History Repeats Itself,.......Again

Check out our comments on The Ray Medeiros Show

http://raymedeirosshow.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-is-not-new-history.html#comment-form
The sold-out, power-entitled, GOP, caught in a squeeze between the Tea Party and reality, has dusted off the old "How to deal with Commies and Pinkos", handbook in order to deal with today's challenges, which they are not equipped for. These exist because are that their lies and greediness have taken our country to its knees. Dishonest rhetoric and "values" campaigns will not work today as it has in the past, and they have been caught with their pants down, in bed with huge corporations. Every time the Grand Old Party want to change the subject, it finds itself facing the Tea Party, the new "street gang" in the House. Tea Party on one side and Truth on the other....what a sqweeze, GOP.

October 26, 2011 5:27 PM

Commitment to a better Future

http://contract.rebuildthedream.com/?rc=rtd_home

A very simple illustration of sustainable living from MoveOn.Org.

http://front.moveon.org/the-secret-to-creating-jobs-that-wall-street-doesnt-want-you-to-know/#

Coffee Party Position Paper: Reforming a System That is Broken | Coffee Party

We have not joined the Coffee Party yet because, although we have been following them from the beginning we are a little reticent until we could be sure who was behind them and what their agenda would eventually be.  The more we follow, the more we like.  Still considering.....



Coffee Party Position Paper: Reforming a System That is Broken | Coffee Party

Sherry, (in company of other Green Country Catholic Workers), Occupy Tulsa, Oct. 15, 2011

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Persecution

A Critical Review of The Persecution Has Begun

by Russell Shaw

(The following is my rant posted on Facebook in response to an re-posted article.

I have cut and pasted it to this page.)

Conjuring up the "possibility"of possible politics that could possibly cause us to be persecuted; bringing up the specter of the anti-clerical years with our most saintly priests and nuns before firing squads; but with the 2012 elections illuminating our pathway...is just more propaganda. The same propaganda that the "Christian" Right has forever used when their policies have failed and they can't present a good candidate or platform.

The Holy Father was correct in that Secularism has caused a lukewarm church to languish in certain parts of the world. We must pay heed to his message....by rededicating our hearts to Jesus, buy repenting of complacency, and by performing the evangelism and works we are called to and equipped for. This type of article is, with all respect to our beloved Bishop, manipulative. We can't keep confusing "other political parties" as the enemy of the body of Christ......that in itself is secularism.

Our enemy is not made of flesh and blood but of the principalities and powers of spiritual darkness. Regardless of our political affiliations, anyone watching the Republican debates would have to agree that Obama is no scarier than some of these guys. When Obama was elected there was a run on ammo because he was going to take away our second amendment rights. In our neighborhood it was rationed to two boxes per purchase. Hysteria....caused by folks with an agenda.....but propagandists know that if they throw out words that any good Christian would react to, like abortion for example, a whole lot of people will not inform themselves on the issues but will vote based upon fear. And they will repeat the propaganda as if it were the truth.

I can guarantee that the Christians in the USA will never be forced to perform abortions, officiate at gay marriages if they don't want to, nor suffer any type of persecution for long. We're a feisty bunch; no political party will take us on for long. We should be praying about changing the hearts of those who would even consider such moves. And we should pray for those who are really being persecuted in Egypt and Iraq. We should take heed to the strong words of our Lord, in Matthew 25:31-.

The Persecution Has Begun

Shaw, Russell. Catholic Lane Weblog:Oct 20, 2011

http://catholiclane.com/the-persecution-has-begun/

Content and Photos From the Catholic Worker News TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

' “The thing about Occupy Wall Street that

bothers me most is that it didn’t start within

the Church.” said Karen Spears Zacharias,

an Alabama writer whose work is heavily

influenced by the Catholic Worker Movement

and Dorothy Day'. .....The Catholic Worker

News, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

Catholic Workers and the #Occupy Movement

Dan Berrigan watches the Golden Calf of Wall Street hoisted through the street in an

#Occupy Wall Street march.

Catholic Workers from throughout the U.S. are participants in the #Occupy movements that are now dotting the nation in about 1500 places. From Gainsville to Worcester, wherever there is an #Occupation, there is likely a Catholic Worker there too. Communities involved so far include: Champaign-Urbana, Amos House, Nashville, Tennessee, Hartford, Duluth, Tacoma, four houses in Oklahoma City and several communities in Iowa.

Catholic Worker involvement ranges from helping supply food, showers, marches, protests, and engaging in non-violent resistance.

Bill "Bix" Bichsel, left, at Occupy Tacoma.

“The thing about Occupy Wall Street that bothers me most is that it didn’t start within the Church.” said Karen Spears Zacharias, an Alabama writer whose work is heavily influenced by the Catholic Worker Movement and Dorothy Day. “The poverty of the Great Depression compelled Dorothy Day to act upon her faith. Fighting against the unequal distribution of wealth is not a new idea. Day wrote extensively about it in the newspaper she edited,The Catholic Worker.”

Paki Wieland and Mona Shaw (co-editor of Catholic Worker Journal)

in Freedom Plaza, one of two occupations in Washington, DC.

Four CW houses are in involved in Occupy OKC (Oklahoma City)

Occupy Worcester

Thought for the Day

We are the 99%. That makes us powerful. So often the majority is ruled by a greedy minority, simply because we don't know how many of us there are. (Slaves in the Southern States and women of all colors who have not had the vote or been owners of property), for example. Social networking technology has made it easy to understand that we have the power to affect our democracy to the the betterment of the common good. With knowledge, comes responsibility.

Occupy Tulsa 10/15/11

It's been a long time since I took to the streets in protest. The previous first, last, and in between times, were against the war in Vietnam. I have protested many more events since then, but I'm not brave enough to lead a one-woman parade against the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the global war against women and children, and the insidious war against the working class that has finally driven us out of our homes. Lately, even more than war, I despise complacence.

For years we have passively accepted our the lack of job security, access to health care, and mental health care, in Oklahoma. Teachers have taught in nightmare conditions, as long as they have jobs. They pay too much for insurance and their salaries aren't enough to support a family. In fact, with the exception of a few, very wealthy people in certain sectors, most Oklahomans don't make enough income to support a family. Enough!

No more "been down so long it looks like up to me". Occupy Tulsa on October 15th was the signal that in North Eastern Oklahoma, while we are not reactionary, we are resolute.

It was a good day. I'm not good at estimating head counts, but there was a respectable showing at the start and it appears we picked up quite a few along the walk. Add to the marchers, the solidarity of folks honking as they drove by.

The solidarity was strong, which was interesting, considering the diversity. Every shade of the rainbow, every age, from toddlers to elderly in wheelchairs, marched. The themes were simple, solid, and heart felt. Everyone present was fed up with the financial industry , who took the money, our money, gave themselves millions of dollars in bonuses, and laid off workers, foreclosed with no mercy, refused loans to small businesses, and got richer, while we got poorer.

Poor people live in poor states. So many of our young men and women have gone to war, over and over, to wars that don't even make since to our national security, nor to any other countries'. But we can't give them jobs when they return, can't pay them wages to rebuild our crumbling infrastructures....well, this has all been said. And on Saturday, October 15th, we said it together.

Perhaps the hope will spread here, as it has around the world. I am an American, a Patriot; fourth generation Oklahoma. My hope and prayer is that more of us will make the decision that it is time for peaceful insistence:

• that our tax money is spent to our benefit
• that wealthy corporations pay their share of the taxes
• that Oklahomans have the right to work and be payed a decent wage ,
• have good retirement options
• have good health care. that we have access to good, quality education and vocational training
• that we have a right to live in peace, with the rest of the world, with each other, and with the Earth.

Occupy Tulsa Second General Assembly 10/08 Part 1

Ephesians 2:9.10

By Grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not because of works, lest any man boast. For we are his workmanship,........created in Christ Jesus for good works, that God prepared in advance, that we should live (walk) in them.

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

-- St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

This appears to have been a very good meeting.

Check out this video from Occupy Tulsa General Assembly

Click Here: I especially like the words of Roberto Mendoza who stated the necessity of actively recruiting from diverse groups. He defines the need for racial, social, and economic representation in the occupation, as all are included in the 99%. (I would add religious diversity to the list.)

(Thanks to PatDollard.com)

David and I have prayed for several years for the right time answer the call and be a voice for Catholic Workers in North East Oklahoma. We feel the time is now.


This October, 2011, has seen a spontaneous mobilization of millions of workers and students reacting to the violence and greed dominating our planet. We feel strongly that the intentions of Catholic Workers should be a presence everywhere.


I will post a biography later on, but presently, we feel the need to join our voices with the others all over the world who follow in the traditions of Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and the Book of Acts.