Category Archives: Golden Rule

To the editor:

I am a US Navy officer veteran who served the USA with honor during the Cold War and Desert Storm. I was raised to be a Christian and have done my best to practice the teachings of Jesus. I attended public school in Winston-Salem during the 1960s and graduated from high school in 1973. I have worked to earn money since I was a child doing yard work and baby sitting for neighbors and began having paid jobs at 14 with a permit. I began teaching Sunday School at 16. I put myself through college without help from loans or my parents, and it took me 7 years to get that 4-year degree before I voluntarily joined the Navy.

I know from experience that everything has a context and am horrified to see so many Americans either not know that or act as if they have forgotten that. Americas Founders intended to protect the freedom to speak publicly against our government, but not to violently attack the human beings who are paid to protect those human beings that We The People elected to govern us.

America began as a revolution against taxation without representation, so the founders made sure we were adequately represented by local, state, and federal elected officials. It is the patriotic duty of every one of us to stay informed about the facts affecting life in our neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, and nation, and avoid becoming seduced by those who would mislead us into demonizing our neighbors. Telling lies to maintain power and promote divisiveness is not protected speech, it is propaganda. When a lame duck President does that, it is sedition.

With the current access to the Internet and highly paid pundits who want to increase their ratings, we now have two radically different sets of beliefs in America; one based upon reality and grounded in the facts about what the US Constitution says and how to improve our democratic republic, and one that has demonized the people who believe in facts, science, and the truth about America.

It is not about the so called elites or libtards or the conservatives and those who would reduce the issues to right versus left are misrepresenting the facts. If you believe the other is dangerous and has bad intentions, then that makes you more easily controlled.

Divide and conquer is an ancient and effective form of warfare. We must unite now to stop allowing us to be divided against one another for the benefit of our enemies.

Americas Founders wanted to protect your right to practice your religion or no religion without persecution. Most recently too many people have been wrongly claiming America is a Christian nation, while advocating for violence, discrimination, rejecting those seeking asylum, and ignoring the suffering of their fellow human beings. If you do consider yourself a Christian, does it concern you to see other people claiming to be Christians, supporting behavior and actions that are the exact opposite of what Jesus taught? Jesus told us to render unto Caesar (aka the government) what is Caesars (pay your taxes). Jesus told us to love one another as Jesus loves us; not blame, shame, attack, and kill people who are different than us. When Jesus was punished unfairly and then tortured and killed for the amusement of a crowd, Jesus did not tell His followers to exact revenge and kill the evil doers; Jesus said, Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.

We have a new President and there will be a peaceful transfer of power, even though there are domestic terrorists working hard right now to overthrow our US Constitutionally created system of government. If you cannot accept that, then look in the mirror and recognize you are not a patriotic American. Most of us were raised to play fair, take responsibility when we broke something, and be a good sport, and our leaders must also play fair, be accountable, and be good sports, especially when it is hard, or they do not deserve to lead.

The Founders created a check and balance system in our government so that we might be protected from the tyranny that rules so many other countries. It is a balance of 3 branches of government who provide obstacles and delays in the process of governing to slow things down, to the great frustration of almost everyone who wants to make change. If you want to pick up weapons and overthrow that system, you are not a patriotic American. Regulations and rules were developed to help us function better; for instance, driving on the same side of the road, not to oppress your freedom to drive however you choose, but to prevent putting other peoples lives at risk. If you believe in Law and Order and that Blue Lives Matter, you do not attack police officers paid to protect the Capitol building. This is important context. If you want a leader who is arrogant, disregards the Golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, and who puts his ego ahead of what is best for the nation, then you do not want to be an American.

We The People have recently elected someone who does practice Christianity and honors the US Constitution, after four years of enduring the damage done by someone who did not. America is now first only in the number of deaths from COVID19, while other countries have been more successful in managing through the simple courtesy of wearing a mask in public, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently. If you cannot believe that I lovingly suggest it is because you are getting your information from sources designed to manipulate you into doing the dirty work of those who want to destroy the American experiment in democracy.

I ask you to become a patriot, and take the time find out what is true, from reliable sources of information, and not just take the word of others who have a vested interest in manipulating you for their selfish gain. Anyone who publicly demonizes other people is either terribly misinformed or has a selfish motive for attacking those other people.

I believe we are all children of God, and even though we do not always get along, we are all family. When asked what he thought should be done about a woman who committed adultery, Jesus said, Let you who is without sin cast the first stone. The demonization of others should be an alarm that rallies us to unite, and hold the person engaged in divisive behaviors and making the hateful remarks accountable. We must insist our elected officials practice integrity and demonstrate a desire to cooperate, respect, and work with others.

It is our patriotic duty to remain informed, to do our due diligence to determine what are the facts before electing anyone, and continue to hold them accountable when needed. We all make mistakes and we all can learn to do better if we try. No one knows everything but hopefully we are learning new things every day.

Please try to imagine what it is like to be in the other persons shoes before condemning anyone. If we want to save America, we must learn to listen to the truth, hear each others perspective, and work together in cooperation for the benefit of our nation, beginning in our own home, our neighborhood, our county, and state.

The truth will set us free.

Bonnie D. Clark

Harmony

Continued here:

Letter to the editor: Don't be manipulated for others' gain - Davie County Enterprise Record - Davie Enterprise Record

Three years ago Sydney FC fans endured what was, in their eyes, an unforgivable betrayal. Vedran Janjetovic, having lost his spot in goal to Danny Vukovic, defected to Western Sydney. The move, completed in December after much speculation, was sacrilege, a contravention of the golden rule: do not cross town.

Janjetovic was seen as the ultimate deserter, a turncoat of the highest order, and supporters made their dissatisfaction known in his first Sydney derby as a Wanderer.

A month after securing a swap deal with Andrew Redmayne the Sky Blues first choice today Janjetovic returned to his former home ground of Allianz Stadium. The Red and Black Bloc, stationed behind their new recruit for the opening 45 minutes, played their praise in forte for a stunning save.

After the break, he took his place at the other end in front of the Cove and got pelted with toy snakes. Down they came in their dozens, tangling themselves overhead in his net, a symbolic spew of venom built up over the preceding four weeks and reserved especially for a man they had once cheered. Janjetovic turned around to face the mob, cracked a grin and stared down his former followers. Then he shrugged off the snake shower and proceeded on his way to a clean sheet.

Tribalism, by its very nature, is vociferous. Of course, recent events have taught us the line between banter and harmful discrimination of athletes is increasingly difficult to tread, the balance between active support and outright abuse more blurred than ever.

When delivered in good spirit though, it can light up a contest.

A move perceived as disloyal can be an unpardonable sin in football. It is why, when the new Wanderers coach Carl Robinson and winger Bernie Ibini returned to Newcastle for the first time last weekend, it made for a narrative with proper niggle.

Nothing against the pair or Janjetovic, for that matter because cold, hard business wins titles. But the spice surrounding their return to McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night was exactly what the A-League needed.

This was an impressive coach who signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Jets last February, offered the cash-poor club a glimmer of hope, and then departed in October. Part of it, he said, was the lack of funds coming from the owner Martin Lee, who had failed to finance his club in more than a year and was a week ago relieved of his licence.

Still, in the fans eyes, the former Wales international not only joined a rival outfit but also disemboweled the one he had left. With him went his assistant, Kenny Miller, followed by Ibini in December, while the midfielder Steven Ugarkovic is believed to be heading to the Wanderers next season.

Novocastrians have since made ironic reference to Robinsons very first press conference as Jets coach. The last thing I want to do is try and get a job, accept the job and then three months later say Im not happy and want to leave, he said at the time. Thats not what Im about as a person.

Ibini, for his part, was so eager to rejoin his former Vancouver Whitecaps coach in Sydney where he grew up he personally paid out the remainder of his contract in exchange for permission to leave.

Such storylines, regardless of who did what and whether it was justified, engender spiteful reunions.

Robinson had been expecting it. He had said as much last week. The best part was that he did not care. When the 2-1 away win came it was punctuated by a few explicit words behind the dugout, while Ibini was booed on his 68th-minute introduction and every touch of the ball thereafter.

The snakes, plastic or proverbial or otherwise, were out. Pantomime villains were delivered on a platter and the fans turned up to feast. Well, as many as were allowed mandatory masks and a cap on crowds at 25% capacity make it difficult to rouse a rabble. Regardless, this was a rare chance for tribalism in a competition that has, over recent years, been slowly but surely sanitised.

In seasons past the A-League has been blessed with its fair share of villains. Besart Berisha, Kevin Muscat, Matt Simon, Roy ODonovan, David Carney and John Kosmina all possessed an uncanny knack for riling opposition fans. Then there were the personal battles: Miron Bleiberg v Kosmina. Kosmina v Muscat. Berisha v Pascal Bosschaart.

These do not have to be a distant memory. Unlike many world leagues operating in the Covid-19 era, Australias top flight allows crowds into stadiums. The first Sydney derby of the season is this Saturday, and there has never been a better time to relight the touchpaper.

Go here to read the rest:

There were no snakes, but Newcastle Jets fans show spirited tribalism just what A-League needs - The Guardian

Issued on: 12/01/2021 - 17:12

The Robin Hood Army is a group of volunteers who collect excess food from restaurants and hotels and distribute it to those in need in India and 14 other countries.Every week volunteers meet in 159 cities across the world to provide food for the poor and needy, collecting and re-distributing the surplus that would otherwise go to waste.

At busy traffic intersections, on sidewalks and slum clusters, thefood collected is served out systematically by volunteers of the Robin Hood Army (RHA) to the less fortunate sections of society.

One in every eight people sleeps hungry each night in India and, given that a lot of food is wasted, we distribute it the poor and destitute, Manish Kumar, a volunteer from the RHA told RFI.

This is our way of showing we care and to make a difference.

The initiative began six years ago when founder Neel Ghose and a few friends fed 150 homeless people in the national capital Delhi. At that time the RHA was just over 2000 volunteers across eight cities.

But soon it moved across international borders and set up a well-oiled network of Robins, as they are popularly called, by establishing chapters to address the hunger problem in their respective areas by distributing food.

It has become a movement and there is huge satisfaction to feed people and bring a smile to their face, Apeeksha Pathak, a volunteer told RFI.

With the Covid crisis, the hunger problem worldwide reached unprecedented proportions. In an effort to mitigate the problem, the RHA came up with a phenomenal initiative. #Mission30M was launched with the idea of serving 30 million meals to those in need.

It turned out to be the largest food relief effort carried out by civil society to fight Covid and its impact on society, Saurbah Das, a volunteer told RFI.

The RHA operates exclusively through volunteers who abide by the golden rule of not accepting or soliciting monetary donations. The RHA streamlines its processes to set up hyperlocal community chapters across the world.

We are not asking for any funds or donations for anything, just hands to help in distributing the food to as many people as possible, adds Das.

Apart from serving food, the RHA has also set up the Robin Hood Academy, a program where Robins teach and enable hundreds of street children to pursue primary education through a structured curriculum.

Today, thenumber of participants stands at more than 58,400 in over 182 cities.

In 2019, India ranked 102 out of 105 countries on the Global Hunger Index, falling behind Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Things can only improve. The Robins are on the case.

Go here to read the rest:

International report - Robin Hood Army: waging war on hunger with food the rich don't want - RFI

I am feeling a bit sorry for Donald Trump. These last few weeks, he has only been applying the Golden Rule. Unfortunately, it is not the one taught to us as children by our mothers.

Donald Trump learned his from his father. It goes like this: He who has the gold, makes the rules.

Trump has been trying to teach this rule to his followers for some time. It is a tough sell in a democracy. You must diminish reason and civility to get followers to focus on single issues and not be concerned about unintended consequences.

Your mothers rule is complex and tears at your conscience.

Trump's rule allows you to simplify your thought process and blindly follow him. I am thankful that he has failed, but, there is a smarter, more devious version of Trump in the Lone Star State and the battle between which version of the Golden Rule prevails will continue.

Patrick Duenwald

St. Peter

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

See the original post here:

Ted Cruz more devious than Trump | Letters To The Editor - Mankato Free Press

USA TODAY Sports

Rashaan Evans threw a punch in the season opener against Denver. The Titans linebacker said his ejection led to officials putting him under a microscope all season.

Evans finished with a team-high eight penalties.

To be honest with you, I really havent changed anything, Evans said, via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Its one of those situations that whenever you get in a position or situation at the beginning of the season where you punch a guy, everybody is going to be looking for you and going to be keying on you. Thats just how it is. Unfortunately, that happened and you get keyed on a lot more differently than other guys.

Evans finished his third season with 96 tackles, a half sack and five pass breakups.

Evans had only four penalties last season after getting none in his rookie season. Despite the rash of penalties this season, Evans said he will continue to play physical while seeking to follow coach Mike Vrabels golden rule of not doing dumb s that hurts the team.

Youve got to know that when that whistle blows, youve got to completely eliminate yourself, Evans said. Youve got to run away, or do what you have to. It all depends on the player, and at the end of the day, even with the penalties Ive had, Ive never allowed it to change the way Ive played. My physicality is the greatest asset I have. I dont want to hurt the team, but at the same time, you can still hurt the team by not playing your game. Its one of those give-and-take type of things. The No. 1 thing is to try your best not to get any fouls that hurt the team.

Read the original here:

Rashaan Evans believes uptick in penalties stems from his ejection in Week 1 - NBC Sports

from the there's-a-point... dept

When I started writing this post, it was about Facebook's decision to suspend Trump's account indefinitely, and at least until Joe Biden is inaugurated in a couple weeks. I had lots to say on that... and then Friday afternoon, Twitter decided to ban Trump's Twitter account permanently. This is a bigger deal, not just because it's permanent, rather than indefinite, but because so much of Trump's identity over the last four years (and before that) is tied up in his Twitter account and followers.

Certainly, all of this has kicked off a whole new storm from across the political spectrum. You have Trump supporters who are furious and (falsely) claiming that this is "censorship" or unprecedented and heavy handed (it is none of those things). Then you have Trump haters who are screaming about how this is all way too late and is trying to close the barn door after the horses have long since bolted. I think neither argument is accurate. Will Oremus has a long (and very interesting!) look over on OneZero about how Facebook supposedly chucked out its own rulebook to come up with an excuse to suspend Trump's account:

Yet Facebooks indefinite ban on Trump marks an overnight reversal of the policy on Trump and other political leaders that the social network has spent the past four years honing, justifying, and defending. The unprecedented move, which lacks a clear basis in any of Facebooks previously stated policies, highlights for the millionth time that the dominant platforms are quite literally making up the rules of online speech as they go along. As I wrote in 2019, theres just one golden rule of content moderation that every platform follows: If a policy becomes too controversial, change it.

Zuckerbergs claim that Facebook has allowed Trump to use its platform in a manner consistent with our own rules is laughable. The only thing that has been consistent, until now, is Facebooks determination to contort, hair-split, and reimagine its rules to make sure nothing Trump posted would fall too far outside them. The Washington Post wrote a rather definitive account of the social networks yearslong Trump-appeasement campaign earlier this year. Among other Trump-friendly measures, the Post noted, Facebook has constrained its efforts against false and misleading news, adopted a policy explicitly allowing politicians to lie, and even altered its news feed algorithm to neutralize claims that it was biased against conservative publishers.

And Twitter is also justifying its decision by saying that the reason was a rules violation:

We assessed the two Tweets referenced above under our Glorification of Violence policy, which aims to prevent the glorification of violence that could inspire others to replicate violent acts and determined that they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

This determination is based on a number of factors, including:

I don't need to post the factors. You can take a look yourself if you want. So, Oremus is mostly correct that they're making the rules up as they go along, but the problem with this framing is that it assumes that there are some magical rules you can put in place and then objectively apply them always. That's never ever been the case. The problem with so much of the content moderation debate is that all sides assume these things. They assume that it's easy to set up rules and easy to enforce them. Neither is true. Radiolab did a great episode a few years ago, detailing the process by which Facebook made and changed its rules. And it highlights some really important things including that almost every case is different, that it's tough to apply rules to every case, and that context is always changing. And that also means the rules must always keep changing.

A few years back, we took a room full of content moderation experts and asked them to make content moderation decisions on eight cases -- none of which I'd argue are anywhere near as difficult as deciding what to do with the President of the United States. And we couldn't get these experts to agree on anything. On every case, we had at least one person choose each of the four options we gave them, and to defend that position. The platforms have rules because it gives them a framework to think about things, and those rules are useful in identifying both principles for moderation and some bright lines.

But every case is different.

And no matter what you think of Trump, his case was different.

The regular rules could never apply to Trump because Trump is not a regular person. And, no, not even comparisons to foreign leaders are apt, because as silly as American exceptionalism is, the United States is still different than nearly every other country in the world. And, it's not just the position he's in (for the next few days anyway), but also Trump's willingness to use his account to make pronouncements unlike pretty much any other world leader (or at least, world leader of consequence).

Trump is, perhaps, the perfect example of why demanding clear rules on social media and how they moderate is stupid.

As for the question of why now? Well, clearly, the context has changed. The context is that Trump inspired a mob of goons to invade the Capitol building this week, and there remain legitimate threats that his cultish followers will continue to do significant damage. Certainly some people have insisted that this kind of violence was always a risk -- and it was. But it had not actually erupted to this level in this fashion. Again, we're talking about context. There's always more context.

And given that the situations are always edge cases, that the context always matters, and that things are always shifting, you can totally see why it's a reasonable decision to ban Trump from their platforms right now, based on everything else going on, and the likelihood that he might inspire more violence. I think it's worth reading Ben Thompson's analysis as well. He's long explained the risks associated with banning Trump from these platforms, and suggested why they should not have in the past. But the thing that changed for him, beyond even just the threat to democracy, is the threat to the rights of both individuals and companies to make their own decisions on these things:

Remember my highest priority, even beyond respect for democracy, is the inviolability of liberalism, because it is the foundation of said democracy. That includes the right for private individuals and companies to think and act for themselves, particularly when they believe they have a moral responsibility to do so, and the belief that no one else will. Yes, respecting democracy is a reason to not act over policy disagreements, no matter how horrible those policies may be, but preserving democracy is, by definition, even higher on the priority stack.

Turn off Trumps account.

But here's the more important point -- especially directed at the people who will falsely claim that this is somehow censorship: President Trump is not being censored. He is not being limited. At any moment of any day (certainly for the next two weeks, and likely beyond) he can walk out of his office and have every major TV news channel (and every internet streaming platform) broadcast whatever he wants to say, and people will see it.

And to those who think that Twitter should have done this earlier, or that it would have made a difference, recognize that your concern is not so much with Twitter, but with Trump himself. Remember that while Trump might not be able to send a tweet right now, he still (literally) has the power to launch nuclear missiles at Twitter's headquarters. And, really, that's the problem. Trump is obviously too toxic for Twitter. But he's also too toxic for the White House. And the real complaint shouldn't be about Twitter or Facebook acting too late, but about Congress failing to do their job and remove the mad man from power.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyones attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

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Filed Under: adaptability, censorship, consequences, content moderation, donald trump, free speech, platforms, rules, section 230, social mediaCompanies: facebook, twitter

See the original post here:

Not Easy, Not Unreasonable, Not Censorship: The Decision To Ban Trump From Twitter - Techdirt

Opening of citys new emergency shelter location delayed until February, Jan. 5

It is disturbing to read of the manner in which people who lack money are treated in this country. Most people think we are guided by the Golden Rule roughly Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated, the basis of ethics proclaimed in most of the worlds religions in some form or other. The reality is that our governments behave according to an alternate Golden Rule: Them that has the gold makes the rules.

The article speaks of delay in making shelter available to the homeless. Do you live, or want to live, in a shelter? I dont, I live in a home, with no desire whatsoever to live in a shelter. That is what I want, and am lucky enough to have. According to the usual Golden Rule, that is what I should wish for others to have. I do, and believe that the vast majority of others agree. So why does everyone not have a home of their own?

At this point, we encounter our form of government. We are told that, unlike some others, it is not authoritarian, but democratic. If indeed we live under democracy, why do we not do what it appears that the vast majority want? Why do we not provide everyone, no matter how poor, with a home of their own?

So I suggest that, to show that the vast majority do not approve of the manner in which people who lack money are treated and, in the process, to demonstrate that we have, at least, a modicum of democracy, we hold a referendum which asks Do you want everyone to have a home of their own, where they can live with privacy, free from harassment by others?

Failure to hold such a referendum will support those who contend that our government is authoritarian rather than democratic.

Ken Ranney, Hillcrest Avenue

View original post here:

Opinion | Peterborough letter: Put right to housing to a referendum test - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

Editor,

Its time to chill.

I drove past the Trump rally in Oak Harbor yesterday about 1:30 p.m., right after I had watched Trump supporters in D.C. invade and desecrate Congress.

I was so angry I wanted to flip all of them off as I drove past, but I was afraid they would attack my car, so I simply gave a thumbs down.

Provoking a fight and inciting hatred would have been a lousy choice.

My attitude towards the Oak Harbor protesters is that they drank deeply from the Trump Kool-Aid for years, and they would rather believe whatever Trump says, than think for themselves.

I used to believe that if young children were taught critical reasoning skills, we could improve American society.

This approach might help, but it would likely take a long time. I used to believe that civil discussions from opposing points of view could result in progress.

I used to believe that respect for other points of view was essential if we wanted positive changes. These beliefs have now become wishful thinking.

I still affirm that protest, expressing your opinions, and taking a position is an American right, privilege, and a core American value.

I still hold that all Americans have the right to believe and follow whatever religious or spiritual path makes sense to them, as long as the Golden Rule is part of their belief system.

I still believe that strong forms of democracy are bulwarks against absolute power held by a tyrant or dictator.

But we need to examine closely our definition for politics.

One definition I like is: Politics is the peaceable resolution of conflict among legitimate competing interests (Mark Shields).

He also said that the two hallmarks of American politics are optimism and pragmatism. How many of us are feeling optimistic about the future?

I encourage everyone in Island County to not take the hate bait, to not accept what a leader says until you have checked it out for yourself, but instead, find a way forward that involves listening with an open mind and putting yourself in the other persons shoes.

Yesterday we all witnessed what blind group allegiance produces.

Mike Diamanti

Coupeville

Originally posted here:

Letter: We witnessed what blind group allegiance produces - Whidbey News-Times

A $35 investment is bringing something good to the homeless in North Texas. That money could potentially save a life.

"Every year in Dallas-Fort Worth, multiple homeless folks literally freeze to death., and a sleeping bag can literally save a life," said Chris Bailey, the organizer of the sleeping bag drive.

"The sleeping bags are $35 apiece. They're good quality Coleman sleeping bags rated down to 20 degrees. So, it'll handle cold weather. Again, these will literally save somebody's life."

The latest news from around North Texas.

Bailey has a wish list on Amazon where donors buy a sleeping bag "or two or ten," he says, ship it to his house in Denton County and he delivers them to homeless shelters.

He launched the sleeping bag drive on December 26, and 10 days in, he's collected close to 1,200 bags. It's far surpassed the effort in 2019 when he collected 769 bags in the 35-day drive.

"The response has been overwhelming. I had to call my boss and tell 'em I need a couple of days off to handle all this," said a foundation repair salesman. "I have the greatest boss in the world. He was good with that."

Boxes of sleeping bags are piled in Bailey's driveway and in the garage. Students from Byron Nelson High School come in the afternoons to help unpack then dismantle boxes so Bailey can get them to shelters like The Bridge and Austin Street Shelter in Dallas and True Worth and Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth.

Bailey started the drive five years ago after crossing paths with a homeless man on New Year's Eve. Bailey was a designated driver that night and as he waited on the group, he saw a man who needed help and took him to get a meal. That encounter put him on his path.

"I set a New Year's resolution years ago to help or feed at least one homeless person a week," he said. "One person a week. Fifty-two weeks. That ended up being a little too easy, so we ramped it up from there. We try to help as many people as we can. practice the golden rule."

Bailey calls his grassroots effort Everybody Love Everybody. It was born out of a comment he posted on social media following the deadly ambush on Dallas officers in 2016.

"I wrote on my Facebook, 'Everybody love everybody.' And, one of my friends commented immediately, 'That's impossible.' And that crushed me. I just figured there's enough hate out there, let's see if we can maybe turn that around and do something that's the opposite of hate. And everybody love everybody is what I came up with. I wrote it on my sign, and I still to this day, I'll get on street corners and stand there with my sign and wave at cars that pass by," he said.

Everybody Love Everybody turned into a movement of people across North Texas. Each doing what they can to spread love and positivity by doing simple little things that can make a big difference. The page on Facebook followed by 40,000 and counting emphatically states, "WE ONLY SPREAD THE LOVE HERE!!"

The sleeping bag drive will go on through the end of January. Find his wish list on Amazon here.

See the original post here:

Denton County Man Launches Sleeping Bag Drive to Help Homeless - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

CLEVELAND Chaos at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday is prompting questions from the most inquisitive minds.

She was looking at it and she's like, Mommy, what are they doing? Tricia Ouermi said. It was important that she was aware of what was going on.

Ouermi is a mother, a Cleveland native and a woman of color. She said its important to explain historical events in terms her 6-year-old daughter can understand.

In every movie, everything, there's always a protagonist and an antagonist. There's always a good and a bad and that's what we struggle with in life, Ouermi said. Some people don't like apples. Some people do. Some people have never tried an orange, but they just don't like them because someone else doesnt like them.

Ouermi then allows her daughter to draw her own conclusions and reflect on her feelings.

I think the important thing is to ask, How do you feel about it? If she has questions about something we answer them, but we're very careful not to answer things for her, Ouermi said. When she expresses herself, then we can go and talk about how we may feel about a situation and what the world is today, but we always try leaving it on a positive note.

Ouermi said tough, honest conversations about civil unrest are no longer optional with children.

I allow her to see the beauty and the destruction, but explain it in a way where beauty exists, Ouermi said. Our parents used to say, It's grown-up stuff. They didnt explain things, but I don't think we're in those times anymore.

Child psychologist Dr. Jane Timmons-Mitchell said children take note and mirror their parents in times of turmoil.

If they have seen any of the footage themselves directly, they may have their own direct questions, but more likely, they're going to be reacting to how the people around them are feeling about it, Timmons-Mitchell said. Im thinking of prominent funerals of people that are broadcast for days. Kids are aware of it, but they're more aware of the reactions of the people around them.

Timmons-Mitchell said it is important to answer their questions while simultaneously providing a sense of security.

It's very important for parents, caregivers and other people around them, as much as possible, to be able to preserve and establish a sense of safety. We can feel scared and angry and threatened and all kinds of things, Timmons-Mitchell said. But in communicating with the children, it's really important to communicate that despite whatever else is going on, the adults around you are going to be able to keep you safe.

Danielle Waskowskis teenage daughter was keeping a close eye on the television screen Wednesday.

Her exact words were, Oh, it sounds like Trumps followers have been pushed far enough, Waskowski said. I said, You know, there's a lot of angry people out there. I used basically the whole year of the coronavirus, being quarantined and people stressed about finances and the world just not being good right now.

In the other room, her much younger son was blissfully unaware of the events at the U.S. Capitol.

While the whole world is falling apart outside in Washington, he's worried about an art project. So I took him and we went and got art stuff, Waskowski said. Being that I've been through 9/11 and seen how parents reacted during different crises in the world, you just have to be strong and just be as positive as you can for the kids.

Erin Wallaces approach to guiding her children through times of turmoil is complex.

I don't want to say the wrong thing because if I say the wrong thing, it'll stick with him, Wallace said. Maybe I should expose him a little bit to what is going on out there, but I just don't want him to get upset.

Wallaces daughter Mya is only five years old and her 8-year-old son Max has autism, which makes navigating difficult conversations even tougher.

We visited Washington, D.C. a little over a month ago. The sparkle that they had in their eyes, I cant explain. This is where the president lives. Look at the Washington Monument. Look at the Capitol where laws are being made, Wallace said. To take that innocence away from them and show them images of what happened yesterday, I can't do that to them.

According to experts, Wednesdays events may cause skepticism and agitation in children.

What we teach our children is that it's okay to speak your mind and we value free speech. There's a distinction between your words and then doing something more than that, Timmons-Mitchell said. Its golden rule stuff to treat other people like you want to be treated and unfortunately there has been a breach of that.

However, Timmons-Mitchell said this is a time to nourish, not neglect, relationships with family, friends and neighbors.

Reinforcing the importance of ongoing safety and holding tight to those people that support you. Looking for the people who will protect you. The teachers. The helpers, Timmons-Mitchell said. We have a lot of helpers, but the biggest helpers are the people that are in your family. It's really important to strengthen those ties rather than let them fry at a time of potential crisis and turmoil.

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'Mommy, what are they doing?' - discussing Wednesday's events at the US Capitol with your children - News 5 Cleveland