"I've
learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
―
Maya Angelou.
Ms. Angelou, you were a force for justice, wisdom,
clarity, and depth in the world. Today, you have passed away, and I
honor you. We honor you. What a loss, but you left a magnificent
legacy for others. Peace everyone.
In life, I would like to strive to be someone who takes the time to help people feel heard, feel loved, feel edified, and feel cherished. We can all learn volumes from Maya Angelou.
USA Today story on Ms. Angelou's life and passing: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/05/28/maya-angelou-dies-at-age-86/9663497/
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Schoolgirls Are Not for Sale
Last week I had my "Children and the Law" students to watch videos of
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage girl who was shot on a school bus by
the Taliban because she spoke out in favor of girls' education in Islamic countries and around the world. Malala stated in an interview with Jon Stewart on The
Daily Show that "They do not want women to get [an] education because then women will become more powerful..." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjGL6YY6oMs). After showing several
clips and reading articles about Malala's meeting with President Obama
and his family (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/10/11/malala-yousafzai-meets-with-the-obamas-in-the-oval-office/), I posed this question to my 38 students in the
class: "Is it really that simple? Are the terrorists, are the
defenders of patriarchy in any nation, simply afraid of girls and women
gaining knowledge and intelligence?"
My students, representing myriad races and ethnicities, and representing faiths including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, responded with certainty: "Yes. They want females to stay in the home. They are afraid females will not know 'their place' there." I agreed and added, "Malala aptly named the issue. It is about toppling a whole system of oppression."
I also shared an historical perspective with this class, one of four that I teach at Brooklyn College (CUNY): Interpersonal, institutional, and structural control over women has eroded slowly, but not sufficiently enough in my eyes. As we know, women in the U.S. did not gain voting rights until 1919. At English Common Law, women were literally considered as property of their husbands, and the American Colonies inherited this legacy. Women in the U.S. only began to gain stronger status as legal persons in 1839, and in a piecemeal fashion from that time until the turn of the 20th century (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awlaw3/property_law.html).
Unfortunately, the subordination of women is still occurring. Women still make $0.77 to every $1 that a man makes in the U.S., for equivalent work. President Obama had to sign an Executive Order and a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretary of Labor this year even after the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed, to concretely ensure equal pay for equal work after Congress refused to act thoroughly (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/08/fact-sheet-expanding-opportunity-all-ensuring-equal-pay-women-and-promot). Overseas it gets worse. Some nations go as far as to force girls as young as 9 years old into marriages with grown men (http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/adolescents/child-marriage), which perpetuates domestic violence and fatalities in childbirth. In some parts of India and China, parents may even commit gendercide (slaughter of baby girls) because they so abhor the thought of raising a child that will not grow up to be a man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UZZk-15nQo), (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISme5-9orR0). According to the World Health Organization, in parts of Africa and the Middle East, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also a shocking, horrific, and thriving practice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ7sfmJjN-M), (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/).
The trafficking of women and girls (boys and men also suffer from this crime, but statistically to a lesser extent) has grown to astronomical proportions, which perpetuates a paradigm of abusive power. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates that human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry (http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/tip/rls/rm/2008/107297.htm), affecting over 2 million children according to the Polaris Project (http://www.handsacrosstheworldmn.org/resources/Human+Trafficking+Statistics.pdf). Girls Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS), an organization that serves young women in New York City victimized by commercial sexual exploitation, estimates that pimps make over $300,000 per year tax free.
In fact, things are out of control, and females around the world are still treated as second class citizens. Contrary to what some might say, the facts are not really debatable. I believe that patriarchy is essential to maintaining even more complex systems of oppression. Racial and sexual minorities, the poor, and the disabled also fall prey to oppressive institutions, public and private systems, and profoundly lingering, insidious cultural norms. Whether nations are predominantly comprised of people of European descent or people of color, patriarchy is quintessential for maintaining the harmful status quo.
On April 14th, 2014, the extremism and bigotry of chauvinists reached new heights. The Nigerian terror group Boko Haram, trained by al Qaeda, and whose name literally means "Western Education is A Sin," decided to gain international notoriety. They raided a girls' boarding school in a remote village in Nigeria. The terror group seized 200 students from the school, all of them girls, and began to proclaim their intentions: In this disturbing video, Abubakar Shekau, the alleged leader of Boko Haram, laughs and scratches himself compulsively while reading to the camera, "I abducted your girls...There is a market for selling humans...I will sell women. I sell women." ((http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/). The video reveals that Abubakar Shekau is clearly suffering from emotional disturbance and seeks to spark fear and grief in the masses. Essentially, Boko Haram's recent move says that families in Nigeria and elsewhere who want their daughters to learn global literature, science, math, social studies, history, the arts, and independent life skills, are asking for an act of vengeance. Why? Because they believe females should be relegated to domestic, subservient lives without question.
The world is becoming increasingly attuned to Boko Haram's act of terrorism; and the U.S.'s commitment today to assist represents a first step. However, President Obama pledged to send military and law enforcement advisors (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/07/us-help-nigeria-search-kidnapped-girls). Peace activist A.J. Muste has stated that "There is no way to peace--peace is the way." Sixteen year old Taliban attack survivor Malala Yousafzai reminds us of the need to discard the tools of the oppressors when she speaks of the Taliban making her an international kill target for promoting girls' education:
"I used to think [to myself] that if the Talib would come and he would just kill me...what would you do, Malala? Then I would reply to myself 'Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.'" (The Daily Show audience laughs). "But then I said 'If you hit the Talib with your shoe, then there will be no difference between you and the Talib...You must not treat others with cruelty. You must fight others. But through peace and through dialogue and through education. So I will tell him how important education is and that 'I even want education for your children as well...That's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'"
So what should be done? International governmental alliances, human rights organizations, the private sector (yes, if there is a global economy then global industries need to play a more beneficial role), along with aware groups and individuals throughout the world, should trace the sources of funding, arms supplies, and public relations of Boko Haram and pull the rug out from under them. Certainly envoys need to search for the 200 kidnapped Nigerian girls until they are found. Moreover, we need to commit to empowering girls, women, and other oppressed groups with legal protections, social programs, civic participation, and opportunities for financial equality and leadership.
Sometimes I wonder if more world leaders were female, if the world stage would be as full of divisiveness, egotism, and violence as it is today. We all deserve the chance to see this for ourselves, and we can start with the education of girls and with the education of all children and adults who seek to evolve.
These places are just a few
examples of change agents:
The Malala Fund: http://malalafund.org/
National Women's Liberation: http://www.womensliberation.org/
Girls Education and Mentoring Services (NYC): http://www.gems-girls.org/
Not for Sale Campaign: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
Safe Horizon (NYC): http://www.victimservices.org/index/what-we-do-2/anti-trafficking-program-13.html
My students, representing myriad races and ethnicities, and representing faiths including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, responded with certainty: "Yes. They want females to stay in the home. They are afraid females will not know 'their place' there." I agreed and added, "Malala aptly named the issue. It is about toppling a whole system of oppression."
I also shared an historical perspective with this class, one of four that I teach at Brooklyn College (CUNY): Interpersonal, institutional, and structural control over women has eroded slowly, but not sufficiently enough in my eyes. As we know, women in the U.S. did not gain voting rights until 1919. At English Common Law, women were literally considered as property of their husbands, and the American Colonies inherited this legacy. Women in the U.S. only began to gain stronger status as legal persons in 1839, and in a piecemeal fashion from that time until the turn of the 20th century (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awlaw3/property_law.html).
Unfortunately, the subordination of women is still occurring. Women still make $0.77 to every $1 that a man makes in the U.S., for equivalent work. President Obama had to sign an Executive Order and a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretary of Labor this year even after the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed, to concretely ensure equal pay for equal work after Congress refused to act thoroughly (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/08/fact-sheet-expanding-opportunity-all-ensuring-equal-pay-women-and-promot). Overseas it gets worse. Some nations go as far as to force girls as young as 9 years old into marriages with grown men (http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/adolescents/child-marriage), which perpetuates domestic violence and fatalities in childbirth. In some parts of India and China, parents may even commit gendercide (slaughter of baby girls) because they so abhor the thought of raising a child that will not grow up to be a man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UZZk-15nQo), (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISme5-9orR0). According to the World Health Organization, in parts of Africa and the Middle East, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also a shocking, horrific, and thriving practice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ7sfmJjN-M), (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/).
The trafficking of women and girls (boys and men also suffer from this crime, but statistically to a lesser extent) has grown to astronomical proportions, which perpetuates a paradigm of abusive power. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates that human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry (http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/tip/rls/rm/2008/107297.htm), affecting over 2 million children according to the Polaris Project (http://www.handsacrosstheworldmn.org/resources/Human+Trafficking+Statistics.pdf). Girls Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS), an organization that serves young women in New York City victimized by commercial sexual exploitation, estimates that pimps make over $300,000 per year tax free.
In fact, things are out of control, and females around the world are still treated as second class citizens. Contrary to what some might say, the facts are not really debatable. I believe that patriarchy is essential to maintaining even more complex systems of oppression. Racial and sexual minorities, the poor, and the disabled also fall prey to oppressive institutions, public and private systems, and profoundly lingering, insidious cultural norms. Whether nations are predominantly comprised of people of European descent or people of color, patriarchy is quintessential for maintaining the harmful status quo.
On April 14th, 2014, the extremism and bigotry of chauvinists reached new heights. The Nigerian terror group Boko Haram, trained by al Qaeda, and whose name literally means "Western Education is A Sin," decided to gain international notoriety. They raided a girls' boarding school in a remote village in Nigeria. The terror group seized 200 students from the school, all of them girls, and began to proclaim their intentions: In this disturbing video, Abubakar Shekau, the alleged leader of Boko Haram, laughs and scratches himself compulsively while reading to the camera, "I abducted your girls...There is a market for selling humans...I will sell women. I sell women." ((http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/). The video reveals that Abubakar Shekau is clearly suffering from emotional disturbance and seeks to spark fear and grief in the masses. Essentially, Boko Haram's recent move says that families in Nigeria and elsewhere who want their daughters to learn global literature, science, math, social studies, history, the arts, and independent life skills, are asking for an act of vengeance. Why? Because they believe females should be relegated to domestic, subservient lives without question.
The world is becoming increasingly attuned to Boko Haram's act of terrorism; and the U.S.'s commitment today to assist represents a first step. However, President Obama pledged to send military and law enforcement advisors (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/07/us-help-nigeria-search-kidnapped-girls). Peace activist A.J. Muste has stated that "There is no way to peace--peace is the way." Sixteen year old Taliban attack survivor Malala Yousafzai reminds us of the need to discard the tools of the oppressors when she speaks of the Taliban making her an international kill target for promoting girls' education:
"I used to think [to myself] that if the Talib would come and he would just kill me...what would you do, Malala? Then I would reply to myself 'Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.'" (The Daily Show audience laughs). "But then I said 'If you hit the Talib with your shoe, then there will be no difference between you and the Talib...You must not treat others with cruelty. You must fight others. But through peace and through dialogue and through education. So I will tell him how important education is and that 'I even want education for your children as well...That's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'"
So what should be done? International governmental alliances, human rights organizations, the private sector (yes, if there is a global economy then global industries need to play a more beneficial role), along with aware groups and individuals throughout the world, should trace the sources of funding, arms supplies, and public relations of Boko Haram and pull the rug out from under them. Certainly envoys need to search for the 200 kidnapped Nigerian girls until they are found. Moreover, we need to commit to empowering girls, women, and other oppressed groups with legal protections, social programs, civic participation, and opportunities for financial equality and leadership.
Sometimes I wonder if more world leaders were female, if the world stage would be as full of divisiveness, egotism, and violence as it is today. We all deserve the chance to see this for ourselves, and we can start with the education of girls and with the education of all children and adults who seek to evolve.
Former U.S. Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stated on Twitter last weekend:
"Access to education is a
basic right & an unconscionable reason to target innocent girls. We must stand up to terrorism. #BringBackOurGirls."
The Malala Fund: http://malalafund.org/
National Women's Liberation: http://www.womensliberation.org/
Girls Education and Mentoring Services (NYC): http://www.gems-girls.org/
Not for Sale Campaign: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
Safe Horizon (NYC): http://www.victimservices.org/index/what-we-do-2/anti-trafficking-program-13.html
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Approaching the Anniversary of Taliana's Death
Gifts and drifts. It's been 362 days since my best friend of 17 years
passed away. I'm not really sure what "goodbye" means anymore. I feel
the need to make her presence more real than ever, and also the need to
live fully without her, like she'd want. Here is a poem that I needed to write. She was an awesome poet, and I know she would smile at this. I think I am going to share her poetry with others in the future. I have poems we wrote in high school! She was one of the most gifted people I've ever met. A bit of trivia that helps explain the poem-- she was also my piercing buddy, year after year...after year! <3
For Taliana, my Forever Sister:
I wish time could stop ticking. I wish the world would stop spinning. It is all because of you. You have vanished, yet pulled me through. Had you never graced my life, I might never have shined my light. 17 years you helped me learn, held my torch so I could burn. Soul mate sisters never die. You are in me as I cry. We always said that whoever left first would leave a barren spot on earth. So I walk here on my own, scared and wary of the unknown. Since we are so strong, we knew paradise all along. I can not help but to think that at last you reached the brink. You are finally free from terror, and can see hope in the mirror. I will battle on for life, knowing you are my delight. We will feel the piercer's needle in your ashes and my cradle. As the clock just keeps on ticking, we will know we are bewitching.
For anyone who believes in energy flow, please send some metta (loving energy) our way. I feel grateful for all I have, will not take it for granted, and know with certainty that you are a part of it.
For Taliana, my Forever Sister:
I wish time could stop ticking. I wish the world would stop spinning. It is all because of you. You have vanished, yet pulled me through. Had you never graced my life, I might never have shined my light. 17 years you helped me learn, held my torch so I could burn. Soul mate sisters never die. You are in me as I cry. We always said that whoever left first would leave a barren spot on earth. So I walk here on my own, scared and wary of the unknown. Since we are so strong, we knew paradise all along. I can not help but to think that at last you reached the brink. You are finally free from terror, and can see hope in the mirror. I will battle on for life, knowing you are my delight. We will feel the piercer's needle in your ashes and my cradle. As the clock just keeps on ticking, we will know we are bewitching.
For anyone who believes in energy flow, please send some metta (loving energy) our way. I feel grateful for all I have, will not take it for granted, and know with certainty that you are a part of it.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Obama Tells ABC News Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal
President Obama has gained the courage to say that people are equal, regardless of who and how they love. It's overdue, and I am grateful.
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 -- 3:10 PM EDT
-----
Obama Tells ABC News Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal
President Obama declared for the first time on Wednesday that he supports same-sex marriage, putting the moral power of his presidency behind a social issue that continues to divide the country.
“At a certain point,” Mr. Obama said in an interview in the Cabinet Room at the White House with ABC’s Robin Roberts, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
The comments end years of public equivocating over the divisive social issue for the president, who has previously said he opposed gay marriage but repeatedly said he was “evolving” on the issue because of contact with friends and others who are gay.
READ MORE AT http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/obama-likely-to-speak-about-same-sex-marriage-in-interview/?emc=na
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 -- 3:10 PM EDT
-----
Obama Tells ABC News Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal
President Obama declared for the first time on Wednesday that he supports same-sex marriage, putting the moral power of his presidency behind a social issue that continues to divide the country.
“At a certain point,” Mr. Obama said in an interview in the Cabinet Room at the White House with ABC’s Robin Roberts, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
The comments end years of public equivocating over the divisive social issue for the president, who has previously said he opposed gay marriage but repeatedly said he was “evolving” on the issue because of contact with friends and others who are gay.
READ MORE AT http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/obama-likely-to-speak-about-same-sex-marriage-in-interview/?emc=na
Monday, April 16, 2012
What Innocence Really Means
Never be afraid to question that which appears to be unjust, nor to painstakingly examine everything for hidden traces of injustice:
"Convicted defendants left uninformed of forensic flaws found by Justice Dept." -
The Washington Post - Monday, April 16, 2012 -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/convicted-defendants-left-uninformed-of-forensic-flaws-found-by-justice-dept/2012/04/16/gIQAWTcgMT_story.html?wpisrc=al_national
"Convicted defendants left uninformed of forensic flaws found by Justice Dept." -
The Washington Post - Monday, April 16, 2012 -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/convicted-defendants-left-uninformed-of-forensic-flaws-found-by-justice-dept/2012/04/16/gIQAWTcgMT_story.html?wpisrc=al_national
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Don't Get Used to Your Clothes
Don't get used to your clothes: "Justices Approve Strip-Searches for Any Offense" - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/
After all, it's not like you have the right to wear your clothes if injustice and suspicion come calling. The pitfalls of the status quo justice system are innumerable. We only need look at history, more recent public discourse, activist widsom for centuries, and the scores of wrongfully accused, to know that re-visioning, not revamping or reforming, is vital. It's amazing to me that the U.S. guarantees each person the right to bear arms in the federal Constitution, but that there is no fundamental right to an education in federal law, and now the Supreme Court refuses to question any law enforcement decision on this strip-search matter, however innane or inaccurate.
I don't think we can afford to be shy about this one. Please see http://www.charisasmith.com/make-a-difference for ways that you can take action.
After all, it's not like you have the right to wear your clothes if injustice and suspicion come calling. The pitfalls of the status quo justice system are innumerable. We only need look at history, more recent public discourse, activist widsom for centuries, and the scores of wrongfully accused, to know that re-visioning, not revamping or reforming, is vital. It's amazing to me that the U.S. guarantees each person the right to bear arms in the federal Constitution, but that there is no fundamental right to an education in federal law, and now the Supreme Court refuses to question any law enforcement decision on this strip-search matter, however innane or inaccurate.
I don't think we can afford to be shy about this one. Please see http://www.charisasmith.com/make-a-difference for ways that you can take action.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Make It or Break It
Make It or Break It...The subtle dance of Morality.
In Buddhist traditions, the Paramitas, or "Perfections," represent the culmination of certain virtues. Rather than conduits to static rules, the Paramitas are seen as the live embodiment of certain virtues, and another translation for the word Para Mita is "that which goes beyond." In my Zen study during the month of March, I concentrated on the Shila Paramita, or "Morality." Mahayana Buddhism has a list of Precepts, or moral guides on the path, which are also experienced as the live embodiment of morality from moment to moment, using Upaya (skillful means) in each situation, rather than being seen as dogmatic commandments. I humbly share my reflections on the Shila Paramita ("Morality") with you, after providing a list of all the Mahayana Precepts in case you are interested:
Three Refuges of a Zen Peacemaker
Inviting all creations into the mandala of my practice and vowing to serve them, I take refuge in:
Oneness, the awakened nature of all beings.
Diversity, the ocean of wisdom and compassion.
Harmony, the interdependence of all creations.
Three Tenets of a Zen Peacemaker
Taking refuge and entering the stream of Engaged Spirituality, I vow to live a life of:
Not-knowing, thereby giving up fixed ideas about myself and the universe.
Bearing witness to the joy and suffering of the world.
Healing myself and others.
Four Commitments of a Peacemaker
I commit myself to a culture of nonviolence and reverence for life;
I commit myself to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order;
I commit myself to a culture of tolerance and a life based on truthfulness; and
I commit myself to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women.
Ten Precepts of a Zen Peacemaker:
Being Mindful of the interdependence of Oneness and Diversity, and wishing to actualize my vows, I engage in the spiritual practices of:
1. Recognizing that I am not separate from all that is.
This is the precept of Non-Killing.
2. Being satisfied with what I have.
This is the precept of Non-Stealing.
3. Encountering all creations with respect and dignity.
This is the precept of Chaste Conduct.
4. Listening and speaking from the heart.
This is the precept of Non-Lying.
5. Cultivating a mind that sees clearly.
This is the precept of Not Being Ignorant.
6. Unconditionally accepting what each moment has to offer.
This is the precept of Not Talking About Others Errors And Faults.
7. Speaking what I perceive to be the truth without guilt or blame.
This is the precept of Not Elevating Oneself And Blaming Others.
8. Using all of the ingredients of my life.
This is the precept of Not Being Stingy.
9. Transforming suffering into wisdom.
This is the precept of Not Being Angry.
10. Honoring my life as an instrument of peacemaking.
This is the precept of Not Thinking Ill of the Three Treasures.
REFLECTIONS ON THE SHILA PARAMITA- Charisa Kiyô Smith
When reading Roshi Aitken’s words on Shila, the strongest echo for me was the concept of technically “violating” precepts to keep them. In my practice of work, personal life, and Zen study, I am actively working on setting boundaries in order to make myself of best and most moral use to the world. I found that through study of Shila this month, I can trust my inner source a lot more to make tough choices.
One most obvious example of keeping morality through violating a Precept is nonkilling. As Roshi Aitken points out, “an absolute position—say, of never harming the roaches in the kitchen—will probably lead to harm in our families. But on the other hand, ruthlessly and endlessly exterminating roaches to protect the health of our children can lead to a wishy-washy kind of relativism” (28). We also kill bacteria when we boil water, or simply when we take each step on the ground. If we were to never kill anything, literally, we would not be able to exist. This type of paradox came up for me in terms of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others in one of the courses I teach, called Child Abuse and Neglect.
Just in the way that we must kill in some small way to be functional, life-affirming people, I needed to violate the Precept of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others to bring safety and peace to others in my teaching. My Child Abuse and Neglect course is the source of certification for two types of violence intervention. It is also a very personal experience, far different from other courses. For nearly two years, it has been seen as a safe and confidential space for students to explore tragedy, child protection, and human relationships, while sometimes coming to terms with abuse in their own lives. I share my own survival story and manage to get us to laugh and enjoy each class session, while also examining touchy and harrowing subjects. After our last class, a student confided that the girl sitting next to her, “Kate,” had been videotaping our class. I had to first work with my shock, and then contemplate anger, before recognizing that problem-solving was required. Almost immediately, I sent a strongly worded email of warning to Kate. It was tough because I dread making people feel singled out or targeted, but Kate was obstructing the morally supportive and emotionally nurturing nature of our class environment. I had to put Kate on notice that she had crossed a line, in the most kind and concerned way that I could, and I threatened to take further action if she did not stop her self-centered behavior. While I technically elevated myself and blamed Kate, I did so in the least obtrusive way possible, while holding up the greater reason to her and in my gut.
I also found myself violating the Precept of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets, and trying to Not Elevat[e My]self and Blam[e] Others, in my attorney position. In my full-time job, I legally represent children on probation who have education issues. After experiencing my childhood best friend’s death around Thanksgiving, suffering the loss of Myoshin which our entire Zendo faced, and then watching my caseload pile up at this particular job, it has become a survival mechanism to set more stern limits and simply tell new clients and referral sources that I am not available. It is definitely easier said than done. My emotional state is typically strong in public, and at work, but once in a while, I am secretly hanging on by a thread. After all this loss, I need to spare my dharma assets by refraining from sharing wisdom and knowledge with clients when there’s simply too much on my plate. I feel guilty about this because I never want to deny anyone my help. However, I know from Path of Service and from endless teachings from spiritual guides, that approaching service this way is also a matter of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others. As Roshi Aitken says, “If I have a tendency to be accommodating to other people, I can misuse this trait in a self-centered way as a means for personal protection” (31). Egotism can be at work when I somehow think I am indispensible, and that my dharma assets are what hold things together. Just as it’s crucial to be generous to add richness to the world, it’s key to also break this Precept and be self-protective of my assets to ensure that I always have something to give.
In Buddhist traditions, the Paramitas, or "Perfections," represent the culmination of certain virtues. Rather than conduits to static rules, the Paramitas are seen as the live embodiment of certain virtues, and another translation for the word Para Mita is "that which goes beyond." In my Zen study during the month of March, I concentrated on the Shila Paramita, or "Morality." Mahayana Buddhism has a list of Precepts, or moral guides on the path, which are also experienced as the live embodiment of morality from moment to moment, using Upaya (skillful means) in each situation, rather than being seen as dogmatic commandments. I humbly share my reflections on the Shila Paramita ("Morality") with you, after providing a list of all the Mahayana Precepts in case you are interested:
Three Refuges of a Zen Peacemaker
Inviting all creations into the mandala of my practice and vowing to serve them, I take refuge in:
Oneness, the awakened nature of all beings.
Diversity, the ocean of wisdom and compassion.
Harmony, the interdependence of all creations.
Three Tenets of a Zen Peacemaker
Taking refuge and entering the stream of Engaged Spirituality, I vow to live a life of:
Not-knowing, thereby giving up fixed ideas about myself and the universe.
Bearing witness to the joy and suffering of the world.
Healing myself and others.
Four Commitments of a Peacemaker
I commit myself to a culture of nonviolence and reverence for life;
I commit myself to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order;
I commit myself to a culture of tolerance and a life based on truthfulness; and
I commit myself to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women.
Ten Precepts of a Zen Peacemaker:
Being Mindful of the interdependence of Oneness and Diversity, and wishing to actualize my vows, I engage in the spiritual practices of:
1. Recognizing that I am not separate from all that is.
This is the precept of Non-Killing.
2. Being satisfied with what I have.
This is the precept of Non-Stealing.
3. Encountering all creations with respect and dignity.
This is the precept of Chaste Conduct.
4. Listening and speaking from the heart.
This is the precept of Non-Lying.
5. Cultivating a mind that sees clearly.
This is the precept of Not Being Ignorant.
6. Unconditionally accepting what each moment has to offer.
This is the precept of Not Talking About Others Errors And Faults.
7. Speaking what I perceive to be the truth without guilt or blame.
This is the precept of Not Elevating Oneself And Blaming Others.
8. Using all of the ingredients of my life.
This is the precept of Not Being Stingy.
9. Transforming suffering into wisdom.
This is the precept of Not Being Angry.
10. Honoring my life as an instrument of peacemaking.
This is the precept of Not Thinking Ill of the Three Treasures.
REFLECTIONS ON THE SHILA PARAMITA- Charisa Kiyô Smith
When reading Roshi Aitken’s words on Shila, the strongest echo for me was the concept of technically “violating” precepts to keep them. In my practice of work, personal life, and Zen study, I am actively working on setting boundaries in order to make myself of best and most moral use to the world. I found that through study of Shila this month, I can trust my inner source a lot more to make tough choices.
One most obvious example of keeping morality through violating a Precept is nonkilling. As Roshi Aitken points out, “an absolute position—say, of never harming the roaches in the kitchen—will probably lead to harm in our families. But on the other hand, ruthlessly and endlessly exterminating roaches to protect the health of our children can lead to a wishy-washy kind of relativism” (28). We also kill bacteria when we boil water, or simply when we take each step on the ground. If we were to never kill anything, literally, we would not be able to exist. This type of paradox came up for me in terms of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others in one of the courses I teach, called Child Abuse and Neglect.
Just in the way that we must kill in some small way to be functional, life-affirming people, I needed to violate the Precept of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others to bring safety and peace to others in my teaching. My Child Abuse and Neglect course is the source of certification for two types of violence intervention. It is also a very personal experience, far different from other courses. For nearly two years, it has been seen as a safe and confidential space for students to explore tragedy, child protection, and human relationships, while sometimes coming to terms with abuse in their own lives. I share my own survival story and manage to get us to laugh and enjoy each class session, while also examining touchy and harrowing subjects. After our last class, a student confided that the girl sitting next to her, “Kate,” had been videotaping our class. I had to first work with my shock, and then contemplate anger, before recognizing that problem-solving was required. Almost immediately, I sent a strongly worded email of warning to Kate. It was tough because I dread making people feel singled out or targeted, but Kate was obstructing the morally supportive and emotionally nurturing nature of our class environment. I had to put Kate on notice that she had crossed a line, in the most kind and concerned way that I could, and I threatened to take further action if she did not stop her self-centered behavior. While I technically elevated myself and blamed Kate, I did so in the least obtrusive way possible, while holding up the greater reason to her and in my gut.
I also found myself violating the Precept of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets, and trying to Not Elevat[e My]self and Blam[e] Others, in my attorney position. In my full-time job, I legally represent children on probation who have education issues. After experiencing my childhood best friend’s death around Thanksgiving, suffering the loss of Myoshin which our entire Zendo faced, and then watching my caseload pile up at this particular job, it has become a survival mechanism to set more stern limits and simply tell new clients and referral sources that I am not available. It is definitely easier said than done. My emotional state is typically strong in public, and at work, but once in a while, I am secretly hanging on by a thread. After all this loss, I need to spare my dharma assets by refraining from sharing wisdom and knowledge with clients when there’s simply too much on my plate. I feel guilty about this because I never want to deny anyone my help. However, I know from Path of Service and from endless teachings from spiritual guides, that approaching service this way is also a matter of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others. As Roshi Aitken says, “If I have a tendency to be accommodating to other people, I can misuse this trait in a self-centered way as a means for personal protection” (31). Egotism can be at work when I somehow think I am indispensible, and that my dharma assets are what hold things together. Just as it’s crucial to be generous to add richness to the world, it’s key to also break this Precept and be self-protective of my assets to ensure that I always have something to give.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Apparently, Black is the new Dead
APPARENTLY, BLACK IS THE NEW DEAD
This blog
http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made
Was shared with me by someone I admire. It rapidly precipitated an email from me to other close family and friends, entitled, "This seriously made me cry in the middle of lunch at my desk at work"
on Monday, March 26th at 2:46pm EST
After receiving wisdom and love from many of them, I wrote them back:
Dear gifted family and friends,
Thank you for your insightful and powerful words. They help to put these challenges into perspective and force me to remember what's really important. It's so interesting...I tend to take in a lot of unhappiness, belligerence, controversy, and even drama in the work that I do, and I usually find ways to gain energy from it. That is largely because I enjoy the struggle, and on top of it all, get to communicate with you and spend time in your shining sunlight. While I definitely have plenty of weaknesses, one of my biggest challenges is not reverting to pure despair when I re-learn that some people just flat out hate. It's part of my lifelong koan to not make expectations...Some of you read my blogs a long while ago about that: "Having expectations is like making a contract with disappointment," let go, yet never fail to let people pleasantly surprise you! And so I see that! Yet, no matter how hard I try to go along expecting just about anything, and absolutely nothing, I keep getting stuck. Pow! Whop! Just when you though you understood the world. Nope, not even close. Surprise. The pure hatred and malice exists in a more profound way than I could ever comprehend.
I especially appreciate your words about finding acceptance and love for the very people who sling hateful energy across space and time. How brilliant! How necessary for the healing of everyone. Once in a while, I am reduced to a crybaby amidst the homophobia, racism, and miscellaneous (physical and spiritual) violence. I'm not sure what I thought...I very well knew about racism! I talk about it every day! But reading what children and pop culture overtly had to say about film protagonists of color just took the wind out of my sails. Yes. They really hate us all that much. I have already put links to that blog up on the sites for both courses that I teach, and the discussion will be front and center this week as we also talk about challenges for black children in public education, and the emotional / psychological maltreatment of all types of children and adults, respectively.
We know that everything is poetically interconnected, right? It's all this, it's all us. No separation. Last Friday, hearing Angela Davis speak for the second time in a year was completely electrifying! She inspires me to write so much more, to learn more, to teach more, and to act in more compassionate ways.
And so life goes on. I know that, but I also know you and our paths. I am grateful for all these things and hope you know how cherished you are, every day. When you need me, please count on me!
In gassho (with a bow), and Namaste ("I see the universal presence in you").
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
True Grit
"How miraculous. Chopping wood. Carrying water." - Zen Master Layman Pang.
The precious thing about ordinary life is its bareness, its grit, its simplicity.
Nothing special.
Now is it.
That's why it's delicious.
- Charisa Smith...Kiyo
The precious thing about ordinary life is its bareness, its grit, its simplicity.
Nothing special.
Now is it.
That's why it's delicious.
- Charisa Smith...Kiyo
Friday, July 1, 2011
"WALKING IN THE DARK" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16TH, 2010
"If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark."
- St. John of the Cross.
How much time do we spend trying to figure out how to make things go well. . .How to get someone to respond just how we'd like them to, or the way we think we need them to respond? How often do we get upset when some mishap, or someone's complications, foil our best-laid plans? How many strategy sessions have you sat through-- for work, for play, for relationship gain or improvement, for personal effectiveness? Have you ever thought, "I could get so much done if it wasn't for [X person] or [X situation] slowing me down and getting in my way?"
No worries-- you're certainly not by yourself. You are in very good company with me and many other people across space and time.
It's not that wandering around without a thought about next steps is the best way to function. But rather, leaving behind our expectations and our desires for stability can ensure us far more happiness and effectiveness. It's so funny that we don't get it by now, but nothing can be perfect, and the best laid plans can fall through. Murphy's Law is well known for a reason. . .Anything can happen. To put it blankly, we are not in control.
A well-known Buddhist teacher (I believe it was Sylvia Boorstein) said that "Having expectations is like signing a contract with disappointment." I heard this ingenious phrase at a time when I learned that several people close to me had cheated on their partners, either in their past, in the present, or at both times. I just couldn't believe that someone I thought I knew so well, and someone who seemed to have so much integrity, could be capable of actually cheating on a partner.
When that phrase about expectations was taught to me, I realized how much of a pitfall I'd created by going around expecting the people close to me to share my sense of ethics. I continue to seek close company that is honest, trustworthy, and ethical, but I really can't expect everyone else to behave like I would in certain situations. Julie Myoko Terestman, a Zen teacher and advisor, reminded me that I just "never know the whole situation," and that I should try not to judge when I hear of something that sounds hurtful and offensive to me at first blush. How good to hear. How true to know.
Further, Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara pointed out recently in her "Zen and Intimacy" workshop that contrary to popular belief, it's not the task of our intimate partners, friends, and family members, to make us feel happy and safe. When we step back and think about it, how preposterous is it, really, to think, "[This person] doesn't make me feel good all the time. They aren't doing what I want them to do. I need to make them do what I want, so I can be happy." ?
We, alone, are responsible for our own feelings, and intimate relationships are not a channel for possession of others or for unfettered influence over others' actions and emotions. Many wise ones say that "You can't truly love anyone else until you love yourself. . .People search so hard for someone else to make them happy. We have to realize that what we seek is inside ourselves."
Too many of us believe in the fairytale concept of an intimate partner who will come into our life, passionately sweep us off our feet, diminish many of our problems, and make our lives safe and happy. Zen Life Coach and advisor Nosan Lawrence Grecco points out that "Relationships are not a way for us to get all of our needs met." I felt very liberated when I heard him say that. If the opposite was the case, how would anyone ever have a "good" or "functional" relationship?
Not only are expectations of other people a sure way to stand in line for a miserable life, but trying to rely on events and outcomes is also a no-win situation. Buddhist wisdom instructs that impermanence is a Dharma Seal, one of the fundamental tenants of enlightened truth. It's scary, but we can never truly be safe. Things will never be stable and predictable. Of course, to get through life, we try to act in ways that benefit others, ourselves, and the environment. We try to find a modicum of stability in order to function and be healthy, enjoying as much of life as we can. But we cannot wait for everything to get organized, to work out our way, or to go according to plan.
It's simply the nature of the universe -- the world spins, nothing stands still. Everything is born each minute, as particles transform and evolve with changing time and space conditions. Everything dies each minute, for those same exact reasons. In Buddhism, we believe that there really is no birth and no death. Impermanence reigns, and we are also all interconnected to the point where in some small way, all that we are and all that we do continues to have an impact on everything else in the world.
Closing our eyes and walking in the dark can mean saying hello to contentment and ease. Realism with a hearty dose of wonder, generosity, and hope can bring us a much more balanced life. I invite you to search for ways that you can dim the lights of control-ism --Yes, I've created a new "ism"-- in your life. Where can we afford to loosen our grip on outcomes and the behavior of others? Where can we slacken the reigns of our perceived influence and power over life?
True, the lights will be dim. The lights may be off. But at least we have a grip on reality, and we will no longer walk around trying to force our neurotic flashlight to cast an obnoxious glare on the world. So many unknown events await us. So many unpredictable people can bring us expansive experiences of joy, discomfort, peace, anger, passion, disdain, excitement, sadness, confusion, and love.
I look forward to walking with you. If we bump into each other, I'll give you a hug.
- St. John of the Cross.
How much time do we spend trying to figure out how to make things go well. . .How to get someone to respond just how we'd like them to, or the way we think we need them to respond? How often do we get upset when some mishap, or someone's complications, foil our best-laid plans? How many strategy sessions have you sat through-- for work, for play, for relationship gain or improvement, for personal effectiveness? Have you ever thought, "I could get so much done if it wasn't for [X person] or [X situation] slowing me down and getting in my way?"
No worries-- you're certainly not by yourself. You are in very good company with me and many other people across space and time.
It's not that wandering around without a thought about next steps is the best way to function. But rather, leaving behind our expectations and our desires for stability can ensure us far more happiness and effectiveness. It's so funny that we don't get it by now, but nothing can be perfect, and the best laid plans can fall through. Murphy's Law is well known for a reason. . .Anything can happen. To put it blankly, we are not in control.
A well-known Buddhist teacher (I believe it was Sylvia Boorstein) said that "Having expectations is like signing a contract with disappointment." I heard this ingenious phrase at a time when I learned that several people close to me had cheated on their partners, either in their past, in the present, or at both times. I just couldn't believe that someone I thought I knew so well, and someone who seemed to have so much integrity, could be capable of actually cheating on a partner.
When that phrase about expectations was taught to me, I realized how much of a pitfall I'd created by going around expecting the people close to me to share my sense of ethics. I continue to seek close company that is honest, trustworthy, and ethical, but I really can't expect everyone else to behave like I would in certain situations. Julie Myoko Terestman, a Zen teacher and advisor, reminded me that I just "never know the whole situation," and that I should try not to judge when I hear of something that sounds hurtful and offensive to me at first blush. How good to hear. How true to know.
Further, Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara pointed out recently in her "Zen and Intimacy" workshop that contrary to popular belief, it's not the task of our intimate partners, friends, and family members, to make us feel happy and safe. When we step back and think about it, how preposterous is it, really, to think, "[This person] doesn't make me feel good all the time. They aren't doing what I want them to do. I need to make them do what I want, so I can be happy." ?
We, alone, are responsible for our own feelings, and intimate relationships are not a channel for possession of others or for unfettered influence over others' actions and emotions. Many wise ones say that "You can't truly love anyone else until you love yourself. . .People search so hard for someone else to make them happy. We have to realize that what we seek is inside ourselves."
Too many of us believe in the fairytale concept of an intimate partner who will come into our life, passionately sweep us off our feet, diminish many of our problems, and make our lives safe and happy. Zen Life Coach and advisor Nosan Lawrence Grecco points out that "Relationships are not a way for us to get all of our needs met." I felt very liberated when I heard him say that. If the opposite was the case, how would anyone ever have a "good" or "functional" relationship?
Not only are expectations of other people a sure way to stand in line for a miserable life, but trying to rely on events and outcomes is also a no-win situation. Buddhist wisdom instructs that impermanence is a Dharma Seal, one of the fundamental tenants of enlightened truth. It's scary, but we can never truly be safe. Things will never be stable and predictable. Of course, to get through life, we try to act in ways that benefit others, ourselves, and the environment. We try to find a modicum of stability in order to function and be healthy, enjoying as much of life as we can. But we cannot wait for everything to get organized, to work out our way, or to go according to plan.
It's simply the nature of the universe -- the world spins, nothing stands still. Everything is born each minute, as particles transform and evolve with changing time and space conditions. Everything dies each minute, for those same exact reasons. In Buddhism, we believe that there really is no birth and no death. Impermanence reigns, and we are also all interconnected to the point where in some small way, all that we are and all that we do continues to have an impact on everything else in the world.
Closing our eyes and walking in the dark can mean saying hello to contentment and ease. Realism with a hearty dose of wonder, generosity, and hope can bring us a much more balanced life. I invite you to search for ways that you can dim the lights of control-ism --Yes, I've created a new "ism"-- in your life. Where can we afford to loosen our grip on outcomes and the behavior of others? Where can we slacken the reigns of our perceived influence and power over life?
True, the lights will be dim. The lights may be off. But at least we have a grip on reality, and we will no longer walk around trying to force our neurotic flashlight to cast an obnoxious glare on the world. So many unknown events await us. So many unpredictable people can bring us expansive experiences of joy, discomfort, peace, anger, passion, disdain, excitement, sadness, confusion, and love.
I look forward to walking with you. If we bump into each other, I'll give you a hug.
"AWARD WINNER - NY BOOK FESTIVAL '10" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH, 2010
I'm gearing up for an evening of mingling with authors and publishers for the 2nd celebratory event in the 2010 NY Book Festival-- a reception at the famed Algonquin Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Again, I'll be promoting Blending Colors From Life, which won an Honorable Mention, along with my 2nd book concept, involving the survival stories of brave women who have touched my life. Hoping you all have a wonderful Friday. All the best.
"AWARDS PARTY - NY BOOK FESTIVAL '10" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 10TH. . .MY BOOK WINS AN AWARD AT 2010 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL!
Tonight I'm going to the 1st celebratory event for the 2010 New York Book Festival. It's a party and author reading at Cornelia St. Cafe in Greenwich Village. I won't be reading, as Blending Colors From Life received an Honorable Mention as opposed to a higher prize. Yet, I'm happy about the honor, and I'm excited to promote Blending Colors From Life and my second book, which will contain the survival stories of brave women who have touched my life. Sending all of you metta and peace.
"TRUE CONSEQUENCE" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: MONDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2010
"Living in the world yet not forming attachment to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student."
-Zengetsu, Chinese Master.
From ancient and modern wisdom, we can take time to learn that each moment is fleeting, and that "it is always right now." Our challenge then becomes making each "now" worthy of being our last, while relinquishing expectations about loss and gain. We can not can take wealth, fame, or success along with us in death. Our conduct and generosity at each moment alone are of true consequence.
-Zengetsu, Chinese Master.
From ancient and modern wisdom, we can take time to learn that each moment is fleeting, and that "it is always right now." Our challenge then becomes making each "now" worthy of being our last, while relinquishing expectations about loss and gain. We can not can take wealth, fame, or success along with us in death. Our conduct and generosity at each moment alone are of true consequence.
"REPEAL DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 29TH, 2010
President Obama has pledged to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Right now, the Senate is considering legislation that would make good on this promise.
Please click on this link to add your name to the list of steadfast people who want to end such an oppressive policy.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/repealdadt?source=FBS
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." -Ghandi
Please click on this link to add your name to the list of steadfast people who want to end such an oppressive policy.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/repealdadt?source=FBS
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." -Ghandi
" A STAND ON DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 28TH, 2010
American lawmakers have made a strong statement about openly gay individuals living proudly and out loud. It's 2010, it's long overdue, and
IT'S ABOUT TIME.
May 27, 2010
House Votes to Allow Repeal of Ban on Gays in Military
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and CARL HULSE
WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to let the Defense Department repeal the ban on gay and bisexual people from serving openly in the military, a major step toward dismantling the 1993 law widely known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The provision would allow military commanders to repeal the ban. The repeal would permit gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.
The provision was adopted as an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill, which the House is expected to vote on Friday. The repeal would be allowed 60 days after a Pentagon report is completed on the ramifications of allowing openly gay service members, and military leaders certify that it would not be disruptive. The report is due by Dec. 1.
The House vote was 234 to 194, with 229 Democrats and 5 Republicans in favor, after an emotionally charged debate. Opposed were 168 Republicans and 26 Democrats.
Supporters of the repeal hailed it as a matter of basic fairness and civil rights, while opponents charged that Democrats and President Obama were destabilizing the military to advance a liberal social agenda.
“On Memorial Day, America will come together and honor all who served our nation in uniform,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a floor speech, noting the symbolic timing of the debate. “I urge my colleagues to vote for the repeal of this discriminatory policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and make America more American.”
Separately on Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure allowing the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The vote, in a closed session, was 16 to 12, with one Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, in favor of the repeal, and one Democrat, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, in opposition.
Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan and chairman of the committee, said he believed that the full Senate would support permitting the repeal.
Like the House amendment, the Senate measure would allow Pentagon leaders to revoke the ban 60 days after the military study group completes its report and Mr. Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, certify that it would not
hamper military readiness and effectiveness or “unit cohesion.”
Mr. Obama and Mr. Gates favor repealing the ban, as does Admiral Mullen, who, in testimony before the Armed Services Committee in February, called for a repeal.
But chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have objected. In letters solicited by Senator John McCain of Arizona, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, they urged Congress to delay voting on the issue until after the Defense Department completed its report.
After the committee vote, Mr. McCain said he would continue to fight a repeal when the bill reached the Senate floor. “I think it’s really going to be really harmful to the morale and battle effectiveness of our military,” he said.
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, who sponsored the repeal measure, said, “The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy doesn’t serve the best interests of our military and doesn’t reflect the best values of our country.”
“Bottom line,” Mr. Lieberman, added, “thousands of service members have been pushed out of the U.S. military not because they were inadequate or bad soldiers, sailors, Marines or airmen but because of their sexual orientation. And that’s not what America is all about.”
The Armed Services Committee approved the broader policy bill by a vote of 18 to 10, with Mr. Webb and Senator Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, who also opposed the repeal, supporting the broader measure.
With liberals in Congress being asked to vote on an unpopular war spending bill, Congressional Democratic leaders have been pushing to finally do away with a ban that many in their party view as discriminatory and unpatriotic.
The Senate approved the spending bill Thursday night and the House is expected to vote on it early next month.
As the House headed toward the vote, the debate was often emotional.
In a floor speech on Thursday, Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, denounced the policy that requires gay men, lesbians and bisexuals to keep their sexual orientation secret if they want to serve in the armed forces.
Mr. Frank noted that the Israeli military, which he called “as effective a fighting force as has existed in modern times,” does not bar gay men or lesbians from service. Mr. Frank, who is openly gay, also said that he would be criticized — rightly, he said — if he were to suggest that gay men and lesbians be exempted if a military draft were needed.
Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, the No. 3 Republican in the House, accused Democrats of trying to use the military “to advance a liberal social agenda” and demanded that Congress “put its priorities in order.”
Other Republicans said the military was a unique institution and its rules sometimes had to differ from civilian society.
“We are dissing the troops, that is what we are doing,” said Representative Howard P. McKeon of California, senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee.
Republicans also questioned if the military leaders who would have to make the final decision would be able to resist pressure from the White House to lift the ban.
Democrats who backed the repeal compared the vote to the racial integration of the military and hailed the action as allowing all Americans who wanted to serve to do so.
“In the land of the free and the home of the brave, it is long past time for Congress to end this un-American policy,” said Representative Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat who is openly gay.
Democrats accused Republicans of mischaracterizing the proposal, by suggesting it would unsettle the troops. “This policy will happen only when the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stay that it is the right thing to do for this country,” said Representative Robert E. Andrews, Democrat of New Jersey.
IT'S ABOUT TIME.
May 27, 2010
House Votes to Allow Repeal of Ban on Gays in Military
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and CARL HULSE
WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to let the Defense Department repeal the ban on gay and bisexual people from serving openly in the military, a major step toward dismantling the 1993 law widely known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The provision would allow military commanders to repeal the ban. The repeal would permit gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.
The provision was adopted as an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill, which the House is expected to vote on Friday. The repeal would be allowed 60 days after a Pentagon report is completed on the ramifications of allowing openly gay service members, and military leaders certify that it would not be disruptive. The report is due by Dec. 1.
The House vote was 234 to 194, with 229 Democrats and 5 Republicans in favor, after an emotionally charged debate. Opposed were 168 Republicans and 26 Democrats.
Supporters of the repeal hailed it as a matter of basic fairness and civil rights, while opponents charged that Democrats and President Obama were destabilizing the military to advance a liberal social agenda.
“On Memorial Day, America will come together and honor all who served our nation in uniform,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a floor speech, noting the symbolic timing of the debate. “I urge my colleagues to vote for the repeal of this discriminatory policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and make America more American.”
Separately on Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure allowing the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The vote, in a closed session, was 16 to 12, with one Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, in favor of the repeal, and one Democrat, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, in opposition.
Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan and chairman of the committee, said he believed that the full Senate would support permitting the repeal.
Like the House amendment, the Senate measure would allow Pentagon leaders to revoke the ban 60 days after the military study group completes its report and Mr. Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, certify that it would not
hamper military readiness and effectiveness or “unit cohesion.”
Mr. Obama and Mr. Gates favor repealing the ban, as does Admiral Mullen, who, in testimony before the Armed Services Committee in February, called for a repeal.
But chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have objected. In letters solicited by Senator John McCain of Arizona, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, they urged Congress to delay voting on the issue until after the Defense Department completed its report.
After the committee vote, Mr. McCain said he would continue to fight a repeal when the bill reached the Senate floor. “I think it’s really going to be really harmful to the morale and battle effectiveness of our military,” he said.
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, who sponsored the repeal measure, said, “The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy doesn’t serve the best interests of our military and doesn’t reflect the best values of our country.”
“Bottom line,” Mr. Lieberman, added, “thousands of service members have been pushed out of the U.S. military not because they were inadequate or bad soldiers, sailors, Marines or airmen but because of their sexual orientation. And that’s not what America is all about.”
The Armed Services Committee approved the broader policy bill by a vote of 18 to 10, with Mr. Webb and Senator Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, who also opposed the repeal, supporting the broader measure.
With liberals in Congress being asked to vote on an unpopular war spending bill, Congressional Democratic leaders have been pushing to finally do away with a ban that many in their party view as discriminatory and unpatriotic.
The Senate approved the spending bill Thursday night and the House is expected to vote on it early next month.
As the House headed toward the vote, the debate was often emotional.
In a floor speech on Thursday, Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, denounced the policy that requires gay men, lesbians and bisexuals to keep their sexual orientation secret if they want to serve in the armed forces.
Mr. Frank noted that the Israeli military, which he called “as effective a fighting force as has existed in modern times,” does not bar gay men or lesbians from service. Mr. Frank, who is openly gay, also said that he would be criticized — rightly, he said — if he were to suggest that gay men and lesbians be exempted if a military draft were needed.
Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, the No. 3 Republican in the House, accused Democrats of trying to use the military “to advance a liberal social agenda” and demanded that Congress “put its priorities in order.”
Other Republicans said the military was a unique institution and its rules sometimes had to differ from civilian society.
“We are dissing the troops, that is what we are doing,” said Representative Howard P. McKeon of California, senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee.
Republicans also questioned if the military leaders who would have to make the final decision would be able to resist pressure from the White House to lift the ban.
Democrats who backed the repeal compared the vote to the racial integration of the military and hailed the action as allowing all Americans who wanted to serve to do so.
“In the land of the free and the home of the brave, it is long past time for Congress to end this un-American policy,” said Representative Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat who is openly gay.
Democrats accused Republicans of mischaracterizing the proposal, by suggesting it would unsettle the troops. “This policy will happen only when the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stay that it is the right thing to do for this country,” said Representative Robert E. Andrews, Democrat of New Jersey.
"REPEALING DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 27TH, 2010
Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" today: Call your Congress members now!
https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=828
Congress is scheduled to vote on repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as soon as this week. Please call your Congress members immediately. Clicking on the link above will give plenty of information to assist with your calls. The previous blog entry also provides more information.
https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=828
Congress is scheduled to vote on repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as soon as this week. Please call your Congress members immediately. Clicking on the link above will give plenty of information to assist with your calls. The previous blog entry also provides more information.
"THIS MOMENT IN TIME - ALL OF US AMERICA" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: MONDAY, MAY 24TH, 2010
This is an historic moment. The Obama Administration has made a strong statement about its commitment to repealing "don't ask, don't tell"-- a discriminatory anti-gay measure enacted under the Clinton Administration (a wholeheartedly disappointing move during the Clinton years, to say the least). In law school, I was part of the Students Against Military Exclusion (S.A.M.E.) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. This lawsuit sought to ban military recruiters from Yale Law School's campus because of the military's decision to deny openly gay individuals the right to serve in the Armed Forces. The 1995 Solomon Amendment stated that any law school that refused to allow military recruiting on campus for the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. of military attorneys, would risk losing all federal funding. Yale Law School fought back to honor diversity and to uphold its own non-discrimination policy in the face of military recruiters.
The S.A.M.E. suit, in which I was a plaintiff, was denied a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court because the Court upheld the Solomon Amendment in the Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (F.A.I.R.) decision. Yet, I (along with many students, university administrators, advocates, and members of the general public), feel strongly that the Court erred in F.A.I.R..
The United States rose to "superpower" status on the backs of countless Native American bodies and on the soil of indigenous territories lost, at the expense of the human rights and labor of scores of African-American slaves and their descendants, and due to the struggles and sacrifices of myriad immigrants who continue to be treated inhumanely and flat out unacceptably. Women in the U.S. didn't get the right to vote until 1920, even though we toiled for, taught, fought for, and gave birth to, this and every other nation. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans have likewise been an integral part of U.S. history since this country was a mere blip on the horizon. For too long, we were shamed into hiding our personhood and our light. Subjugating oppressed peoples has unfortunately been nothing but the "American" modus operandi (m.o.). Yet, too many drops of sweat and tears were shed by a rainbow array of heroes and heroines to give each and every person in the U.S. the right to express themself and make an honest living. I hope that by now enough of us recognize that we must make smarter decisions about who belongs here and how to treat each other with respect. It is our responsibility to treat one another just as we would like to be treated. No less.
Many Americans are proud to wake up in a nation where we can exercise free speech when we want to change ideas, actions, hearts, and minds. When we are wronged, we even jump on the lawsuit banwagon because we see it as our birthright. We claim our freedoms every day. Yet, children of the Clinton era learned that telling LGBTQ Americans to "act straight" was the best our President could do for our people. Bush era youth have grown up thinking that leaders of a wealthy democracy can utter homophobic jargon and call it public policy.
The status quo is simply not good enough. It is time to mobilize more strongly than ever to send a clear message about the true meaning of equality and opportunity.
Now is the time to organize and join a cause to ensure that U.S. policy-makers vote to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." The Human Rights Campaign does amazing work. Stay tuned.
Obama endorses 'don't ask, don't tell' compromise in Congress
The Washington Post
By Michael D. Shear
Monday, May 24, 2010; 8:36 PM
President Obama has signed on to a "don't ask, don't tell" compromise between lawmakers and the Defense Department, the White House announced Monday, an agreement that removes a key obstacle to repealing the military's policy banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces.
Under the compromise, finalized in a series of meetings Monday at the White House and on Capitol Hill, lawmakers will vote in the next several days on a repeal of the Clinton-era policy. If it passes, that action would not go into effect until the Pentagon completes a study about its impact on the troops.
In a letter to lawmakers pushing for a legislative repeal, the White House wrote Monday that "such an approach recognizes the critical need to allow our military and their families the full opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process through a thorough understanding of their concerns, insights and suggestions."
Gay rights advocates hailed the White House decision as a "dramatic breakthrough" that they predicted would dismantle the policy once and for all. In a statement, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said the announcement "paves the path to fulfill the President's call to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' this year and puts us one step closer to removing this stain from the laws of our nation."
The move also injects a highly controversial social issue back into the national conversation, even as lawmakers begin to gear up for their fall reelection campaigns.
Conservative lawmakers have vowed to fight the effort to end the policy. Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), who had previously supported repeal, said at a recent congressional hearing that "Don't Ask" was "imperfect but effective" and that "we should not be seeking to overturn."
Several conservative Democrats in Congress have said they would oppose a repeal unless military leaders made clear that they approved of such a change. That signal has been on hold as the Pentagon completes its study of the ramifications.
At the same time, liberal lawmakers had been pushing for an immediate repeal. The White House endorsement of the compromise is designed to satisfy both concerns and earn their support for a deferred repeal.
"We can live with this, and we're asking enthusiastically members to support and vote for it," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
The S.A.M.E. suit, in which I was a plaintiff, was denied a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court because the Court upheld the Solomon Amendment in the Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (F.A.I.R.) decision. Yet, I (along with many students, university administrators, advocates, and members of the general public), feel strongly that the Court erred in F.A.I.R..
The United States rose to "superpower" status on the backs of countless Native American bodies and on the soil of indigenous territories lost, at the expense of the human rights and labor of scores of African-American slaves and their descendants, and due to the struggles and sacrifices of myriad immigrants who continue to be treated inhumanely and flat out unacceptably. Women in the U.S. didn't get the right to vote until 1920, even though we toiled for, taught, fought for, and gave birth to, this and every other nation. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans have likewise been an integral part of U.S. history since this country was a mere blip on the horizon. For too long, we were shamed into hiding our personhood and our light. Subjugating oppressed peoples has unfortunately been nothing but the "American" modus operandi (m.o.). Yet, too many drops of sweat and tears were shed by a rainbow array of heroes and heroines to give each and every person in the U.S. the right to express themself and make an honest living. I hope that by now enough of us recognize that we must make smarter decisions about who belongs here and how to treat each other with respect. It is our responsibility to treat one another just as we would like to be treated. No less.
Many Americans are proud to wake up in a nation where we can exercise free speech when we want to change ideas, actions, hearts, and minds. When we are wronged, we even jump on the lawsuit banwagon because we see it as our birthright. We claim our freedoms every day. Yet, children of the Clinton era learned that telling LGBTQ Americans to "act straight" was the best our President could do for our people. Bush era youth have grown up thinking that leaders of a wealthy democracy can utter homophobic jargon and call it public policy.
The status quo is simply not good enough. It is time to mobilize more strongly than ever to send a clear message about the true meaning of equality and opportunity.
Now is the time to organize and join a cause to ensure that U.S. policy-makers vote to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." The Human Rights Campaign does amazing work. Stay tuned.
Obama endorses 'don't ask, don't tell' compromise in Congress
The Washington Post
By Michael D. Shear
Monday, May 24, 2010; 8:36 PM
President Obama has signed on to a "don't ask, don't tell" compromise between lawmakers and the Defense Department, the White House announced Monday, an agreement that removes a key obstacle to repealing the military's policy banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces.
Under the compromise, finalized in a series of meetings Monday at the White House and on Capitol Hill, lawmakers will vote in the next several days on a repeal of the Clinton-era policy. If it passes, that action would not go into effect until the Pentagon completes a study about its impact on the troops.
In a letter to lawmakers pushing for a legislative repeal, the White House wrote Monday that "such an approach recognizes the critical need to allow our military and their families the full opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process through a thorough understanding of their concerns, insights and suggestions."
Gay rights advocates hailed the White House decision as a "dramatic breakthrough" that they predicted would dismantle the policy once and for all. In a statement, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said the announcement "paves the path to fulfill the President's call to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' this year and puts us one step closer to removing this stain from the laws of our nation."
The move also injects a highly controversial social issue back into the national conversation, even as lawmakers begin to gear up for their fall reelection campaigns.
Conservative lawmakers have vowed to fight the effort to end the policy. Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), who had previously supported repeal, said at a recent congressional hearing that "Don't Ask" was "imperfect but effective" and that "we should not be seeking to overturn."
Several conservative Democrats in Congress have said they would oppose a repeal unless military leaders made clear that they approved of such a change. That signal has been on hold as the Pentagon completes its study of the ramifications.
At the same time, liberal lawmakers had been pushing for an immediate repeal. The White House endorsement of the compromise is designed to satisfy both concerns and earn their support for a deferred repeal.
"We can live with this, and we're asking enthusiastically members to support and vote for it," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
"CHARISA ON N.P.R. RADIO" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 23RD, 2010
Here is a link to a WAMC, Northeast Public Radio (NPR) story on my book and NYC book release event. Thanks so much to journalist Dave Lucas for his interest and chronicling:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1653492
I give heartfelt thanks to all those sincere friends and loved ones who came out to support my book signing yesterday evening. Mr. Malloy would be so proud to know that we are spreading news of his work, art, and life across the country. It was a pleasure engaging in storytelling with you, and your sharing revealed true gems of wisdom and discovery. Your encouragement moves mountains, and I look forward to keeping you in the loop. Peace and gratitude.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1653492
I give heartfelt thanks to all those sincere friends and loved ones who came out to support my book signing yesterday evening. Mr. Malloy would be so proud to know that we are spreading news of his work, art, and life across the country. It was a pleasure engaging in storytelling with you, and your sharing revealed true gems of wisdom and discovery. Your encouragement moves mountains, and I look forward to keeping you in the loop. Peace and gratitude.
"BOOK SIGNING - TODAY!" - ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 22ND, 2010
Today is the day of my 1st NYC book signing: 4-6pm at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe in Harlem. I look forward to seeing you. Come share knowledge and wonder! You will have a chance to tell your unique story, too. Let's make history together. More details on the homepage.
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