Obama for America Office Grand Opening in DuBois, PA

On March 28, 2008, over 50 people came out to show their support for Sen. Barack Obama at the Grand Opening of the DuBois Office!

Several statements were made by the field organizer, the regional coordinator, and a 5th District Delegate for Obama, as well as by several active volunteers and members of Democratic groups . They each shared information on how people can get involved as well as why they personally became active.

Jody G., a Clearfield resident and Obama volunteer, said that she supports Obama because she wants a better life for her grandkids. Mary V, a 5th District Delegate, said that she supports Obama because through him she found new hope for the future.

We were also joined by 5th district candidate Mark McCracken, a public supporter of Sen. Obama!

Getting out and seeing the people who share your values is always an positive experience.
This is a mainly Republican area, but the Democrats made a big show for Obama at our Grand Opening!

The campaign has come deep into the PA Wilds because Sen. Obama understands that rural PA has a voice. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the people of PA matter in the Democratic Presidential Primary. And, not just the people of urban PA, but the people in RURAL PA!!

It is a very exciting time.


If you live in Jefferson or Clearfield County, I hope you will consider volunteering.

Get out the Hope and Get out the Vote!

There are several ways to volunteer. And Obama's website has many bits of advice to get you started on your own grassroots campaign to put Obama in the White House!

First, you can sign up to be a neighborhood team leader.
Go to the PA home page for the Campaign.
and join the PA Neighborhood Teams

As a Neighborhood Team member, you will have access to lists of potential Obama Supports.
First we identify the Obama supporters, and then we make sure they get out to vote.

Secondly, you can come to where the action is! In the office and in the neighborhoods!
Join us in the office, where you can volunteer by helping out in the office, canvasing door-to-door, and by hosting out-of-state volunteers.

Finally, you can spread the word by being a public supporter.
If you are the social type, you may want to host a house party either to Fund Raise for Obama for America or to educate your undecided or leaning Obama friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, peers, gym buddies, etc. There is no reason not to do both at once!
Remind people they can help by spreading the word and telling the people they know why they support Obama for America!

If you are a member of a religious or social club, you may want to ask for time to talk to your group about Obama. Of course, people supporting other candidates should also be welcomed to speak. Just wear your pin and show your support and people will talk to you, hopefully with honest questions!

Many people want the yard signs, which can be hard to come by.
If you are interested, you can support the campaign by purchasing your own yard sign.

Contact the Obama for America DuBois, PA office for more details on opportunities to volunteer:

11 N. Brady Street
DuBois, PA
(across from Lugi's)

Email Mike, the field organizer: Mreynertson(AT)barackobama.com
or Ryan : sees.com(AT)gmail.com

Call Mike or Ryan: 320-293-5531

Enjoy Photos of the Grand Opening!

Summary: New Priorities Vigil in Dubois, PA

Last Wednesday a group of six dedicated individuals stood in the rain beside Liberty Blvd. in Dubois, Pennsylvania, to acknowledge that it has been FIVE LONG YEARS since the United States entered Iraq.

We were met with honks of support!

A photographer from the local paper, the Courier Express said that we were newsworthy because we were standing in the rain. The photo from the paper is to the right ->


What a shame, to only be newsworthy because we stood in the rain.

Is it not newsworthy that people in this rural, republican area are coming out into the open to make their voices heard, to say that war is not something we should stay in just to save face? That there are lives at stake, the dear lives of our loved ones?

At the Vigil, we talked about the need to find people in our sparse area who think the way that we do. We know YOU are out there...we know that you might feel silenced by the voices around you who speak in a manner so differently from how you think and what you value. There are ways we can come together through MoveON.org and Democracy for America's PA for Democracy. Check them out. Please also respond to this blog!

In the days that followed, I was surprised how many co-workers and neighbors told me they shared my view. We are tired of this war.

We want to support our troops by bringing them home!
We want a candidate who will not rush us into war!

We will meet again, myself and the dedicated five who stood in the rain, on April 18th at the Penn State Dubois campus where the Eyes Wide Open Exhibit will be displayed from 10am-6pm.
The evening will close with a candlelight vigil from 6pm-8pm.
I hope you can join us.

The exhibit was created by the American Friends Service Committee. It visually portrays the human cost of war.


Will you join us?

New Priorities Candlelight Vigil in Dubois

New Priorities Candlelight Vigil in Dubois

Please join us in a solemn and respectful vigil where we honor the soldiers and send a message to our leaders that we must bear in mind the human cost of war as well as its impact on our economy. It is time to set new priorities!

Liberty Blvd. & Parkway Drive
Memorial Park
Wednesday 19 March

We will stand vigil from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in a public park. It is handicap accessible.
You can find metered parking off Parkway Drive.

Go Here to Register: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=45611&id=-6699804-AVqf06

If you are planning to attend, please bring signs and/or candles.
If you bring candles, do something to help keep the wax from dripping.
You may want to bring votive candles with holders, use wax-based paper cups, or use tapered candles with a cupcake wrappers slid over them (just put a hole through the wrapper.

MoveOn.org has developed an array of signs you can either print out or use as inspiration as you develop your own.

• "Keep 'Em Safe / Bring 'Em Home": Color and black and white signs to display at the vigil. Try printing out different sizes, and let people choose which ones to hold.
  • One-page (8x11) black and white | color
  • Two-page black and white | color
  • Large (20x16) black and white | color
• "Invest in America" signs - Big signs color and 16x20 inches
  • Invest in America not War
  • Invest in Health Care not War
  • Invest in Education not War
  • Invest in Clean Energy not War
  • Invest in Real Security not War
• "Invest in America" Full Color signs 8.5x11 inches
  • Invest in America not War
  • Invest in Health Care not War
  • Invest in Education not War
  • Invest in Clean Energy not War
  • Invest in Real Security not War
• "Invest in America" 2-color signs 8.5x11 inches (print these if you have a black and white printer)
  • Invest in America not War
  • Invest in Health Care not War
  • Invest in Education not War
  • Invest in Clean Energy not War
  • Invest in Real Security not War

2008 PA Primary – Obama, Governance, and Responsibility

Vote on APRIL 22 in the Pennsylvania Primary for Senator Barack Obama.

If you are not interested in politics, you really should be.

If you are interested, you need to educate yourself about candidates and you need to vote!

As a citizen, you have a right to vote. Voting is the most basic as well as the most important way that we can participate in governance.

We live in a democratic republic. Each citizen has a voice in selecting a representative government. This government is keep in check by a separation of church and state, a system of checks and balances between governing bodies (Presidential, Congressional, Judicial), and the ability of the people to select leaders as well as our right to impeach people who are not doing their jobs!

And what is their job?
It is the job of all politicians to serve the will of the people.

We are many, and we are diverse. It is the burden of our elected officials to mediate the many needs and wants of the people against what is possible. In the end, they should do what will maximize the public good. What will serve the interests of the most people in the most efficient manner?

Unfortunately, we have seen the rise of government that serves the needs of the few, the corporations. Since the 1970s, out of our fear of a folding economy, our leaders removed restrictions from businesses. The invisible hand of the market was supposed to maximize profits as well as maximize the public good. What has trickled down? Nothing. Nothing but higher payments and less return for what we pay in taxes!

We need to see tax fairness. We need a business that is regulated to serve the common good. We need to rebuild our infrastructure, educate our children, and regain our image as a peace keeper.

You can help make it all happen by exercising your right.

You can make a change happen in America by fulfilling your responsibility to participate in government.

VOTE!!!

VOTE FOR OBAMA!

You must be a registered Democrat to vote for Senator Obama in the PA Primary on April 22.

Independents can not vote in the PA primary.

It is a shame, and perhaps an injustice...but it is a fact that we must deal with. If you are an INDEPENDENT please re-register to vote for Obama on April 22.

If you have never voted before, please register now and make a difference.

We have a chance to make history in Pennsylvania. A chance to show that the rural areas as well as the urban areas are ready for a change toward grassroots activism and progressive governance!

You must REGISTER as a Democrat 30 days before the primary in order to vote.

Register by MARCH 24!

A Voter Registration Form:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/lib/voting/02_voter_registration_applications/onlinevoterregformblank.pdf

PA Voting Information:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/

There are TWO STEPS to the ONLINE REGISTRATION:
1) Complete an online form.
2) Print it out, sign it, and mail it in before March 24th!

Registering online sends counties an electronic record of each registration, but it
doesn't register the application.

If you will not be in your voting precinct on April 22, you must apply for an ABSENTEE BALLOT by April 15.

Absentee Ballot Application:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/lib/voting/02_voter_registration_applications/absenteeballot/absentee_ballot_application_(08-13-04).pdf

The County Boards of Election must receive civilian absentee ballots by April 18!

Absentee Voting Information:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/cwp/view.asp?a=1193&q=442991

Vote on APRIL 22 in the Pennsylvania Primary for Senator Barack Obama.

Show the world that Pennsylvania is ready to turn the page and write a new chapter in the history of nation, one of involvement, one of patriotism, one where civil liberties are respected, and one where innovation and business serve the common, collective interests of the people!

Keeping in touch with Politics: 5th District Congressional Seat in PA

I find it so hard to find information on our local elections. Why is that?
I will save that rant for another day.

If you don't already know, Rep. John Peterson (R) is retiring for personal reasons.

There are three democrats and five republicans looking to take his place.

For now, I would like to tell you about a site that is making is much easier to follow the race for the 5th District Congressional Seat.

The Centre Daily Times has a whole page dedicated to continuous articles about the race.
http://www.centredaily.com/congressional_race/


Please note that there is one story with brief details from each nominee (Republican and Democrat alike) on economic development in the region.
http://www.centredaily.com/482/story/442490.html


I also like to check for things on the Keystone Politics page, where several nominees have posted blogs.
http://www.keystonepolitics.com/delegation08

You can also access a variety of candidates web sites through ActBlue.com
http://actblue.com/directory?query_parameters=---%20%0Afilters%3A%20%5B%5D%0A%0A&add_filter_query=_facet-state%3A%22PA%22

We must go out of our ways to educate ourselves.
We must make ourselves informed voters.

I hope this information helps you make your decisions.

Home of the Free - We Hope

I have recently stumbled across an article that struck me with both hope and sadness.

The people in Greensboro, NC have recently triumphed in the struggle to protect religious freedom. This happened on May 24 when the local chapter of the ACLU successfully argued for the right of people with religious convictions other than Christian to swear to tell the truth on their own Holy Scriptures.

The state Attorney General is reviewing the decision and weighing the option of appeal. Hopefully, they will not appeal this decision.

You can read an account of the case at the News Record.

This latest dispute over the predominance of Christian icons int he courtroom began when a Muslim woman asked to swear upon the Qu' ran when testifying. Unfortunately, the court did not have one. Later, she and fellow Muslims raised money to donate copies. The court refused the copies, and this led to the suit.

The suit was initially dismissed on the grounds that there was no controversy. This decision was later reversed.

In a country where the ten commandments have been found in a courthouse, I guess I should not be surprised that a judge would at first dismiss the case that people of faiths other than Christian be able to swear upon their own scriptures. Even though the ten commandments monument was moved, a poll reported that 77% of people surveyed disagreed with the decision to move it!

I find it shameful that judges need to be nudged to open their minds and consider that Holy Scriptures could refer to more than just the bible.

It is probably true that when the founding fathers wrote that all men have the right to religious freedom, they probably were not thinking about anything other than their own variations of Protestantism. However, our definition of the freedom of religion has evolved (I hope!).

May this Greensboro court ruling be an indication that soon more courthouses in the United States will acknowledge that law does not favor one religion over another!

Get Active! Presidential Elections 2008

As you may have noticed, presidential candidates are starting to make a show. Some potential candidates have merely started their exploratory committees. Others have gone so far as to announce to a late night news audience that they were indeed running for office. Still others have set up the fan fare and announced with a large rally of supporters cheering them on!

Now is a good time to start chatting about the next President with your friends and neighbors.

Now is a good time to start letting people know where you stand on important issues and letting them know who you would support for President.

Before you start any conversation, you may want to prepare yourself with a few facts on candidates so you are ready to make the best case possible for your candidate. Luckily, there are many helpful resources to simplify your investigation!

You may want to check out a few websites to see how different candidates are doing in the polls or what is being said about them in the news. I am partial to major news networks like CNN, but I also check out Fox and MSNBC as well as the Washington Post to try to get multiple perspectives. You may also want to search for your candidate using technorati, a blog search engine.

If you would like to be able to get a line on the what people are thinking without having it cherry picked by reporters, then you can also look into web sites dedicated to showing you the latest in polling data, such as the Gallup Poll, Zogby, or the PollingReport.com. Please keep in mind that the results of surveys are greatly influenced by the questions that are asked. Surveys can still be biased because people are biased. How the data is presented has still been hand selected, to an extent. Even though the surveys feel more honest without the trappings of analysis, you should still check multiple sources to have a sense of what it 'true.'

I have found web sites such as Politics1 and Politico.com to make inquiry into the 2008 Presidential race easy because they not only have a current list of who is running, as well as who is planning to run or being pressured to run, but also they provide links to biographical information for each candidate, so you can immediately get the goods on any candidate or hopeful.

Being a part of a political campaign is like watching history happen while you are making it happen. If you are fascinated by the history of elections and are interested in comparing the current campaign to last elections, for the sake of even more engaging conversations if not your own curiosity, please check out HistoryCentral.com

The November 2006 election showed us that a few votes can make a difference! Webb (VA-D) won his seat by a slim margin, and changed the balance of power in the Senate! People calling and going door to door to bring out the voters made the difference. We can do that again!

If you are ready to make change happen in America, please know that you can help make the change you hope for possible. Little by little, day by day, you can help make America the utopia we all what it to be! Get active in the coming political race. It may seem far away for you as a voter, but as a supporter and as a citizen, it started long ago.

Research the candidates. Talk about the candidates. Show your support!

Race for Tibet!

As we get closer to the realization of the 2008 Olympic games it become more apparent to observers that China is not getting any better at addressing the human rights issues, for which they have received much criticism from the international committee.

People with the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and the Australian Tibet Council are worried that China will use its Olympic charter to legitimize their presence in Tibet, misrepresenting present conditions. They have developed an Olympic mascot using the Tibetan antelope, perhaps in an attempt to lighten the weight of the fact that they are invaders to Tibet and its people.

The Race for Tibet campaign, initiated by the International Campaign for Tibet, is asking people to sign a petition demanding that China improve its human right conditions and urging the Chairman of the International Olympic Council to maintain its integrity and hold nations accountable and dedicated to peace.

The ITC sees the Beijing 2008 Olympic games as a way to draw attention to the human rights issues in Tibet. Many people pay attention to the Olympics. 302 nations are expected to compete in 28 sports in the 2008 Olympics. In 2004 according to information on Wikipedia.This campaign has links that will guide you to the various ways you can help make important human rights policies become a reality in Tibet.

It is unfortunate that the campaign to Free Tibet has remained a fringe issue for so long. The Chinese invaded Tibet in 1949. 58 years later the government of Tibet and his Holiness the Dali Lama are still in exile.

If you are not familiar with this issue, the ITC offers many fact sheets and as well as a brief question and answer site. If you would like to use this platform to help educate friends, acquaintances, neighbors, or co-workers who are not well-informed about Tibet, but who love the Olympics, then this is your chance to work your liberal politics into the conversation! The Race for Tibet site has also created fliers you can post around town, in the coffee shop, in the mail room, or at the grocery store.

Millions of people follow the Olympics, but few are aware of the human rights issues in China and Tibet. Please use this campaign to help build awareness. You can offer your assistance from your desk! This campaign is an excellent example of how the Internet is making mass involvement possible.

Reflections on President Bush's State of the Union Address 2007

The obvious hub of the Presidential State of the Union address was his desperate plea to support his plan to send a surge of troops to Iraq. Madame Speaker Pelosi remained firmly in her seat while V.P. Cheney rose to give his predictable support to Bush's plan.

Freshman Senator Webb gave an excellent response, one worth reading if you did not hear it...or reading again if you did get to see it live. Senator Webb very smoothly pointed out that Americans' have no reason to trust President Bush's new plan to "win" in Iraq as he said:

"this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years. Many, including myself, warned even before the war began that it was unnecessary, that it would take our energy and attention away from the larger war against terrorism, and that invading and occupying Iraq would leave us strategically vulnerable in the most violent and turbulent corner of the world."

When I heard the President address the nation from the library on January 10th, I felt that that there would be little resistance to his change in strategy, which can be summed up by his simple statement that:

"This will require increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq."

His description of the dire consequences of leaving Iraq without first sending this surge were indeed frightening, and his recent change of commanders the week prior gave this address an air of confidence that it was all a done deal. That was how I felt even though the American public had seemed to vote overwhelmingly Democratic in the November election, a statement that also seemed to say that Americans wanted to see a big change in how Iraq was handled.

In his State of the Union Address, President Bush again emphasized that American would not want to leave Iraq without finishing the job. He said that the course of the war may not be the war that we planned, but it is the war that we have....and WHY is the war as it is?? From his poor planning, from his failure to take advice. Why did we not send in adequate troops and supplies earlier? Why did the war seem to be run on the cheap when it is so important?

Pres. Bush seems intent on increasing the military presence in Iraq. His concept of winning is military. I think that what it means to WIN and what it means to leave successfully should emphasize political and economic outcomes for Iraq and not military outcome.

After listening to Webb, I am more eager to hear plans of how we can begin to phase troops out of Iraq, while also stabilizing the safety of its citizens and its political economy.

I agree with Bush's assertion that America is a nation of great heroism and great people. We need to take seriously that we have been given much and so from us much is expected.

That members of Congress could come together to address educational issues in the first term of Bush's presidency was, hopefully, the beginning of a heroic effort to finally address educational inequalities. I hope that there will be serious revisions to No Child Left Behind. With the new Democratic leadership in the Senate and the House, I am certain there will continue to be bipartisan efforts to make each child's educational experience quality.

I am also hopeful that the United States will continue to make international aid a priority. President Bush has made many promises to meet the millennium goals by putting funds into the millennium challenge account, which he formed in 2002.


I was somewhat surprised that in his reference to PEPFAR and AIDS relief he did not also mention abstinence-only. Abstinence-only-until-marriage had been mentioned in every previous speech of his Presidency. Abstinence-only was also being included as a stipulation on how funds in African nations were being spent with the Global AIDS Funds. Abstinence-only was also a powerful rallying cry to his conservative supporters. I think people should all take note that it was missing from this Presidential address. Although the conservative war against sexual freedom and reproductive rights is far from over, it is very interesting that this key policy issues, which had been gaining momentum was absent.


There are many other topics from the address that are worth exploring. The issue of spending reform seemed to get solid, positive responses from the Republican side of the aisle. He has a very interesting tax proposal. I am intrigued the connection between lowering taxing to help more Americans' afford private health insurance. It is a powerful scheme that does everything Republicans like--privatize and cut taxes--and is destined to make them look good, if it works.

Everyone agrees we need to act wisely, spend wisely...develop alternative fuels and alternative plans to fight the war on terror. It is too bad that Bush promotes this ideas now, on his way out. This is probably why he has the worst approval rating for any president in the last 50 years, or so said Wolf Blitzer.

I am eager to see how well Congress responds to the President's call for troops. Let us all pray everyone begins to think wisely, and consider how the well being of America is connected to the well being of all the residents of this planet.

Blog for Choice

I am pro-choice because I believe that each woman has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The choice to have a child MUST be a personal, private, individual decision. Each woman, when pregnant, is alone with her body and the awareness of a growing and dependent life. For each woman to be free, she MUST be given the RIGHT to choose.

We should not legislate to strip women of the right to her freedom to choose. Instead, we should legislate to ensure that each pregnancy is wanted, if not planned.

Young girls and boys as well as adults should have access to medically accurate information on human reproduction, birth control, and disease prevention. Each person should be made aware of the right of each individual to choose what happens to their body and be taught to respect one another as unique individuals.

Family medical clinics should be available in every community to provide regular clinical services, educational sessions, and medicine. If people are assisted with the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies, there would be fewer abortions.

Plan B has only recently become available in the United States. Advertising and public outreach campaigns are still needed to help more women know Plan B is available. It should be available to any woman at any time and of any age. No one has the right to judge a woman for choosing to control her reproductive capacity.

I find it hard to believe that there is anyone who wants to have an abortion. That there are people who rely on abortion as a means to birth control. Abortion is the last option, it should be the last option any woman should have to make if she finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy.

We can help reduce unwanted pregnancies by making pregnancy prevention an easily accessible and affordable option. We can make more pregnancies wanted by providing affordable health care, child services, and educational opportunities for young mothers and their families.

Organizations like NARAL Pro-choice America , who planned and organized today as the national BLOG for CHOICE day, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America promote women's reproductive rights, which are dwindling here in the United States.

Although elections in November 2006 proved that Americans' support a woman's right to choose, the attacks against Roe vs Wade will not stop. Abstinence-Only education supporters will continue to lobby for their belief-based curriculum to dominate over medically accurate curricula. While Plan B has been approved for use in the United States finally) We can not take reproductive rights for granted. Be attentive to your politicians and funding streams. See what resources are available in your community to help girls and young women secure their rights and access to clinical and educational services.

Women deserve their freedom, their dignity, their right to control their bodies. This is why I am pro-choice.

Taking Risks and Starting Over

Sometimes in life we need to take risks, put forward extra strength to get the job done once and for all (like we apparently need to do in Iraq!).

I wish the best for all our men and women who are committed to danger to make the world safer. I pray that all our belief in freedom and stability becomes reality.

It seems we are ready as a nation to Go Back
Go Back
Go Back

To another time
Another place
Where the signs were in the right place
Back to the time where we were before people began to read the signs all wrong!

Rituals and Tradition

Christmas can be a confusing time for many children who are recently discovering that their parents have been leaving presents for them and not Santa as they had been told.

I, personally, believe we need a new way to celebrate Christmas. I am very torn between the love of bright lights and seeing children open presents and a hatred of commercialism and lies.

This year, my nephew learned the terrible truth that there is--according to some--no Santa Claus. That is just how he said it, too. "I can't believe they lied to me all this time."

I can remember hearing of a tradition of the Kachina in Pueblo cultures where children are woken from sleep and taken to a mysterious place where men and women in masks are dancing. These men and women hit the children, yell, and berate them. After being abused, the children are taken outside where the adults remove their masks and reveal their identities as well-known aunts, uncles, cousins, mothers, fathers...

I am sure those Pueblo children feel the same way: "I can't believe they lied to me!"

I am very interested in knowing the cultural purpose of lying to children about Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman....

Compounding the outrage--although I have yet to hear my nephew's full reaction--he was also told that little elves would come throughout the year to take back his toys if he was bad.

Is there a way to share the beauty of faith and hope and giving without lying? Is there something in the experience of learning all the adults who cared about you lied to you that helps us survive as a culture? I am just not sure.

I would much rather that we tone down the commercialism, appreciate getting gifts, be content with knowing that much of what we get comes from out parents and family, but also being told that sometimes amazing things happen through the spirit of giving--embodied in the image of a fat man in a red suit.

I am sure that there is much comfort in knowing that if no one else in the world cares, there is Santa who knows as well as you do that you have been nice and who will repay you and shower you with what you deserve. I might have felt that way once.

I would like to believe we can evolve as a culture and find a way to celebrate in a sustainable way. I hope we can find a way to instill hope and joy and give without the sadness of being lied to.

World AIDS Day

AIDS is an epidemic. AIDS is preventable.




To day is World AIDS Day, today is a day to increase awareness and speak on what we can do as a nation, as an international community to stop the epidemic, to stop the unnecessary suffering.


Of the 6,560,527,282 people who live on this planet, there are 39,500, 000 people living with HIV/AIDS.In 2005, there were 41,993 new AIDS cases among the 300,321,531 people who live in the United States.

These are the reported numbers. It is important to keep in mind that more people need to KNOW that they have AIDS, but few get tested. To stop the spread of HIV infection and AIDS there needs to be more testing! Click here to find an HIV testing clinic near you.

Maxine Waters (D) of California has sponsored a bill, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS treatment Modernization Act of 2006, that will force health insurance companies to pay for HIV testing. Testing for HIV needs to become as routine as testing for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes--actually more so because ANYONE can get HIV/AIDS, it is not predicted by genetics or diet. But, the likeliness of acquiring HIV/AIDS is increased by lifestyle choices, such as intravenous drug use, multiple sexual partners, anonymous sex, and anal sex.

Don't be shy, just ask your partner about his or her sexual history. It may be hard to pop that special question: "Have you been tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases?" but it is not as hard as living with HIV/AIDS.

If you are an intravenous drug user, use clean needles. Many cities have needle exchange programs. If you know an IV drug user, help that person stop or support needle exchange programs.

What makes the spread of AIDS so tragic is that it is preventable and it disproportionately affects African-Americans, Sub-Saharan Africans, women, children, and people living in poverty.

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and the Kaiser Family Foundation's Capitol Hill Briefing, HIV/AIDS is disproportionally impacts Latinos and African-Americans. As of 2005, 73% of infants born with HIV were African American.

In the United States, incidents of HIV/AIDS are increasing most noteably in the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Florida.

On this Earth, Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Botswana (24.1), Zimbabwe (20.1), and South Africa (18.8), experiences the most cases of HIV/AIDS. What is most alarming is the number of children living with HIV/ AIDS, 240,000 just in South Africa. Many of these cases could have been prevented through antiretroviral therapy, formula feeding instead of breastfeeding, and safe-delivery methods (not Cesarean).

Until a vaccine is create, the best defense is prevention. People need access to testing facilities as well as access to vaccines, condoms, clean needles, and quality health care to help prevent disease and relieve the suffering of people with AIDS.

The suffering and death created by HIV/AIDS are preventable.

There are many organizations that research for a cure and provide outreach and advocacy services. Please make yourself more aware of this growing pandemic and do what you can to stop unnecarry suffering.


UNAIDS
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

USAID and PEPFAR
the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Research

amFAR
AIDS Medical Foundation AIDS Research


AEGIS
AIDS edication Global Information System

AIDS ACTION

AIDS Organization
raising awareness and building communities

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

HIV Vaccine Trials Network

Join Red
product campaign to raise money for HIV/AIDS research and treatment



For more in-depth informaiton on the history of HIV/AIDS go to the Global HIV/AIDS timeline made available by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

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!!

GoodSearch: a Tool for Internet Advocacy

Here is something relatively new in internet advocacy, the search engine fundraiser. I have come across a few similar cases where simply using a site's search engine would help generate money for a chairty or non-profit. I find this simply amazing and a fantastically simple way for people to help a cause. I think using a search engine site to generate funds is particularly great because it gives people an opportunity to help raise $$ even when they are strapped for cash.

Any registered non-profit can contact GOODSEARCH, this includes schools, charities, hospitals and clinics, political groups, professional associations, volunteer services and so many more...maybe yours!

If your organization is not already listed on the homepage as their Charity of the Day, you can type the cause or charity of your interest in and see if it is has set up an account. Once you discover the cause or charity you are interested in does have an account with GOODSEARCH, you can see how much money they have raised.

Right now, the charity of the day is the Children Affected by Aids Foundation. I discovered GOODSEARCH in a RESULTS Global Weekly Update.

RESULTS is an nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to ending poverty and hunger. An account has been set up on GOODSEARCH that will raise funds for the RESULTS Education Fund.

The following message was included in my Weekly Update, if you would like more information on how you can help get RESULTS in the war on poverty, sign up for the newsletter. I like this group because they give great tips on how to write effective letters to the editor or to political representatives. The new GOODSEARCH fundraiser is another good example of the simple, do-able ideas they have.

Use GoodSearch to Fund RESULTS!
"Now RESULTS can earn a penny every time you search the Internet! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.

Just go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ and enter RESULTS Educational Fund as the charity you want to support. You can also download the GoodSearch toolbar for your browser to make it even easier to use. Just 250 of us searching four times a day will raise about $3600 in a year without anyone spending a dime.

Please broadcast this message to your personal networks, asking them to use GoodSearch and raise money for our work. Just cut and paste this entire message and send it to your contacts — and we will all be taking one more step to make poverty history!"
--RESULTS Global Weekly Update — October 30, 2006

PA House District 66: Sam Smith and Samy Elmasry

The election of Pennsylvania House District 66 is a very simple race. The general assembly

Over the past few month I have seen very little evidence that anyone was paying attention to this race. There were a few signs for Sam Smith and Elmasry sprinkled along heavy traffic areas in Punxsutawney.

If driving along 119, you wil mainly see signs for the gubenatorial race between Rendel and Swan.

Evidence of support for one side or the other in the big races has been scare, although slowly growing. I guess that was why it was so surprising to see the swelling of support for Sam Smith in the PA House of Representatives.

There was a row of houses, each with a sign.

About three years ago Sam Smith opened an office in Punxsy. I am really not sure how long it has been there, but it became very noticable about three years ago. The office is located in an old 1930s storefront. The balcony on the second floor is covered with a sign declaring his name, it is detailed in red and blue.

I think that my wish to have this representative replaced is grounded in my disappointment. My sister started a non-profit to advocate for the Big Run Elementary school which was allowed to fall into disrepair until it was slated for closure--the reason being that it was in disrepair. Many of the small schools in the more rural areas on the outskirts of the school district have been closing. But this one was historic.

Voting Myths and Encouragements

We need to vote for democracy to work. We also probably need to be better informed and in meaningful ways. I would probably be helpful that citizens actually care and feel empowered/informed. It would be important that people leave the polls feeling like they made a good and informed decision.

It is a well propogated fact that citizens of the United States don't turn out to vote as often as citizens in other nations. If that is true, it is not very surprising to me. Based on the causal conversations I have has with people, even the people who go to political meetings/events, we are very poorly informed. Much searching is needed to find the voting histories of Congressmen and women...for state and local levels: I just don't have a clue! I care, and it is hard for me to keep track. But really, are there less people voting? Is the reason we are in this 8 year republican dominated trend because the religious and New right get out the vote better than other groups? Maybe only conservative people vote? Nah....

Another widely held belief is that voter turnout is declining, that the kids just don't get out to vote the same way their parents and grandparents did and still do.

According to research published by Dr. Michael McDonald at the Department of Public and International Public Policy at George Mason University, American voter turn out has not declined since 1972.

There is a very interesting entry on Wikipedia that explores the many factors that may explain variation in voter turnout between nations--cultural, socioeconomic, institutional.

Wikipedia cited that about 54% of Americans turn out to vote; which seems pretty sad for a developing nation and one of the earliest, modern democratic nations.
The Wiki article also cited a decrease in turnout for presidential elections, which may be very telling, if it is true.

According to McDonald's research the myth of a decline in voter turnout is a result of poor calculations. I am not sure the extent that his findings invalidate the claim that only 54 % of registered Americans have turned out to vote in the last nine presidential elections.

Whereas other nations, like Austrailia, manage to get 95%, we Americans look pretty disinterested and apparently have been consistenly disinterested in voting since 1972.


When was the last time you voted? Voted in something other than a presidential election. This may surprise you, but there are other elections. This year, in particular, it is very important that we get out to vote and put more new faces (hopefully democratic, independent, and green faces) into Congress!

Take inventory of your friends, family, and neighbors and encourage them to vote.

For more on Voter Turnout Check out International IDEA

Herding Cats

Trent Lott was on the Daily Show
promoting his book Herding Cats.

It was a simple discussion, one that is getting more and more common...
and it got me thinking.

He and Jon Stewart discussed the sense that there is just no one in charge of Congress...and Lott pointed out that really, no one is: there is a series of committees.

I am almost sad about how much the Foley content took over their dialogue, but I guess something like that is the issue: how do immoral people end up in charge? Do Republicans really deserve to have the majority?

What makes it alarming is that some news organizations knew about it before it happened and a member of Congress who were allegedly told about similar incidents, Hastert, denies all knowledge! Sure, some things raised a red flag...but no follow up, no questioning.

I expect my representatives to question each other, no matter what side of the political fence they are on.

Lott has it right, we need to have more of a vision of where we want to go in the future and how we can avoid the same mistakes!

It is certainly creepy that a man interested in sexual relations with minors was drafting legislation to address issues of missing and exploited children...but in the scheme of things might not be that strange...and may be no more alarming than men with interests in oil and industry spearheading a war that would secure both oil and large scale contracts for rebuilding and providing meals to military men.

I imagine that a man who wrestles with his own inner pervert really knows how much of an issue missing and exploited children can be...and I do believe there is reform for people like Foley, who when well and considerate of appropriate boundaries can work on the efforts to promote safety and well-being of children.

Scandalous behavior like Foley's will likely lengthen the shadow that has been falling across republicans. Hopefully, they will lose their dominance in Congress. Unfortunately, I would feel even better about the issue of who has dominance if I felt like democrats were more active across the board.

It may be that no matter what group holds dominance in Congress, the issue of herding cats will still be present.

As citizens and voters we can only hope that the people we vote into office will not turn a blind eye to any sort of inappropriate behavior or wrong doing! And, it is not just on the national level: we need all our representatives at any level to be up to the challenge of calling people to the floor when they are misbehaving or inappropriate.

I wonder what it is that makes any kind of social movement a lot like herding cats...a bunsh of people who are demanding to be heard are promoting their pet causes and who expect to be able to do what they want when they want it and to hell with all the people who are not willing to lick their fur.

I hope people vote, more people than usual...politics may be a lot like herding cats...committees can be slow machines, but this does not mean that nothing will happen.

There are ways to move past the feeling of a lack of leadership...part of it will come from the grassroots up.

Show your enthusiasm: vote, write representatives; go to community mettings; run for office; write letters to the editor; draft policy agendas; donate to politicans and causes; watch the news; read the paper; talk politics with your friends, family, and neighbors--and not just national politics"

And when you do talk politics and issues: actually try to come up with a solution.


Please try to do all of this and pick candidates that have a vision and who are willing to listen and question as well as lead.