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I love this country. I’m happy and proud to be a naturalized citizen. These are words that might be surprising to some of my readers, especially those who have known me a long time. My history of radical and far left-leaning politics don’t always match the views of the general population. I don’t (and wont) salute the flag. I will challenge and do protest my government when I believe they are acting incorrectly. I strongly oppose military action, the death penalty, economic and social racism.

This contradiction is true because a group of white men in their 30s and 40s got together in 1776 in order to “form a more perfect union.” The constitution is an amazing document.

One of the exhibits is Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs. This history of radical, and sometimes violent, movements on both the right and left are demonstrated through images, notes, and audio. The museum did a decent job of being unbiased in the presentation though I’m surprised they focused mostly on the 20th century. I felt at home, and had a sense of solidarity, with many of this who have struggled for social justice and the end of wars. I felt a sadness for those who have promoted hate and bigotry in the last century and continue to in this century.

Between my time with Raj Patel yesterday, the spies exhibit, and the multimedia presentation on the formation of the nation, I feel inspired to be political. I feel inspired to be radical. I feel inspired to be an American.

How do you work with your politics? How do you take part in our democracy?

These young monastics (mostly under age 25) have been living here since 2005 at the invitation of the local Abbott. However, they were asked to leave earlier this year. It is not so simple for monastics to simply disperse and go live alone or at home and that is why finding a suitable new location for 400 people is challenging. All the monastics are Vietnamese citizens and are practicing in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, the exiled Vietnamese Zen Master based in France.

If you want to learn more about the situation, please visit Help Bat Nha.

If you would like to help, please do any of the following:

1. Pray for a nonviolent and peaceful resolution.
2. Stay Informed. Follow Thich Nhat Hanh on Facebook or Twitter
3. Send a postcard to the President of Vietnam in support of the 400 monks and nuns at Bat Nha. The postcard was first introduced at the Deer Park retreat in early September with Thich Nhat Hanh. The pdf files linked above can be double-side copied on card stock (text on one side, address on the other) and then cut in half (two post cards per sheet). A 98 cent stamp will ensure Air Mail delivery to Vietnam. Please consider copying them and taking postcards to your next Sangha meeting. You might offer to collect the cards and mail them yourself, asking perhaps for a donation for the stamp.
4. Contacting U.S. Senators and Congresspersons, asking that they send a letter of concern about the situation of the monastics to the government of Vietnam. If you choose instead to write a letter, email will be the quickest option. Any letters addressed to Senators and Representatives’ Washington D.C. offices are inspected for security reasons and take an extra three weeks or so to reach their offices.
5. Contacting Senators and Representatives on the Foreign Relations Committees. This file gives names and contact information for Senators and Representatives on Foreign Relations Committee subcommittees that would have interest in the situation at Bat Nha. If you live in their state or district, please call with your concern and request immediately.

Thank you for reading and for the support.

Update: You may wish to call members of the Vietnamese government. Mr. Le Thanh Phong- 091.386.5000, Mr. Troung Van Thu – 091.386.5294, and Mr. Ho Ba Thang 091.393.4718 are local members of the Vietnam government.

Posted via email from On the fly…

For some, drinking alcohol is not an issue. You may be one that can go out with friends, have a few drinks (or even get drunk), and not have it negatively impact your thinking, your relationships, and your way of life. You may be one that has a beer or glass of wine from time to time. But for me alcohol was an all consuming obsession. When not drinking, I was thinking about when I would be drinking. In addition, there were many times I would take anything (pot, LSD, mushrooms, cocaine, etc.) to provide me with relief from my thinking and my feelings. I was a miserable person doing things to myself and others that I could not imagine doing today. I risked my life, the life of others, and should have been in jail on more than one occasion. Hard to believe.

I remember June 8, 1989 very well. The night before I had shared a few drinks with strangers and the morning of the eighth I smoked the last of my pot alone. My mom, and her partner Pat, invited me to move out  (aka, kicked me out) of their house and to get help for my drinking. They drove me from Fallbrook to Scripps McDonald Center in La Jolla for a 28-day treatment program. Along the way we stopped at Miracles for lunch (in Cardiff by the Sea).  That day started me on a path to recovery and so much more. I stayed in La Jolla after my hospital stay, attended UCSD, and met Leslie (my partner of 18-years!). I don’t regret that day in 1989 for one minute.

It took a few more years but I mended my relationship with my mom before she died, encountered the Dharma and the path of the Bodhichitta, reconnected with God, and carry a deep respect for my Mennonite roots. I live a religious and spiritual life today that allows me to be the person I dreamed of being as a young man. I can be present for my family, our society, and for our environment.  These are important to me.

There are far too many people to thank by name but I would like to mention a few who have been with me for most of my twenty years and have had a lasting impact on the person I am today. Thank my mom for kicking me out. Pat for being a dear confidant and mentor. Dad for being steady and present. Leslie for being my best friend and lover. Rob for teaching me about recovery and lasting friendship. Thich Nhat Hanh for gentleness and openness. Finally, to my newest teachers, Mazzy and Jasper, for being children and helping me see the world around me with fresh eyes.

Most people know me as a non drinker. My children have never seen me drink. I have the freedom to be with those who do choose to drink. Life is good.

Growing up, as a Mennonite, I was taught that love was of the highest nature. I see Christ as a true revolutionary who reached out to the poor, the destitute, and the outcasts and he did so without judgment and with pure love in his heart. In the past, I have written that I am a potential Christian and a practicing Buddhist. Today, after the election season in California, much of my bitterness and unhappiness with my Christian roots have been watered and I am not so positive about this potentiality. This is my struggle today. In fact, it is so powerful that I am experiencing resistance to attending another marriage ceremony between two people who may have voted in favor of Proposition 8. This is difficult.

As a practicing Buddhist, I aim to seek understanding and to have compassion. Writing here I am trying to reach some understanding and compassion for my Christian brothers and sisters who have taken the stand to discriminate against a group of people for their sexuality. I know good Christians, people right here in my town, and they are good people. And yet, they have taken the stand of not embracing, not loving. It seems fundamentally wrong, and in opposition to the teachings of Christ, to not allow two people who love each other the right to join in marriage. When I married Leslie in 1995, we did so to share our love with our friends and family, to give the relationship a bit more sanctity, more seriousness, and make a lifetime commitment. Why wouldn’t we want this for gay couples? Aside from the high divorce rate in marriages, I see nothing but positive outcomes to allowing marriage between two people who love each other. It recognizes and honors the love between two people.

Perhaps you can pause here and watch the amazing 6-minute statement from Keith Olbermann of MSNBC – he covers the topic well.

My experience is this. My mom is gay and was in a loving relationship with her partner before she died. Though they had a living trust allowing her partner the right to make decisions, they still found it necessary to give me the Power of Attorney in case the State intervened in their lives. So, in addition to love there are also the legal rights associated with marriage to consider. Several gay couples I know got married in California in the last year. They are in loving, long term relationships and they were able to celebrate that commitment with marriage.

What is the threat to that? Where does the fear arise from? I know some who will read this, including friends and family, would have voted to pass proposition 8 that removes the right to gay marriage. I don’t want to get into a shouting match, but perhaps through loving communication I can sway your perspective a bit and perhaps I can come to a better understanding of your world view.

As my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has said, people are not the enemy but ignorance and fear. Let’s talk.

Let’s start with the biggie. I am a registered Green, and proud of it, and I swore not to vote for a Democrat (or a Republican) in a presidential campaign again. However, the time has come for me to change my mind and vote for Obama. I hope you will too. Because we live in a duopoly, the winner will be either McCain or Obama. Our nation cannot afford a McCain/Palin administration. Period.

The other big issue here in California is Proposition 8 which would take away the right for same-sex couples to marry. The California Supreme Court has already ruled on this matter. It is unfathomable that we are voting for a proposition that would actually take away a person’s personal rights. I simply don’t understand those trying to pass this proposition, but it seems to come down to religion. It is hard to believe that the religious community would be advocating for discrimination and hatred. If you are in California, please vote NO on 8.

A few other important propositions in California:

Proposition 1A High-Speed Rail Bond
Yes. Yes. Yes. Help get us moving into the future and plan for the high-speed rail between San Francisco and Los Angeles, with a stop in Fresno.

Proposition 4 Parental notification and wait period for abortion

No. This is bad law and could potentially lead to many teenage deaths.

Proposition 5 Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2008
This proposition revamps the previously approved Proposition 36 that sends certain drug offenses to treatment before jail. Proposition 5 would expand this program to youth offenders. It would also make possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. Vote YES.

Proposition 9 Victim’s Bill of Rights Act of 2008
No, No, No. According to the San Francisco Bay Guardian “prop 6 would send more people to jail; Prop. 9 would keep them there longer. Prop. 9 would accomplish this by making it much more difficult for prisoners to gain parole. But California already releases very few inmates serving long sentences for crimes like murder and manslaughter. Moreover, many of the other provisions of Prop. 9 have already been enacted, which would mean costly redundancies if the measure is approved.” Vote NO and tell the Council to change their position.

Proposition 11 Redistricting, Constitutional Amendment and Statute
How different is it to have politicians redraw the districts than having a citizen commission appointed by the politicians redraw the maps. It is especially problematic when the Republicans would get 5 seats and the Democrats would get 5 seats when we know that California is majority Democrat. Let’s be fair here. We need help in this area, but this proposition is not the answer. This one is easy, vote NO.

This is just a handful of the 12 propositions on the California ballot (and all the ones I have time to write about). What do you think? How are you going to vote next week (if you haven’t already)?