New Book about Gordon Hirabayashi, fascinating history of WWII antiwar movement, and accessibility tirade

No!

Uh-uh!

RantWoman would LOVE to be emanating grounded centeredness on par with Nelson Mandela or Gandhi, but she is NOT.

RantWoman MEANS simply to recommend a blog post and an interview pointing Friends to a new memoir about WWII anti-war activist Gordon Hirabayashi. But first, RantWoman needs to have an "I didn't tell you about my day" accessibility digression!

Wait! Hallelujah???

Hallelujah! You mean RantWoman gets to branch out? Instead of a couple weighty Friends missing something, now we see they have LOTS of company and it's other people's turn. RantWoman tried, albeit feebly, to labor with the authors of this year's State of the Meeting report about how they treat disability. RantWoman spoke about blindness and disability two Business Meetings in a row in her own Meeting and had the Recording Clerk record nary a word of RantWoman's concern. Instead, RantWoman heard complaints that she is taking up a lot of community time about a personal concern; RantWoman is unsure whether her point about a double-digit number of others suffering from various sever vision issues has sunk in--yet. Now, though, RantWoman gets to branch out to rail about every print-emanating, not ready for the 21st century corner of the Religious Society of Friends. Oh Hallelujah!


No! No! No! DO NOT send RantWoman to a certain online retailer to learn a brand new book is ONLY available in print, not in audio or any other electronic format! Oh wait, RantWoman should check out whether this one might get recorded as local interest through the Talking Book and Braille Library. / NLS In the meantime, RantWoman needs to finish her tantrum.


No. No. No! RantWoman wants to read the book. She wants to read the book in the format of her choice. RantWoman wants to read it NOW or at the same time as others without an extra round of waiting so an alternative format occurs. RantWoman does not (insert Bad Friend epithet of choice) CARE whether almost everyone who listens to her screen reader has to exclaim about how weird it sounds; a LOT of the time thtat's how RantWoman reads!

RantWoman darn well feels entitled to state her preferences / needs; for better or worse RantWoman has pretty limited experience with the God as personal butler model of Divine presence. She and everyone in her orbit may instead need just to COPE.

RantWoman KNOWS that in the hoary mists of pre-history before the invention of the Kindle, there were only books on tape, talking books, much less often Braille, assuming someone could read Braille in the first place, and having someone read the book aloud. When RantWoman is being honest, she has so little time for reading that MAYBE she should just be content absorbing the content of the book from what others read and say about it. Yeah, except the idea makes RantWoman feel like a baby bird getting fed its parents' predigested offerings.

If RantWoman really must fly off the handle about lack of alternative formats for a new book, it's possible that should be taken as a sign that RantWoman REALLY needs to chill out and figure out some way to interact with the book, like make everyone around her read it and discuss it in her presence. Good thing talking about privilege gets to be on the agenda as RantWoman's Meeting figures out whether and what to rename our Oversight Committee!


Oh wait, now what was the topic RantWoman had to have an "I didn't tell you about my day" accessibility digression from?

RantWoman is entranced by this interview with Lane Hirabyashi, nephew of Gordon Hirabayashi, a WWII-era anti-war activist and one of the best known resisters to the internment of Japanese Americans.

http://www.afsc.org/friends/fresh-voice-resistance-interview-lane-hirabayashi

The interview is in connection with the publication of a memoir, A principled Stand: the Story of Hirabayashi vs United States. The book draws heavily on Hirabayashi's letters as edited by his brother James and his nephew Lane. The interview talks about several ways the case was interwoven with the history of RantWoman's Meeting. RantWoman feels led also to speak to something in the comments.

RantWoman would REALLY like to read this book. Lather rinse, repeat that thought along with the comments above.

As long as RantWoman is casting about for the right giant spiritual chill pill, here is another reflection offered by another Friend from RantWoman's Meeting who also went to the White Privilege Conference. This Friend talked about going to a presentation by Mary Matsuda Gruenwald, author of Looking Like the Enemy. Matsuda Gruenwald talked about how one of the things that helped restore her sense of justice was many times being treated with dignity. The FBI agents who searched their house treated them with dignity. After the war when she went to nursing school somewhere inland, everyone there treated her with dignity. Hold that thought.

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Beloved Dead, Restated

The State of RantWoman's Meeting, once more with or without feeling: http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/04/as-stated_15.html

In particular the beloved dead, annotated
Rich Beyer, a widely enough known artist that Friends can use their search engines their own darn selves.
Bill Hansen
A whole welter of Beloved Dead when RantWoman went to look for a post about Rice Bucket Friend, including beloved dead from RantWoman's life as a teenage Baptist.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/search?q=bucket&max-results=20&by-date=true

Fran Hain
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/01/because-god-asked-you-to-all-ministers.html
Fran had two husbands. RantWoman is not sure whether only one or both did things like smoke-jumping as conscienscientious objectors during World War II.

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War Tax Resistance: Could not say it better myself

RantWoman would absolutely consider having enough income to need to think about the share of her taxes going for war a VERY good thing. It even occurs to RantWoman that this thought would be among the more unusual things a vocational rehab counselor might ever hear.

RantWoman, for better or worse, is in Make Your own job mode so RantWoman simply gets to highlight this excellent item from Waging Nonviolence about war tax resistance and trust that seeds might fall somewhere fertile.

http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/what-if-they-gave-a-war-and-nobody-paid/

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Quaker Lobby Day

Quaker Lobby Day (Fifth Annual!)

Monday, February 18, 2013 (Presidents’ Day), 9:00-3:00

Olympia Friends Meeting House

Friends have been a leading voice for justice for several centuries. Our voice is critically important to many marginalized citizens of our state - including tens of thousands of state residents who suffer economic hardship - and the thousands of men and women behind bars who cannot speak effectively for themselves.

Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy invites you to participate in our fifth annual Quaker Lobby Day on Monday, Presidents’ Day 2013, February 18th.

The day will begin at 9 am at the Olympia Friends Meetinghouse, 3201 Boston Harbor Road, Olympia WA 98506 where we will discuss our key legislative priorities (taken from the areas of criminal justice, economic justice, and local responses to global challenges) before we go to the Capitol Building by noon to talk with our individual legislators about these issues.

If you've never lobbied before, you are not alone!  Perhaps you're hesitant about lobbying because you're unfamiliar with the issues.  If so, Quaker Lobby Day is the place to learn.  And registrants from the same legislative district will have the opportunity to visit legislators as a delegation with appointments made with the legislators for that district.

Please join us!  To register, send your:

   Name                                                                       

   Email                                                                            Legislative District (if known)                        

   Postal address                                                                                                                                              

with Lobby Day in the subject line to the Registrar, Rick Ells, at ells.rick@gmail.com (or 206-782-5509, 9209 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103).  We'll send a confirmation … and later a schedule, updates on the issues, and directions to the Olympia Friends Meetinghouse – and set up appointments with your local legislators. 

For more information about FCWPP activities, see our website at www.fcwpp.org.

Working together, we can do amazing things!

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Fast, Pray, Walk for a Nuclear Free World

RantWoman is presenting some information for her own and others' edification.

1. RantWoman wishes to acknowledge recently receiving an exhortation to check out a site called fukushima311.org.

http://www.fukushima311.org/index.php/en.html

RantWoman received this in connection with matters of WA Public Policy. RantWoman is unclear how directly the site relates to WA Public Policy.  For one thing, the site is in Japanese. Mr JAWS does inform RantWoman the site was last updated in July 2012. Mr JAWS also informs RantWoman AGAIN that Joomla is uneven as far as output that tells Mr. JAWS everything RantWoman thinks is needed. RantWoman does not speak or read Japanese and is in no position to comment further on content.


2. In the spirit of also interesting to pass on:

Shonin Senji and Gilberto have organized a 2 week long peace/ anti- nuke/ Rohachi event in southern California starting Nov 29- Dec 12.



Fast, Pray, and Walk for a Nuclear-Free World
Respect Mother Earth


11/30-12/12, 2012 San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, LA and Diablo Canyon

After Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima, our world is crying. We may see a tear on the Buddha's face and sense that Jesus and our ancestors also weep. We will fast (& walk) with hope and prayer for peace and nuclear free world.

We have a duty to pass on to the next generation a safe, clean, peaceful future and the possibility of happiness. But we face great challenges to survive on Mother Earth with the increased spread of radiation and the continuing possibility of nuclear war.

All life is born and sustained from the same source. We are one, irrespective of nationality, race, gender, or age. We can strive to live peacefully and to love one another. In this spirit, we are going to fast and pray at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant during the first week of December. (Dec. 8th is the Buddha’s Enlightenment day.) Afterwards we also will walk and pray in LA and San Luis Obispo. This is an interfaith activity and open to everybody. It will offer the opportunity to learn more about the great wisdom of Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad and the spirits of our ancestors.

Kanaeda, Senji



Tentative Plan:

11/30 Fri. Walk to or around San Onofre (TBA)

12/1 Sat. Rohachi Fasting 1st Day 7am-5pm (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station)

2 Sun. 2nd Day 7am-5pm

3 Mon. 3rd Day 7am-5pm

4 Tue. Breaking Fast (4th Day)

5 Thu. 5th Day 7am-5pm

6 Fri. 6th Day 7am-5pm

7 Sat. Breaking Fast(7th Day)

8 Sun. Jodo-e Celebration (Buddha’s Enlightened Day) Move to LA

9 Mon. Rest Day

10 Tue. Peace Walk in LA

11 Wed. Move to San Luis Obispo

12 Thu. Walk from San Luis Obispo/Morrow Bay to Diablo Canyon
Contact:

Br. Senji Kanaeda and Br. Gilberto Perez

206-780-6739(anytime) 206-419-7262(after December)

senji@nipponzan.net

RantWoman is informed that hopes are to carpool from the Seattle area. RantWoman is not opining about carbon footprint or some other issues. RantWoman is interested in this announcement mainly for the spiritual language and the names of the occasions referenced; those RantWoman might better understand if she knew even a tiny bit more about Buddhism.

Nipponzan Myohoji Seattle(Bainbridge Is.) Dojo 6154 Lynwood Center Rd. NE

Bainbridge Island WA 98110

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August Woolman

RantWoman is a VERY bad Friend.


For one thing, RantWoman is looking to upgrade one or more of her electronic gizmos. RantWoman would prefer one not produced by Chinese slaves, but...

For another thing, RantWoman is utterly delighted by the account supplied at our most recent meeting by another member of the group that is reading John Woolman's journal, of the 1730 session of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. John Woolman would have been 10 years old but history does not record whehter he witnessed the Friend who stood up in session in a traditional Quaker cloak, gave a speech against slavery, and said people who kept slaves might as well do as he was doing. At the end of his speech, he threw off his cloak to reveal full military regalia, drew a sword , and stabbed a hollowed out book in which he had placed a bladder of some kind of red liquid that splattered all over Friends nearby.

But more than being a fan of flamboyant protest in almost any era, RantWoman is thinking ahead. The Woolman reading group has agreed to prepare three Adult Education sessions at the beginning of November. RantWoman is pretty sure the group will be delivered of slightly different titles than what has come to RantWoman:

Disease, Pestilence, Ecological Stresses and Transportation Difficulties in the age of John Woolman

How do you say "John Woolman is a crashing Boor and a real drag to be around" in 18th century Quakerese: reflections from the journals of the slow to convert and those unimpressed by John Woolman. (RantWoman, more's the pity, has no capacity actually to research this, but...
The Actual Life and Ministry of John Woolman


Stay tuned?



For next month we will be reading Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes. RantWoman is delighted by the variety of e-formats in which it is available: http://www.archive.org/stream/considerationson00wool/considerationson00wool_djvu.txt

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NPYM 2012 Epistle: News and Not News

Epistles are one of RantWoman's favorit  forms of Quaker Extreme writing. By Extreme Writing, RantWoman means summoning the Holy Spirit and some Friends of good will and uneven temperament and demanding that specific quantities of contenet emerge on tight timelines. RantWoman's experience is that  this combination usually delivers. This year at NPYM Annual Session RantWoman  and her broken arm practiced Worship Lethargy instead of Worship Discussion; instead of the Daily Bulletin RantWoman was also led to visit herself upon and specifically to uphold  the labors of  the official Epistle Committee.

RantWoman is blessed to have delivered into the Epistle a small number of words some Friends might take for granted:


....opened out of Silent Worship...

...endorsed FCNL's call...opportunity to cut the defense budget TAKE ACTION DURING THE LAME DUCK CONGRESSIONAL SESSION after the November 2012. elections...

RantWoman does not remember the exact wording about cutting the defense budget. Quakers want to cut the defense budget? Probably not news! Quakers see aspecific opportunity on a specific timeline. DEFINITELY NEWS! RanWoman finds herself unbelievably energized by Annual Session's prompt endorsement of action meant to address circumstances on a specific timeline!

For more on the FCNL campaign, http://fcnl.org/issues/checkbook/

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Blow Guns--ON TIMEOUT

RantWoman needs to hold two stories of the World's Most Irrepressible Nephew and weaponry. RantWoman is thoroughly rattled on her own behalf by the second weapon tale, about which PERHAPS separately. In the meantime, is one a completely Bad Friend if one heaves a monstrous sigh of gratitude because blow guns are now on Time Out at Irrepressible Nephew's house for ALL of Christmas vacation?

The first weapons story: there was the time a couple years ago when Irrepressible Nephew was expressing typical holiday STUFF desires. He was especially interested in swords and may even have wanted to forge something. RantWoman is unclear about how the fantasy forge was to get fired up; RantWoman just remembers it being a theme one time at Little Sister's house.

Also a theme: oh, Quaker Auntie, YOUR nephew wants to make weaponry. Would you please talk him out of it?

Mind you, the household is bathed in television and permissible movies are heavy on "hero saves the world" themes where a certain manly mastery of weaponry is part of the ambiance. Auntie does not get asked about this. Auntie does not necessarily entirely object and even manages to be a little broad-minded, respectful of Nephew finding his own path and more understandings--unless Quaker Auntie also gets called in for emergency sword persuasion.

RantWoman at the time of that request looked the Nephew up and down. RantWoman thought of the story about George Fox and Ben Franklin and the sword. RantWoman looked at nephew. RantWoman assessed her own capacity (NOT) for telling the story. RantWoman assessed a very high probability of Irrepressible Nephew's, Little Sister's, and RantMom's eyes all glazing over so hard even RantWoman could tell. RantWoman said a prayer and was answered with...RantDad, aka Nephew's RantGrandad.

RantDad performed in the sort of Renaissance ensembles that, a time or two, drew fans from the local Society of Creative Anachronism, medieval re-enactors not generally known to brave the thresholds of the kinds of venues (churches) where the Renaissance ensembles performed. The SCA types admitted to admiring the music. RantWoman is wondering whether some of them also admired the weaponry.

The weaponry? RantDad had a truly awesome and formidable arsenal of medieval mayhem inducement prop weaponry--generally made of cardboard and tinfoil! There were swords, daggers, a battle axe or two, a mace... RantWoman spun the best tale she could of all this and Irrepressible Nephew...immediately lost interest in everything to do with forging weaponry in the living room!

This year, Nephew has been wanting to make himself a bow and arrow. RantWoman admits to admiring archery herself in the abstract, where eyes function well enough to get arrows somewhere near a target. RantWoman is unclear about the presence of actual bows and arrows in Nephew's household. RantWoman IS aware that Irrpressible Nephew is now computer literate enough to fantasize with the help of search engines. The most recent object of these fantasies: blow guns!

A couple weeks ago, the First Day shared RantFamily bus run to our separate houses of worship featured much commentary about blow guns. Irrepressible Nephew regaled Auntie in great detail of different options for tips and scenarios for using the different tips. RantWoman had not previously thought even to need such information, but Irrepressible Nephew was waxing enthusiastic with elan. No one had thought of blow guns when RantDad was assembling his Renaissance arsenal so there was no chance mention of heritage would cause Irrepressible Nephew to lose interest.

Instead?

Instead, Irrepressible Nephew had a bad day on the playground at school on Friday. It was the kind of bad day where Mom gets called in the middle of the morning and must go meet the assistant principal. It was the kind of bad day where nephew was immediately contrite and remorseful. Nephew is responsible for his choices and cooperative, and the situation most definitely needs remorse!

By the sounds of things, Nephew is blessed with a wise assistant principal: Nephew has grown A LOT in recent months and wise principle recognizes that sometimes one's body grows faster than one's mastery of what new forces can do. Nephew also has professionals in his life with different letters behind their name, parents and a grandmother who faithfully noted five behaviors Nephew is to work on. Quaker Auntie requested but so far has not received a copy of the behavior list; maybe Quaker Auntie gets simply to quiz Nephew at some point. Quaker Auntie actually wants to quiz Nephew about responsibility, about forgiveness and restorative justice practices at his school but this weeks's bus ride was not the place! Nephew is suspended for 3 days! And the blow guns are on TIME OUT for all of Christmas vacation!

Hallelujah?

So prayers needed all around.

RantWoman wants to root for the boy growing, learning his own limits! And RantWoman is praying about puberty on the horizon!

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Seattle Occupied

From this week's bulletin:

Peace and Social Concerns Committee asks that Friends hold the Occupy movement, our police and our elected officials in the light. We hope that a common ground of love and humanity will enable young activists and others to invigorate our democracy, give voice to the real concerns of American people, and to discern a way forward.

Friday evening November 24, from 6-9 pm Susanna Kromberg of Salmon Bay Meeting will be serving as "chaplain" at the Interfaith tent at the Occupy Seattle encampment at Seattle Center Community College.

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Public

RantWoman is meditating about the phrase "attend Meeting for Worship just like everyone else." RantWoman COMPLETELY supports that.

RantWoman is also finding herself grateful that Meeting for Business has interacted with big circumstances in the life of the Friend with the Remarkable Story. RantWoman heard summaries of extensive and very positive evaluations before the Friend with the Remarkable Story was released from prison. RantWoman learned that the Friend with the Remarkable Story is being notably open with his neighbors, even some who post hateful and alarming things on neighborhood blogs. RantWoman heard much that is positive and not a single negative thing about the Friend with a Remarkable Story.

RantWoman heard one Friend grumble "Why does this even need to come to Business Meeting? It's apples and oranges in important respects from the Safest Sex Offender on the Planet." RantWoman and everyone else who spoke said it's an important story and it's important to speak Truth and to be strong in the story.

RantWoman is collecting some items off the internet. RantWoman is clear that a number of people in her Meeting currently have both the capacity to look things up on the internet and enough information to know why one would look things up. RantWoman learned today that some in her Meeting did not have to look things up. Elders may think the blogosphere is a big echo chamber full of middle class people and their computers, but younger families plugged into neighborhood email lists have decidedly other views.

RantWoman is glad that information and inquiries have now come to Meeting for Business. RantWoman is still feeling surprisingly fierce about some points she is seasoning what to do with, but RantWoman would feel fierce about these points with or without the Friend with the Remarkable Story.

RantWoman is clear that many more conversations are probably going to need to happen. RantWoman is clear about her own views, and RantWoman is praying for centeredness as conversations unfold and Light about where to go next.

RantWoman wrote the rest of this earlier including the blog as file cabinet listings. RantWoman does not feel called to edit out the anachronistic elements.

If Quakers ever write an etiquette book RantWoman would be glad to help about a chapter on whether or not it is a social gaffe, if one is not feelng centered enough for where a conversation might go, to "forget" to introduce two people who need to meet, the Safest sex Offender on the Planet and the friend with the Remarkable Story. RantWoman has to be VERY frank: despite being in a unique position about the matter, RantWoman herself is easing in very slowly. RantWoman is clear in her own discernment that immediate reaction is NOT needed about some issues. Rantwoman is also clear that others may not share her view or may need thoughtful discernment to get there.

The Friend with the Remarkable Story introduced himself again during announcements after worship last week. That happens to be one of the weeks each month when the safest sex Offender on the Planet worships at 11:00. The Friend with the Remarkable Story is quite forthright about having just gotten out of prison and about being part of the Monroe Worship Group. At this point in our Meeting's life, there exactly two people attending regularly besides the Friend with the Remarkable Story and his wife who participated in the Monroe Worship Group, RantWoman and.... and only RantWoman was present.

So,when the Friend with the Remarkable Story introduced himself during announcements, RantWoman felt called to rise also. Despite pleas from parents of squirming children for brevity in announcements, RantWoman spoke of the Monroe Worship Group, of how LOTS of Quakers are involved with Alternatives to violence in prisons, but the Monroe Worship Group is unique in terms of inmates getting out and continuing to worship among friends. RantWoman also specifically said she is glad to have the Friend with the Remarkable Story and Mrs. ... Remarkable Story worshipping among us. Neither the Friend with the remarkable Story nor RantWoman have so far felt called to say more of what RantWoman knows there is to say. Thinking more about that problem a day or two later, RantWoman was led to ...the search engine of her choice, and to some links to follow from what turned up!

Understand, in the world of RantWoman and e-torrents, if it's all over the internet, sooner or later either someone else in Meeting is going to notice or someone is going to turn up and ask. Either way, let's hope it's God, not just RantWoman trying to mix PR and centered community discernment.

The nub of the matter, if a set of topics which evoke a whole range of thoughts in RantWoman and about which many in RantWoman's Meeting have so far had no or very little occasion even to think about can be called a nub:

RantWoman never has trouble holding couples living through great challenges in the light!

Sex Offender Registration with various informational links.
http://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=1425116&AgencyID=54473

A bit from the local Fox news affiliate. Rantwoman cannot locate any content except the picture but thinks there musht be some.
http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-daniel-pens-level-3-sex-offender-living-in-ballard-20111020,0,3373116.photo

A blog entry with a range of comments ranging from, to RantWoman's ear, vehement ranting to sensible thought.
http://www.myballard.com/forum/topic.php?id=11650

An important appellate case about treatment programs that encourage offenders to acknowledge offenses they cannot be prosecuted for and whether or not those admissions can be cited as aggravating factors in sentencing.
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/902/1464/164758/

An OLD Letter to the Editor of The Stranger, a local newswekly whose stylebook most assuredly does not eschew the F word and which regularly curls the hair of many readers:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/letters-to-the-editor/Content?oid=6497

The original article about Tamara Menteer and the Whitestone Foundation:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-rape-revisionist/Content?oid=6343

A book review:

https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/99_displayNews.aspx

and as previously mentioned:
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/Default.aspx

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October 15 Disabilities Awareness Item

Dear Friends,

Today’s quandary: how does a peace loving Quaker or a proud member of Cranky Pacifists Opposed to Mayhem Everywhere or someone who has vigorously objected to our nation’s multiple recent military engagements write a sensitive respectful Disabilities Awareness item? I did not want to be creating thousands and thousands of new wounded warriors in the first place. Now I feel obliged and annoyed to need to address all the wounded veterans and their families now being asked to cope with the long-term consequences of our nation’s current war-fighting and combat medicine practices, obstructionist bureaucracies, … ! How?

I do not know. It’s a serious question I would love to delegate. I am seasoning whether I specifically am called to work harder at the task of saying something meaningful about the topic, especially about adding a whole new category of people really badly needing services at a time when our nation’s finances are groaning. Capacity to deliver services is already faltering because funding for services is already under attack (military metaphor intended) at every turn and there are plenty of opportunities to rant and rant and rant.

In the meantime, here is the best I could do:
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-nobel-peace-prize.html
In the Light

(RantWoman)

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Service Dogs: current ADA technical assistance

RantWoman is posting the following link shorn of baggage for information and reference:

http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm


While RantWoman is at it, with no comment about whetehr Quakers sell tickets to anything:

http://www.ada.gov/ticketing_2010.htm


Added after the fact FYI
http://www.seeingeye.org/news/default.aspx?M_ID=382

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What is Pacifism Good For

RantWoman thanks Johan Maurer over at
http://johanpdx.blogspot.com/


for links to the following two articles offered as partial memorial for Sen. Mark Hatfield:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1982/october22/markhatfield.html


http://blog.sojo.net/2011/08/08/a-tribute-to-mark-o-hatfield/


RantWoman is not clear what sense of principles not quite in parallel is leading her to post the memorial items above in the entry she already started featuring the following item with provocative questions about pacifism but RantWoman is to be true to the Light she is given.


http://forusa.org/blogs/ethan-vesely-flad/what-pacifism-good-for/9496

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Fall UFM Retreat: Equality

Theme for Fall Retreat: Peace and Social Concerns Committee inquires “Ever look at the state of the world and think Quaker testimonies could be part of the answer?

Peace and Social Concerns will be providing content for the (fall 2011 but we don't know the date) Meeting retreat. The theme will be the negative impact of inequality. We’d like at least some Friends to read The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. There will be copies in our Library and the Seattle Public Library. Also available in paperback: Bloomsbury Press, 2009.


RantWoman is absurdly happy to note the following.
The book can be downloaded as an e-book from http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Level-Equality-Societies-ebook/dp/B003TWOK70/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313365481&sr=1-1


RantWoman might be a TEENSY bit happier if those posting this announcement had made the effort to check availability in a format accessible to RantWoman, but for now RantWoman is happy for once that the problem is solved.

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Conscientious Objection before there were Quakers

See, See, there was a whole lot of conscientious objection before Quakers were ever on the scene. RantWoman is stashing this item about "the paton saint of conscientious objection" in her blog as filing cabinet information archive.

http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/08/the-patron-saint-of-conscientious-objection/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WagingNonviolence+%28Waging+Nonviolence%29

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Notes from Salt and Light, March 11-12, Seattle

On Being Salt and Light in a Broken World
FWCC Salt and Light gathering with Mauriel and Aminda Arevalo,
March 11-12, North Seattle Friends Church and University Friends Meeting
Seattle WA
Notes by (RantWoman)

Aminda and Mauriel Arevalo are pastors in a Quaker church in a suburb of San Salvador called Soyapongo. They have been working there for over 25 years since being inspired by a visit from a Quaker pastor.

Friday evening opened with Biblical reflections. Mauriel spoke of their work as an intimate relationship with the Light, a direct manifestation of the love of God. Citing not only the passage from Matthew 5:13-16 but also I Corinthians 13, Mauriel speaks of God’s love as something which does not discriminate, which applies to people of every station. He speaks of comprehensive salvation of human beings, in this life as well as the next.

Aminda brought a different gift. She taught everyone to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” in Spanish and then a message with a very different tone. Soyapongo is one of the most crime-ridden areas around San Salvador. Mauriel mentioned Saturday at lunch that in their district alone, there are 100,000 young people involved to some degree with gang life, the “maras.” The street gangs have a practice of trying to collect “tax: or protection money. The Arevalos’ church has a school connected with it and Aminda is the headmistress. One day a man arrived and Aminda thought he just planned to enroll his children in school. She took him to her office. He pulled the door shut hard and demanded the “tax.” Aminda says she looked him in the eye, told him that he is not a bad person but that he was doing bad things and that she refused to collaborate with his violence. He listed all her children’s movements and what buses they ride and threatened to kill them. Aminda stood her ground and told him she refused to pay a penny of his “tax.” He left, telling her he would return, but he never did. Now the Arevalos discourage all the Quaker churches from paying this “tax” Because it just increases the violence. To say the least, North American Friends do not necessarily face such vivid opportunities to live the Peace Testimony.


Saturday’s session at University Friends’ Meeting opened after coffee and registration with a short introduction to the history of FWCC. Outgoing Section of the Americas secretary Margaret Fraser spoke of the origins of FWCC and of the importance of the word Consultation for the organization’s founders and their efforts to rebuild ties across different strands of Quakerism. Margaret also spoke of the once-a-generation World Gatherings, the next of which is in Kenya in April 2012. Finally Margaret said that the Salt and Light process grew out of inspiration as Finance Committee sought Light about cost-effective ways for representatives of different Friends traditions to share their experiences with each other.

Saturday’s theme song, which Friends sang several times throughout the day was sung to the tune of “London Bridge is falling down,” all about what a joy it would be if everyone worked together doing God’s work.

Mauriel’s morning message again began with the passage from Matthew with reflections on salt in terms of purity, preservation, and flavor.
Mauriel spoke of the whiteness of salt, of a call to live a clean honest life even in the face of corruption all around and to reflect the love of God in all one’s dealings. Aminda spoke of the role of salt in food preservation, as described below and of the power of being a example, of walking into meetings where people changed how they spoke to each other because of her presence.
Aminda tells stories of the time of the civil war / death squads. In the 80’s extrajudicial killings were a common way of dealing with many daily circumstances. Once Aminda’s brother accidentally ran over a 3-year-old nephew. Aminda’s father was in great despair and fear of his life about what to tell the authorities when they arrived to investigate. Aminda advised him to tell the truth and the truth set him free.

One of Aminda’s salt-themed stories related to the farm where she grew up. From time to time her father would slaughter a sheep. The cut surface of the meat would be covered with a layer of salt and this way it would keep for several days as the family ate some each day. Aminda reminded Friends also of God’s exhortations in Exodus not to bring offerings to the temple without salt.

The final aspect of salt mentioned was flavor, the aspect of having Christ present in one’s life. A salt-themed image related to the practice in Palestine of baking bread in open-air stone ovens. A layer of salt would be spread across the stones as a way of reflecting and evenly distributing the heat as well as enhancing the flavor of the bread baked this way. The passage in Matthew refers to salt losing its flavor and being thrown out to be trod upon after long use in such an oven. Aminda and Mauriel said a person who loses focus on Christ might experience a lack of purpose in life, a loss of “flavor.” The image of salt helping reflect the Light more evenly also spoke to this writer.

Mauriel spoke of how their church provides mutual aid for some members facing difficulties. He also spoke of all the children in their midst and asked, almost rhetorically, why he has not seen nearly as many children at any of the Meetings and churches he has visited in the US.

Friends also broke into small groups to share about what they are doing to be salt and light in their communities. Themes which stood out to this writer included the simple work of arranging chairs and space for worship, the practice at one church of giving everyone a key to the building so that it felt more like everyone’s church, a refuge and resource for all. Friends also spoke of not necessarily being called to DO in response to some initiatives but still being called to lend support in discernment. Other Friends spoke of one Meeting’s ongoing walk as a community both with an admitted sex offender and with survivors of abuse.

Miscellaneous thoughts:
I happened to read Ashley Wilcox’ blog post about eldering and attending to movements of the Spirit during events on the fly shortly after the end of the gathering.
http://questforadequacy.blogspot.com/2011/02/eldering.html

I found myself upholding Friends travelling among us, seeing different groups of people, hearing the local variants of how we are Salt and Light in our communities and different interpreters at every stop even if they reuse the same basic outline. Aminda and Mauriel also share some deeply personal moments: even if there are no officially designated elders. I hope they feel upheld spiritually amid all the transitions that kind of travel schedule brings.

An additional multi-Meeting Bible Study brought additional rich reflections:
The Bible study reread the theme passage from Matthew as well as a short passage bravely sight translated from Douglas Gwyn’s Apocalypse of the Word.
One Friend spoke of attending a World Gathering in Kenya in the 1980’s. He remarked about how people from rich countries seemed very glum about the state of the world while Friends from poor countries seemed alive and full of hope.
Another Friend observed that the Light cannot get under the furniture; she challenged us to move our furniture and see where Light needs to shine. Other Friends also reflected on needing the Light upon the darkness of our souls.

A question arose about when there is too much salt, when people in the US battle hypertension. One Friend had thought of buying low-salt popcorn for the finger food potluck and of extra radiation, light from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant emergencies in Japan.

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