Stand Together

I've never been a big fan of Nickleback, but I really do like their new song, "When We Stand Together." They are what I like to call "globally aware." I like songs like these, that are trying to get people to realize that a change is needed in this world. Even if they are just doing it to get more attention for themselves, at least they are doing it in a good way! Listen to the song and tell me what you think:

"Now Is The Time"

"Now is the time." These were the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963. I wanted to post his "I Have a Dream" speech because of its great power, meaning, and sense of determination. I could not possibly write as meaningful of words as his. But in the words of King, now is the time for freedom. Now is the time for peace. Now is the time for change. Now is the time for action.

Watch, listen, and follow along. Here is the dream:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

We Are One

As you already know, life is not fair and we all do not have equal opportunites. Yet, we are equal. We are all human beings in this world, fighting to live our life, stay strong, and make a name for ourselves. Shouldn't that be enough for us all to have equal rights and be treated fairly? No one person is "better" than another. Who is defining "better," anyway? Many Christians believe that we are all created in God's image, yet these same people judge and make fun of people who are different from them. For example, they may say that homosexual people are "disgusting," "people with no morals," or that they are a "waste of space" and "they should die." But if God was standing next to them would they say that? Of course not. I am not trying to "bash" Christians in any way (I am also Catholic), because there are many good people in this world. I am aware that everyone in this world is not perfect. However, what I don't understand is why they feel the need to say such things. Don't they see how big of hypocrites they are being? Just because someone is different from you and doesn't follow what you believe, doesn't mean you have to put them up on a pedestal, throw your mean insults at them, and treat them like dirt! Doesn't God want us to love each other, and treat EVERYONE with respect and kindness?! Don't you think He would appreciate that? And for everyone, including those who don't believe in God, can't you just imagine, for one minute, how great the world would be if there weren't people constantly getting into fights and insulting each other? Everyone was included, no one left out just because they are "different." People cooperating, accomplishing goals, making progress, and creating a greater sense of love and peace in the world. Doesn't that sound amazing? Also, doesn't that sound like something that God would want? It may not be possible to change all of the world, but that isn't the main goal. What we need to do is change ourselves. We can have equality in this world, but only if you truly want it. If you think that some people in this world don't deserve to have what you have, like happiness, respect, people who love you, and equal opportunities under the law... you need to think again, and again, until you finally realize how horrible that is. We can make a change, but only if you agree to.

A New Beginning

Happy New Year!!

To start the new year out right...

Today's Topic is Kindness.

What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind. ~Cleveland Amory


A fellow who does things that count, doesn't usually stop to count them. ~Variation of a saying by Albert Einstein


Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~Mark Twain


Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca


Don't wait for people to be friendly, show them how. ~Author Unknown


You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. ~William Wordsworth

http://www.simplemarriage.net/images/kindness.jpg

Peace of Mind

For my next few posts, I would like to share some quotes from others about peace. It is important to look at other people's views, good and bad. We must do so in order to really determine how we, ourselves, feel about the issue. If you have a quote you would like to share, or would like to share your reactions and opinions about peace, please feel free to do so!! 

Today's topic is War.

The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. ~attributed to Benjamin Franklin


I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" ~Eve Merriam


There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. ~Howard Zinn


Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. ~Arundhati Roy


Nonviolence doesn't always work-but violence never does. ~Madge Micheels-Cyrus

http://www.williamsburgnerd.com/images/war-is-over.jpg

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I would also like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas, New Year, and Holiday Season!! Let there be Peace on Earth!! It begins with us...

Stand Up For Peace

Having ideas and opinions that not everyone else agrees with can be very difficult. You have to truly believe in the possibilities, and also in yourself. I have struggled with this in my life, being strongly devoted to the fight for peace. Other people just don't seem to understand why peace is so important, and how much good it could do in our world. When others confront you about your different beliefs, and they will, do not back down. You must stand proud, and let them know what you believe in and why you believe. If they disagree and start to argue, do not become angered. Listen to what they have to say, and take it into consideration. Even if the other person isn't respectful of your opinions, you must try to be the "better" person. Remember learning the Golden Rule in elementary school? Respect the other person, and hopefully in time, they will return the favor. In order for the world to change its ways, we must be living examples of peace.

http://img.printfection.com/14/64270/gor1F.jpg

Taking The First Step

Peace takes much time and effort to reach, like any goal that we may set for ourselves. We must think about what we want to achieve, and what sort of bad habits we need to give up in the process. First, step back and take a look at yourself, your actions, and your thoughts. Look at the life that you have lived, up until now. Did any of your actions affect others in a negative way? How do you think they made others feel? How did you feel? Was the outcome really worth it? Think about these questions, and all the times that you may have prevented peace from existing. Think about what you could've done, or not done, to help lower the amount of hatred and negativity surrounding your daily life.


I believe we all need to do some self-analyzation and self-reform, because the problem in this world is not society as a whole, but rather each individual who has helped create it. Power and corruption. Greed and selfishness. This is what our world consists of: the love of things which can hurt others, only to benefit ourselves. We live in a sadistic society, and I find it to be downright disgusting. People inflict pain -mental and physical- on others to make themselves look better or stronger. But in the end, it is only making them weaker. They are only hiding behind what they don't have: respect for themselves. There is no peace in a sadistic world. No respect. No love. No progress. By hurting others, instead of trying to help them and improve our society, and ourselves, we are only stopping any progress from being made. We are bringing ourselves down, because we are not taking advantage of the opportunities available to move forward. We do have the ability to reach new goals, develop new ideas, and create a land where everyone can prosper. However, we will only remain at the same, poor level until we change how we treat each other.
~Respect others. Respect yourself. Save the world, because you can't just save yourself...

http://api.ning.com/files/Hqh6QtSidZi8wKd8Nts4YoS4WYEqNaoLprjChbo5Ad-MPsL8GDlpMvfxcH2YXY9pM4Yj*X-ZUBeKafLFye9JiXZofZd8oMqM/PeaceLoveRespect.jpg

Peace & Reality

Peace is something that is very difficult to achieve. I have asked many people whether or not they think it is possible. 99.9% of the time, the answer is "No." Although Peace is something that I desperately want, and would do anything to try to reach it, I would have to agree with them. I believe that Peace, in its entirety, is not possible. However, I do believe that parts of it are possible. Less conflict, responsibility, respect for one another, love, kindness, freedom to express ourselves and the rights we have as human beings. If any one of these or any other can be achieved, we are one step closer to Peace and making the world a better place. Of course, the love of things like power and money will still exist, making it ever more difficult to reach a stable Peace. However, this journey does not begin with trying to change others. We must first look at ourselves, uncover our potential, recognize our faults and strengths, change our way of thinking, and develop into makers of change. We must find ourselves and create Peace on the inside before we can express it and share it with the rest of the world. Now, listen to what others view as "Peace."

The Possibilities

Peace: a calm and quiet state; serenity; freedom from conflict or disagreement among people.

Can you imagine a world at peace? No war. No murders. No bullies. No reason to worry or be afraid.
Can you imagine a clean Earth? Blue skies. Green grass. Clear water. A world full of responsible people.
Can you imagine everyone being equal? No hunger. No greed. No power. Respect for everyone.

This may not all seem possible, but a lot of it is. You just have to imagine and believe. Peace starts in the mind. One thought, one dream, one trace of hope is all it takes to start to change. Every step counts, no matter how small, or how long it may take.

If we all try a little bit harder each day to be kind to others, treat people fairly, give to those in need, and be responsible for our actions, peace can become a reality, and not just an idea.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." -John Lennon, Imagine

Peaceful view from my window...