Quotes to Inspire Action

"If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, we side with the powerful - we don't remain neutral." - Banksy in Gaza

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." —Edmund Burke

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." —Albert Einstein

Oscar Love

This year's Oscars were full of moments of powerful advocacy.  My favorite was John Legend and Common and their declaration that "Selma is now": http://time.com/3717055/oscars-2015-best-original-song-john-legend-common-selma/

To Be of Use

This poem describes my world view and how I would like for others to see me:

To be of useby Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

A reminder of the Light in the world

Today this story was my reminder: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/18/norwegian-muslims-will-form-a-human-shield-around-an-oslo-synagogue.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, the worst in humanity often brings out the best in humanity.  We can only answer darkness with light.