In a corrupt, confused, and outdated political system, implementation is always the hardest part of good public policy. I think this is why Evanston and other U.S. governmental units are having such public trust problems these days. In this situation, I find it helpful to spend time bouncing back and forth between the nitty-gritty — […]
Women’s Public Authority
As a 70-year old Midwestern secular Jew, born feminist, there have been surprising moments in my intellectual and political life where my “progressive, left” perspective has come face-to-face with the “conservative, right” viewpoint, as if we were standing in the same place. This has made me wonder if the human political spectrum is actually a circle, […]
Fossil fuel is fuel made out of fossils — long dead and buried organic organisms, plant and animal. Before it became fuel — oil, coal, natural gas — what was it? Before people started using it for fuel, what purpose did it serve in the cosmos? What was the meaning of its presence? How did […]
On June 3, 2021, I had the good fortune to listen to a no-nonsense plant scientist, Stan Cox of The Land Institute, frame the climate emergency in a few clear and immediate actions. This blogpost is my summary of his recommendations, plus a few of my own. Thanks to Chicago Area Peace Action for hosting […]
May is a busy, busy month. Even in a non-pandemic year, farmers and gardeners are working 10-, 12-, 14-hour days. Teachers, students, parents, and school officials are intensely focused on final exams and graduation. The Illinois General Assembly is wrapping up a legislative session. And then there’s always breaking news. Here’s some deadline alerts and […]
KEYWORDS: Camp Auschwitz—Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol—Northeastern Illinois University—Peace Fire Circle—Ice Wisdom—Lake Michigan water–Lewis & Clark—bicycle trip—Evanston, IL—1960s peace movement—Great Law of Peace—peace art—Irish shaman–antisemitism–monetary & banking reform–ancient women’s peace center in Chicago On January 15, 2021, I posted these Tweets as part of a longer Twitter thread: 2/ On Jan. 6, 2021 the world […]
According to The Buffalo Chronicle published on May 5, 2020, “More than any other case, Ginsberg [sic] regrets her decision in Oneida vs Sherill (2005) — a case in which she drafted a majority 8-to-1 opinion that Native Americans have viewed as a callously racist denial of justice ever since.” I think it would be extremely helpful […]
The question at hand: Is the U.S. food & farm movement a JUSTICE movement? For those on the COMFOOD listserv, I think you’ll agree that we recently witnessed an important moment in the maturing towards that goal. Even as survivors were forced to retell and relive their pain, we should all be honored and grateful […]