End the Conflict: A Letter to President Barack Obama

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Dear Mr. President,

I imagine that you feared at some point that taking a stand on the Israel/Palestine conflict may have hurt your career as a politician, but, now that you have been re-elected, you are not bound be these constraints.  It is time to act!  The United States can no longer stand idly by and watch as these two nations tear each other apart and separate the world with them.  I am calling on you to act now in favor of human rights, in favor of ending conflict and in favor peace.

The house surrounded by the wall on three sides.

I do not often take a political stand, perhaps that is one of my faults, but in this case I have seen with my own eyes the atrocities and human rights violations that are going on in the West Bank.  I have seen how dry Bethlehem is compared to Jerusalem because Israel restricts the amount of water allowed in the West Bank.  I have seen the wall that surrounds a Palestinian home on three sides where Israel has built the wall on Palestinian land.  I know the families who are not allowed to visit Jerusalem because they are Palestinian and cannot get permits.  I have had to take shorten showers because I didn’t want to use up the water of my Palestinian hosts, which is rationed.  I have seen the spots where Israel cuts down trees in the name of “security” only because they can’t take over green spaces in Palestine.  I have seen as Palestinian friends lose their land as the wall is built through their property.  I have been through the checkpoints and seen the Palestinians questioned and harassed as they try and enter Israel.  I’ve visited the businesses, such as the Taybeh Brewing Company, that cannot export their products to make money due to sanctions from the Israeli government.  My sister lives in Bethlehem, and I have watched as she deals with water shortages and having her electricity shut off for no reason other than she lives in Palestine.  I saw all of this in only a short 4-week visit!

Why does America allow this to happen?  Just because we are “friends” of Israel?  We must be terrible friends then.  I know that my best friends would immediately tell me if I was doing what Israel is doing to the Palestinian people.  They would tell me to stop, they would show me the errors of my behavior, or they would stop being friends with me.  If we were truly their friends, we would call them out on their behavior, we would rebuke their violations and demand that they stop so that the peace process can move forward, or we would stop supporting them.

I question Israel’s reluctance to allow Palestine to become a nation.  Why does Israel insist on keeping them annexed to Israel, but refuses to give Palestinians the same rights that Israelis have?  They won’t let them go, force them to stay part of their country, but then discriminate, abuse and oppress them?  This does not make sense.  If Israel does not want to treat the Palestinians as equal citizens, then they should let them go.

Other countries around the world (Sweden, Norway, Spain, Greece, etc.) have acknowledged the human rights violations going on in this conflict, but have not been able to act, due to the blockade around Gaza.  Their ships with humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza have been stopped every time they attempt to help.  These countries also support a Palestinian state and believe they should be free to govern themselves.

I do not absolve the Palestinians from their part in this conflict, but it is much harder to be the oppressed than the oppressor.  There have been rockets fired on both sides, but it is time for it to stop, and we as Americans, and you as the President, have the ability to call out to our international partners and stop these injustices from happening.  This war has been fought for far to long, enough is enough.

The only way, in my opinion, to stop the oppression, is to support Palestine in their quest for statehood.  Allowing Palestine to become a country gives them the protection they need under international law, and gives them a voice in the UN and international community.  They deserve their voice as much as anyone else does.  Furthermore, just because you support a Palestinian state does not mean you do not support Israel, it means that you support both peoples being allowed to govern themselves and that you do not support the occupation of one country by another.

Writing on the wall: pleas from the Palestinian people for hope and peace.

While I have never met you (although I did shake your hand once), you seem like a wise and good man, so I ask you to set politics aside and think about what is best for the people of that land.  I believe in your message in hope, which is why I voted for you twice, now let's bring hope to the Palestinians too.  This war, even during more peaceful times, is affecting everyone, Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, Christians, Muslims and Jews.  I am calling on you to lead.  Lead the way to peace and put pressure on both sides to end the violence and to finally create a solution that will end the oppression and occupation.

Sincerely,

A. W.

Sign the petition to end the violence in Palestine/Israel: Petition to end the violence and enforce a ceasefire. 

Read more about an American's perspective of the conflict at Olive what's happening!

Breastfeeding: A Reflection

Just a few days ago my daughter, Pumpkin, turned 18 months and this milestone got me to thinking about our breastfeeding journey as a mother and daughter; and to be honest, it has been a tough one.  I never thought that when I made the decision to breastfeed that it would be one of the toughest decisions of being a mother, even tougher than natural childbirth.  But, we have been going strong for over 18 months now and I am still happy that I made the decision to breastfeed at all costs.

Our breastfeeding relationship did not start out perfect.  Pumpkin had trouble latching and we had to use a nipple shield.  I didn’t think anything of using one because it helped her get food, but for those first 4 months she was constantly eating.  I felt as if she was never full, sometimes I would spend 4, 5, even 6 hours just sitting on the couch as she went back and forth, never filling up.  I tried to wean of the shield, but then she would refuse to eat so I eventually gave up and kept with the shield.  Around 4.5 months, Pumpkin decided that she had enough of the shield and pulled it off and reattached herself without any help from me!  After this there was an instant change: she started eating faster and talking longer breaks in between, which was a great relief to me, but as a very independent woman, I always struggled with her needing me so much.  I suppose that sounds like a terrible thing to admit, but I’m trying to be honest.  I have never been needed like that.  While it feels nice, it has been very taxing on me emotionally and physically.

But when I sit down and really think about what being able to breastfeed has meant to me, I realize that it is not about the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 am feedings, it isn’t about the constant need and attention. It is about making sure that my daughter has the best start I am able to give her.  It’s about the looks we share and the closeness we have as a result. And, it’s about following through with my decision to breastfeed until at least 2 years (as recommended by the World Health Organization) or when she self-weans.  Breastfeeding is just the second of many sacrifices that I will make over the years for my daughter’s well being.

The struggles we have are easy to focus on, but I also realize how fortunate I am to have the support I need to successfully breastfeed this long and that I was physically able to do it.  My husband, family, friends and health care professionals have all been there to make sure that I was successful in this endeavor.  Without them, I probably would have given up a long time ago.  So after 18 months (and still going), I guess all I can do is say “thank you” to my support system and hope that I can be part of that support system for others.

Why to vote "No" on constitutional amendments oposing gay marriage. Part 2

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The Bible says homosexuality is wrong so…

The Bible, unfortunately, has been used to justify fear and hatred for centuries.  I’m pretty sure that God’s message, at least to me as I have read the Bible, was for love and compassion, not to pass judgment, but let’s take this argument one step at a time.  All of my biblical references come from BibleGateway.com, the New International Version.

First, you can find support in the Bible for many things that our society now has determined is illegal, based on violations of human rights.  The Bible says that people should be put to death for committing adultery (that’s cheating on your husband or wife just in case you didn’t know) (Lev. 20:10).  Societies used to do that, even ours, but then we decided that it was a violation of human rights because too many people were doing it and they probably shouldn’t be put to death.  Some extremist faith groups still believe in this practice and still stone women to death for committing adultery, but we as a nation fight against it because it is a human rights violation.

The Bible was also used to justify slavery in the 18^th and 19^th century, much in the same way it is being used now, because many people in the Bible owned slaves.  Genesis 9:25 states “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”  This passage was a common justification for slavery because “scientists” (who are now thought of as quacks and not real scientists) traced the ancestry of slaves back to this point.  Now (thankfully) slavery is illegal because it is a human rights violation.

Thousands of women were put to death as “witches” for doing any number of things that men in power felt were wrong in those days, including (but not limited to) practicing midwifery, using herbal remedies, cheating on their husbands, speaking out against authorities (see Witches, Midwives and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenrich).  Unfortunately we are still working on midwifery becoming legal again in most states, but it is getting there because we are realizing that women have a right to choose their own birth experience.

Religious groups (and society in general) used to think that mixed-race couples were wrong (illegal until 1967, see Loving v. Virginia), but it isn’t illegal any more to marry someone of a different race.  They used many of the same arguments that are being used today against same-sex couples.  But the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, decided that the anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional.  Ryan informs me that the trial judge, whose decision was being over turned in Loving, justified not letting couples of different races get married because ‘God put the different races on different continents, if he wanted them to mingle he wouldn’t have done that’. 

Catholicism still says contraception is wrong and it was illegal to use in Connecticut until 1965 (see Griswold vs. Connecticut, 1965), but now it is legal because the Supreme Court has decided that people have a “right to marital privacy.” 

As stated in my post yesterday, the Bible also says that many things are wrong that people still do and are not considered illegal.  Just look at the Ten Commandments Exodus 20), the only two commandments that are illegal (with very good reason) are “Thou shall not murder” and “Thou shall not steal.”  All of the others are perfectly legal, even though many do not agree with them: adultery, saying the lord’s name in vain, honoring your parents (could you believe being put in jail if you did or didn’t do something your parents told you?!), false testimony (technically this is at least partially illegal because it includes perjury, but just lying isn’t illegal), coveting, remembering the Sabbath?  I think just about everyone I know has broken at least one or two of these at some point in their lives.

The Bible has a bunch of rules on eating:

Genesis 32:32 - Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Leviticus 7:23 Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.

                11:4 There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.

                19:26 Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.

Deuteronomy 14:8 The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

                        14:10 But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean. (That means no shellfish, calamari, octopus, etc.)

                        14:19 All flying insects are unclean to you; do not eat them.

The list goes on and on and on.  I don’t know about you, but I like fat on my steak, rabbit is pretty good, shellfish? Yum, and I LOVE pork, and interestingly enough eating pork has actually become part of Christian identity, part of what defines us as different from Jews or Muslims.  Why have we as a society decided it is okay to do these things, why is it okay to eat “unclean” foods, we don’t judge our politicians when they cheat on their dying wives (John McCain almost got elected president), but we cling to this concept of marriage so that we feel like our country isn’t completely falling apart.

I DO believe that our country is falling apart because we are losing sight of the original values and beliefs of our country.  What would Jesus or our founding fathers say if he were here and saw the number of impoverished children in our country (15% of people live below the poverty line (>$26,023/year/family of 5) 36% of that population is children) (National Poverty Center, http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/).  What would he say if he saw the Bible being used to support intolerance, fear and hatred?  What would he say if he heard my friend so many years ago say “it isn’t my job to care about their (her family’s) health care or well-being” when asked about her opinions on universal health care?  What would he say about the state of our education system, or our atrocious infant and maternal mortality rates?

In the Bible there are 686 verses that use the word Love, only 127 even mention the word hate and most of those talk about “not hating.” 249 verses talk about Peace.  Where are those thoughts and values in our society?  If we are allowed to pick and choose what we believe about and from the Bible, I choose to believe that the Bible promotes love and peace.  The Bible also says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2). 

This means that while someone may not agree with homosexuality, it is not that person’s place to use government to impose his or her religious beliefs on other people.  I seem to remember a couple of years ago the far right (including Fox News) taking up arms because they were afraid that Muslim extremists were going to impose “Sharia Law” on all of us and make us do things we didn’t want to do (like cover our heads).  How come this is wrong, but imposing Christian beliefs through our government on homosexuals is not?  Isn’t imposing Christian beliefs of marriage on those who want to be in a “non-traditional” marriage relationship the exact same thing?

In the Canadian court decision that made same-sex marriages legal in Canada, the lawyers Martha A. McCarthy and Joanna L. Radbord argued that a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman is state sponsored discrimination.  As long as there is a distinction between who can and cannot get married, the state is saying that it is okay to discriminate against this group of people (you can read the entire court opinion here http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/decisions/2003/june/halpernC39172.htm).  Discrimination on any level by any one is not okay, and against the principles of love, peace and kindness that flow through the Bible.

In kind a Massachusetts court found that “The denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violated provisions of the state constitution guaranteeing individual liberty and equality, and was not rationally related to a legitimate state interest. Superior Court of Massachusetts at Suffolk vacated and remanded.”  As Justice Margaret Martial stated in the majority opinion “’The right to marry is not a privilege conferred by the State, but a fundamental right that is protected against unwarranted State interference.’" The Court held that the State does not have a rational basis for denying same-sex couples marriage on the grounds of due process and equal protection.

Voting “yes” to any constitutional amendment supporting the “traditional” definition is saying that it is okay to discriminate.  Haven’t we come further than this as a society? 

I know one thing for sure, if my daughter came to me in 10 or 15 years and told me she was gay, I would not stop loving her, I would not stop supporting her, I would not tell her she can’t be with the person she loves, I would not tell her she can’t visit her partner in the hospital or that she can’t leave her estate to her partner without huge tax penalties, or list her on her health insurance.  Regardless of whether I agree with how she is living her life or not, she still has the right to those things and she still deserves to have my love and support, not my judgment and condescension.  And I know my husband feels the exact same way.

Why to vote "No" on constitutional amendments oposing gay marriage. Part 1

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Anti-gay Marriage Argument 1:  "Marriage is society's mechanism of increasing the likelihood that children will be raised by the two people responsible for bringing them into the world - their mother and father."

Got a pamphlet in the mail today that supports adding a constitutional amendment against same sex marriage that is being voted on in Minnesota: It states "Marriage is society's mechanism of increasing the

likelihood that children will be raised by the two people responsible for bringing them into the world - their mother and father."

Okay....First, what percentage of children in this country are actually raised in one household by their biological mother and father? According to the 2009 Census )https://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p70-126.pdf) only 68 % of children live in a 2-parent household, that doesn't even specify if those parents are their biological ones.

What about the effects that divorce has on the "sanctity of marriage" and children's psychological and emotional well-being? 27% of children only live with one parent, either mother or father; 4% of children don't live with their biological parents at all and another 4% live with parents who aren't married.

And what about adoption? those children aren't living with the "people responsible for bringing them into the world," but they live with parents who love them and want to care for them.

You may believe that divorce is wrong, but it is legal...you may believe a husband or wife cheating on their spouse is wrong, but it is legal...what about being a single parent? wanting to have a child through a donor? or having 17 kids with 17 different mothers or fathers? you may disagree with all of those things and none of those things uphold the "traditional" definition of marriage and are a detriment to children and families everywhere, but they are perfectly Legal!

To say you are protecting children by maintaining the traditional definition of marriage is BS unless you want to make all that stuff above illegal too. Next argument please.