“Hope is a garden
Of seeds sown with tears,
Planted with love
Amidst present fears.”
– Mattie Stepanek
Mattie, a young peacemaker and poet, wrote about peace and hope. Mattie said, “If we simply, but profoundly, choose to make peace an attitude and a habit and a reality, peace is possible.” He had a deep friendship with President Jimmy Carter who said, “Mattie convinced me his quest for peace was not inconceivable.” Carter, inspired by Mattie’s passion committed to a partnership with him. During his brief life, Mattie served as a motivation for others. Today, his call to be messengers of peace is a light of hope in a dangerous world.
Beyond wars
Just peace, as Mattie explains, is an urgent call to build a world where people treat each other with respect and compassion. You know from personal experience people who give and share, listen, and ask for your fears and concerns, are always ready to be where needed. Having peace as a goal provides a compass for the choices we make as individuals and as a nation. Whatever we do, the world is watching.
Just peace is also about justice and ethical behavior when dealing with others. Maintaining “order” using threats and economic sanctions is a distortion of peace, a form oppression and subjugation.
America at risk
We are living in the Anthropocene, a new geological age, where human activity has changed the environment and the global climate. We have seen extreme weather events and short-term human and economic costs, along with the migration of climate refugees.
A post from The Hill, “America’s crisis of compassion is a Constitutional crisis, too” says human rights protected by the U.S. Constitution are violated at the border detention centers. “Four months old is now the age of the youngest child ever separated from his parents by U.S. authorities, a migrant teen mother and her four-week-old baby were ignored by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents for a week, leaving the infant weak and listless, wrapped in a dirty towel.”
Trump tweeted on Sunday claiming the media was reporting “phony and exaggerated accounts.” He said, “I want the press to go in and see them, we’re going to send people in. We’re going to have some of the press go in.”
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted last week “We’re talking systemic cruelty with a dehumanizing culture that treats them like animals,” after her visit to the CBP Clint, Texas, facility.
This abusive behavior is consistent with the stated purpose of separation and detention, a deterrent to stop others from requesting asylum. Stopping English classes, playground time, and legal aid to over 13,000 detainees, was justified as “due to budget concerns.”
The power of joy and compassion
His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama, and South Africa Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, wrote the 2016 Book of Joy, to celebrate a week-long reunion. Despite great loses and hardships during their lifetimes, they are two of the happiest people. Their joy is powerful and contagious.
Pope Francis, in his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” calls the people of the world to take “swift and unified global climate action.” Pope Francis, a humble climate warrior, brings good news to the world, an opportunity for us to renew our care for one another, for all of creation, and for ourselves.
Wars, oil wars, and climate wars
Parallel to the environmental and climate crisis we are hearing the threats of wars. Iran, Venezuela, Palestine, and Central America are some of the hotspots.
The changing climate is getting worse, scarce water, food, and shelter demand a new behavior. Peace and compassion are better alternatives to war and destruction, the last nail in the carbon coffin. We have too many nuclear weapons and too little time.
Caring for our home
Climate scientists say we can save our home if we act now. There are many solutions, but we are not doing enough. Either we act now, or we won’t survive. We have everything to lose!
Dr. Luis Contreras
Accusing a U.S. Congresswoman of treason is a serious matter.
This is what Trump said regarding Rep. Omar according to the NY Times, July 15, 2019
“I look at Omar, I don’t know, I never met her. I hear the way she talks about Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda has killed many Americans. She said you can hold your chest out, you can — when I think of America, when I think of Al Qaeda I can hold my chest out.” “When I hear the hatred they have for Israel and the love they have for enemies like Al Qaeda, then you know what?” “A politician that hears somebody, where we’re at war with Al Qaeda, and sees somebody talking about how great Al Qaeda is.”
False, says the NY Times.
“Trump was referring to — and grossly distorting — remarks Ms. Omar made during a 2013 interview on a local PBS television show when she was a community activist. Nowhere in the interview does she proclaim “love” for Al Qaeda or “how great” the terrorist group is. In fact, Ms. Omar repeatedly noted that Al Qaeda and Al Shabab had committed “evil” acts and “atrocities” and were “taking part in terror” around the world.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/us/politics/trump-fact-check-ilhan-omar.html
Peace starts at the top.
Racist comments attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, disguised as being for the other U.S. born young Representatives, was not only racist but coward. Trump did not have the courage to insult Rep. Omar. This was in response to Fox News attacks on Rep Omar who “does not love America,” according to Fox News.
“These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough,” Trump said. “I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!”
Trump said Rep Omar should “go back” to the countries they came from rather than “loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States” how to run the government.
Clearly Rep Omar loves America, and she is standing for the rights of her constituents, not rubberstamping whatever legislation the GOP and Trump want. She is doing her job, and has legal protection against harrasment like all members of the US Congress. Rep Omar deserves an apology and Trump should be responsible for harassment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/us/politics/trump-twitter-squad-congress.html
Hate is the opposite of love and peace
How do you feel this weekend knowing ICE is terrorizing immigrants as if they were all dangerous criminals, raiding their homes and families?
How can we have peace when Trump is inciting violence and terror? Trump enjoys hurting defenseless people. How is the US different from North Korea or Russia where people are taken from their homes and families?
Today is a day of Shame
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeh-johnson-on-face-the-nation-former-dhs-chief-warns-immigrants-not-to-open-doors-for-ice-without-a-warrant/
Someone asked me a great question. She said, I am all for peace, but how does it relate to climate change?
1. Extreme weather will force people to move looking for shelter
2. Scarce clean water and food, plus polluted air will stress out populations
3. Oil wars will extend to wars for high ground, water and food
On the other hand, a Gulf War with Iran would involve other nations, some with nuclear weapons, stealing time and resources to deal with the climate disruption.
https://thebulletin.org/2019/07/a-nuclear-war-in-the-persian-gulf/
Very good, Luis. I’m afraid we’re all preaching to the choir.
Charles
Thank you Charles, Peace is hard to sell – Mattie’s book is inspiring with his messages with President Jimmy Carter.
“War on science and Americans” should get people’s attention next
Attacking anyone who tells the truth has been his response, a coward way, speaking like a 5-year old.
Trump on Sunday accused the “Fake News Media” of spreading “phony and exaggerated accounts of the Border Detention Centers” while blaming Democrats for the crowded conditions of the holding facilities. “The Fake News Media, in particular the Failing @nytimes, is writing phony and exaggerated accounts of the Border Detention Centers,” Trump tweeted.
“First of all, people should not be entering our Country illegally, only for us to then have to care for them.” In his tweet, Trump also added the following: “We said there was a Crisis – the Fake News & the Dems said it was “manufactured.” Now all agree we were right, but they always knew that. They are crowded (which we brought up, not them) because the Dems won’t change the Loopholes and Asylum. Big Media Con Job!”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/trump-blasts-media-over-exaggerated-border-detention-center-reports-dem-civil-war-over-border-bill
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined David Remnick in the New Yorker Radio Hour studio on July 5th, just after her trip to the border to examine migrant-detention facilities.
They spoke about why she courted controversy by referring to some facilities as concentration camps; why she thinks the Department of Homeland Security is irredeemable; and whether Joe Biden is qualified to be President, given his comments about colleagues who supported forms of segregation.
“Issues of race and gender are not extra-credit points in being a good Democrat,” she says. “They are a core part of the . . . competencies that a President needs. . . . Where are you on understanding the people that live in this country?”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-on-the-2020-presidential-race-and-trumps-crisis-at-the-border