Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts

Celebrating Equality on July 4th

As today's festivities get underway remember the history of today. The founding fathers, slave owners, fought against an oppressive monarchy. They fought against a government that did not provide fair and equal treatment. Much like they were doing in their own colonies by treating human beings as chattel. They proposed a notion of freedom. Freedom and equality for all. Yet this, at the time and still to some extent today, was an entitlement for white wealthy land owners. Land, stolen from the indigenous peoples of this continent. They wanted fair and equal representation because they felt their government was not proving that. Much like I, and I know many others, feel today.



I sit here, seeing our President behave much like the monarchy this nation fought against. A tiny group of people against tyranny. Today we must not allow our nation to be ruled by the elite few. Our history is made by those coming from around the world. The oppressed, the tired, the hungry yearning to be free. Our beginning was in oppression. Our future is in freedom.

Max D. Stanley's painting “The Trail of Tears.”


Our country was built on the backs of black people. Our country was built on the labor of people of color. Our country prospered on the backs of the immigrant, the forced slavery of a proud people. This country is stolen from a people, the first people, pushed to the brink of extinction by white people.

Image SRC - History.com


Today we need to accept that this nation, our nation, is not perfect. We have blemishes. We made mistakes. As white people we need to use our privilege to raise up those who are disenfranchised. We need to not speak for, or speak over these people. We need to pass the mic.

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So, what can we do? Today July 4, 2019 declare your independence from tyranny. Use your voice to embrace equality. Share content from black people. Believe black women. Raise awareness on the injustice in the workplace, the education system and the prison pipeline that railroad black people and people of color in this nation. Follow black bloggers. Read black authors. Learn black history. Learn LGBTQI history. Learn about people of color. Learn about immigration. Welcome the Muslim, the Jew as well as the Atheist to the table. Make room for those who without your support would be forgotten.



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Most of all, close your mouth and listen. Don't explain black people. Don't speak for black people. Don't try to explain what Trans people should feel. Don't speak over the disenfranchised. Instead amplify their voices. Share their work. Give them the platform you have.

  


I share a lot of articles with out commentary. I do this because this is their story. This is their voice. This is our time to show our support for our black brothers and sisters, our families of color and our LGBTQI family.

We are not free as long as one of us are bound.

Today, pass the mic.

Supporting Our Community

Today I was able to attend one of the many wonderful events sponsored by Kay Soto at her store Truely Unique in Wilson NC.  Today Blake Octavian Blair  led a wonderful discussion on the value of Community in our Community.  He mentioned the current happenings in Bumecombe County where  Ginger Strivelli, co-founding priestess of The Appalachian Pagan Alliance, attempted to donate a box of pagan books to a school in Asheville that previously had given away Gideon Bibles just before the winter break in December.  The story has caught a bit of media attention and was even covered by Fox News as well as local news.

When Blake first mentioned her name, I have to say I was slightly embarrassed as I didn't know who she was. Then as he began to tell her story the room lit up as many, including myself, immediately remembered her plight and knew exactly who he was referring to.

Just to give a little background to the story, basically a box of Gideon's Bibles were donated to a school, an announcement was made that anyone who was interested could come to the office and pick one up.  This was brought to the attention of Ginger, whose son brought one home.  When Ginger offered to bring other religious texts to the school she was told they would be treated the same, but when she made good on the promise and arrived with her materials she was told that the board was reviewing the process and her books would not be accepted.

The main complain here, is that the school should not be giving out religious materials from one group
and not another. Personally, to me, religion belongs in the church and in the home not in schools or government.  That being said I felt that I would take some time to post about Ginger's situation on my blog tonight.  I was surprised to hear that this has escalated to the point of death threats.  I did some searching on the web and found that Selena Fox and the Lady Liberty League are calling out for a show of support for the Strivelli family.  I'm so glad to see that our community is stepping up to defend Ginger.  From the very first reporting I saw of the incident by Byron Ballard, Asheville's Village Witch on her Facebook page.

As Blake mentioned today, we are able in this day and age to support our community electronically.  We can send emails, like a page and post a note of encouragement to this family to show our support for what they are going through.  The Strivelli's have a Facebook Support page, where many are leaving comments, words of encouragement and well wishes for the family.  As Selena mentioned on a recent status update, this family could use support in the form of visitors to their page or rituals. Even a short message would probably be very helpful.

Tonight I'm setting lighting a candle and sending out protective energies for Ginger and her family.  I hope that all of you will be able to send them a note, post a blog, send a message, email a news group, do something to show support for our sister.

I would like to thank Blake for coming out and opening up a wonderful discussion as well as Kay at Truely Unique for the opportunity to attend.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

Your Rights are Being Taken Away

This is sad week for the United States of America. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 is going to give the rights to the government that allow for US Citizens to be rounded up and carted off to camps without due process! Yup, that's right no more right to an attorney, no more right to remain silent. Gone!

The NDAA was passed and signed by our President. We need contact the White House and demand change. The language in this document strikes at the heart of our Bill of Rights. It takes away our right for a fair trial. Slowly our nation is being taken over and our freedoms are dwindling away. I urge each of my readers to please educate yourself on this as well as some of the other changes that are being made to our rights. They are dropping us in a pot of water and slowly turning up the heat. We need to take action.

A petition has been started on the White House Website that you can sign to ask for this to be vetoed. I've signed them all, but they've been signed now. What can we do? You can also contact the White House directly here.



As defined by this legislation anyone that quotes the Constitution, the Bill of Rights or speaks out against oppressive legislation is in fact a terrorist and can be imprisoned without due process.


"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(