A Special Request

Dear Friends:

If you feel comfortable in doing so,I would appreciate it if you would forward the information below to out-of-state relatives and friends who might be willing to contact their Senators regarding the closing of GM Dealerships. My cousin and her husband own one of these dealerships that was established more then 30 years ago by his father. In addition to always meeting or exceeding GM quotas and following all business suggestions made by GM, the dealership has contributed significantly to the community in terms of supporting community organizations. All of these dealerships represent small businesses that are important to the communities in which they are located.

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require GM to rescind this latest round of closings. The Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act had passed the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate. It is important that as many Senators as possible be contacted to support the bill. (Senator Kerry does, so no need to contact him.) That is why I am asking you to forward this to those you know who reside out-of-state. Below is a link to Senate emails and a letter that folks can cut and paste into their email to each of their senators. Thank you, in advance, for whatever you feel comfortable in doing. If you don't feel comfortable in passing this request along, I also understand.


Link to get Senate email addresses:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Sample Note:

Dear Senator ____________ :

I am contacting you to request that you support The Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act, which has already passed in the House of Representatives. This Act will require GM to rescind the dealership closings. Most of these dealerships have always met or exceeded GM quotas for sales. All of these dealerships are small, independent businesses that have been in existence for many years and want a fair chance to continue to compete in the market place and remain in business. They are not eligible for a government "bailout." However, they are important contributors to the communities in which the are located, both from an economic perspective and from what they do to support other community organizations. Your support for this Act will ensure that these successful businesses will be able to remain open. They will be able to continue to provide thousands of jobs across the country, have an economic impact on other businesses, and support many community organizations.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


(Name)
City and State

The Nobel Prize

Thursday, October 08, 2009

African bishops say Obama’s election just divine

Look what I came across on the blog Religion News and I was wondering if this was why the President received the Nobel Prize for peace. It's his perception, in the eyes of the rest of the world. Read the following from the blog:

Some African bishops at a Vatican meeting said they view President Obama's election as a divine act, differing from some of their U.S. brethren, The Associated Press reports.

Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, Ghana, said he believes God directed Obama's election victory.

"We believe God has his own plans. God directs history," he said Wednesday of the election. "We pray that it (Obama's presidency) brings blessings for Africa and the whole world."

Monsignor Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, the archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo, said in a speech at the meeting: "If the election of a black as head of the United States of America was a divine sign and a sign from the Holy Spirit for the reconciliation of races and ethnic groups for peaceful relations ... this synod and the universal church would gain from not ignoring this primordial event of contemporary history which is far from being a banal game of political alliances."

Wow! If that's how the rest of the world perceives the President, then we the people, the electorate should have been given the award.

We elected him.

Praying in the Bathroom

One of my Jewish friends was appalled to see my prayer book in the bathroom. She explained to me how vulgar, repulsive and loathsome, just the idea of it was. It's offensive to God.

I see her point. Definitely.

However she's never had Cronkhite Canada Syndrome or ulcerative colitis.

Come Follow Me

Today's Gospel, Mark 10: 17-27, freaked me out. It never use to. I use to hear it and think that I could easily do what Jesus asked--leave it all and follow Him. I don't have any money so what's there to leave? Big deal!

That was until I listened to a podcast this morning by Miss Laura Dejmek,O.P.. There's a page of reflection that I sometimes use for Lectio Divina, or meditation. It's different people preaching that day's Gospel: priests, sisters, and lay people. Miss Laura is a Lay Dominican.

She added a new dimension to the Reading. She interpreted "Go sell what you have..." as giving away his "identity." He wasn't just being asked to give away MONEY, but his IDENTITY. He had to walk away from it all, just like the other apostles did, to follow Jesus.

Geesh! That could mean: his medical practice, his career, his life--as he knew it. Yikes! No wonder the man walked away.

You would need the grace of God to do it.

Definitely.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

I was looking at the candidates hoping to take Kennedy's place. While reading about Martha Coakley I came across the Gerald Amirault case. That's where I veered off. No longer was I interested in Martha or Gerry, but justice. That is what interested me. "There but for the grace of God, go I."

There is a laudable group known as the Innocence Project that helps prisoners prove that they have been convicted wrongly. It seems to me that just one instance is enough to discredit capital punishment. Our system is not perfect; but it's better than others. With that it mind, those involved in our justice system should work toward improving discrimination, misidentification, unreliable science, false confession, fraud, misconduct from informants, suspect DNA, and bad lawyering.

There is a list of people on death row who have been exonerated. Read the list and what convicted them. Makes you wonder--if it can happen to them, it can happen to you. I repeat; "There but for the grace of God, go I."

Which Do You Prefer?

Anawim Games

the skateboarders push him,
an Iroquois gautlet--
the suitcase man staggered;

name calling, spittle, kicks,
the anawim straightened,
held tight to his suitcase;

shoved back and forth and forth
and back and back and forth--
a human ball of catch.

The suitcase man is a homeless man I see almost every day. The kids give him a hard time, sometimes trying to take his suitcase from him, or just shoving him around, and calling him names. The aim of the poem is to arouse compassion by giving the reader the feel of being helplessly shoved back and forth. I'm finding that hard to do.


Anawim Shuffle

shoved back and forth and forth
the skateboarders push him
calling names, spitting and kicking

a human ball of catch.
the anawim straightened
holding tight to his suitcase.

an Iroquois gauntlet-
the suitcase man staggered--
and back and back and forth.

Fr. David Kammler, O.P.

Fr. David Kammler, O.P. is the International Promoter of the International Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic. He came to visit my chapter today. We love to see him because he tells us what's going on in the rest of the world.

Today he celebrated Mass and answered all our questions. We learned that our Master General, Father Carlos Azpiroz, O.P. almost, but just couldn't fit a visit with us, in his schedule, when he was here a few months ago. But he sent us a letter telling us how much he tried to come see us and how much he wishes that our spirituality (Fr. Marie Jean Joseph Lataste, O.P.) could be spread around the world. Fr. Kammler gave us an update on the process of beatification of Father Lataste and the Dominican Sisters of Bethany.

Sister Ann and her liturgical dancers presented a reflection on the Transfiguration, for Fr. David. Mick, our resident artist presented Fr. David with a picture he drew. And we all received a personal, private blessing from Fr. David.

The entire day was a blessing. Deo Gratias.