ON THIS 4TH OF JULY: WHAT DOES THE FLAG, WHAT DOES FREEDOM, MEAN TO YOU?

I was watching a film the other day.  It was a WWII film: The Story of G.I. Joe, (Ernie Pyle’s Story of G.I. Joe) depicting, (as many films have), the firsthand and up close atrocities of war and the Nazi regime. 

It occurred to me, as I was watching: What of the Americans that belong to the Neo Nazi Party, the KKK and other assorted hate groups that idolize the Nazi regime?  Do they watch these films and root for the Reich and not American, or allied, soldiers laying down their lives for our freedom? 
How does any member of one of these groups call him/herself an American, or serve this country and its’ flag ….or honor Veterans in any fashion?
 
We fought against tyranny… in Germany, Korea and Vietnam. The “cold war” and threatened nuclear war with Russia has been ongoing since, and before, the Bay of Pigs. There were many political gains made by these wars, which doesn’t diminish the actual sacrifice by our soldiers, or the fact that our young men and women died, or were wounded, defending our country’s stances – right or wrong.  It does depict, however, the greed – at any cost – of war.  

I can’t, in my wildest dreams, imagine a soldier who liberated a Nazi death camp, and in seeing, firsthand, the horrors there say “They deserved this…..they were Jews.”  I believe those images stayed with them the rest of their days.  I would guarantee that fact.  We now have “camps” springing up all over this country for “illegal” immigrants, and the propagandist’s state blatantly that “They deserve this…they’re just immigrants.”

We now have an administration that upholds Neo Nazi’s, the KKK, N. Korea, Russia and prison camps for children and “illegals”.

Let that sink in as you rest your hand on your heart to honor the Flag, and this country, on this 4^th of July.  Who do you root for?  What do you stand for? Who, or what, do you honor?

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

                                            D.F./2019 DefendingPeace.com

Hate.

I’ve often seriously considered where delusional, all consuming, hate stems from. We see it everyday through Social Media to the local market.

I understand that horrifying, terrifying or sad events can alter perspective…. and losses…. losses come in many forms. To lose someone, or something, unexpectedly …or at all…. manipulates our brains in ways that mankind (and therapists) strive to reach.

But, what of the Hate that a person, consciously decides upon? What purpose does it serve?

• Does it feel “good” in some way, or give personal satisfaction by “sticking it to the man” (whomever that man may be) ?
• Does it personally validate one’s true (or devised) calling in life?
• Is it a need, or perceived need?
• Is there a person or group that has personally affected you?
• Do you choose NOT to overcome the hatred or does it choose you?

Next: How does Hate affect those around us? Family, friends, animals.

• Do your loved ones share your hatred, or do they fear it? Do you care?
• Who benefits from it but yourself?
• What does your day consist of:
  • Time consumed
  • Seclusion
  • Social Media trolling
  • Delusional “plans”
  • …..worse

My friend: You deserve more than being governed by hate. Your family and companions deserve more of you. The world deserves a person who has compassion and joy – as we know in our heart of hearts, there has never been a profit that preached “hate thy neighbor”.

Life is short – and what we do with it will be remembered – either with hatred or love. And…… if there is a Redeemer – he/she will remember that as well.

DIVERSITY

It’s a harsh world we live in.

Diversity acceptance should be the norm – but it’s not. We rarely accept our own differences – the ones that make us unique, let alone accept what is foreign to us or is a challenge to our norms.

How we deal with encountering diversity will measure us:

• We can either look the other way,
• Engage awkwardly as if some “kindly act”,

…..or perhaps we simply open our arms and hearts and listen and learn.

That’s humanity.

Howling to the Moon…(as in Congress.)

Thought of the Day
(or 143 days to be exact)

We are working under a madman – a lunatic and coup – a rogue Congress that does NOT serve the people, and our planet is up for grabs. The press keeps trying to make SOME sense to this madman, his nonsensical speech, his…..crazy – and there is none to be had.

Are WE all insane? Is that what was and IS wanted by the Republican National Committee? What is the purpose of driving this country, its’ laws and respect into the ground and taking the rest of the planet with it?

Moral compass and humanity is in decay and we are being herded like Lemmings off the cliff – with evidently no voice or power to our millions of voices, as we howl to the moon (while there is one).

For the Indigenous people of Standing Rock: The Government and Big Oil has betrayed you, millions of Americans, Clean Water and Mother Earth.

After months of protests by the Peaceful Water Protectors and the Indigenous peoples of Standing Rock (rightful owners of this treaty land) – the Militarized Police squads representing #DAPL Energy Transfer Partners Big Oil have forced the Indigenous off of their own land, arrested and brutalized the #Natives and Water Protectors – forced them at gunpoint onto nearby reservations, raided those reservations and continue to push them off of each reservation that they go to.  This is not justice – this is not upholding US/Native Treaties.
This is a fascist Government protecting one BIG OIL corporation for profit.

We as Americans, and the World, are watching – watching as this Government allows terroristic attacks against the Indigenous peoples – and allows our CLEAN WATER supplies to be poisoned, all for corporate greed and immediate profits.

Now is the time to persevere – with the Letter of the LAW, fighting this in impartial courts. It is our sacred duty – to our land and to our people! Aho!

 Lakota Law Project:  http://ourchildrenaresacred.org/

Let them eat cake….New Mantra

Today I read a response to a meme that shook me to the core.
By now, we’ve all seen the meme:

 

I wasn’t enraged because the response was vicious or cursed – on the contrary: It was elitist and dismissive and only one sentence:

“Mountains,out of mole hills….typical.”

Thus…it garnered an immediate response.  But NOT my typical response.  NO:

“It might be an entirely different “mole hill” if your daughter, wife or son was: black, gay, Jewish, disabled, sexually assaulted or abused, killed or raped.

Of course that never happens, does it? Or maybe it just doesn’t happen to you. And the defense of the assaulter can always state that “It’s just a mole hill” – can’t they? Now they can – now they have a green light.

THAT may now be the “typical” – let them eat cake. The Twitter feeds were lit up with “The minute T wins, I’m gonna grab me the nearest pussy.” (Hundreds literally) NONE of this is typical – and I’m offended to my very core.”

YES: I’m offended.
YES: I’m scared that hate, bigotry and permissiveness is the new Mantra of our highest office.  

And if YOU’RE not scared – your mountain must be very high indeed.

 

Do we STAND with the Water Protectors at Standing Rock or bow to corporate Dakota Access [DAPL]- rotters of our Planet?

 I believe that those who are invested in, or control the enterprises of, OIL look aside for the dividends that will eventually come – but how can we continue to step back from corporate control and enterprise, and watch the rest of the planet and peoples expire through abusive greed.

The common man surely is not benefiting from investment, and certainly not the Sioux …. and we will all suffer most severely after these rotters have long gone and lived high. How can they look at their children and grandchildren and say “But WE lived large, by destroying your future?” How can any of us?

     And where WHERE is our government? What are their stances on this and the other pipelines that are being laid??

So I throw this down to you legislators:  STEP UP!!! Show your worth!!!!!

Recapping the Year? Perhaps a tad……but first: Happy Holidays to All from Dignity by Design!

First and foremost:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all and may we all have Enough….

May the holidays enlighten us to diversity, and usher in a new year of Dignity for all!

As for this year and Dignity by Design: We’ve had our ups and downs. It continues to be a challenge to enlighten the financial community on the importance of disability services and products for the disabled, veterans and elderly.  When I say may we all have Enough….I mean that we should all have enough dignity, enough respect, enough joy and enough Ability to love ourselves and feel blessed with what we do have…..

It’s not easy in these tough economic, employment and Social Media crazed times to be
grateful for the hard times, the sick times, the lonely times and the times of loss.  So with the Holidays upon us, I wish you Enough…. enough strength, love and fortune to anticipate 2015 with hope and a renewed joy!

Bummer…I’m being killed by chemicals.

Why is our FOOD being chemically altered by Monsanto?

Why is all of our cable & internet service being provided by Comcast and Time Warner?

Why is the broadcasting of the President’s addresses to the United States controlled by the broadcasting stations?

Everything we do, hear and PAY for is “offered” to us by the monopoly’s. We VOTE it in  !*!#

We are definitely ripe for “Soylent Green“….so let’s just lay down and wait….(while we complain on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest and Instagram and…and….and)

On this day in 1974, labor activist Karen Silkwood died under mysterious circumstances.

1974

The younger generations may not know who she was or why she died – but this single incident sparked a Nationwide acknowledgment to Nuclear terror – hidden within the towns,
families and jobs in the “Good Old U.S. of A.”  

It was a time when: If the people, the press or news uncovered corruption/evil THEY spoke
and the people of the USA listened.

 
We had outlived the Hearst’s and our Nation was seeking truth and liberty. We were expanding our brains beyond what we’d been told and we sought to become enlightened people.
It wasn’t without risk, but it was courageous and true. 

TODAY evil/corruption is at home again and deeply nestled within all of the news –
and sound bites are everywhere.

It has escalated since the Karen’s and Watergate to where this nation is uninformed and held hostage to “entertainment” coverage for ratings, financial and political gains.

        

Nixon – Vietnam (Desert Storm, Iraq War, Afghanistan) – Enron –
OH MY!!

Information today is so polluted that I feel we will never
again be truly knowledgeable.