Hugs and Love

Acts of kindness, support, sympathy are ways to cultivate joy in not only our own lives, but also in the lives of others.

A smile, a kind word, a tender pat on the shoulder, or a hug are some of the acts that can change some one's day by offering hope.

If a person believes that people are negative, sad, or unfeeling, and that belief is often reinforced by the people they meet...then that person needs to meet new people. Wouldn't it feel wonderful to be the person who helps dispel the belief and encourages someone to believe that people are, or at least can be, positive, happy, and thoughtfully warm.

I was very inspired to see this video on YouTube about a free hugs campaign started by Juan Mann in Australia. Please watch the video and see this incredible man standing in an open mall and holding up a sign, which reads, in big black letters, FREE HUGS.

What makes the videography so inspiring, to me, is the support Juan Mann garners. As you watch, you see how he invites people to take him up on his offer. First, you see people hug him and then later you see people take his sign and begin to offer free hugs to others. Eventually, you see people running up and falling into another person's arms.

Midway through the video you see a policeman come up to Juan; although there are no words and only a soundtrack, you get the idea that he is being asked to stop. Soon after you see him with a petition and then others with petitions and postings of how many signatures they get until they reach the goal.

I am not sure why public officials would have wanted to ban a free hugs campaign. The website www.freehugscampaign.org is currently not available, which I thought was surprising, considering the video on YouTube was posted on September 6, 2006.

An update from Juan Mann on YouTube encourages people to also check out the Free Help Campaign where people can post a message about their desire to offer help and also post their desire to receive help. This initiative was inspired by Oprah's Greatest Giveaway Ever.

I read through some of the the postings from those who would like to be help. The variety is amazing--a woman who needs help moving her entire house to a young girl who wants a friend to a man who wants help on getting a loan.
Many people offering help are offering a caring ear to listen. Some people are offering financial advice or help finding a job or applying to college. Another person was giving away free furniture and yet another was offering to help people in his community to clean gutters.
Local to global--these are people who want to nurture others or people who acknowledge that they need nurtured.

The Free Hugs campaign has expanded into a global movement. I have seen YouTube videos of people offering free hugs in Japan, Italy, and Korea.

I have found other sites dedicated to similar Free Hugs campaigns. One, Free-Hugs is a company whose mission is to spread kindness and uplift the human spirit. The founder, Jason Hunter of Atlanta, was apparently the inspiration for Juan Mann's Australian movement. I finally uncovered this relationship in a press clip on the Free-Hug website as originally posted byHartsvilleToday.com on Oct. 24, 2006.

The history of Free-Hugs is dedicated to the memory of Hunter's mother, who he described as a woman whose purpose was to be the person who always had a kind word, a smile, a hug.

Free-Hugs sells t-shirts and jerseys. A school curriculum in on the way for Spring 2007.

We can join in to the FreeHugs campaign by just offering smiles, warm words, and HUGS to friends, family, and coworkers....and so many more people who we believe need it and who can accept it. You can also check out these sites, watch the videos, and buy the shirts. It is a beautiful message to express-empathy! Acknowledge and recognize people as you pass them by...it can be exhausting in a city, but it is worth it when you have the energy to share it for it will enliven you and inspire you to share positive energy and warmth. Spread the message, people can be good and caring and helpful and you are one of those people.

America is Awake!

I was almost surprised to see this. My neighbor's feed business posted this sign on November 8.







I guess he was not too happy with the outcome--Democrats are in control of both houses of congress.

A few friends emailed me, knowing how I tend to be involved in grassroots campaigns, and congratulated me on the recent gain.

As I have commented in past postings, I have noticed Democrats in meetups to have been suffering from the frustration of loss and a sense of helplessness.

As Democrats may be feeling waves of relief, hope, and determination Republicans may also be feeling--as the sign my neighbor posted indicates--waves of frustration, fear, and loathing. Good. I would like them to feel it for a least a short while. After they process a full range of grief, I hope they will begin to reach out to bi-partisan efforts with a bit more humility than our President.

I have not been able to find the quote yet, but I believe the President's first word on the subject of a change of power in the house was that he was a little disappointed. In his radio address on 11 November Bush said,

"The message of this week's elections is clear: the American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our Nation. This is important work that will demand the hard effort and good faith of leaders from both sides of the aisle, and I pledge to do my part."

I hope my neighbor heard that!

In closing, I just want to say that I was pleased with the comments that came out of Pelosi and Bush's first meeting (click to read the transcript).
I am hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, it seems they are both going to be able to forget all the dirty talk during the election.

Americas are awake, and I hope this means none of us will be so stubborn to let differences get in the way of making progress in areas of health insurance, education, health care, an Iraq exit strategy, and the 9-11 commission recommendations.

Voting in PA? Vote for Freedom and Economic Growth!

How am I voting in my PA district? Far too often, I think I am voting for people because I believe they must be better than the incumbents.

Mainly, I am voting for democrats, people who are fiscally responsible, interested in creating peace and who are pro-choice, or at least not firmly anti-choice.

I believe I am voting for freedom-- women's freedom and economic freedom.


For U.S. Senate I am voting for Bob Casey. Mainly, I am voting for him because he is not Rick Santorum, the incumbent republican.

Casey, I believe, is pro-life, I am trying not to hold this against him. I believe his promises to make our government accountable, reducing debt, supporting veterans, expanding insurance for low-income families.

Better health care, quality education, a clean environment, rural development, and the issues facing the many elderly are key issues not only for PA but for many states.

Santorum has supported Bush and many of the decisions I did not support, like war in Iraq.
Santorum is an anti-choice candidate, as confirmed by NARAL pro-choice voting guide for PA. Our current governor, Ed Rendell is a certified pro-choice candidate. Casey is not really saying a lot, or I have not heard enough, about what he would do to curtail a woman's choice to get an abortion or access birth control. Pennsylvania is very rural, and a woman's right to choose is already marginalized by issues of access. I am going to bet that Casey will not support legislation to reduce reproductive rights; unfortunately, I do not think he will be a champion either.

As I have already indicated, I will be voting for Ed Rendell (D), the incumbent.
Rendell was a vet and a mayor of Philadelphia. Under his leadership job growth has increased from 41st to the 15th in national ranking. There is also a very interesting gaming bill underway. Rendell has also been supporting ethanol production, which as potential for a fuel-additive and could help bring jobs to many people in Pennsylvania. The first plant will be coming to Clearfield County.

Swan, unfortunately, looks to be a bit of a Bush-man who will support party politics more so than what is actually needed.

I live in PA's 5th district and I will be voting for Donald Hiller (D). I am voting for him because he is pro-choice. He also wants to increase funding for education alternatives. This seems like a smart political trade. There is a lot of anti-choice support in Pennsylvania.

I think that anti-choice supporters can be appeased by offering a space for them to promote their perspective. They want people to choose not to have an abortion. I think many pro-choice supporters would also hope that people would not need to have an abortion. Working together, maybe we can help stop unplanned pregnancy. His support for pro-choice policies as well as increases in funding for abortion alternatives is a sign he would move in that direction: one that would actually work to find solutions rather than just legislate opinion.

Hiller is also for increased construction and development in rural areas, which is much needed and is probably an issue of reducing harm and higher costs later.
He also is for increasing minimum wage, but is sensible enough to also make the point that there will be a need to minimize the impact any raise will have on small business.

Unlike John Peterson (R), who is decidedly anti-choice. Hiller, like Rendell, is also actively supporting Ethanol fuel-additive reform. He opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants, which is probably smart politics but does not really offer a solution. Most interestingly is his wish to prevent abuse of government wiretapping.

In my state's General Assembly House of Representatives District 66, I will be voting for Samy Elmasry (D), mainly because he is not Sam Smith (R). Sam Smith is anti-choice, and he is against gay marriage. He also seemed very reluctant to help a local non profit called Save our Schools in its attempt to stop the closing of the Big Run Elementary school and other schools that will surely follow. There is no check on local school boards, who can people turn to if not their state representatives?

Elmasry has not made a lot of statements. I have has a hard time figuring out exactly where he stands, but in this case I am going with the devil I don't know rather than the devil I know.
Elmasry supports home-based medical care, he supports legislation that will supplement slot machines proceeds with income tax changes. Regressive taxes on home/landowners just does not work in a state like PA, especially for small farmers in rural and economically disadvantaged areas! He also supports a slight increase in sales taxes. Sam Smith says this type of legislation is a good first step It is obviously a complicated issue. We need people who are willing to try new things.

Rendell has not supported the slot machine legislation. He also vetoed the proposal to have the Lottery support the increases to services to the elderly population. I have not seen enough of the proposals at this point to make a firm statement about what would be best, and so I am going to be swayed by party lines and pro-choice freedoms.

Do your best to educate yourself: I know it is difficult and we all have busy lives.
Vote Today!!