Pacifica Riptide

Mitch Hall: Roots of Empathy and Nonviolence in Childhood (VIDEO)

Thanks to nonprofit organization AHIMSA, whose board I serve on, for inviting me to present a talk recently on Roots of Empathy and Nonviolence in Childhood. It took place at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. I used a slide show that does not appear on the video, and the information presented was supported by citations. The videographer Edwin Rutsch, whom I had not previously met, volunteered to make this video and post it online as part of his project on building a culture of empathy. I hope you will find this worthwhile, and please feel free to forward it to anyone who may be interested. Here are links to my presentation and website:

http://cultureofempathy.com/Projects/Interviews/2010-12-08-AHIMSA/

http://web.me.com/breathepeacefully

MITCH HALL

Shame on WBC: Hate Is the Worst 4-Letter Word

When a trusted Riptide reader emailed me this detestable flyer (below) to post, I did not hesitate even though I deplore everything the flyer stands for: hate and prejudice. I believe that sunlight is the best antiseptic for hate speech. I believe in letting evil speak for itself, and in letting our readers see the real face of intolerance that unfortunately is still very much alive in this country. If you don't believe me, just look at recent election returns outside the Bay Area. So when several other Riptide readers asked me why I posted this flyer, I told them that we are a news medium like any other, and that we have a duty to report the news, good and bad, and let our readers be the judge. And I think my headline on this post says pretty clearly how I feel about Westboro Baptist Church and its ministry of fear.

JOHN MAYBURY

EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Imperial History: The Empire Strikes Back

MIDDLE EAST POWER SURGES THROUGHOUT HISTORY

To Mosque or Not to Mosque

“I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded. How is this being ginned up?” (Nancy Pelosi)

After reading what the second-in-line to become president said concerning the planned construction of the famous mosque/not a mosque, Islamic victory/not a victory monument, Islamic community center in a building damaged by one of the suicide airliners, I decided to investigate myself since I unwittingly found myself in opposition to all the pro-Islamic liberals who've now decided that if the right wing comes out one side of an issue then naturally they have to come out on the other side regardless of how strange it is to be in bed with a religion that would quickly kick them out of bed as soon as they find them between the sheets.

I quickly discovered that my source of funding was somewhat limited by the fact that the economic recovery had not yet reached my pocketbook. Was I against the mosque simply because I didn't have a job? No. Was I against the mosque because the imam was on a State Department junket to the Middle East on what used to be my dime? No. Or was I against the mosque/not a mosque because it was a chance to agree (probably for the first time) with the majority of my fellow citizens? Definitely not!

I finally decided that the real reason I was against the mosque/not a mosque was because President Obama refused to comment on the “wisdom” of building the mosque/not a mosque in the location chosen by the imam/representative of the State Department. If the president can't comment on the “wisdom” involved in this situation, then there must be some information that hasn't come to light and it would be precipitous of any citizen not in possession of all the facts to be in favor of building it when the president, who has access to the largest and most powerful intelligence apparatus in the world, can't or won't let us small people know whether or not it's a wise thing to do.

So Ms. Pelosi, I've investigated myself to the best of my ability and I've come to the unhappy conclusion that it's the president himself who has “ginned up” this controversy. This of course is not to deny the fact that in asking how the opposition was “ginned up,” you also should take some credit for the “ginning up." But that was your intention, n'est-ce pas?

MANAMA http://bahraintimes.com/  Bahrain http://bahrainpost.com/ -- The imam spearheading plans for an Islamic http://newislamist.com/  center near Ground Zero said the attention generated by the project is positive and he hopes it will bring greater understanding.

P.S. Hope springs "POSITIVELY" eternal!

HANK D'ARCADIA

(will fast for food)

Breathe Peacefully: Readings on Nonviolence, Health, Psychology, Environment, Spirituality

BREATHE PEACEFULLY