Three days before Christmas: a good time to share some random thoughts on the reason for the holiday – the man Jesus with the title “Christ.” Jesus the man lived nearly 2,000 years ago as a Jewish subject in the Roman Empire. After he died, his followers kept his memory alive in a myriad of […]
Present
Blog posts relating to the present such as social justice issues
Hate in the White House: A New Tool from the SPLC
Is it not tragic that we must speak of hate in the People’s House, our beloved White House in the seat of our national government? Unfortunately, we must call a spade a spade: the Trump Administration, from the top down, fosters hatred, bigotry, and animosity – citizen against citizen – on a regular basis. Donald […]
Business Meets Social Responsibility
It is possible – and highly desirable – for the business community to have an ethos of social responsibility, in addition to profit motivation. The mission of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), a statewide, nonprofit business association, is “to foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business […]
Important Hearing Aid Bill Signed
One positive legislative achievement has somewhat miraculously taken place under President Trump: he signed a bill into law that should benefit millions of Americans. The Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 was signed on August 18, 2017, and includes a bipartisan provision on over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) […]
Revisiting the CFPB
Now that the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Richard Cordray, has announced his resignation, it’s all the more important to raise our voices in support of the agency. Please take a look at an earlier post on this, if you haven’t seen it already This agency works for YOU but is under […]
“What do you Pay for Health Care?”
“Employer-provided health care is the biggest obstacle to grassroots movement for single-payer in America. Because if you ask most Americans, ‘What do you pay for health care a year?’ They’ll go, ‘I don’t know. My employer provides it. I just have a little bit taken out of my check.’” This was former Vermont Governor Peter […]
Social Justice Energy in Vermont and New Hampshire: The Work of People of Faith
In August 2017, Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) held its Second Annual Statewide Convention in Randolph, Vermont. VIA is “a faith-based, grassroots coalition of congregations that transforms ordinary people into empowered and engaged citizens. Our goal is to create the hope, power, knowledge, and political will needed to make compassion and social justice a reality for […]
Stats from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: The Urgency of the 2018 Midterms
Here are some significant statistics from a recent DCCC mailing: 23 – the number of House seats Republicans are defending in districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. These Republicans are instantly vulnerable, and now they must go to their constituents and convince voters who cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton that two years of […]
A Close Analysis of the Sexual Harassment Epidemic and Ways to Combat It
With the accusations against Hollywood film producer and executive Harvey Weinstein coming fast and furious, we are once again confronted by the specter of sexual harassment and assault in the United States. Of course, the situation should not come as a surprise (although sometimes it seems to): within only the past few years, we have […]
Obama’s Bipartisan Deals: Exposing More Lies from the Trump White House
Several weeks ago, the Daily Kos published an article on “the growing ethical crimes of Sarah Huckabee Sanders.” It is indeed a sad day in America that the official voice of the executive branch of our government is most likely disseminating downright lies to the American people. (It goes without saying that it is a […]