1. Tonight I have a quote to offer. From another blog -
"Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where you're going but going anyway. A journey without maps." - Frederick Buechner
2. The Jena 6 - is everyone keeping up with this? What, as a white (southern) American, can I do to be supportive? I'm not sure. But I feel like this question comes up often. As a middle class white American, I was born into an embarrassment of priviledge. And I agree with the protesters - why the disparity in the prosecution? One interview I read quoted the DA as saying the white students did not break any laws. So maybe that's the good that will come from the protests. Maybe the laws will change. But seriously, how can I show my support? I never know.
3. A dog in our community was chained, beaten, and burned by his owner. There's been an outcry, as well there should be. I was watching the segment on the news and remembered something from school: did you know the first cases of child abuse were prosecuted under cruelty to animals laws? There were laws protecting animals before there were laws protecting children. Huh.
6 comments:
wow. did you post this just for me, because you might as well have. love it. thanks for sharing.
One day on my way to work i was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Day and Hill street and I watched am man pick up a puppy that was following him and throw it across two lanes of traffic. The puppy fell to the ground and immediately assumed the limp/afraid dog position. I was shocked, angry, mortified, devestated all at the same time for the cruelty that man had for the dog. I cried walking into work. I cried talking to Nick on the phone about it....pretty much just sick to my stomach the whole day. But was really soul shaking was the thought I had that night during prayer when I realized I had spent SO much emotional energy and now prayer on this poor animal and that mean man BUT am so desensitized by the abused children I work with every day. It is a sad situation to really consider how used to child neglect/abuse I/we am used to seeing. Hmm.
being in HK - I dont hear much of the US news unless it effects Asia - what is the Jena 6?
I feel you on the embarrassment of privilidge. it is something that i feel a lot here - being a white female in a forgein country is a hard place to be in. people expect me to be wealthy, they expect me to be able to afford the luxeries found in the Western markets, they expect me to want to eat with a fork rather than chopsticks. i am continously reminded of a line from one of Andrew Peterson's song, "Oh I'm weary of the spoils of my ambition, and I'm shackled by the comforts of my couch" from Land of the Free. I cant remember the rest of the lyrics off the top of my head, but its SUCH a good song that talks about how our wealth and privilidge really prohibits us fr- (and he plays the armadillo in this song.) but all that to say, its hard to shed that preconcieved notion that i am here to earn money and bring "my way" to this city - when really all i want to do is act justly, love mercy and walk humbly...and use chopsticks.
Jena 6... A LARGE group that ate at Applebee's tonight were on their way from Virginia to LA. They all had "Justice for Jenna" and "Jena 6" on their shirts.
I did know that about child abuse and animal cruelty laws. I watched something on TV about it a few years ago.
Yeah, I knew that about the laws. Here in ENgland, as well, you know.
I've not kept up with any news. But I'm starting to think I might want to pay attention to the Jena 6. Can you give a sense of what the story is for those of us who are totally out of it?
For those of you living out of the country -
In Jena, Louisiana, white kids hung nooses in the trees at their high school. The racial tension escalated, culminating in a fight in which a white kid was hurt (as in sent to the hospital, but at a school dance later that night). The black kids were arrested; the white ones were not. The DA in the case said he couldn't find a crime that the whites had committed.
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