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Be The Change Friday: Easter and the Earth
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This Sunday is Easter, and many families in America will be out with their children, hunting eggs and sharing baskets of treats.
This year, consider setting aside plastic grass, and instead using a renewable resource. You can shred old paper and recycle it afterwords, or you can use veggie straws for a healthier, edible grass.
Consider saving your plastic eggs for next year, rather than add them to our ever growing landfills.
Holidays are about family, and giving, and love. But that should not blind us to the dangers of wastefulness.
Additionally, you can put earth-friendly treats into Easter baskets. Flower growing kits, herb gardens, seeds… these all encourage a custodianship of the earth, as well as reminding us of the joy of spring.
This Easter, be kind to the earth as well as each other.
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February 20, 2013
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Slavery: Finally in the Past?
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This week, the state of Mississippi finally ratified the 13th amendment, abolishing slavery.
That’s right, it’s been 148 years, and now, finally, every state in the Union has abolished the treatment of human beings as personal property.
Mississippi actually put the act through its legislature almost twenty years ago. In 1995, the bills passed unanimously. Well, almost. While nobody voted against, there were a few legislators who refused to vote yes. But still, Mississippi passed the bill to ratify the 13th amendment. But then… they didn’t do anything about it. They never filed their ratification with the federal government, and so, it was as though it never happened.
Amazingly, it was a citizen of Mississippi, Dr. Ranjan Batra, who got the ball moving again, after seeing the Oscar nominated film “Lincoln.” When he realized that his state never officially ratified the amendment banning slavery, he went to work.
The Secretary of State of Mississippi has referred to this as an “oversight,” but it was much more. It was a slap in the face to all people of color, to all Americans who fought and died, who live believing that America is a land of opportunity and freedom.
Welcome to the civilized world, Mississippi. It’s nice to have you.
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December 7, 2012
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Members of the 113th Congress: Martin Heinrich
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The new crop of congress members is unique for many reasons. One of those reasons is Martin Heinrich. Heinrich is the first AmeriCorps alumni ever to serve in congress.
AmeriCorps has been around for almost twenty years, and encompasses programs that date back to the Nixon administration. AmeriCorps members serve across the United States, in programs like City Year, where 18-25 year olds tutor children, or in the VISTA program, where a vast diversity of volunteers help non-profits in a huge array of fields.
To get the idea of AmeriCorps values, every corps member must recite this pledge before beginning their year of service:
I will get things done for America –
to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.
This is the sort of ethos that congress needs. The fact that so long has passed without an AmeriCorps alumni serving on Capitol Hill is both stunning and unfortunate, but hopefully Heinrich can bring this attitude with him to Washington, and- as they say in AmeriCorps- get things done.
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November 30, 2012
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Be the Change Friday: End of Year Giving
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At the end of each year, many families stop and consider what charities they want to donate to. And the end of the year is a fine time for that.
But it is not the only time.
Year round, the world over, there are incredible people and organizations that are doing good in their communities. Rather than add them to your list of considerations at the end of the year, consider them every day.
Rather than making giving an annual event, consider making your donations monthly. Consider making your donations quarterly. Charities and non-profits are always in need, not only at the end of the year.
Do take this time, as 2012 draws to a close, to think about the giving you can do. But also take the time to think about why it is important to you. If giving is only an excuse for a tax write off, so be it. But if you truly want to be the change that you want to see in the world, don’t box your giving into a single month, a single season.
Always have your mind and heart open.
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November 6, 2012
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VOTE
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Today is election day.
If you haven’t voted early, VOTE NOW. Today is your last chance.
There may never have been a presidential election in this country with the potential for such wide reaching consequences. There may never be again. I hope there never is.
But today it is your duty to vote.
Millions of people have fought and died for you to have this privilege. Do not disregard their sacrifice, don’t pretend that you don’t matter. You matter if you chose to. If we all chose to make our voices heard, this would be a very different country.
One where elected officials were held accountable.
Hold them accountable. Vote.
Take responsibility for your community. Take responsibility for your country.
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October 26, 2012
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Be the Change Friday: GET OUT THE VOTE
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Next Tuesday is election day. So what can you do to be the change in your community?
Get out the vote. Don’t just get yourself to the polls, help a friend, a neighbor, or a relative. Carpool. Organize.
You can make calls over this weekend and next, you can remind everyone in your social network.
Next Tuesday is election day, and the stakes are high. The consequences are real. Be “that guy,” badger people. Let them know that it is not okay to sit this election out. That it is not okay to sit out any election. That being a citizen of a democratic country means accepting the responsibility of ownership.
We each own a part of this country, that is what is amazing about democracy. But if we sit back and pretend that our votes don’t matter, they don’t. You give your piece of your country to somebody else- usually, somebody with billions of dollars to spend on puppet politicians. On people who wouldn’t represent you anyway.
So it can be hard to convince people that their votes matter. But the fact is this- if everyone DID vote, and everyone DID turn out to the polls…
It would work. The system would be halfway fixed overnight. Overnight, every elected official would realize that they DO have an electorate that holds them accountable. And every lobbyist in the country would be shaking in their boots.
Get out the vote.
And make sure to vote for who will do right by YOU.
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October 11, 2012
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International Day of the Girl
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Today is the International Day of the Girl.
All across the world, girls are abused and ignored, denied basic rights and taught to accept a life where they can never even dream of becoming equal citizens.
So why is this important? What are the stakes?
On Monday, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban. Malala is a fourteen year old Pakistani girl, who won the National Peace Award. She won it for fighting for the rights of girls to simply attend school.
And this week, she was shot for that.
She’s alive, although still in critical condition.
Today is the International Day of the Girl. Think about the freedoms that you have. That your daughters have. Think of all the rights that are still denied them. And think of the girls around the world who have to fight even to the death in order to attain even the simplest of those.
Think of the child brides.
Think of Malala Yousafzai.
It is the International Day of the Girl, and here in the United States, that’s almost something we could take for granted.
Learn more about it, and take action.
http://www.planusa.org/becauseiamagirl/#
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October 1, 2012
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Banned Book Week
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This week is National Banned Book Week!
So why does that matter?
It matters because we are living in an age where, increasingly, our rights are threatened by people in our own government, claiming that they are working on our behalf.
Because, increasingly, our forms of expression are being attacked. Our right to be who we are and love who we love and believe what we believe are under attack.
And books are powerful tools for maintaining our personal freedoms. That is why they are so often banned. Books are, quite frankly, dangerous to a power establishment like the one that is currently growing.
Go read a banned book. Go experience some “radical” ideas. Learn something new about yourself, about your world.
Read “Native Son,” by Richard Wright. Or “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.
Many banned books have shaped the culture in which we live.
Experience them.
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September 28, 2012
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Be The Change Friday – Vote Early
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Early voting has already opened in some states. And it’s a wonderful way to make sure that your voice is heard in your community.
If you live in an early voting states, get to the polls as soon as possible. Make sure that you don’t miss your opportunity to participate in your greatest duty and obligation as a citizen.
Thanks to early voting, many people who are unable to take time off of work on a weekday or who have difficulty reaching their polling place have the opportunity to voice their conscience.
Voting is not just a right, it is a sacred trust. It is the profound ideal that people have fought and died for, over hundreds of years.
Take your civic responsibility seriously. Take your participation in your society seriously. Vote.
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August 31, 2012
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Be The Change Friday: The League of Women Voters
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Once again, election fever is upon us. And this year there are GOP led efforts all over the country to restrict voting access.
But voting is not only a right, it is our most important duty as citizens. It is therefore essential that we do all within our power to help people make it to the polls.
One organization that is dedicated to voting access is the League of Women Voters.
There are Leagues all over the country. You don’t have to be a woman to join, and you don’t have to hit the pavement and register voters if you do join. The work that the League does is a universal good.
Consider becoming a member of your local League. Consider donating. And no matter what- make your voice heard.
VOTE.
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