Walk of redemption: Women inmates overcome troubled past to graduate high school - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 | 9:45 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Walk of redemption: Women inmates overcome troubled past to graduate high school - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 | 9:45 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Food for Growing Thoughts

9 December 2010

Preface -- Dear God,

This is a letter I chose to write as a part of Amnesty International's annual letter writing campaign. I committed to writing three letters to support the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I'm not sure if this is one to be sent or not, so for now, since you woke me up at 2:00 a.m., again, with this still on my heart, I am writing it to you.

I think in a perfect world, all letters should have a preface and even perhaps, as in this case, even a "forward"! I think it would help in the communication that the letter is intended to communicate. Since letters used to be long and include information that we often disregard now, because most people cannot read beyond one page (if they can even do that), we have such grand miscommunication as we no longer preface our thoughts and ideas in our communications -- there is simply no context of the genesis for those thoughts and ideas.

In this letter, if you cannot tell by now, I'm being somewhat "cheeky" (as some of my friends on the other side of the pond would tell me). So, as I know you know, I mean no disrespect for anyone -- but, I'd like to write to my daughter's 5th grade teacher, her principal, Sister Diane and anyone else who was consulted on the decision to not pursue my request to encourage my daughter and her 5th grade class to participate in Amnesty International's annual letter writing campaign to support someone's struggle for human rights.

As you know, I don't mind getting "no," as an answer. Most times, I simply accept it as the place we are right now. But sometimes the answer I get doesn't make sense to me and the answer doesn't allow me to sleep, like tonight. I myself, coming from quite a conservative background, was surprised to hear the reason why the answer was "no," was because Amnesty International was too "liberal" and the school's environment was conservative.

While Amnesty International is one of the largest organization to globally fight for protection of our human rights, and raising awareness of the power of letter writing as global citizens on issues of human rights, I did not present the idea to support Amnesty International -- I presented it to encourage the preparation and education of active citizens on issues of deep spiritual import, embodied in our basic human rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

So, this is what I would write to her teacher and share with the administrators in her school. If It is your will that I should give this to them, I will know and I will once again venture out into the world and share my letters and not fear the consequences they may bring. That is why I am writing to you, because even if I just post it here on this blog (that probably no one will read until I am dead and gone), I know it is only if you are involved can I receive the desire of my heart: my daughter is deeply empowered through her spiritual life with a fearless passion for peace and justice on this planet you created. Thanks for listening. Mom.

Dear Mr. D:

Forward: Just so you are aware, this is not a private letter. This letter is a part of my life which is now part of the public realm, and all that you read is posted on the internet (http://goodschoolfood.blogspot.com). If you are actually reading a hard copy of this, that is the path that was opened for me to follow. But, just so you know, unless someone personally knows me, they will have no way to reference to whom this letter is actually written (beyond the fact that I am dealing with a Catholic school). Since I was called to share this part of me with the universe, you are free to share this with anyone you believe should read it as well.

As I know this question has been discussed with the school's principal, if you have received this in hard form, it is my intention to give her a copy as well. Also, I believe if she has not yet been a part of the discussion, I would like to bring Sister Diane into the dialog at this time. However, I will not do this until I have discussed this again with you after the holidays and hear your thoughts on the furthering of this discussion.

I live by the promise that, "All things work together for good," and what ever happens beyond this, it is good -- even if no one ever sees things my way. And, while I will follow down the path this letter may open up, beyond this, I do not plan to push the issue further, as indeed, I did not plan to follow-up beyond our initial dialog.

I walked away from our conversation on my suggestion regarding Amnesty International letter writing campaign perplexed. And, it is when I am confused that I usually find myself in trouble. A year ago, if I was getting woken up in the middle of the night with an issue like this still on my mind, I probably would have already gone to the see the Bishop of the Archdioceses and ask him what Jesus is he trying to teach my daughter at a "Christian" and "Catholic" school! Today, after four months in jail because of letters I have written in the past, I decided to chew on my confusion for a bit, and ask some questions around the school to try to better understand the environment that may be resistant to my suggestion (as that is the understanding I received from our conversation that was the environment into which I had made my suggestion). After this time and given the information I have received, I have to admit, today I am more confused by the response I received.

My confusion stems from the basic question: When did human rights become a "liberal" or a "conservative" thing? Ok, politically, one may want to align yourself one way or another with an organization (and I appreciate that a Catholic school may have a political reason for not wanting to be associated with Amnesty International as there may be times that those two parties may be at odds), BUT, to not want to encourage our 5th graders to write to support someone of their choice in their struggle for human rights -- well, to me, that's just very unCatholic, unChristian and unJesus.

In my experience with the Catholic Church, which, I admit is limited to my work as a peace activist, specifically in my work to abolish the death penalty in the United States, and then some work with the Catholic Workers and Catholic clergy that are a part of Interfaith Communities United for Justice & Peace on a variety of issues, the Catholics I know well all have one thing in common, they live what Jesus taught; they do what they believe is right and true, even if it 'stirs it up' with the authorities. Letter writing is a civilized, cultured, traditional and very powerful way to stand for what you believe in and even 'stir it up' in the area of human rights -- however that term is defined by the individual as grounded in their spiritual beliefs.

Fifth grade is an opportune time to begin to understand the need to be an active global citizen for things you believe in, as some beliefs, including those being taught by a Catholic school, are really taking root in a young mind. Think of it like planting the seed of an understanding what a basic human right is, and then planting it not just in plain dirt, but in a plot of MiracleGro's fertilized soil. Imagine that ... an assignment that one day could produce a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a global diplomat, a Dr. Martin Luther King, another Mother Theresa.

The Catholic tradition is filled with Saints who stood up for basic human rights all over our planet -- there are the saints on the streets today, where did they come from? It would be nice if one of them one day said, I came from Mr. D's 5th grade class where the seed of Jesus' passion for social justice was planted in the most fertile soil on planet earth at the time. I know in my daughter's reality, you have the power to plant a Sequoia for social justice in her life.

I am giving to you "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Poster Series and Teacher's Guide" which I received from Amnesty International -- not because its important that its an Amnesty International thing and I agree with everything Amnesty International does -- but because they created this teaching tool with the same spirit of social justice that Jesus embodied and taught me.

To be clear, this is not about Amnesty International, this is about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which almost all nations of the world recognize as being that what makes us one and equal. In Social Studies right now, you are teaching about how the Declaration of Independence in America made us one and equal something worth being active about to make a reality. This expands that the global heart.

Especially today, with the implementation of the Organization of the American States, the European Union, the African Union, and most recently, the Asian Union, our children are truly citizens of a global structure and organization. Their world is crafted increasingly by a governmental structures that eclipse that of our nation-state, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is our children's basic belief structure they will share with their friends, family and peers in our global community.

I would appreciate reconsideration of my suggestion that our 5th graders be given an opportunity, even if its just for meaningful extra credit, to learn what it means to write a letter to support someone struggling for human rights under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. An opportunity to learn why it is important as a Christian to support a person of their choice -- on a human rights issue that they believe in -- so that they can begin to bring the power of the holy spirit alive through the written word and the message of Jesus to those who may not hear it unless it comes from their unique voice.

I would also encourage you as you reconsider my suggestion to re-read and stand strong the philosophy of our school, we her parents are the first and primary educators for our daughter, I look to you to serve as a facilitator of learning for our daughter in that which our family has been called to be in service in our world in the area of social justice and human rights. I believe God has put us here together for many reasons, one of which is this purpose for Siobahn.

Thank you for your consideration, and for your loving, caring and gift of your knowledge and talents for the benefit of my daughter and her peers.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

the beginning

... in the beginning
there were apples and pears
green beans and broccoli
chicken and meatballs
rosemary and sage ...

... and then today
there's corn dogs and potato chips
pizza and soda
chicken nuggets with no chicken at all
GMO'd and full of hormones
nothing is actually grown
in the ground
from mother earth
and its our children's fuel
for daily growth

GIGO ... garbage in ... garbage out
our children are learning how to learn
but they are fed poisons and garbage
from the foods that feed their body
to the choices they can no longer make
because everyone knows that
children decide what they eat
and the adults just make what they want ...

wait a minute, when did that happen?

i thought we were to teach children what is good
and what is not
what is healthy and pure
and what is trash
adults make the decisions and make the contracts
and the foods that our children eat
reflect the health of our society.

this is a blog dedicated to the journey to return to eating foods that actually feed a healthy lifestyle where KETCHUP IS A CONDIMENT, NOT A VEGETABLE!

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'