DOTS DAY TO DAY

Though I shouldn't be, I'm continually astounded by my state's lack of support for migrants, especially families and children of undocumented individuals. I'm sure the same goes for most red states. These are human beings, people, but many in law enforcement and Legislators disregard this, and look upon them more as locusts or swarms of mosquitos to be swatted away without a care, in my opinion. I think it is unconscionable to "round up" and deport undocumented individuals without regard to the conditions they will be returned to, as a result of oppressive governments which deny their own citizens basic human rights. In my view, returning these people to such environments is often a deliberate and voluntary contribution to their death, or the death or imprisonment of family members, all because those individuals seek a better life in the United States. The argument, offered by most conservative politicians, is always state's rights, state's choice. Tha

I am currently rereading  Jane Addams: Pioneer of Social Justice by Cornelia Meigs .  I first read this fabulous biography in junior high school, likely for a book report. Even then, social justice and activism interested me keenly. Ms. Adams grew up in Illinois, in a small village. Her father owned property, including a lumber mill and a grist mill, and she was brought up in comfortable financial circumstances. Her father was a Quaker, and taught her to think for herself. Born in 1860, one of her first memories was her father's overwhelming sadness, following the assassination of President Lincoln in April, 1865. Even then, as young as she was, she wanted very much to make a difference in the world, and to help those less fortunate than she. She went on to do just that, and as her biographer so aptly reminds the reader, Ms. Addams' influence is still felt today.

U.S. House panel debates nutrition benefit changes in GOP farm bill proposal. This article is just one example of what I see as very wrong int this country as orchestrated by Republican politicians. It's always about further diminution of the social safety net and relief for vulnerable people and families struggling to by food and necessities. The GOP, it seems to me, is for ever on the lookout for ways to cut spending. The problem is, proposed spending cuts are rarely, if ever, about cutting military spending, which has always been high on the list of GOP preferred spending. Another GOP preference is always massive tax breaks, not for working class Americans or the most vulnerable ins society, but for the highest income earners and corporations--the very wealthy and big business. This time the debate is over funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps. Since more than 41,000,000 people use SNAP benefits, I see this funding as criti

I am currently reading  The Medicine Woman of Galveston  by Amanda  Skenandore . Though it is fiction, parts of this book are all too real and chilling. I will publish my rating and the book's description when I finish reading this book, but for now, I would like to focus on a part of United States history portrayed in its pages, and that is the rounding up of children of indigenous peoples, most often without parental consent, and shipping them off to boarding schools to "teach" them. Teach them what? To teach them the ways of white folks, and to forcibly convert them to Christian beliefs. Never mind that these children already had their own framework of community, culture and deep spiritual values. Never mind that these children were already loved and cared for by their families and extended families. Oh no! White folks despaired of children living their lives with different customs and ways, as if the only acceptable way to live was the "white" way. Christian

Most of us have some technology. Perhaps it's a smart phone and nothing else. Perhaps it's a smartphone, Windows PC, iPad, Mac, smart TV, smart appliances, and more. Then there are people who have no smart devices and may choose to have no Internet and live off the grid. My guess is that most of us are somewhere between these extremes, and also that, from time-to-time, our technology needs and use change, either because our job changes, or because we make a personal decision to reduce the number of tech devices we use and lessen our dependence on technology. I love technology, and am so grateful for what it brings to my life in terms of digital books and easier ways to communicate with people all over the world. As a person who is DeafBlind, technology has made my life so much easier and enabled me to have access to digital books and electronic books in Braille. This may not seem like such a huge advance to print readers, but growing up, my access to hardcopy Braille books was

Witness in Death (In Death, #10), by J.D. Robb, My rating:4 out of 5 stars, Read from: 05/19/2024 - 05/22/2024. I did enjoy this book, as I have all books in the In Death series, thus far, though it is not my favorite. I liked it more and more as it moved along. So now it will be on to book 11. Book description: There was always an audience for murder. Opening night at New York's New Globe Theatre turns from stage scene to crime scene when the leading man is stabbed to death right on centre stage. Now Eve Dallas has a high profile celebrity homicide on her hands. Not only is she primary detective, she's also a witness - and when the press discovers that her husband, Roarke, owns the theatre, there's more media interest than either can handle. The only way out is to move fast. Question everyone - and everything. And in the meantime, try to tell the difference between the truth - and really good acting... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213975

This morning, I was greeted by a story in my state's news about two teachers who are choosing to leave the profession, not because they don't enjoy teaching, but because they cannot afford to continue teaching. When I think of teachers deciding to find other employment, what comes to mind is the contentious nature of the classroom these days, with both students and parents often treating teachers with disrespect. But I'm beginning to understand the equally destructive problem of low salaries. It's difficult to remain engaged and happy in any employment situation when, after long hours of work, your paycheck doesn't allow you to support your family. The news story I read went on to explain that many in the teaching profession take on coaching or other positions to supplement their salaries. Even so, we all know there are only so many hours in the day, and a teacher's day is not concluded at the end of the school day. The irony of this exodus does not escape me. W

Those of you who follow me on social media well know about my propensity for rereading favorite books. In fact, I keep an entire folder of what I call comfort books, favorites that I reread quite often, when I need to relax and enjoy something familiar. A book reread, for me, is like visiting with an old and dear friend. At times, I struggle not to get caught up in rereads to the point where I fail to read new books. This year, I've done pretty well in that area. I've nearly completed my Goodreads reading challenge of 100 books, and I never count rereads in that challenge. right now, one of the books I am revisiting is the second book in Sara Donati's Wilderness series. If you have not read a book by this author or have not read the books in this series, I encourage you to do so. I read the first two books in the series quite a while back, and decided to revisit them both, before continuing on to book 3. I'm so glad I did because I'd forgotten much about the charact

It is now graduation season in many parts of the world. A time when graduating students are looking toward the future bright with expectation and new beginnings. It should be a happy time where students and their families can proudly celebrate accomplishments that have often required years of effort, study, determination and sacrifice. But not all students can celebrate their graduation in a way that is fully meaningful to them, especially if they want to make their cultural traditions part of their graduation ceremony by wearing culturally significant regalia or clothing. Some states have enacted legislation protecting the rights of students to wear culturally relevant regalia to graduation ceremonies, if they choose to, but many states do not have laws protecting this right of choice, and school officials can and do remove such regalia from a student's person, sometimes forcibly. Such is the case for Genesis White Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. As she w

Welcome to another blogging attempt. As those of you who follow me on social media know, i've attempted blogging before, and have given up on the effort, mostly because I'm inconsistent about taking the time and committing to writing posts on a regular basis. I also haven't taken the time to make blog posts pretty and esthetically appealing, so readers will not find a beautifully laid out blog here. I'm writing this in the simplest way possible, using the Notes app on my iPhone. What I plan to post are comments about books and what I'm reading. Since reading is what I love to do, it's what I spend the most time doing. I also plan to post about political and societal trends and comment on the good and the bad, in both. I am a follower of Jesus, and am liberal about my Christian views, as well as my political ones, so if you're offended by support for the LGBTQ community, gay rights, women's rights, civil rights, voting rights and the idea that the purpose