Change is in the air

The winds of change in the U.S. are blowing around the budget proposals in Congress.  Everybody wants the government to bring spending under control, but nobody wants to loose access to the government funded programs that we value.  Everyone cannot be appeased, but everyone should speak up for what they think the best decisions are.  Congress is a representative of the people, there to make decisions for the country on our behalf, which means we have a responsibility to express our needs and wants to them.  Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to do!

Being informed is the best first step.  Below, I have pulled some numbers from Obama's proposal for each department.  I encourage you to look at the full document.  Each section begins with bulleted highlights of what that money would be used for, so it doesn't necessarily require extensive reading.  Obviously, the GOP proposals are VERY different.  There is heavy debate going on, and everything from NPR to fighter jets to NASA to Pell Grants is on the chopping block.  You can follow the progress of certain amendments highlighted in the New York Times.

The numbers below are meant to provide an overview of expenditures.  How does it compare with how you think our money should be used?  It's easy to say what shouldn't get cut, but cuts are being made so it is most productive to identify where to make them.  Since we all have different interests and are impacted in different ways (as teachers, social workers, entrepreneurs, students, homeowners, parents, etc, etc), I invite you to share your ideas.

Once you've identified what you'd like to fight for, and what you think should be sliced and diced, then visit Congress.org.  All you have to do is enter your zip code and it'll tell you who your representatives are.  From there you can either contact them through the Congress.org website, or follow the link to the individual's website and access their contact form.  Tell them what you think!  It is their job to listen!

Personally, I'm a big advocate of participation, so as long as you take action, whatever your opinion is, I'm happy.  Debate is a useful tool for developing and testing opinions, which is why I've asked for you to share your thoughts.  If you've seen my recent Facebook posts, you know that I find it disturbing that our biggest budget item (by hundreds of billions of dollars!) is the Dept. of Defense.  I don't think that investing in the nuclear weapons complex, weapons delivery systems and fighter jets makes us, or anyone else in the world, safer or more free.  I'm not suggesting that medical care for servicemembers should be cut, I am suggesting that we wouldn't have thousands of soldiers coming home with traumatic brain injuries if we weren't involved in violent conflict (and gearing up for more in the future).  National security, in my opinion, means investing in the wellbeing of the American public (meaning health, education, a safe and comfortable standard of living, innovation...) and using our resources to invest in the wellbeing of other nations.  Why should we care about the wellbeing of other nations?  Becuase we need them!  Each of us does business with the world at large every single day as we buy gas, food, electronics, clothes, etc.  And since I believe in responsible business practices (as opposed to exploitation or oppression), that means spending/investing money in ways that has a positive impact on the people with whom we do business.  Now THAT would make the world a safer place.

Obama's 2011/12 Budget Proposal

What's the point of counter-protesting the WBC? (or Peace and Love in Colorado part II)

1) Showing support to the students and congregants who are being targeted with messages of hate. I am particularly concerned about the students, who as young people are particularly susceptible to the ideas and opinions of others. Many could be deeply hurt and disturbed by the message and actions of the WBC. Countering that message with one of love, support, acceptance, unity, and the power of standing together as a community can impact how they view the world, and their own role in it, in a positive way. It's empowerment! It's so important to show future generations that they have a voice and a choice to make the world a more secure place for us all.

2) It's a message to anyone here in CO who may share the opinions of the WBC, letting them know that an attack on any single member of our community for whatever reason is in fact an attack on the community as a whole, and we will actively pursue a peaceful community that accepts and values difference. If small messages of hatred are allowed, they will only grow. The WBC is not physically violent, but their acts open a space for others to push those boundaries and a potential for violence.

3) It's a message to the children whom the WBC manipulates to participate in spreading their hate. We can expose them to a message of love and acceptance, and show them that love is more powerful, maybe even provide a dash of hope. One of Phelps' estranged children describes a continuum of abuse (http://natephelps.com/), which makes apparent that they are in desperate need of some lovin.

4) How many times have you heard the phrase "American soldiers fought and died for freedom in America" or something like it? How often do you take advantage of that freedom? Westboro Baptist Church is taking advantage of that freedom. There are lots of people around the world who are either exiled for voicing something which their government didn't agree with, or too terrified, even in their own homes, to voice their thoughts for fear of what may happen to them. I don't agree with the message that WBC propagates, I think it is directly and significantly harmful to the peace and well-being of both individuals and the community as a whole. But they have the freedom in this country to voice their opinions (whether what they have to say is a violation of human rights, or even if it should in fact be defined as peaceful simply because they are not physically attacking someone, is an issue for discussion). So the question is, what do you think about what the WBC says? How do you think it impacts the students at the schools they picket, or the congregation at the churches they picket, or the mourners at the funerals they picket? What is the impact for others in our cities who may share the WBC's sentiments? If you believe that the United States has fought for justice and liberty, is it not spitting in the face of soldiers and human rights activists when you let the responsibility to ensure those things in your home pass by?


Peace does not just happen inherently. Nor is it simply the absence of war. We have to dream it, hope for it, build it through our everyday interactions with everyone around us and sometimes with a bold statement against anyone or anything that threatens it. No act goes without consequence.

Complacency is the most dangerous threat to peace.

“Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” Pope John Paul II