Ready For $7.00/gallon Milk? The Price of Milk as a Moral Issue Revisited

If the Farm Bill issue does not get resolved by next week, like the tax side of the fiscal cliff, there will be another crisis in America. $7.00/gallon milk.

Hello liberal religionists, where are you? How many of you have talked about the price of milk as a moral issue lately? Or is the issue of the moment gun violence because of the shooting in Newtown? 

Why Is The Sercret Service "Scandal" A "Scandal?"

Grown men had sex. I'm shocked!

They had sex with prostitutes. I'm even more shocked!

C'mon now people. This country is involved in armed conflict in one of the most desolate places in the world and too many of its soldiers seem to not know how to treat dead bodies and yet there is more talk about grown men having sex than the fact that members of the U.S. military are desecrating dead bodies.

Which is the real scandal?

Strip Searches For Everybody!

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Florence v. Burlington that it was constitutional for states to strip search arrestees no matter what the nature of the offense.

But if one looks at the facts of the case, there is a much more troubling situation that appears on the horizon.

Albert Florence and his wife and child were on the way home when a New Jersey state trooper pulled them over. When the trooper runs a check on the car, it comes up that there is an outstanding warrant on Mr. Florence because of an unpaid traffic fine. However the outstanding warrant was an error and Mr. Florence had the paperwork to prove it. Mr. Florence showed the trooper the paperwork yet was arrested anyway. While in custody he was strip searched twice. Those are the basic facts.

What's so troubling, aside from the fact that the court said that it was constitutional to strip search anyone in custody, was the implicit agreement that anyone can be arrested at any time for any thing.

If a man can be arrested even when he has the paperwork showing that he shouldn't be arrested, what does that mean for the rest of us?

What's In "Justice GA" For Me?

In an article at uuworld.org that came out today, it was written:

"This GA, termed a "Justice GA," will be almost entirely focused on social justice issues related to immigration."

I know immigration is an important national issue. I know Arizona SB1070 is a horrible piece of legislation. Yet if I made up a list of issues/causes that I'm engaged in and/or working on, immigration wouldn't even make it into the top 20.

What's in "Justice GA" for me?

"Justice" GA?

Why doesn't somebody just tell us the truth?

GA 2012 is NOT going to be a "Justice" GA. GA 2012 is going to be an "Immigration" GA.

Help Rev. Ron Robinson and The Living Room

Hello dear readers.
Life caught up with me so I've been quiet for a while. I don't know if that will change much, but I felt that I needed to post this. It's from Rev. Ron Robinson and it's about a great opportunity to help him and his merry band in Tulsa. Give what you can; I definitely will.


Consider this: At a bad economic time of recession. At a time in our Tulsa area when community centers have been closed down, especially in our lowest income areas like ours. At a time when parks which are so critical to the life and health of communities and families have had budgets slashed. At a time when our state is dead last as the healthiest state. When our 74126 zip code has the lowest life expectancy in our area. When 40 percent of the vacant residential properties in our two mile radius have been abandoned, not for rent or for sale. When we live in a food desert. When nothing new is beginning for our children, and instead our schools are cutting out teachers, programs, in ways not seen before in our history...

...Being a group of crazy local residents in this area, we believe another world, another community, another response is possible. So working with the University of Oklahoma Graduate Design Studio we are developing plans for a place for extensive community gardening, gazebo for entertaining, space for families, a living kitchen right by the garden where people who grow can cook and dehydrate on the space, where we can have cooking lessons, community meals, play equipment, a firepit, where folks can watch fireworks and the stars at night, where it will be an outdoors third place environment, sustainable, bringing hope. So...

We, A Third Place Community, now have a chance to purchase a city block, an acre, up on a hilltop overlooking downtown Tulsa, at 60th and N. Johnstown Ave. where two abandoned homes are rundown and abandoned. Right across from where one of our community gardens started last summer is now located. A location bridging two ethnically diverse neighborhoods, one incorporated in the city of Tulsa and one in the unincorporated Turley part, where people and school children walk.

We have had our offer of $15,000 accepted for the property, paid in cash at closing. Now to make it real we have to raise the funds as soon as we can. Which means we have to ask everyone for help and to pass this on to their email lists and social media in order for us to reach our goal:

Be a part of this groundbreaking, ground transforming initiative, at this time, and at this place. Be a part of the group that makes another world possible. People from right here, and from around the country and even the world have a chance to make this real, to be listed on our sign at the site of LivingKitchen Garden Park Givers. Your name, your family, your children's names, those whom you want to give it in honor to or memory of.

We need as soon as possible to raise the $15,000, even as the OU Design Studio is finishing up the plans and visuals that we will pass on as soon as they are completed.

We need just one person to give $15,000, or 15 people to give $1,000, or 150 people to give $100. That is how we make it real. Be a part of this opportunity, right now, to be a part of this original list of Garden Park Givers. Reply and let all know you are helping. Let's raise it by Easter, April 4. Talk about a resurrection of hope and spirit of life. Pass this notice on to all and let them know you are contributing at what amount and give them a chance to change the world too between now and Easter.

Send checks made out to A Third Place Community Foundation to 6514 N. Peoria Ave., Turley, OK 74126. We are a 501c3 non profit organization. Sorry we don't have an online donation avenue possible yet, but don't let that stop you. Do it the old-fashioned way.
Send a message that another response, another world, another kind of community is possible.

Go to www.turleyok.blogspot.com or become a fan of us on Facebook and follow how we are doing, what we have done, and our activities coming up and dreams. This initiative is a great one, but even greater is on the way.

Pledge, donate, surprise yourself and the world and all those who don't know that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. Pass on the Possibility.

Ron Robinson
A Third Place Community
"small acts of justice done with great love change the world"

Who Do We Say We Are????

hello dear readers.

Since the UUA now has a new president, I thought I would repost this from a couple of years ago. With the beginning of a new administration, I think it's worth asking again.

The question about the UUA(or UUism): besides same-sex marriage, does the UUA(or UUism) have any passion for anything?

It doesn't seem to be spiritual development/formation or maturation, because if it were there would be more curricula out there. It doesn't seem to be religious literacy, or the kids who go through most UU Religious Education programs wouldn't come out as religiously ignorant as they were coming in and most adults would understand that the religious world is bigger than their past or current congregation. It doesn't even seem to be REAL social justice or we would be reaching out and working with the other religious progressives out there no matter what their religious stripe. (where is the UU version of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement?)

For all their faults (and speaking as a former fundamentalist I know there are many), mega-churches have passion. They know what drives them: bringing people to Christ.

What drives the typical UU church? Where is their passion? In all this talk about growth in UU circles, nobody seems to be looking at the facts; the churches that are growing, no matter what theological stripe, have PASSION. They know what they want to do and try to find ways to do it. They have a story and can articulate it. They know their mission and can articulate that as well. These churches have DREAMS (and I'm not talking about strategic plans but real dreams). They see their place in the world. Most of all, they are NOT afraid.

So.....where's the UU's/UUA's passion?

Why I Wish Rosemary Bray McNatt Had Run For UUA President

(if Rev. McNatt happens to read this, I hope she sees this as the compliment it was intended to be)

I have been asked why I have been disappointed in the campaign run by both Hallman and Morales. I think it can be boiled down to one word: deflection. Both candidates deflect more often than they answer questions directly. And deflection can only go so far; at some point a candidate must answer the question posed or lose credibility.

That said, I think I should tell why I wish Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt had run for UUA President.

If you, like me, have read Rev. McNatt's memoir, then you know that Rev. McNatt can be brutally frank about the rough parts of life. No deflection there. And that's something that I think that the UUA needs...brutal frankness.

Also, I think there is something to being a minister in New York City....a sort of no-nonsense directness that Rev. McNatt would have brought.

A third thing....Rev. McNatt (I believe) has a following among many UUs that could be marshaled in a positive way. With that, I think there are some internal discussions that could happen (like the continuing humanist/theist thing....or what exactly we mean when we talk about congregational polity) in a different way because some people would come to the table who might not have before.

Fourthly, Rev. McNatt's former life as a journalist means that she has a way of communicating that doesn't automatically put people off. No "minister-ease" or "theology-ease".

But of course, I am seeing these things from afar. And maybe I am projecting qualities on Rev. McNatt that she doesn't have. However I do think that there are some issues that the UUA is facing that really could have used Rev. McNatt's presence.

The UU Presidency Campaign I Would Like To Have Seen

Robin Edgar asks me who would I like to have seen running that is not running. I think that's a great question.

After GA in 2006, a really well-connected UU friend told me that they thought that a friend of theirs was seriously considering running for UUA President. When I asked who that person was, my friend told me that they would tell me once that person made a decision one way or the other.

The person who was considering a run was.....Rosemary Bray McNatt.

But Rev. McNatt is not the only person who I think would have made this campaign interesting. Pluse the grapevine told me that Marilyn Sewell and Terry Sweetser seriously thought about running.

The candidate I think we needed in this campaign was somebody who has a real vision and is really passionate about being the public face of Unitarian Universalism. And could articulate that passion. I just don't think either Laurel or Peter are that person. But I could be wrong. Or it could be that I'm just truly disappointed in the campaign both of them have run. Who knows?

'None Of The Above' for UUA President

Now that we are 3 weeks out from the election of a new UUA President, I thought that I would throw my $0.02 in on the campaign and the candidates.

I endorse 'None Of The Above'. It pains me to do that but it is the right endorsement for me.

I have watched both candidates campaign and (hate to say it) find nothing inspiring in either one of them. When asked direct questions about how they are going to deal with certain things related to the budget and staffing, both deflect. When asked about things related to anti-racism (whatever you feel about the UUA's anti-racism programs, it is a legitimate issue), both deflect. All their answers seem like non-answers.

But most of all, what is driving each of these candidates to run for UUA President? What is their passion? While both Laurel and Peter look to be nice people and I truly believe that both believe that they can and will bring something to the Presidency, in hearing them at different candidate forums neither one of them sounds like they have a driving passion to be President. And I'm sorry, while competence is important, passion is just as important. And I don't see that passion in either Peter or Laurel.

So, while I know that either Laurel or Peter will be the next President of the UUA, my endorsement goes to 'None Of The Above.'

Sanctimonious-ness, UU-style

So I'm going through UUpdates looking at the titles of different posts, and since I try to read the ones written by UU seminarians I was intrigued by the title "A UU Seminarian in Bibleland 2."

I knew things were not going to go well for me when I read the first paragraph:
So, another issue with being a UU Seminarian in Bibleland is that I'm listening to the rhetoric, and reading the Bible, but being a UU, I introduce reasoning into the mix, unfettered by the need to have everything neatly equal Jesus is Lord and the Bible is Inerrant.

Ah yes, UU sanctimony at its best. "I introduce reasoning into the mix," this seminarian says; as if the other members of that class are just blind followers and don't use reason. UUs don't hold the market on reason. I know many reasonable people who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.

I know what many of you dear readers are thinking---Real Anonymous, this seminarian didn't mean it the way you're reading it. You're right, this seminarian probably didn't mean it the way I read it. But it was said. We UUs aren't the only ones who reason. And just because others reason out something else, doesn't mean we should assume that our reasoning is the best.

Sanctimony doesn't serve us well. While most of us don't believe that Jesus is Lord or that the Bible is inerrant, there is much to learn from those in the other side. I hope this seminarian is really taking advantage of the blessing they have in being a UU in Bibleland.

The Answer To The Purposes and Principles Brouhaha

I've given it some thought and finally came up with the perfect answer to the whole debate on Article 2 of the UUA By-laws.

Keep the Purposes. Drop the Principles.

Simple.

Credentials Credentials All Over The Place pt. 2

Steve Caldwell wrote a comment to my original post that I've been mulling since I read it.

In my opinion, the real reason for having professional associations and credentialing for the musicians and other professionals in our congregations is the code of ethics that comes from professional associations.

It's not important if one has an alphabet soup of academic letters after one's name.

But avoiding unethical behavior like a musician violating copyright laws or any church professional using power and authority to take advantage of a congregant sexually is important for our congregations.

As I said in my original post, I understand the need/want for credentialing both ministers and religious educators. But Steve's comment really points out my concern.

When one is talking about the arts (music, writing, acting, etc.), what are the codes of ethics? Pardon my ignorance, but I've never heard of a musician's code of ethics. By their very nature the arts are incestuous (creatively incestuous, not the other incestuous); and music especially so. So the issues that would come up in other professions' codes of ethics do not apply.

And even when you start talking about issues of copyright and so forth, those are really matters of law and not ethics because issues of fair use and what is in the public domain is very different when one is talking about the arts. And they become even more complicated when one is talking about the arts in a church setting.

But my real concern is the message that credentialing musicians might send. As the music program of a church is going to be mostly populated by those who are NOT professional musicians, won't credentialing musicians turn off those really gifted musicians who aren't professional?

Again as I said in my original post, I understand wanting quality music programs. What I don't understand is how credentialing musicians brings that any closer.

Credentials Credentials All Over The Place

Hello dear readers.
I've been meaning to write about this for a while, and now I have a few minutes to do it.

I get it! UUs like credentialing people. Really, I get it!

And for some things I can understand the want for it.....I understand the need for credentialing/fellowshipping ministers. I understand the want for credentials for religious educators (although I have some reservations about what that process is and how they go about it).

What I don't......repeat DON'T......understand is the need for credentialing musicians. Can somebody please explain this to me?

Let me be perfectly clear, I understand the want for really good, quality music programs in church. In fact I think most UU churches are behind the curve on that front. What I do not understand is what the credentialing of musicians brings to us as a movement other than just another bureaucratic thing.

As music is one of the best avenues to get people involved in a church, I'm more than a little concerned at the signal that this sends. But hey, I've been known to be wrong. Maybe this doesn't send out the signal that I think it sends.

Opinions?

Now That The Election Is Over...The Single Best Decision

I have decided to reprint a post that I wrote earlier this year. It still says what I think about this election season. This is from Feb. 21.


As you all may remember, I have said that I have done the only political post I plan on writing. I'm sticking to that. Just barely. I've been reading some articles the last few days talking about about the different campaigns; how organized or disorganized they are, strengths and weaknesses, etc. I've found them quite interesting, but I've also noticed one thing that hasn't been mentioned.
So dear readers, here's my take on why one campaign is still in this race and not watching it from the sidelines.The single smartest decision made so far in the 2008 campaign: Barack Obama's campaign is run from Chicago and not Washington.

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Yee haw!!!!!!!!!!!

The most ridiculous time of the year is coming to an end. We get our hour back.

Life is good.

Are Minorities Really To Blame?

Ok dear readers, I have a question.

Are minorities really to blame for the financial mess?

Now I know that some of this is because of sub-prime, but can a whole financial system break down because minorities were given bad loans? C'mon now, I have a hard time believing that.

I am asking this because I don't like the spin that's being placed on this as being something that's caused by the "other". In fact, I'm sickened by it.

Dow Down 778, Do You Have Any Money Left?

What a day dear readers, what a day.

Mondays are my light days, so I can work from home if I so choose. I did. And decided to go back and forth between CNBC and MSNBC to see what was going on as far as the bailout was concerned. Well....the answer came a little after 2:00 EDT. 228 nay, 205 yea.

Where do we go from here ladies and gentlemen? Here are some questions:

-Does the market really need $700 billion dollars?
-What protections should there be for the public and taxpayers?
-Is there any situation in which judicial review is a bad thing?
-What should happen in bankruptcy court in regards to mortgages?

Like I said, a few questions for consideration.

Those who know me in my non-anonymous life know that governance issues play a large role in my life. I also spend a bit of time trying to help those who make decisions understand how those decisions might play in the public eye. And my professional persona is cringing at how this is going to play tomorrow morning. It's not going to be pretty dear readers, not pretty at all. I'll probably write something about that later in the week.

Anyway, I hope you all are not panicking. Panicking is not good for anybody.

Hopefully Charlie Rose will talk about this tonight. My guess is he will.

The Long Goodbye, Paul Newman 1925-2008

Well it just came over the wire that Paul Newman has died at age 83.

Since my favorite line in all of movie-dom comes from "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", I am sad at the news. But Newman lived a good life and even though he was taken away by cancer, he lived his life the way he wanted.

So dear readers, take a little time out to watch a movie that stars Paul Newman and celebrate a life well lived.

Is It Really A Bailout?

Hello dear readers.

I haven't written since the AIG mess, mainly because I've been watching CNBC most of the time when I'm not either working or in my class.

I can't answer the question as to is this really a bailout, but I'm upset at how this is being framed; as if everybody whose home has been foreclosed on was greedy and stupid and should have never gotten a home in the first place. If I remember this right, when the housing crisis started, the issue was not really the people who were working two jobs to keep their home, but "flippers" who thought they could make some quick money in the housing market and took out very risky loans to begin with. Am I remembering this right?

Well.....back to financial news....CNBC or Bloomberg.