Global March Against Monsanto – May 25

International March Against Monsanto

Hey…You gonna eat that? That’s the question that comes to mind for many of us when food is presented. We often make our decisions because of caloric levels, fat content and even pesticides used but, more and more, genetic modifications are a concern. Enter GMO giant, the Monsanto Corporation.

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have made their way into the nation’s fruit and vegetable supply and, recently, the Food and Drug Administration took public comments on so-called “Frankenfish.”

Monsanto has been in the news for a host of issues.… [Read more]

Why our kids are “S.O.L.”

Education and reform. Why kids are 'S.O.L.'

Earlier this month, my wife and did the three and a half hour trek from Virginia Beach, Virginia to our nation’s capital to see the annual Cherry Blossom Festival (in case you haven’t noticed from her articles, she has a penchant for all things Japanese). While exiting the Smithsonian along Constitution Avenue, we got to see something we don’t normally see in our sleepy little town: an old-fashioned organized protest.… [Read more]

International Day of Action for Rivers

International Day of Action for Rivers

Did you know that this is “We Love Nature” month and that today is the International Day of Action for Rivers? As part of the month, today’s global activities will introduce many of us to nature and what we can do to actively protect the environment. 

According to InternationalRivers.org: “Every year, thousands of people around the world lift their voices to celebrate the world’s rivers and those who struggle to protect them.… [Read more]

Hold On

Reach out and hold on

This week’s “Say It In Song“ pick is “Hold On,”  by Alabama Shakes:

 You got to hold on
You got to hold on

Yeah! You got to wait!
Yeah! You got to wait!
But, I don’t wanna wait
I don’t wanna wait

Sometimes we have to be active to get what we need; we have to participate in order so that  we can achieve the outcomes we want.… [Read more]

How it feels to be free…

Freedom of...

This week’s “Say It In Song” pick was performed in 1976 by the inimitable singer and activist Nina Simone. In honour of Black History Month, we’d like you to have a listen:… [Read more]

“We can bomb the world to pieces, but…”

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“We can bomb the world to pieces, but we can’t bomb it into peace.”… [Read more]

A Day to Give Back: National Day of Service

National Day of Service 2013

“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15th marked what would have been Dr.… [Read more]

We’ve Got the Power

We've got the power!

You used your voice to speak up for what you believe in.

You exercised your power and your rights by voting on election day.

You’ve signed petitions that were delivered to local and national representatives in support of human rights, a clean environment, privacy laws, and even a system that protects consumers from predatory banks and corporations.… [Read more]

Tyranny in the Private Sphere

Labor activist Kalpona Akter holds up Wal-Mart clothing found in the recent fire in a factory in Bangladesh that resulted in the arguably preventable death of 112 people.
Photo Credit: provided to The Nation by the International Labor Rights Forum.

The large, tyrannical state has always been one of the greatest threats to freedom and liberty. And even in our current age, unchecked government power continues to stifle human progress and expression, not only abroad but in the United States as well. For, in even in our country, the state, both at the federal and local level, still punishes its citizens for indulging in the “wrong” types of narcotics—it still denies equal rights to those of a different sexual orientation, it still retains the unchecked, lethal authority of one person, the executive, to sentence death upon any citizen the president deems a “terrorist.”

Yet, although the illiberal actions of the state still need to be combated  government is not the only source of tyranny—it is not the only enemy of freedom.… [Read more]

Communicating with the Animals – Interview with Bernie Siegel

Bernie Siegel with Furphy and Buddy

Editing the coming issue of my journal Recovering the Self, which is themed “animals and healing”, I read the interesting and thought-provoking article by Bernie Siegel, M.D.  In his article, called “Communicating with the Animals”, Bernie Siegel tells about the verbal as well as non-verbal communication between him and his pets and relates it to the process of healing.… [Read more]

Aimless in America

path 2

James Michael Haitchwai is back in black and ready to talk smack once again. I just spent the past few weeks slummin’ it down south and a little ways out west, partly to take my crappy music on tour but mostly just to cut myself a break from the inhospitably expensive and divisive confines of post-gentrification D.C.… [Read more]

What the Liberal Left Can Learn From Mahatma Gandhi

Ghandi - Be the Change

Ever since I came to the United States, I have always been puzzled with a certain attitude in this country. Why do so many ordinary, god-fearing Republicans in this country oppose measures such as free healthcare for all? What do they mean when they say they are ‘against Obama as a matter principle’?… [Read more]

There’s a Lot to Say About Betty

Doodle_261_We_Love_Betty_White

At 90 years young she’s still a lovely, funny and charming dame. Her spirit, animal rights activism, and ability to call it like she sees it (remember this clip?) makes her a forever favourite. There’s so much that can be said about Betty White…but, for now, we’ll just say “We Love You!” — and after making her support of President Obama public, ‘smart’ has been added to the many adjectives that describe why we do. … [Read more]

Passing Blame: On Doubt and Being an Activist

The Blame Game

Recently I’ve had a lot of conversations with other activists where we’ve voiced our experiences in persistent doubt, especially when it comes to our judgement of others. It seems that many of us have a (metaphorical) voice in our heads constantly asking ‘Are you sure?’ ‘What if you’re wrong?’ etc. etc.

Needless to say, while constant questioning has its merits, doubting yourself in the middle of a meeting with a high-ranking official can be a little problematic.… [Read more]

Free Speech?

Change

We’ve all heard, and probably said more than a time or two, “Talk is cheap!” or “Actions speak louder than words!”  Goodness knows on any given day in America you can hear someone crying “Free speech!” in defense of something better left unsaid, as they vigorously exercise their First Amendment right.

Yet despite the many channels we have through which our voices can be heard, speech is not literally free.  … [Read more]

Reason FTW

30March12

An interesting thing happened in Utah over the last few weeks. The general populace overcame their religious stranglehold, engaged in productive political activism and forced a rational and logical outcome. It was truly a sight to behold.

80% of the Utah’s state legislators are Mormon, and as a result wear the self-appointed titles of “Purveyors of All Things Moral.” They mostly run uncontested in their districts (meaning they don’t often have to fight off challengers in their own party; running as a Republican in Utah against a Democrat basically means “uncontested”).… [Read more]

Women: If You’re Not Angry, You’re Not Paying Attention

mi 2

On Friday I went to a viewing of the documentary, Miss Representation. Many of the quotes that were splashed across the screen were ones I already knew and repeated even. Still, it did not make them any less impactful to see.  I was aware of much of the content that the film explored, but sometimes it is nice to be reminded.… [Read more]

Mountaintop Removal: A Dirty History Repeats Itself

MountainTop Removal

The monster of mountaintop removal* is once again rearing its ugly head. The aptly named Arch Coal may be about to blow the top off of historic Blair Mountain – the 1921 site of the largest civil uprising after the Civil War, a battle between coal miners and coal operators. Needless to say, there are a lot of people upset.… [Read more]

Holdin’ It Down With Occupy

wall-street-protrest-occupy-wall-street-eat-the-rich.jpg

The papers were saying that the Park Police, after crying wolf for months, were finally going to evict Occupy DC. Then I saw the headline that 11 people were arrested while resisting. I’d been meaning to pay McPherson Square another visit, but suddenly I felt a new sense of urgency. I didn’t want to wait until it was too late.… [Read more]

What If President Obama IS Just Like Saul Alinsky?

shoulder_shrug

You say that as if it’s a bad thing!

Is President Obama the second coming of Saul Alinsky?  Lately, with so many comparative references between the two, Newt Gingrich might have you think so.  In my best Jewish mother’s voice I say:  “Meh! You say that as if it’s a bad thing!”  I wish that President Obama could  fully channel Alinsky’s revolutionary style, but alas, he’s a Democratic President.… [Read more]

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