Category Archives: Golden Rule

Ongoing events urge us to redefine and refresh that tired old used-up wordlove.

Love is the only force strong enough to be the unifying energy that ties our broken country back together. Hate cant do it. Hate and fear have polarized us. We need to choose: we cant love and hate at the same time.

Love is difficult and takes effort. It is easy to love our children, because that is built into us, just as the fear which can lead to hate is built into us. But the consistent, firm love that gives us the patience to set limits on children that will help them grow into good citizens and good parents in their turnand learn in their turn not to give into hate and fear and exasperated impatienceis not instinctive. It must be learned as we go.

Love is self-reflecting. It admits mistakes and learns from them. Its no fun to realize we have been wrong or done something hurtfuljust as it is no fun to be hurt. Love is about interdependence, the Golden Rule, the reality that I am not the center of the universe, that others and their needs are as real as me and my needs, and that we are all more alike than different. The tragedy of Donald Trump is that he still hasnt realized these basic elements of being human.

Love is nonviolent, by definition. Violence can never be loving. Period. Self-defense may be necessary, but it isnt love, its self-defense. The mob in the Capitol hurting and even killing policemen was not defending itself, nor was it defending liberty or democracy. It rationalized its violence on the basis of misinformation about the results of an election that were proven false in more than 60 court cases.

Love is conservativeit conserves life with responsible care. Love is progressiveit hopes for a better world.

Love does not preoccupy with enemies. If we are loving, we define ourselves by what we are for, not what we are against. If we are sufficiently against something or someone it can mistakenly justify violence. Instead love calls us to be constructive and look for common ground with adversaries as creatively as we can. Hate dehumanizes the other; love identifies with the other.

That means inclusivity is part of love. Hate separates into parts; love sees the big picture. To say we are one humanity on one planet is a statement of love-and also a demonstration of how the meaning of love really does evolve over time, because a hundred years ago we had not seen the earth from space. Back then only religious seers were motivated by this aspect of love; now it is accessible to all. Every day the news carries new proof that were all in the same boat.

So love inevitably puts us in a mode of learning and discovery. Were in a place weve never been before. Love is self-education. What is the truth in any given situation? Love is honest and authentic in its longing for truth. So love overlaps with scienceit searches for what works, what leads to life, to goodness, to truth, to beauty.

Self-education in love means learning to work cooperatively with other people toward whatever larger goal we can agree is important or even necessary for survival. Many in the U.S. House and Senate have demonstrated over the past weeks, and months and years, that they have much to learn about working together.

Love is conservativeit conserves life with responsible care. Love is progressiveit hopes for a better world.

Finally, love takes the larger perspective. It is aware that we are here for only an instant in all time, that others before us sacrificed that we could be here, and that we are the gateway to all the future. Love is acceptance of this condition, a willingness not to resist it.

As David Attenborough keeps saying, what we do in the next few years will affect the next two thousand years of life on earth. That is a statement of how much we need to discover how to love.

Winslow MyersPeaceVoice

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The Ever-Changing Shape of Love - LA Progressive

At the conclusion of my term in elective office, I pause to express my heartfelt appreciation to the citizens of West Virginia for the opportunity to serve our state.

The historic honor of serving as first Republican Majority Leader, and to be unanimously elected as the first two-term Republican Senate President in 88 years, is a cherished experience for which I will be eternally grateful. The privilege of leading a new majority Senate during some of the most eventful and momentous times in our history has been an incredible blessing. During these years, our state faced obstacles that previous leaders only imagined. Working together, we surmounted the difficulties, stayed the course, and won great victories for the people of West Virginia. Its been said that the true test of leadership is how well one functions in crisis. Ernest Hemingway defined it as Grace under pressure. Our state can be proud that we were tested by fire, passed with flying colors, and emerged to the reward of a better West Virginia.

I am confident that future generations will say of our young Republican majority that, in our moment to lead, we did all that could be done to advance West Virginia. We spared no effort and left no stone unturned. Without regard to special interest groups and at risk to our personal careers, we quickly and consistently tackled tough issues and placed West Virginia on a course of progress and prosperity. Indeed, in the last six years, the Senate has played a leading role in the pre-pandemic resurgence of the economic and societal condition of our state. The Senate helped provide the thought leadership and political courage to enable West Virginia to break the status-quo and enter a new dimension of growth, freedom, and personal liberty. I dare say that no six-year period in the history of West Virginia has produced such foundational and transformational improvements.

Working with all citizens, we recognized what needed to be done, and we did it from improving public education, to fixing our judicial system, empowering working families, protecting life and liberty, slashing red tape and regulatory burdens, enhancing infrastructure, and ushering in a host of other good-government initiatives. Wherever we saw a need, we spared no effort to address it.

The list of accomplishments is unprecedented in scope and substance. I am blessed to have played a role in making the necessary changes for our citizens. We tackled the moral and economic challenges of our time. In my Senate office, I placed a portrait of Anne Frank inscribed with the words; How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. I am so pleased that we did not wait! We acted quickly and boldly to improve our world.

While not re-elected to the Senate, I genuinely and enthusiastically congratulate the winners. Now, as a private citizen, I join my fellow West Virginians in praying for our continued progress and success. Our state is in good and capable hands, and I will rest easy knowing there is no better group of people to steer the ship of state. I am confident that West Virginia will soar to even greater heights and secure more victories for our citizens. It is gratifying to note that West Virginia voters, in overwhelming numbers, validated our agenda by electing more legislators who are committed to progress and necessary reforms. As such, the cause lives on and the progress continues.

Some have opined that my personal election was lost because I stood up to teacher union bosses and labor leaders, and that I lost votes due to my support of fairness for all citizens. If these positions cost me an election, so be it. While compromise is always necessary, no one should be bullied to take a position that is against ones principals. I am proud to have fought on behalf of students and parents, and I would do it again. We have no higher calling than to provide a world-class education and superior schools to our children. Yes, its true that I fought for jobs and opportunities by supporting Right-to-Work laws that gives workers the freedom to choose to join a union. Why should anyone be forced into a union just to keep their job? Yes, I support the principal of non-discrimination and fairness for all citizens. I believe this position will prove to be on the right side of history.

In our wonderful American democracy it is important for all citizens to put common good above partisan or personal differences. Our society needs more kindness, truth, helpfulness, and respect. My Christian faith teaches the golden rule do unto others and to love everyone. We can disagree, without being disrespectful. In his 2nd Inaugural address, Lincoln expressed it perfectly, We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

At the conclusion of ones term in office, what more can anyone ask but that ones time in service will have made a profound and lasting impact toward improving the lives of people we serve and society as whole? I firmly believe this goal has been achieved. These last six years have made a positive and lasting difference. My heart is full of hope and assurance that people of good will can resolve any issues that confront us. I thank you for allowing me to serve. I thank you for the many everlasting friendships. I pray God will continue to bless the great state of West Virginia.

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Op-ed: Thankful for the opportunity and pleased with the progress - Parkersburg News

The institutional case is clear. The president attacked the states, in their right to set their own election procedures. He attacked the courts, state as well as federal, in their right to settle the election challenges brought before them. He attacked Congress, in its right to conduct orderly business free of fear. He attacked the vice president, in his obligation to fulfill his duties under the 12th Amendment. He attacked the American people, in their right to choose the electors who choose the president.

Ive spent much of my life listening to conservatives extol the Madisonian system of checks and balances, not to mention the rule of law. If these conservatives want to have any claim to be the champions of republican government as opposed to the mobocratic spirit that Lincoln warned against they have an obligation to impeach Trump now.

The philosophical case is clear. Senator Mitch McConnell was eloquent and right: If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. Wed never see the whole nation accept an election again. Every four years would be a scramble for power at any cost.

Conservatives who like to see themselves as guardians of Christian ethics might remind themselves of a familiar admonition: Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. If Republicans dont want to see a future Democratic president attempt what Trump just did, they have an obligation to follow the Golden Rule and impeach him now.

And the political case is clear. Republicans in Congress spent four years prostrate to the lower mind. What, other than the judges who helped affirm the legitimacy of Joe Bidens election, do they have to show for it? The president, whom they fear, despises them merely for failing to steal the election for him. They are verbally assaulted at airports by the same angry losers whose paranoid fantasies they did so much to stoke. And Republicans will continue to live in political fear of Trump if Congress doesnt bar him from holding office ever again.

Now they have a chance to make a break not clean, but at least constructive with the proven loser in the White House. Not many Republicans deserve this shot at redemption, but they still ought to take it. The G.O.P. came back after Watergate only after its party leaders Howard Baker, George H.W. Bush, Barry Goldwater broke unequivocally with Richard Nixon.

Youll hear Republicans like the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, talk about the need for healing. Fine. But this sort of healing first requires cauterizing the wound. Its called impeachment. Republicans mustnt shrink from it.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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Excerpt from:

Opinion | Only Impeachment Can Save Republicans - The New York Times

MYERS

By Winslow Myers

Ongoing events urge us to redefine and refresh that tired old used-up word - love.

Love is the only force strong enough to be the unifying energy that ties our broken country back together. Hate can't do it. Hate and fear have polarized us. We need to choose: We can't love and hate at the same time.

Love is difficult and takes effort. It is easy to love our children because that is built into us, just as the fear which can lead to hate is built into us. But the consistent, firm love that gives us the patience to set limits on children that will help them grow into good citizens and good parents in their turn - and learn in their turn not to give into hate and fear and exasperated impatience - is not instinctive. It must be learned as we go.

Love is self-reflecting. It admits mistakes and learns from them. It's no fun to realize we have been wrong or done something hurtful - just as it is no fun to be hurt. Love is about interdependence, the Golden Rule, the reality that I am not the center of the universe, that others and their needs are as real as me and my needs, and that we are all more alike than different. The tragedy of Donald Trump is that he still hasn't realized these basic elements of being human.

Love is nonviolent, by definition. Violence can never be loving. Period. Self-defense may be necessary, but it isn't love, it's self-defense. The mob in the Capitol hurting and even killing policemen was not defending itself, nor was it defending liberty or democracy. It rationalized its violence on the basis of misinformation about the results of an election that was proven false in more than 60 court cases.

Love does not preoccupy with enemies. If we are loving, we define ourselves by what we are for, not what we are against. If we are sufficiently against something or someone, it can mistakenly justify violence. Instead love calls us to be constructive and look for common ground with adversaries as creatively as we can. Hate dehumanizes the other; love identifies with the other.

That means inclusivity is part of love. Hate separates into parts; love sees the big picture. To say we are one humanity on one planet is a statement of love - and also a demonstration of how the meaning of love really does evolve over time, because a hundred years ago we had not seen the Earth from space. Back then only religious seers were motivated by this aspect of love; now it is accessible to all. Every day the news carries new proof that we're all in the same boat.

So love inevitably puts us in a mode of learning and discovery. We're in a place we've never been before. Love is self-education. What is the truth in any given situation? Love is honest and authentic in its longing for truth. So love overlaps with science - it searches for what works, what leads to life, to goodness, to truth, to beauty.

Self-education in love means learning to work cooperatively with other people toward whatever larger goal we can agree is important or even necessary for survival. Many in the U.S. House and Senate have demonstrated over the past weeks, and months and years, that they have much to learn about working together.

Love is conservative - it conserves life with responsible care. Love is progressive - it hopes for a better world.

Finally, love takes the larger perspective. It is aware that we are here for only an instant in all time, that others before us sacrificed that we could be here, and that we are the gateway to all the future. Love is acceptance of this condition, a willingness not to resist it. As David Attenborough keeps saying, what we do in the next few years will affect the next 2,000 years of life on Earth. That is a statement of how much we need to discover how to love.

Winslow Myers, syndicated by PeaceVoice, author of "Living Beyond War: A Citizen's Guide," serves on the Advisory Board of the War Preventive Initiative.

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Opinion: The ever-changing shape of love - Sumter Item

Well, we are just about half way through January, the darkest and most depressing month of the year, in my opinion.

January is the Monday of the calendar. I imagine if you were to survey the nation, the only people who enjoy Mondays are retired persons.

Monday is the stark, cold reality of a new week. The fun and games of the weekend are over, time to get up early, smell the coffee and buckle down for another week of work.

January is, in my opinion, a Monday on steroids.

You realize you are another year older, the bills begin arriving for Christmas, the decorations come down and the party is over.

We took the Christmas tree down last week. Im always a little sad to see the tree and especially the lights go away. In the depths of winter, the lights seem to make things a little bit better. I realize at some point we need to move on to the new year.

Sunday must give way to Monday.

The start of a new year is a time for fresh beginnings. A time to make resolutions to improve your health, finances or relationships. We assure ourselves that we will break away from our old bad habits and begin to lead better lives.

Some succeed with these new changes, many dont.

Do you make resolutions for New Years? If you do, I wish you the best of luck.

I believe that we make choices each and every day that will chart the path we will walk. Each day is a new chance to get things right. I feel that the pressure and unrealistic expectations that many create for themselves as the new year begins is not helpful at all.

So, let us resolve to make the best of what we have.

Because we all know that even the worst Mondays will eventually pass. January will as well, even though it seems like forever because we are in the depths of winter. The days are now growing longer, a few seconds each day. It may not seem like much, but it will begin to add up.

Hang in there, better days are coming. Monday does end and before you know it, Friday is rolling around again.

And the recent events that transpired at our nations Capitol Building were about as dark as it can get, but it will get better. Even though no one wants to admit it, we truly have much more in common with each other than the things that divide us.

We need to be honest with each other and do our best to understand one another. There is common ground on many issues our nation is facing. But we must see each other as human beings, not stereotypes. When we fail to follow the golden rule treat each other the way you want to be treated bad things follow.

Regular readers of this column know I am a fan of the President Elect. I believe Joe Biden has the life experiences and relationships we need to heal our divisions. But in order for him to succeed, he needs to be given a chance and judged by his actions.

There are better days ahead for our great American family. It wont be easy, but worthwhile things seldom are simple. They are always worth the effort.

Thanks for reading Ill keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.

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Hang in there, better days ahead | Columns | theameryfreepress.com - Amery Free Press

Vox Pop

Here is a rest of the story response to last weeks

Star News editorial cartoon. Our Senator Ron Johnson is respected by many for his willingness to stand up and be a voice for those who have the strong belief (bolstered by numerous eye-witness testimonies and signed affidavits) that in major cities in swing states the November 3 presidential election was fraught with illegal activities, set in motion by unconstitutional actions of changing the voting laws in those same states. To imply that the Senator was doing anything outside his jurisdiction to pursue needed investigations is to mislead the public about the proper protocol of how elections are to be conducted, and then, if needed, constitutionally challenged. To be sharing false information that he was doing anything wrong, or, un-American, is deceiving. In fact, the Senator was upholding his responsibilities and sworn oath to office, and to attack anyone who legitimately challenges election results is in itself an attack on what our Founding Fathers put in place as part of the check and balances to make sure that what we do as a society is done according to our laws.

Wherein lies a major problem in this entire scenario, which we have seen being played out since 2016 and the presidential election of Donald Trump: that being the lack of integrity by powerful media outlets and government institutions when it comes to seeking and giving out truth, thus leading to a loss of trust in our countrys leaders and those same institutions.

The disappointment and frustration on the part of tens of millions of American citizens is that because President Trump was not a career politician, people saw an opportunity for our country to right the ship that was tilting farther away from our roots that made us so great! Over the past four years, the world has observed a person who possesses a DNA that is results-oriented. He made campaign promises that were kept, and pro-American policies that set economic records. In fact, the Trump agenda accomplished so many positive things in working to Make America Great Again, that the unprecedented occurred on election night when he received 74 million legal votes, besting his 2016 totals by over 12 million votes. Obviously, to so many Americans, President Trump and his administration were doing something right.

Along with all these accomplishments, another big one was that of, if not draining the swamp, at least, exposing it. For years people have felt that things were bad in Washington, but, being able to observe the way our President has been treated during his term in offi ce has really blown the lid off the extreme bias, hypocrisy, and corruption against him. It truly revealed how many are compromised in both the media and the highest levels of government.

Like everyone, I have friends and relatives that do not always see eye-to-eye with me in every aspect of life. But even if you are a person who doesnt see things the way expressed here, I can honestly say: I do not consider you MY ENEMY. In fact, its my hope we all desire to be positive, glass-half-full people, while striving to be united with our fellow Americans in our purpose and goals. That being said, it must also be stated that no matter what the future holds for our country, we must remember that it is ultimately a battle between worldviews, and the reality of the spiritual warfare that the Bible talks about in Ephesians 6:10-12.

May we forge ahead using our God-given gifts and opportunities to make positive and productive differences in the lives of those around us! And let us seek truth as we practice the Golden Rule.

Larry Lecheler, Abbotsford

Excerpt from:

Says there is more to the story on Sen. Ron Johnson - Central Wisconsin News - CW Media

The history of the Jews in Detroit and Michigan over the past century is a story of communal growth and progress. The community has grown in numbers and organizational strength, as well as political and business power. As my friend and Detroit Jewish News Foundation founder Arthur Horwitz always says, using a boxing metaphor, the Detroit Jewish community punches above its weight when it comes to its place in American Jewish affairs.

However, not all in the community have advanced at the same pace. I was reminded of this fact when I found an excellent feature article by Jill Davidson Sklar in the Feb. 18, 2000, issue of the JN. Titled The Leadership Dance, its contemporary focus is, Nationally and locally, women are beginning to break through to top Jewish communal positions.

While reading the historic pages of the JN and Detroit Jewish Chronicle and in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History, one can see the stark differences in the roles of women and men in the public sphere. In the early years of the Chronicle, articles and columns devoted to women usually focused on society events, betrothments and marriages, with a few reports of women involved in communal organizations. As the decades rolled by, however, the pages provide evidence that women were increasingly involved in communal organizations, as well as in politics and business.

The Sklar article reports that, in 2000, the numbers of women in leadership positions were still well below the levels of male participation. A 1997 study by Mayan, a Jewish womens project from New York City, noted that 50% of Jews in America were women, but in communal organizations, women held only 25% of board membership. Only 12% of these groups had a woman in the top position. The article cites the Golden Rule as one reason: He who holds the gold, rules. In short, men were still considered to be the primary contributors to good causes rather than couples or individual women who had made their own mark in the business world.

Give credit to Jewish Detroit in 2000. It was an exception. The involvement of women in communal organizations was at a higher rate than the national average: 25% participation on boards (40% on JCC Board that year), and there were more women in leadership positions.

The article also provides good history on some pathfinders. In 2000, Penny Blumenstein was serving as the first female president of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, and women constituted 29% of its board membership. This was progress, but not enough. Blumenstein spelled out what was needed, and still desired today: I dont want them [women] to be segregated. I want them to be integrated. In short, no token female officials, but full parity with men.

Since that time, two other women have been Federation president: Nancy Grosfeld and Beverly Liss. And, Dorothy Benyas has been its longtime chief financial officer. However, the last (and only) woman to be the executive director of Federation was Blanche Hart, 1903-1923.

There has been significant progress for women in communal organizations since Sklars article from 2000. Ive only cited a very few examples from one organization among the many where women now serve in leadership roles. The glass ceiling has huge cracks. Maybe it will soon shatter.

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at http://www.djnfoundation.org.

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Looking Back: Poking Holes in the Glass Ceiling | The Jewish News - The Jewish News

My daughter was just three years old when we had our first conversation about race. She came home from her Jewish preschool upset that a classmate had said her brown skin looked like poop. I was speechless, and honestly, I just wanted to cry. Thankfully my mom, a retired teacher, was there to take the lead. You know what else is brown? my mom asked her. Chocolate, and chocolate chip cookies, and we all love those! Relieved, we laughed (because, well, poop) and then, of course, ate chocolate chip cookies. But this heart-wrenching moment emphasizes two key truths that I face as the parent of Black children. First, I am given no choice but to talk about race with my children at an unnervingly early age. Second, my white friends and acquaintances, and the children they raise, play a significant role in shaping how my children see themselves. To say that we must collaborate is an understatement. We are partners.

I am biracial. My father was a Black professional athlete, from a family of 10, raised in a small town in western Pennsylvania. My mother is white and Jewish, raised just south of Boston. I married a Black man, and until we moved to a suburb of New York City in September, we were raising three Black children ages 8, 6, and 4 in Manhattan.

Growing up outside of Boston, I attended a predominately white private school for thirteen years. I spent my days on a sprawling campus, scurrying between academic buildings, free periods on the quad and lacrosse practice. In contrast, I spent evenings and weekends a mere 15 minutes away at a predominantly Black Boys and Girls club playing basketball. My wardrobe varied from L.L. Bean blucher mocs and rugby shirts to Nike Dunks and basketball shorts. Despite straddling these two worlds throughout my youth and into adulthood, and identifying as a mixed-race, Jewish woman, my mom taught me very early on that no matter what, the world will see me as a Black woman or more specifically, as not white.

In June, as thousands protested over the deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police officers, and as we continued to suffocate under a President and administration that deliberately inflamed racial tension rather than calm it, many of my dearest friends from childhood who are white began to reach out.

In one conversation, I was asked what I am telling my children about the current racial climate. My friend admitted not knowing what is appropriate to share with the four children she is raising in Manhattan. I felt her vulnerability, humility and perhaps guilt in questioning her Black friend about race. But being trusted with this question gave me comfort and hope, and it reinforced that Ive surrounded myself with people who care enough to ask:

If you could design the conversation that white parents have with their kids, what would it sound like?

Im confident almost every parent of a Black child has The Talk we dont have a choice. But so much of the progress we need to make is dependent on white parents having a talk of their own. We must share this responsibility.

After three months of virtual lock down in our two-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side, we rented a house in a suburb of Manhattan in June. As we pulled into the driveway, our familys collective exhale was likely audible to our friends back in the city. Life here seemed eerily unchanged by the pandemic, the protests, politics everything creating history in that moment. Neighbors knocked on doors maskless, extending invitations to socialize in driveways, and wiping down groceries seemed less of a thing. It dawned on me that this sense of normalcy is a privilege many of my friends raising children outside of the city, most of whom are white, are afforded, while many of my friends raising children inside the city are not. And once again, I found myself straddling two worlds only this time, with a clearer sense of self, a greater responsibility as a mother and a profound urgency amidst the racial turmoil roiling the country.

How we approach race with our children is a uniquely personal decision for every family, but if we do not approach it at all, or if we teach our children to be color blind, we perpetuate the dismissal of a history of white-over-Black systemic racism that represents the very core of the imbalances we must address now.

Clearly, white parents will not have The Talk that Black parents have. But a commitment by white parents to engage in this dialogue with their children can be a mutually beneficial equivalent. It may establish a foundation of tolerance, acceptance and understanding that will not only educate white children, but also help protect mine, from the unintended consequences of unintentional racial bias.

As a multiracial woman raising Black children in a predominately white environment, I urge my white friends to start talking to their children about race. Here are my ideas on how:

Humanize the Black experience. Read about Black history. Give them context for what we are fighting for today.

You dont have to know what to say. The easiest way to start a difficult conversation is with someone elses words. Choose books that introduce historical figures who impacted racial history and social justice.

We read The Drinking Gourdby F.N. Monjo at lunch recently and we talked about the Underground Railroad. More than just the surface-level history or Harriet Tubmans inconceivable bravery; we discussed how white people risked their lives to help Black people escape slavery.

This is such an important lesson for children to experience and is a powerful and positive message to impart to white children in the context of learning about slavery. The instinct to skirt this conversation is understandable, but slavery is the very foundation of the systemic imbalance that is the impetus for our current reckoning. Choosing this line of conversation allows you to discuss slavery in a context of unity, hope, and the power to do what is hard, but what is right.

Read more books like The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, Pink And Say by Patricia Polacco, Teammates by Peter Golenbock, and Henrys Freedom Box by Ellen Levine. Books like Say Something by Peter Reynolds, Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh and We March by Shane W. Evans facilitate conversations about responsible activism. Expose them to anything that teaches them to find their voice and have the courage to speak up for what is right and, more importantly, speak out against what is wrong.

My girls wear a lot of their history. They alternate between shirts with images of Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou. They pick between an Earth Heroes shirt, one promoting Suffragettes and some days, a Justice tee. Through a shirt with a name, an image or a word, they meet a significant historical figure or celebrate something important to all of us. (A book from a series like Who Is or I Am is an excellent way to compliment their gear and expand their knowledge.)

Reclaiming your kids TV and tablet time with content that they will enjoy and learn from will help ease the screentime battle for all. If youve added pureed cauliflower to their mac and cheese or thrown a little pumpkin in their pancakes, then youve already mastered giving them what they want, while making sure they get what they need. The Xavier Riddle series on PBS Kids introduces so many complicated and important historical heroes. In an age-appropriate way, they show how kids like you can change the world, with episodes featuring everyone from Wilma to Jackie, Thurgood to Confucius.

Everything we must teach our Black boys and girls requires nuance. You must be strong and assertive but know that you may be intimidating simply by walking into a room. Remember you belong here (valedictorian, boss, team captain), but people may tell you you dont. We must constantly negotiate a world of contrast and mixed messaging and teach our children to compensate for things, and in ways, that they cant even understand.

Parents of white children have the power to create listeners and allies. Actively seek out inclusive organizations and avoid those that are not and then explain those choices to your kids. Maintain a diverse group of friends, ask questions and engage in dialogue with those who have had different cultural experiences than yours. You almost certainly have different perceptions of fairness and equality because you experience it as a white person; to acknowledge that reality is integral to the pursuit of racial equity and justice.

If we focus on how alike we are as human beings, we might just expose to our children how artificial the things that divide us truly are. Talk about the power of partnership.

One of the most emotional conversations I had with my children this summer happened as we watched coverage of marches from LA to NYC. Showing them a clip of the protests, I began to cry but in joy, not sorrow. Look at the crowd, I told them. Do you see who is marching? Its not just Black people! Its white people. Its everyone.

Movements are collaborative and our kids need to know this is a shared battle. We are in this together. The Civil Rights Movement doesnt work without white people. Social and racial justice in 2020 doesnt work without white people. This can and should be celebrated.

Finally, I think one of the most important elements of any conversation white parents have with their kids in the context of race has more to do with humanity than color. Quite simply follow The Golden Rule.

As parents, it is our responsibility to raise a generation of human beings who want to learn from, listen to and understand each other. Can you imagine a white police officer jamming his knee into the side of a Black mans neck as treat everyone the way you want to be treated, runs through his head? Neither can I.

Talking to my son this summer about why a policeman may treat him differently than his friends, simply because of the color of his skin, was heart-wrenching for me. It was clearly bewildering to a boy who adores police officers and at that time, wanted to be one. The only solace I find is in telling him that I will surround him and that he must surround himself with people who love him, listen to him, speak up for him, stand by him and help him stay safe.

When we become open and honest about our countrys racial history, normalize the conversation around race and commit to work together, we will raise educated and empathetic kids who will fight for the change our world so desperately needs. We cant afford to wait.

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Heres What Matters To Me, The Mother Of Your Childs Black Friend - Scary Mommy

In addition to the potentially lethal virus itself, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our health in myriad other ways. Pandemic conditions been linked to a rise in mental illness, substance abuse, obesity and now, apparently, broken toes.

Multiple podiatry experts told the Washington Post theyve seen a considerable uptick in toe breaks over the past several months of pandemic life, with Maryland-based orthopedic surgeon John Keeling even going as far as to identify a pandemic of broken toes, claiming hes treated three to four times the usual number of broken toes in the months since the pandemic took hold.

The short reason is that with the pandemic, people are spending more time at home, podiatrist Ben Pearl told the paper. And what exactly are we doing at home thats proven so perilous for our toes? For one thing, were not wearing shoes as often as we used to. In pandemic times, many of us are spending the vast majority of our days stumbling around our homes barefoot like a bunch of shoeless degenerates, leaving our toes vulnerable to the dangers of homebound life.

Those dangers mostly include stumbling into furniture, especially if weve recently moved it around to create home workspaces or taken up amateur home renovation in a fit of quarantine boredom.

Another culprit threatening toes everywhere these days? That pandemic drinking habit youve picked up. People are dropping bottles of wine on the big toe, Keeling told the Washington Post, adding that those pandemic-sized wine bottles seem to be a big killer for big toes.

While I myself have somehow yet to drop a bottle of wine on my foot, I have fallen victim to yet another broken-toe risk factor: being drunk and stupid in a swimming pool. After spending an entire day swilling ros poolside back in August, I awoke the next morning with a throbbing black middle toe. After a quick Web MD search convinced me it had definitely gone necrotic, I rushed off to urgent care where a poor doctor with a lobby full of patients waiting to get COVID tests was forced to take precious time out of his day to tell me that my toe was not necrotic and that I had, most likely, broken it without realizing while stumbling around the pool area in a day-drunk blackout.

I thought I had only myself to blame for this little misadventure and the unnecessary X-ray bill I later paid, but fortunately it turns out it was all the pandemics fault and I am actually among a league of survivors whose toes have fallen victim to the far-reaching chaos of COVID-19. Let this be a reminder to us all of the golden rule of pandemic times: when in doubt, blame COVID.

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Everyone Is Breaking Their Toes Because of the Pandemic - InsideHook

By Bret Stephens| The New York Times

If there is one thing Republicans in Congress should have considered as they began weighing the merits of impeaching Donald Trump, it was the story of the presidents relationship with Mike Pence.

In December 2015, then-Gov. Pence tweeted, Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional. In April 2016, Tim Alberta reported that Pence loathes Trump, according to longtime friends. In July of the same year, Republican strategist Dan Senor tweeted, Its disorienting to have had commiserated w/someone re: Trump about how he was unacceptable, & then to see that someone become Trumps VP.

You know what came next. Pence turned himself into the most unfailingly servile sidekick in vice-presidential history. He delivered the evangelical vote to Trump. He stood by the president at every low point, from the Access Hollywood tape to Charlottesville, Virginia, to Helsinki to the Ukraine call. He indulged Trumps fantasies about a stolen election.

He betrayed his principles. He abased himself. Then Trump insisted that he steal the election. When Pence refused he had no legal choice Trump stirred the mob to go after him.

The Pence-Trump story is also the GOP-Trump story. It is a play in four acts: brief resistance, abject submission, complete complicity and now bitter regret.

Regarding regret: It isnt just that Trump managed to lose the House, the presidency and the Senate for the party. Or that most if not all of Trumps policy victories (as conservatives see them) will soon be erased by the new administration. Or that Trump transformed the GOP brand from one of law and order, of federalism and originalism, into one of incitement and riot, of cult of personality and usurpation of power.It is that Trump turned against the Republican Party, a predictable move that somehow took the party by surprise. If the party doesnt now turn against him, it will be tainted and crippled for years to come.

The moral case isclear.Trump has the blood of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick on his hands. Legal analysts can debate whether Trumps speech met the Brandenburg test for incitement to violence, but it is irrelevant to an impeachment. Everyone except his most sophistical apologists agrees that Trump whipped up the mob.

If conservatives want to have a moral leg to stand on as they condemn a siege of a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, or a police station in Minneapolis, they have an obligation to impeach him now.

The institutional case is clear.The president attacked the states, in their right to set their own election procedures. He attacked the courts, state as well as federal, in their right to settle the election challenges brought before them. He attacked Congress, in its right to conduct orderly business free of fear. He attacked the vice president, in his obligation to fulfill his duties under the 12th Amendment. He attacked the American people, in their right to choose the electors who choose the president.

The philosophical case is clear.Sen. Mitch McConnell was eloquent and right: If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. Wed never see the whole nation accept an election again.

If Republicans dont want to see a future Democratic president attempt what Trump just did, they have an obligation to follow the Golden Rule and impeach him now.

And the political case is clear.Republicans in Congress spent four years prostrate to the lower mind. What, other than the judges who helped affirm the legitimacy of Joe Bidens election, do they have to show for it? The president, whom they fear, despises them merely for failing to steal the election for him. They are verbally assaulted at airports by the same angry losers whose paranoid fantasies they did so much to stoke. And Republicans will continue to live in political fear of Trump if Congress doesnt bar him from holding office ever again.

Now they have a chance to make a break not clean, but at least constructive with the proven loser in the White House. Not many Republicans deserve this shot at redemption, but they still ought to take it. The GOP came back after Watergate only after its party leaders Howard Baker, George H.W. Bush, Barry Goldwater broke unequivocally with Richard Nixon.

You (heard) Republicans like the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, talk about the need for healing. Fine. But this sort of healing first requires cauterizing the wound. It is called impeachment. Republicans must not shrink from it.

Stephens writes for The New York Times.

Editor's note:Late Wednesday, the House voted to impeach Trump. A trial will be conducted in the Senate.

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Why only impeachment can save Republicans - Austin American-Statesman