next100days-blog1

[next100days-blog1]

This little girl did exactly what I wanted to highlight on this blog. She took something that made her upset and turned it into something good and kind. 

Bravo!

[next100days-blog1]

Day 112

I missed a few days of blogging, but my highlight today makes up for it. I am lauding the voices of Dissent today. Dissent is defined as:

1.to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed by from):Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.

2.to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.

3.to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

When I was growing up, dissent wasn’t encouraged. I grew up in the church and looking back it seems that the goal of life back then was assimilation. The expectation was that we would fit in; with the church, with the rules, with the scriptures, with each other, with the right side, with the church’s vision of the future. Dissent was rebellion. Rebellion was evil. And evil was to be avoided at all cost. All this to say that I came late to the appreciation of dissent. I had to chase that appreciation down after the belief system I grew up with crumbled around me. 

I have learned to appreciate dissent. I have learned to appreciate those punch in the gut conversations with friends where they tell me they don’t agree with my life or choices. They still sting, but they are so valuable in learning and growing and becoming a better person tomorrow that I am today. I also have come to appreciate impersonal dissent, like reading opinions other than my own, or challenging myself to participate in conversations where not everyone agrees with my point of view, 

Dissent is critical to change and growth. 

Dissent seems to be our president’s least favorite thing. He doesn’t like it in the people around him. He doesn’t like it in the news media. He doesn’t like it in the international scene. He doesn’t like it anywhere. His aversion to it shows in his decisions. He is as petty and vengeful today as he was a year ago. Someone in his position with as much opportunity to see himself reflected in the press, who valued dissent and learned from it. would have grown as a person. 

So today let’s celebrate the voices of dissent. Not only those that are speaking up against the current administration but the voices of dissent in our own lives. Let’s celebrate those friends who tell you what you need to hear, even when you don’t want to hear it. Let’s celebrate the voices on the other side of the argument. 

[next100days-blog1]

Day 106

I can’t stop feeling sick inside when thinking of the passage of the AHCA. I have read too many articles today about the fallout it will cause. i can’t help but worry about the people that might lose their coverage. 

I thought I would write today about some good right in my backyard. There is an organization in town called Volunteers In Medicine. When I was a social worker, I would hand out their information to all of my clients. They are a wonderful organization with clinics all around the country. There are a few paid staff but mostly it consists of volunteers serving their community. 

They provide health services to people struggling with poverty. They are a beacon in a rather dark situation. When someone is sick and can’t afford treatment, it can feel like you have no control over your life. 

This clinic, and others like it, were the Obamacare before there was such a thing. They did their best to help the vulnerable find the care they needed. But not every town had one. There was never enough funding to meet every need. There were never enough health care professionals to treat every person. Obamacare was a step in the right direction. It attempted to take the burden off the few and disperse it amongst the many. I believe in that answer and I hope it can survive what is happening now. 

Here is a little about VIM:

“ Volunteers in Medicine is a free medical clinic for individuals residing in Monroe and Owen Counties who are without health insurance or the economic means to pay for health care. When VIM first opened in 2007 it was estimated that nearly 17,000 adults and children in households at or below 200% of the poverty level, in Monroe and Owen Counties, were without any type of health insurance.

Over nearly 10 years, the Volunteers in Medicine clinic has served as a “safety-net” clinic offering health care to people that, due to financial constraints, would not otherwise have access to services. However, while there are now fewer uninsured adults coming to VIM since the implementation of healthcare reform, there is still no doubt that many newly insured people experiencing homelessness or otherwise living in poverty remain medically underserved and in need of a safety-net clinic. Healthcare reform has not changed the fact people living in poverty, who become insured, are still living in poverty.

For the many people ineligible for insurance, Volunteers in Medicine continues to provide the free medical, dental, mental health, and specialty care, and medications for which we are well known. At the same time, the VIM clinic is working harder than ever to keep insured people, living in poverty, healthy by providing “health support services.”

Public health experts have known for decades that factors such as inadequate housing, poor nutrition, lack of transportation, and health illiteracy have a bigger impact on health than medical interventions. VIM’s health support services are available for both insured and uninsured people that meet VIM’s income eligibility criteria. The clinic is unbelievably busy!

We can hope that, one day, no one will be without health insurance and that everyone who needs it will have easy access to medical care – however, that hope is not yet a reality. There is no doubt that as long as people still live in poverty, there will be need in Bloomington and surrounding communities for a safety-net free medical clinic. VIM is proud to serve this need.”

I am thankful to have people who are trained and willing to help those in need in this community. Knowing they are here, raises my spirits. It is also good to be reminded that there isn’t an easy fix for things. Obamacare didn’t solve everything. We still need to know our neighbors, and help where we can to meet each other’s needs.                                                  

[next100days-blog1]

Day 105

Today was tough. The House passed the AHCA bill. It is not enough to say this bill is fundamentally flawed. From the information that is public right now, this bill will benefit few people and will hurt many. This is a political victory, not a moral or human one. I feel sick that the terms winning and losing are used in this context. I think it helped the GOP members to distance themselves from the actual effect of their vote. It became a victory rather than a bill that will cost real people their healthcare. 

In the midst of all this madness, the bright spot was all the calls to action by a bunch of strong women in my life. Today I want to honor and highlight the outspoken, fierce, independent, tireless, women activists among us.

I have many of those strong women in my community. I am proud to know them.  

[next100days-blog1]

[next100days-blog1]

Day 104

Today happens to be World Press Freedom Day so what better day to write about the press. I have to admit, I hate watching the news. I stopped watching it years ago. When I walk into a room with it on, I want to walk right out again. There was a period of time before all of this election stuff that I could go for a week or more before consuming an actual news story. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a conversation where I was lost but didn’t want to admit it due to my own resistance to read current events. 

Over the course of the election up until now, I find myself consuming news constantly. Part of becoming a consumer of news has been the process of educating myself on what sources I go to for information. I have researched what sources are sarcasm and comedy and what sources are legitimate. I have learned which outlets are more conservative and which are more liberal. I try to read stories from both perspectives when I can. 

There is a lot written about our “echo chambers” right now. I can see the value in examining them. I have made some attempts at getting outside mine by not consuming new articles from my Facebook feed. I have an app on my phone that pulls the stories together from the journals and papers I choose each day. I have set my preferences to include both liberal and conservative sources. I stay away from the journals on the extreme ends of either side. 

Being more mindful and skeptical of the news we are fed is a good thing. It shouldn’t come at the cost of demeaning the press as a whole. There is so much importance in having a free and valued press corp. Using the term “fake news” to describe stories you just don’t like or agree with tears down the value of that press corp. We are seeing the fallout of that erosion right now in our country. The fact that our president and his administration can present “alternative facts” as truth with a straight face frightens me. 

Here is a quote from the UNESCO presentation for World Press Freedom Day:

“ After declining audiences for traditional media, sliding profits and claims of a growing disconnect between the media and their public, the proliferation of fake news as exemplified in the coverage of several major political events in 2016 is the latest challenge to affect the media sector. As Financial Times journalist John Lloyd recently observed, “the decline of newspapers in physical form and their passing on to the internet puts them on all fours with the vast flows of information, fantasy, leaks, conspiracy theories, expressions of benevolence and hatred.” 1 However, every challenge contains within it the seeds of opportunity. Jim Rutenberg from the New York Times has suggested that the explosion in fake news in 2016 may serve to raise the value of real news, concluding: “If so, it will be great journalism that saves journalism.” 2 Original, critical, and well-researched journalism is perhaps needed more today than ever before. Such journalism can thrive only in an environment that is enabling towards free, independent and pluralistic media. When these conditions are in place, the media have an enormous potential to advance peace, just and inclusive societies. Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunghe, who was assassinated in 2009, described free media as “a mirror in which the public can see itself sans mascara and styling gel”, adding: “From [them] you learn the state of your nation, and especially its management by the people you elected to give your children a better future”.

I love that there is a challenge to find some good in this situation in that quote. In the midst of all the craziness surrounding this issue, journalists writing excellent stories with integrity will rise above all the noise. The good we can all take from this today is to mindfully consume news that is written with integrity and to support the freedom of the press. Subscribe to a newspaper. Write a letter of thanks to a journalist that inspired you or informed you. They probably get enough internet trolling to deserve some gratitude. 

We are so lucky to live in a country where the freedom of the press is a real and vibrant part of our experience and public lives. That is not the case in many places around the world. Let’s not squander that freedom by labeling legitimate news as “fake”. 

In honor of all the journalists that have lost their lives in 2017.

Cecilio Pineda Birto (Mexican) Contributor to several publications, including the dailies El Universal and La Jornada de Guerrero Killed on 2 March 2017 in Mexico 

Shifa Zikri Ibrahim (Iraqi) Journalist for television broadcaster Rudaw, a Kurdish media network. Killed on 25 February 2017 in Iraq 

Luis Manuel Medina (Dominican) Journalist for the Milenio Caliente (Hot Millenium) news programme Killed on 14 February 2017 in Dominican Republic 

Leónidas Martínez (Dominican) Director of local radio station FM 103 Killed on 14 February 2017 in Dominican Republic 

Taimur Abbas (Pakistani) Media worker for Samaa TV Killed on 12 February 2017 in Pakistan 

Abdul Hakim Shimul (Bengali) Correspondent for the Bangladeshi daily newspaper Samakal Killed on 2 February 2017 in Bangladesh 

Manuel Salvador Villagrán Trujillo (Guatemalan) Reporter for several news media Killed on 19 January 2017 in Guatemala 

Igor Padilla (Honduran) Reporter for the TV channel Hable Como Habla (HCH) Killed on 17 January 2017 in Honduras 

Muhammad Jan (Pakistanese) Reporter for the Urdu-language daily Qudrat and Brahui language daily Talar Quetta Killed on 12 January 2017 in Pakistan 

Farida Mustakhdi (Afghan) Employee for Wolesi Jirga television Killed on 10 January 2017 in Afghanistan

[next100days-blog1]

Day 103

I woke up thinking about healthcare and the looming vote on the bill to replace Obamacare. I reached for the phone and called my Representative to voice my opposition to the proposed legislation. I can’t deny that I am worried about what might happen. It seems that the people who are deciding what we, as citizens need, are so removed from everyday life that I worry they won’t make decisions that actually benefit us. 

The healthcare debate is complicated. I can’t say that I understand what everyone’s experiences have been with Obamacare over the last few years. I can only speak for myself. I currently have health coverage because of Obamacare, and wouldn’t have it without that legislation. 

When I read an article or have a conversation about this topic it seems to always come down to money vs people. In my mind, people always win no matter what. If it is a choice between money in my pocket or someone getting health coverage, I will choose the person every time. When did we lose the joy of giving to others? When did we lose the satisfaction of lending a hand to someone in need. All I hear about lately is the cost, the money, the burden on taxpayers. Where is the language of community, of charity, of neighbors? 

I will continue to call and advocate against any replacement bill that doesn’t have my neighbors health and well being at its core. I am working hard to start my own business and I look forward to the day when my tax dollars will go to help my neighbors. Let’s shift our thinking from resentment that we have to dig in our pockets to “pay for someone else” to being grateful we have it to give. What good it will do for our souls to see this country as a community of our neighbors. As much as I loathe this health care debate going on in Washington, it does nudge each of us to think about our values and how they inform our lives. I think Obamacare, even with its flaws, got us to start thinking about healthcare as a right and not a privilege. In my book, that is a good thing. 

[next100days-blog1]

Day 102

One of the things that has helped me get through the last 100 days has been a podcast on NPR called Indivisible. It was a call in radio show that ran 4 nights a week for the first 100 days of the presidency. There were a handful of hosts that took turns each night, each with a different background and political affiliation. The podcast’s goal was to create space for conversations between parties in an attempt to find common ground and repair the rift that had deepened during the last campaign. I looked forward to listening to the podcasts every week. I cried through many of them, yelled at my phone a lot while listening, and learned so much about my fellow americans. In a wonderful way, it became a part of my “spiritual practice”. It was an hour in my day where I was listening to other people with the goal of understanding and finding commonality rather than just waiting for my turn to talk. Not wanting to lose that meditative time each day definitely inspired this blog. So here I am, taking time this morning to read and reflect on some good in the world.

In honor of Indivisible, I chose this morning to talk about one of the hosts, Charlie Sykes. 

I hadn’t heard of Charlie Sykes before listening to the podcast, so it was interesting to read his story. He hosted a conservative talk radio show for 25 years, until he came out as a #NeverTrump. In voicing dissent from the GOP over Trump, he lost listeners and was attacked on social media. 

“ When it became clear that I was going to remain #NeverTrump, conservatives I had known and worked with for more than two decades organized boycotts of my show. One prominent G.O.P. activist sent out an email blast calling me a “Judas goat,” and calling for post election retribution. As the summer turned to fall, I knew that I was losing listeners and said so publicly. “

A lot of people in his position would be tempted to just give up and endorse Trump to keep their job and reputation. Instead, Mr. Sykes held firm to his convictions and did some soul searching. He looked at what was happening politically and courageously acknowledged his part in it. 

“How had we gotten here? One staple of every radio talk show was, of course, the bias of the mainstream media. This was, indeed, a target-rich environment. But as we learned this year, we had succeeded in persuading our audiences to ignore and discount any information from the mainstream media. Over time, we’d succeeded in delegitimizing the media altogether — all the normal guideposts were down, the referees discredited.That left a void that we conservatives failed to fill. For years, we ignored the birthers, the racists, the truthers and other conspiracy theorists who indulged fantasies of Mr. Obama’s secret Muslim plot to subvert Christendom, or who peddled baseless tales of Mrs. Clinton’s murder victims. Rather than confront the purveyors of such disinformation, we changed the channel because, after all, they were our allies, whose quirks could be allowed or at least ignored. We destroyed our own immunity to fake news, while empowering the worst and most reckless voices on the right.”

The quotes from Mr. Sykes are taken from an Op-Ed he wrote in the New York Times when he announced the end of his radio show. It is a great piece and I will include a link to it. The courage it took to step away from his party and voice dissent is admirable. I don’t say this just because he was a republican and I am liberal. Voices of dissent in my own party are just as courageous and I am excited to seek them out in the days to come. 

The good my soul grabs onto this morning is the example of someone who valued what he thought was right over his reputation, his job, and his social identity. Someone who was able to look inside himself and see where he had gone wrong in some ways and not just admit that to himself but present it to the world to see is someone I want to be more like. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/opinion/sunday/charlie-sykes-on-where-the-right-went-wrong.html?_r=0

[next100days-blog1]

Day 101

The last 100 days have been some of the toughest to handle in many ways. I wake up each morning and wonder what I will read about that day. I wonder who or what our president has insulted or belittled. I wonder what regulation has been jettisoned in the name of “freedom” that will affect the future of our planet. I have seen more anger in myself through the election and first 100 days of this administration, then I have ever expressed in my life. People who know me might think that could be a good thing, as I am reluctant to express anger even when I should. I, however, know how destructive the anger has felt in my soul. To combat the fear, the anger, the frustration I have felt, I have tried to redirect that energy into doing good. Lately when I read an article or hear a story that gets my ire up, I reach out to someone affected by the issue and either make a donation to their cause if I can afford it or send a letter of apology or support. These acts have helped me tremendously, and I know they have a positive impact on the world around me. 

We made it through the first 100 days of this administration. We have a few hundred more to go before it is over. I thought I would take the next 100 days and pick a person, a topic, a country, or a concern that our president has insulted, belittled, judged harshly, treated poorly, trampled on, exploited, lied about, or mishandled and write about it. Even though I identify as a liberal, I won’t limit my list to only those concerns in my echo chamber. Our president isn’t discriminatory about who he insults on twitter or at a rally. The thing is, people don’t need to be torn down, systems and ways of thinking need to be torn down. I might not agree with a person’s politics or ways of living, but they don’t need to be personally insulted. That statement holds true for the president as well. I don’t agree with his decisions, his ways of treating others, his politics, or much of anything really, but I will not attack him personally. I won’t forward the jokes about his his looks or his personal life, but I will hold him accountable for his actions, his policy, his treatment of others, and the decisions he makes in leading this country. 

My goal is to take my list of 100 people, places, topics, and concerns that have been mishandled and insulted by our president or the current administration and share something positive about them each day. I am excited to start this project because it will force me to do some research, especially when the item on my list is someone or something I don’t agree with or know much about. I am looking forward to searching for things to like about people rather than being fed information about what to dislike or fear about them. I am looking forward to being challenged to confront my own biases and the ways I am lazy in my understanding of others.

Wish me luck!