise of hate groups in the U.S. fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment, the election of Barack Obama, and the faltering economy. The number of hate groups in the U.S. has grown by 54 percent since 2000. The SPLC press release notes that the "rise in hate groups has coincided with a 40 percent growth in hate crimes against Latinos between 2003 and 2007, according to FBI statistics." Most such crimes against undocumented immigrants surely go unreported since, in many jurisdictions, a call to the police may as well be a call to ICE.
I expect our nativist regulars will complain about the medical costs of treating the wounded students and the costs to the taxpayer of the police action to arrest the killer. Sam Huntington would have chalked this massacre up to inevitable cultural conflict between the U.S. and countries to the south, and propose to seal the border to avoid further killings. Huntington and his online acolytes represent the views of a minority of voters, but they've had an oversized impact on immigration policy for the last 20 years. The result is sadly predictable, as the families of the slain students have come to know.
.
by Dave Bennion
Published March 05, 2009 @ 04:53AM PST
Dee at Immigration Talk with a Mexican American has been blogging on the murder last week of two young Chileans studying in the U.S. The killings were apparently motivated by nativism and carried out by an unbalanced man whose neighbor said he had asked her if she was "ready for the revolution to begin and if [she] had any immigrants in [her] house to get them out." Dee's latest update takes a look at how Dannie Baker's hatred of foreigners filled an otherwise empty life, and how he may have believed the murders were his way of contributing to society by ridding it of foreign influence.
As regular readers of this blog will know, hate crimes against Latin@s have become a regular feature of life in the U.S., as people like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs, and Tom Tancredo build their careers on inspiring fear of immigrants.
Dee points us to a recent Southern Poverty Law Center report on the continued rise of hate groups in the U.S. fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment, the election of Barack Obama, and the faltering economy. The number of hate groups in the U.S. has grown by 54 percent since 2000. The SPLC press release notes that the "rise in hate groups has coincided with a 40 percent growth in hate crimes against Latinos between 2003 and 2007, according to FBI statistics." Most such crimes against undocumented immigrants surely go unreported since, in many jurisdictions, a call to the police may as well be a call to ICE.
I expect our nativist regulars will complain about the medical costs of treating the wounded students and the costs to the taxpayer of the police action to arrest the killer. Sam Huntington would have chalked this massacre up to inevitable cultural conflict between the U.S. and countries to the south, and propose to seal the border to avoid further killings. Huntington and his online acolytes represent the views of a minority of voters, but they've had an oversized impact on immigration policy for the last 20 years. The result is sadly predictable, as the families of the slain students have come to know.
.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
offering
Psalm 88:2-Let my prayer come before You.Psalm 91:14-He hath set his love upon me.Psalm 96:8-Bring an offering,and come into his courts.
mob
Psalm 84:6-O Lord God of hosts,hear my prayer.Give ear,O God of Jacob.Psalm 86:8-Give ear,O Lord,to my prayer;And attend to the voice of my supplications.Psalm 86:7-You will answer me.Psalm 86:14-A mob of violent men have sought my life.
nation
Psalm 78:2-I will utter dark sayings of old.Psalm 80:6-Our enemies laugh among themselves.Psalm 83:4-They have said,"Come,and let us cut them off from being a nation."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
slumdog stars return
what is wrong with the film producers to let those children return to the slums in Mumbai??Wrong!!!!!!!!Young 'Slumdog' stars back in Mumbai slumsStory Highlights
"Slumdog Millionaire" won eight Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday
Child actors who attended Oscars ceremony return home to India
Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail greeted by crowds, celebration, paparazzi
Rubina says she loved Disneyland rides, but didn't like American food
Next Article in Entertainment »
Read VIDEO PHOTOS
From Mallika Kapur
CNN
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- On Sunday night, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali were in Hollywood, California, getting celebrity treatment as eight Oscars were awarded to the movie they starred in, "Slumdog Millionaire."
Rubina Ali, who starred in "Slumdog Millionaire," is greeted by crowds in Mumbai, India, on Thursday.
1 of 3 more photos » Thursday night, the two children were sleeping at home in Mumbai, India. Azharuddin sleeps under a plastic sheet in a shantytown beside a railway track, where the smell of urine and cow dung lingers in the air. Rubina sleeps with her parents and siblings in a tiny shack beside an open drain.
The slum they live in put on a Bollywood-style welcome for the two young stars. There were music, dancing, sweets, garlands, security -- tears and tantrums -- and paparazzi.
Mumbai's Garib Nagar area, which translates literally into "poor district," put on a robust show for two of its own. Watch the children get happy, chaotic reception »
Rubina and Azharuddin have lived in a Mumbai slum all their lives. They were handpicked by the producers of "Slumdog Millionaire" for parts in the movie, which tells the rags-to-riches tale of a young boy who grew up in a Mumbai slum.
Following the film's spectacular success around the world, the producers decided to include the two young actors in the movie's Oscar experience.
The children made their first journey on a plane when they were flown to Los Angeles to attend the awards ceremony. "The plane was so big," said Rubina. "I'd only seen [planes] in the sky earlier and it used to look so small."
Don't Miss
'Slumdog' kids live Hollywood dream
Free computer-access project inspired 'Slumdog'
Is Bollywood coming to Hollywood?
In Depth: Academy Award spotlight
"America was just fantastic," Rubina gushed, visibly excited after she made a dramatic entry into the slum on her father's shoulders on Thursday afternoon. "I was so excited to be on stage at the Oscars. Everyone was crying."
Red-carpet formalities done, the children were given a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles. The highlight -- a trip to Disneyland. "I loved all the rides, especially the fast ones," said Rubina.
The trip to the United States did have some drawbacks though. "The food is different over there," said Rubina. " I didn't like it. I missed Indian food."
They'll have plenty of that now that they're back home. The first thing Azharuddin did when he returned to Garib Nagar was to dig into a plate of biryani, a traditional Indian meal of meat and rice, at a restaurant. His mother, who accompanied him to Los Angeles, spoke to reporters at home -- a makeshift shelter under a tree, with a torn plastic sheet for a roof. See where the children live »
She said she hoped the "Slumdog Millionaire" experience would change things. "It would be nice to get a proper home." She says she has heard rumors the government may provide her family with one, but no one has confirmed any plans for a new home. "I've been praying for a new home for so long. It's all up to Allah now."
Returning to their slum, Azharuddin and Rubina were excited -- and exhausted -- by media attention that was sometimes a little overwhelming. Azharuddin burst into tears while eating lunch, leaving his biryani unfinished, his every move caught on camera.
Hoping to secure a future for Azharuddin and Rubina, the film's producers have enrolled them in a school and set up a trust fund to ensure their welfare.
"I hope the children get a better life after this," said a neighbor who waited outside her home all day to welcome the children home. "They've achieved so much at a young age. They deserve much better."
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All About Academy Awards • India • Mumbai
"Slumdog Millionaire" won eight Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday
Child actors who attended Oscars ceremony return home to India
Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail greeted by crowds, celebration, paparazzi
Rubina says she loved Disneyland rides, but didn't like American food
Next Article in Entertainment »
Read VIDEO PHOTOS
From Mallika Kapur
CNN
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- On Sunday night, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali were in Hollywood, California, getting celebrity treatment as eight Oscars were awarded to the movie they starred in, "Slumdog Millionaire."
Rubina Ali, who starred in "Slumdog Millionaire," is greeted by crowds in Mumbai, India, on Thursday.
1 of 3 more photos » Thursday night, the two children were sleeping at home in Mumbai, India. Azharuddin sleeps under a plastic sheet in a shantytown beside a railway track, where the smell of urine and cow dung lingers in the air. Rubina sleeps with her parents and siblings in a tiny shack beside an open drain.
The slum they live in put on a Bollywood-style welcome for the two young stars. There were music, dancing, sweets, garlands, security -- tears and tantrums -- and paparazzi.
Mumbai's Garib Nagar area, which translates literally into "poor district," put on a robust show for two of its own. Watch the children get happy, chaotic reception »
Rubina and Azharuddin have lived in a Mumbai slum all their lives. They were handpicked by the producers of "Slumdog Millionaire" for parts in the movie, which tells the rags-to-riches tale of a young boy who grew up in a Mumbai slum.
Following the film's spectacular success around the world, the producers decided to include the two young actors in the movie's Oscar experience.
The children made their first journey on a plane when they were flown to Los Angeles to attend the awards ceremony. "The plane was so big," said Rubina. "I'd only seen [planes] in the sky earlier and it used to look so small."
Don't Miss
'Slumdog' kids live Hollywood dream
Free computer-access project inspired 'Slumdog'
Is Bollywood coming to Hollywood?
In Depth: Academy Award spotlight
"America was just fantastic," Rubina gushed, visibly excited after she made a dramatic entry into the slum on her father's shoulders on Thursday afternoon. "I was so excited to be on stage at the Oscars. Everyone was crying."
Red-carpet formalities done, the children were given a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles. The highlight -- a trip to Disneyland. "I loved all the rides, especially the fast ones," said Rubina.
The trip to the United States did have some drawbacks though. "The food is different over there," said Rubina. " I didn't like it. I missed Indian food."
They'll have plenty of that now that they're back home. The first thing Azharuddin did when he returned to Garib Nagar was to dig into a plate of biryani, a traditional Indian meal of meat and rice, at a restaurant. His mother, who accompanied him to Los Angeles, spoke to reporters at home -- a makeshift shelter under a tree, with a torn plastic sheet for a roof. See where the children live »
She said she hoped the "Slumdog Millionaire" experience would change things. "It would be nice to get a proper home." She says she has heard rumors the government may provide her family with one, but no one has confirmed any plans for a new home. "I've been praying for a new home for so long. It's all up to Allah now."
Returning to their slum, Azharuddin and Rubina were excited -- and exhausted -- by media attention that was sometimes a little overwhelming. Azharuddin burst into tears while eating lunch, leaving his biryani unfinished, his every move caught on camera.
Hoping to secure a future for Azharuddin and Rubina, the film's producers have enrolled them in a school and set up a trust fund to ensure their welfare.
"I hope the children get a better life after this," said a neighbor who waited outside her home all day to welcome the children home. "They've achieved so much at a young age. They deserve much better."
E-mail to a friend
Share this on:
Mixx
Digg
del.icio.us
StumbleUpon
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| Mixx it | Share
All About Academy Awards • India • Mumbai
green jobs
So What's A Green Job, Anyway?
Topics:Colleges & Universities | Employment | Careers | EnergyBy: Joseph Pisani, News Associate | 26 Feb 2009 | 02:46 PM ET Text Size Everyone’s talking about green-collar jobs, but defining what one is is a pretty grey issue.
“There’s no answer. We don’t really know what one is,” says Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com, a Web site that covers corporate and environmental practices. “It’s a big problem because there’s a lot at stake politically.”
Eric Risberg / AP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Barack Obama’s New Energy for America plan would commit $150 billion for the creation of five million green jobs over the next ten years. But experts remain split on what makes a job a green one.
For instance, does a person who builds an SUV one week and a hybrid the next week at the same car plant have a green job? What about the truck driver who delivers solar panels, or the accountant who works at the office of a wind turbine producer?
Despite all the questions, there is some consensus about who will benefit from Obama's plan and that's workers with lower skill and education levels. Driving those types of jobs will be Obama's plan to overhaul federal buildings, schools and weatherize one million low-income homes a year. Those measures will be covered under the recently approved stimulus plan, with $500 million allocated to a green job training program.
“The jobs will require a low enough skill that they can train someone at a vocational school or a community college, or even in high school,” says George Hawkins, the director of the District Department of the Environment.
Much of the training is expected to take place at community colleges. “They're like the National Guard of education, they’re in every community,” says Makower. “That’s where it is likely to happen. It’s an existing infrastructure.”
Also getting into the game are non-profit organizations, which have begun training people for green-collar jobs. MillionTreesNYC, a partnership between the New York Restoration Project, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, started a seven-month training program in 2008. The program pays and trains individuals in urban greening, forestry, ecological restoration and landscape design according to Drew Becher, executive director of the New York Restoration Project.
Those skills are becoming increasing valuable as more large cities around the country continue to expand their green initiatives. Finding trained workers is a challenge. “We had an arborist job that paid $60,000 a year open for a year and a half because we couldn’t find anybody to fill it,” said Becher.
In Washington D.C. the District Department of Environment trains 14 to 21 year olds during the summer to maintain trees, parks, install watershed protection and learn about energy efficiency technologies.
Current DateTime: 01:05:26 26 Feb 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29412236
A Short Course On Unemployment Benefits
So What's A Green Job, Anyway?
If You're Thinking About Starting Over
What College Graduates Can Expect Out Of The Job Market
Don't Let Job Loss Take Your Family As Well
Besides jobs on the lower level of the green ladder, jobs for more highly-educated workers are expected to pick up. In fact, while white-collar workers are mostly suit-wearing professionals, and blue-collar workers are doing manual labor, green-collar jobs will be a mix of the two and “actually bridge the gap," says Jen Boulden, cofounder of Ideal Bite, a service that emails readers daily green tips.
Green and sustainability courses have been taught at MBA programs across the country for years, but are getting more attention from students. The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan have been giving MBA students a masters degree in sustainability for 15 years, but has seen the number of students in the program grow over the last five years, according to Rick Bunch the managing director of the institute. Over that time he has seen more students go on to work “at big companies.”
Many large companies have been changing their corporate strategy on environmental issues, opening up more jobs for highly educated green workers. “Every major company has some sort of corporate responsibility and sustainability program,” said Boulden.
© 2009 CNBC.com
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Topics:Colleges & Universities | Employment | Careers | EnergyBy: Joseph Pisani, News Associate | 26 Feb 2009 | 02:46 PM ET Text Size Everyone’s talking about green-collar jobs, but defining what one is is a pretty grey issue.
“There’s no answer. We don’t really know what one is,” says Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com, a Web site that covers corporate and environmental practices. “It’s a big problem because there’s a lot at stake politically.”
Eric Risberg / AP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Barack Obama’s New Energy for America plan would commit $150 billion for the creation of five million green jobs over the next ten years. But experts remain split on what makes a job a green one.
For instance, does a person who builds an SUV one week and a hybrid the next week at the same car plant have a green job? What about the truck driver who delivers solar panels, or the accountant who works at the office of a wind turbine producer?
Despite all the questions, there is some consensus about who will benefit from Obama's plan and that's workers with lower skill and education levels. Driving those types of jobs will be Obama's plan to overhaul federal buildings, schools and weatherize one million low-income homes a year. Those measures will be covered under the recently approved stimulus plan, with $500 million allocated to a green job training program.
“The jobs will require a low enough skill that they can train someone at a vocational school or a community college, or even in high school,” says George Hawkins, the director of the District Department of the Environment.
Much of the training is expected to take place at community colleges. “They're like the National Guard of education, they’re in every community,” says Makower. “That’s where it is likely to happen. It’s an existing infrastructure.”
Also getting into the game are non-profit organizations, which have begun training people for green-collar jobs. MillionTreesNYC, a partnership between the New York Restoration Project, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, started a seven-month training program in 2008. The program pays and trains individuals in urban greening, forestry, ecological restoration and landscape design according to Drew Becher, executive director of the New York Restoration Project.
Those skills are becoming increasing valuable as more large cities around the country continue to expand their green initiatives. Finding trained workers is a challenge. “We had an arborist job that paid $60,000 a year open for a year and a half because we couldn’t find anybody to fill it,” said Becher.
In Washington D.C. the District Department of Environment trains 14 to 21 year olds during the summer to maintain trees, parks, install watershed protection and learn about energy efficiency technologies.
Current DateTime: 01:05:26 26 Feb 2009
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A Short Course On Unemployment Benefits
So What's A Green Job, Anyway?
If You're Thinking About Starting Over
What College Graduates Can Expect Out Of The Job Market
Don't Let Job Loss Take Your Family As Well
Besides jobs on the lower level of the green ladder, jobs for more highly-educated workers are expected to pick up. In fact, while white-collar workers are mostly suit-wearing professionals, and blue-collar workers are doing manual labor, green-collar jobs will be a mix of the two and “actually bridge the gap," says Jen Boulden, cofounder of Ideal Bite, a service that emails readers daily green tips.
Green and sustainability courses have been taught at MBA programs across the country for years, but are getting more attention from students. The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan have been giving MBA students a masters degree in sustainability for 15 years, but has seen the number of students in the program grow over the last five years, according to Rick Bunch the managing director of the institute. Over that time he has seen more students go on to work “at big companies.”
Many large companies have been changing their corporate strategy on environmental issues, opening up more jobs for highly educated green workers. “Every major company has some sort of corporate responsibility and sustainability program,” said Boulden.
© 2009 CNBC.com
Tools: Print EmailMORE FROM CNBCTOPIC : Colleges & UniversitiesView AllHeadlines
Highest Paid Bachelor’s Degrees: 2009
College Degrees in Most Demand: 2009
Business Schools Prepare For A New Wall StreetPosts
Web Extra: Education Sec’y Answers Your Questions
New Solutions for Student Loans
Web Extra: Four Tips for Saving with a 529
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
shaman among us
A Shaman among us
UW-Oshkosh student embraces ancient form of religion, beliefs
by Will Amacher, of the Advance Titan
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Guidance can come from countless sources, and the manner in which we are guided greatly depends upon what we believe in, what we hold dear and what we wish to change about ourselves or the world around us.
Saul Meyer, a fifth-year UW-Oshkosh senior majoring in studio art and history, never really considered himself to be a religious person and said he wanted to find a belief system that fit into what he thought was important or beneficial.
“I was raised Lutheran,” Meyer said. “But [organized] religion never really was my thing.”
As a result, a little over two years ago Meyer decided to channel his beliefs in a different manner, far from the religious institution that he had been raised in.
“I had always been interested in shamanism for a long time. And one day, I decided that I wanted to become a shaman,” Meyer said.
Humoring his interest in spiritual truth through personal discovery versus dogmatic tradition, Saul opted to look into shamanism as a belief path.
“With shamanism, there aren’t gods,” Meyer said. “There isn’t a priest class… There is us, the normal people, and there is the spirit world that exists outside the material world. Then you have the middle man, which is the shaman.”
The Encyclopedia of Religion, a resource on most religious practices and beliefs, goes into great detail describing the many facets of shamanism, the origins of which range in location from Siberia and inner Asia to North and South America. According to the encyclopedia, a “picking-and-choosing” of shamanic beliefs from these assorted sects has begun to occur. Dr. Jeff Kaplan, a religious studies professor at UW-Oshkosh, described this occurrence of “Neoshamanism.”
“Neoshamanism is a type of self-taught shamanism, which attracts people in an eclectic sort of way,” Kaplan said. “You get pieces from here, pieces from there, literary pieces.”
The Encyclopedia of Religion describes one of the unique tasks undertaken in shamanistic practices, citing that “the shaman ‘specializes’ in the trance state, during which his soul is believed to leave his body and to ascend to the sky or descend to the underworld.”
This trance state is reached during what is called a “vision quest.” This quest is a spiritual journey where shamans detach themselves from the physical world and depart into the spirit world to try to discover the truth behind a dilemma or problem. Such journeys begin in many different ways depending on the culture in which they are used. Religious studies Professor Dr. Dennis Lishka differentiated between the numerous ways such enlightenment can be reached.
“It can be a vision quest, where you take a physical journey, or they can be involved in some kind of exhausting physical activity, like nonstop dancing to drumming for long periods of time,” Lishka said. “Or they can take psychotropic drugs, specifically around the Equator where the drum skins don’t stay very tight because of the humidity in the jungle.”
Meyer has never partaken in a vision quest, participated in any such retreats or become part of any mail order program, but he has found guidance in literature that he has acquired.
“My family and friends humored me,” Meyer said. “I’ve had friends give me books on shamanism and my parents gave me some books for Christmas last year.”
Although his beliefs are much different from those in his family, Meyer has never received any resistance for choosing an alternate religion. Not only has his family accepted his newfound beliefs, Meyer has even inspired members of his family to appreciate some of the different practices behind shamanism.
“My dad is pretty supportive of me,” Meyer said. “He participates in drum circles, and he even made me a drum of my own.”
Where one man practicing shamanism is fairly innocent in the society that we have become used to in America, this general tolerance of such religions is not true throughout all of the United States. Kaplan, who studied for over six years with the Inupiat Eskimo tribe in northern Alaska, revealed some of the glaring threats and prejudices that threatened the Inuit tribe that he spent numerous years with.
“Shamanism among the Inupiat has been demonized by the Church to the point where it is only practiced underground,” Kaplan said. “[The Church] sees the shaman as a literal servant of the devil, which makes it difficult to be a shaman and teach shamanism.”
To the minds influenced by Christian churches, the attempt to create a lasting connection with the environment around us could be seen as pagan or otherwise heretical compared to the “be a good person and you will go to heaven” mentality. Time has loosened such prejudices, but this may be due to the dwindling participants in these unorthodox beliefs. Needless to say, considerable resistance still exists in areas where shamanic practices are still a part of local culture.
Although he has had a minimal amount of experience with shamanism beyond reading and meditation, Saul Meyer has found a set of beliefs that closely fit with what he finds important rather than forcing himself to adhere to traditional religious groups and the beliefs that come along with those groups.
“With shamanism, there is no ‘book,’ there is no school that you need to go to,” Meyer said. “Rather than believing that a higher power controls everything, shamans believe that everything has an energy that coalesces and mixes to create the natural order of things.”
His shamanic ways still in their infancy, and despite the fact that he has never gone through any tribal shamanic practices, Meyer has found a system that works for him. Even though he is comfortable with the path he has chosen, Meyer still has goals that he wishes to accomplish within his system of beliefs.
“I would like to do a vision quest, I really would,” Meyer said. “In terms of a lifelong goal, I want to get back to being able to create my own view of the world, not one that is forced on me by a church or school.”
Photo submitted by Heather Wright
With no traditional shaman in reach, Saul Meyer turns to literature and a natural setting for spiritual guidance.
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UW-Oshkosh student embraces ancient form of religion, beliefs
by Will Amacher, of the Advance Titan
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Guidance can come from countless sources, and the manner in which we are guided greatly depends upon what we believe in, what we hold dear and what we wish to change about ourselves or the world around us.
Saul Meyer, a fifth-year UW-Oshkosh senior majoring in studio art and history, never really considered himself to be a religious person and said he wanted to find a belief system that fit into what he thought was important or beneficial.
“I was raised Lutheran,” Meyer said. “But [organized] religion never really was my thing.”
As a result, a little over two years ago Meyer decided to channel his beliefs in a different manner, far from the religious institution that he had been raised in.
“I had always been interested in shamanism for a long time. And one day, I decided that I wanted to become a shaman,” Meyer said.
Humoring his interest in spiritual truth through personal discovery versus dogmatic tradition, Saul opted to look into shamanism as a belief path.
“With shamanism, there aren’t gods,” Meyer said. “There isn’t a priest class… There is us, the normal people, and there is the spirit world that exists outside the material world. Then you have the middle man, which is the shaman.”
The Encyclopedia of Religion, a resource on most religious practices and beliefs, goes into great detail describing the many facets of shamanism, the origins of which range in location from Siberia and inner Asia to North and South America. According to the encyclopedia, a “picking-and-choosing” of shamanic beliefs from these assorted sects has begun to occur. Dr. Jeff Kaplan, a religious studies professor at UW-Oshkosh, described this occurrence of “Neoshamanism.”
“Neoshamanism is a type of self-taught shamanism, which attracts people in an eclectic sort of way,” Kaplan said. “You get pieces from here, pieces from there, literary pieces.”
The Encyclopedia of Religion describes one of the unique tasks undertaken in shamanistic practices, citing that “the shaman ‘specializes’ in the trance state, during which his soul is believed to leave his body and to ascend to the sky or descend to the underworld.”
This trance state is reached during what is called a “vision quest.” This quest is a spiritual journey where shamans detach themselves from the physical world and depart into the spirit world to try to discover the truth behind a dilemma or problem. Such journeys begin in many different ways depending on the culture in which they are used. Religious studies Professor Dr. Dennis Lishka differentiated between the numerous ways such enlightenment can be reached.
“It can be a vision quest, where you take a physical journey, or they can be involved in some kind of exhausting physical activity, like nonstop dancing to drumming for long periods of time,” Lishka said. “Or they can take psychotropic drugs, specifically around the Equator where the drum skins don’t stay very tight because of the humidity in the jungle.”
Meyer has never partaken in a vision quest, participated in any such retreats or become part of any mail order program, but he has found guidance in literature that he has acquired.
“My family and friends humored me,” Meyer said. “I’ve had friends give me books on shamanism and my parents gave me some books for Christmas last year.”
Although his beliefs are much different from those in his family, Meyer has never received any resistance for choosing an alternate religion. Not only has his family accepted his newfound beliefs, Meyer has even inspired members of his family to appreciate some of the different practices behind shamanism.
“My dad is pretty supportive of me,” Meyer said. “He participates in drum circles, and he even made me a drum of my own.”
Where one man practicing shamanism is fairly innocent in the society that we have become used to in America, this general tolerance of such religions is not true throughout all of the United States. Kaplan, who studied for over six years with the Inupiat Eskimo tribe in northern Alaska, revealed some of the glaring threats and prejudices that threatened the Inuit tribe that he spent numerous years with.
“Shamanism among the Inupiat has been demonized by the Church to the point where it is only practiced underground,” Kaplan said. “[The Church] sees the shaman as a literal servant of the devil, which makes it difficult to be a shaman and teach shamanism.”
To the minds influenced by Christian churches, the attempt to create a lasting connection with the environment around us could be seen as pagan or otherwise heretical compared to the “be a good person and you will go to heaven” mentality. Time has loosened such prejudices, but this may be due to the dwindling participants in these unorthodox beliefs. Needless to say, considerable resistance still exists in areas where shamanic practices are still a part of local culture.
Although he has had a minimal amount of experience with shamanism beyond reading and meditation, Saul Meyer has found a set of beliefs that closely fit with what he finds important rather than forcing himself to adhere to traditional religious groups and the beliefs that come along with those groups.
“With shamanism, there is no ‘book,’ there is no school that you need to go to,” Meyer said. “Rather than believing that a higher power controls everything, shamans believe that everything has an energy that coalesces and mixes to create the natural order of things.”
His shamanic ways still in their infancy, and despite the fact that he has never gone through any tribal shamanic practices, Meyer has found a system that works for him. Even though he is comfortable with the path he has chosen, Meyer still has goals that he wishes to accomplish within his system of beliefs.
“I would like to do a vision quest, I really would,” Meyer said. “In terms of a lifelong goal, I want to get back to being able to create my own view of the world, not one that is forced on me by a church or school.”
Photo submitted by Heather Wright
With no traditional shaman in reach, Saul Meyer turns to literature and a natural setting for spiritual guidance.
Username:@uwosh.edu
Password:
Username or Password Problem?
Comment Text:
Feel free to leave rational and thoughtful comments about this story. But remember, the views expressed here do not reflect the views of The Advance Titan. Racist, sexist and discriminatory comments are not welcome. The Advance Titan does not actively monitor the content of these posts and does not claim to have control over what gets posted. However, we do reserve the right to edit and remove anything that gets out of hand when we become aware of it.
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