“Unless American voters stand up to him, Mr. Trump will have the power to do profound and lasting harm to our democracy” NYT
Endorsement for Harris from the New York Times:
“It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks.
Those disqualifying characteristics are compounded by everything else that limits his ability to fulfill the duties of the president: his many criminal charges, his advancing age, his fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre cast of associates.
This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election.
For this reason, regardless of any political disagreement’s voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president.”
Thank you, President Biden for your leadership and for all the years you have been in congress, vice president and president. You have a fabulous legacy of accomplishments, and I thank you many times over.
The Democrats all want to stay on the same page and be team players, but this is such a serious time they need to speak up. I need to express what my friends, family and the American voter is feeling.
We are in a frightening presidential election. The damage Donald Trump will do for the world and the environment is beyond our ability to imagine, and you know that! Also, the new Supreme Court decisions make it even more imperative that we win this election.
We all deal with age issues. Our backs go out, our knees and shoulders fall apart, and we forget things we don’t want to forget! Unless we are in pain we can deny aging to some extent. We deny that our energy level isn’t what it used to be, and we pretend we haven’t changed. Unfortunately, age issues don’t get younger. Instead, we need to move to the gratitude stage where we are thankful for all that has been and that we still have the chance to move forward.
We have gratitude, but we also have wisdom. Wisdom is our strength as we age! With all that is going on in the world we need individuals with more energy and new vision at the helm. Our wisdom tells us it is time to step aside for new positive leadership.
Thank you for your service. Now decide governing is more important than running for election. Pass the torch to the future and continue your amazing legacy and try to end these awful wars and continue to protect our precious environment. With gratitude.
The presidency is a very hard job. Thank you, President Biden.
Investing in women, a human rights issue: Time is running out. Gender equality is the greatest human rights challenge, benefiting everyone.
Ending poverty: Due to the COVID pandemic and conflicts, 75 million more people have fallen into severe poverty since 2020. Immediate action is crucial to prevent over 342 million women and girls living in poverty by 2030.
Implementing gender-responsive financing: Conflicts and rising prices may lead 75% of countries to cut public spending by 2025, negatively impacting women and their essential services.
Shifting to a green economy and care society: The current economic system disproportionately affects women. Advocates propose a shift to a green economy and care society to amplify women’s voices.
Supporting feminist change-makers: Despite leading efforts, feminist organizations receive only 0.13% of official development assistance.
This International Women’s Day, let’s unite to transform challenges into opportunities and shape a better future for all!
In our hands now lies not only our own future but that of all other living creatures with whom we share the earth.” — Sir David Attenborough
Peace not War! President Biden, Secretaries Blinken and Austin need to immediately be working on a cease fire. the loss of civilian lives is not acceptable. A ceasefire is the way to release hostages!
Working together we can make the world safer and more peaceful. Let’s work for compassion and understanding. Civilians always bear the brunt of these conflicts, and should never be targeted in war!
What does war accomplish but more suffering, lots of death, environmental destruction, and more anger. The people who suffer have very little to do with the actual conflict, and most are children and their mothers. Healthy and sane people talk and compromise. They do not make fun of other people, rape, bully or kill. They work for healthy communities even if they don’t always get their way. Peace Not War!
An Ode to Peace
Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war I dreamed I saw a mighty room The room was filled with men And the paper they were signing said They’d never fight again
And when the papers were all signed And a million copies made They all joined hands end bowed their heeds And grateful prayers were prayed And the people in the streets below Were dancing round and round Well swords and gun and uniforms Were scattered on the ground
Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war by Ed Mccurdy.
“It’s time we prioritize empathy and compassion. It’s time to recognize the individual suffering of those who have lost so much on all warring sides. It’s time to ponder how we can comprehend and stand by those who bear the weight of suffering. Let’s step into their shoes, endeavor to see the world through their eyes, and acknowledge that empathy doesn’t equate to endorsing violence or choosing sides.
Empathy signifies recognizing the real people obscured behind the headlines, people grappling with unfathomable pain and despair. It’s an acknowledgment that there are no victors but only losers in conflict.” The Planet
Every Action Matters! Treat everyone with respect.
Fill the world with positive energy, listen intensely and remember to smile!
There is a solution to gun violence, at least some of it, but Americans are incapable of electing leaders with good sense, and gun violence in America is rampant. Death by guns has become the number one killer of America’s children and teens. Why do we vote from fear rather than truth and understanding?
“It’s time for America to prioritize the safety and well-being of its citizens over corporate interests and the opportunism of politicians.”
A hundred years from now, historians will study the first decades of this century and shake their heads in disbelief about this age of folly. They will wonder why problems that caused unmeasurable harm to so many people were discussed as if there was no readily available solution.
One of these problems is school shootings.
While all western countries have adopted gun control laws that have proved exceptionally effective in reducing mass shootings, the U.S. can’t solve its gun pandemic. The latest addition to America’s heavy book of gun misery and shame was just hours ago when a woman entered a Christian school in Nashville and fatally shot three children and three staff members. Then the police fatally shot her.
End of story.
Not for the family members; think of the lifelong trauma for the parents of these kids. And think of the lives not lived, playing, studying, loving, and caring. But thoughts don’t help, and prayers have proven to be just as useless in preventing the next shooting as the politicians that refuse to take action on gun control.
In a democracy, people vote for politicians that will govern the country for them. However, if corporate greed has taken over democracy, lives become the currency to pay for the higher shareholder value of gun factories. Therefore, gun control in America is about the moral values of politicians.
The only country in the world with more guns than people
The U.S. has more guns than people, with 121 guns for each hundred Americans, which was still 88 in 2011. It puts America at the top position on the world ranking of gun ownership. The runner-up is Yemen, with 53 percent. It’s lonely at the top.
And the numbers of mass shootings in the U.S. are on the rise, increasing from 273 in 2014 to 647 last year. Sadly, this means you will forget about today’s mass shooting in Nashville. Because who can remember more than 600 names of towns where mass shootings occur yearly in the U.S.?
I’m a Dutchman, and I can quickly sum up all the city names where we ever had a mass shooting in the Netherlands in my lifetime; it’s not difficult to remember two city names.
We have more bicycles than people, while the U.S. has more guns than inhabitants. Bikes are good for your health, and people who cycle to work are happy. But the positive effect of firearms on health remains to be proven, nor do guns seem to make people particularly happy.
And a few more statistics: in the U.S., 79 percent of homicides are gun-related killings; in the U.K., that is four percent. Every half hour, an American is fatally shot.
An assault weapons ban
While I type these numbers, I check for the latest updates. No surprises here; politicians, gun lobbyists, and journalists all have their playbooks ready. So I read about useless details and know now what door the shooter used to get into the school (lesson learned: all schools lock your side door). President Biden, for decades already on the right (meaning left) side of gun history, calls on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. Parents are interviewed, describing the horror, as if I need to be convinced. I read that the fire department created a reunification area, and the church opened its doors. For thoughts. And for prayers, of course.
Let’s pray for politicians who actually do what they are supposed to do; to lead, to represent the will of the overwhelming majority (57%) who want stricter gun laws. As a politician, you’re not supposed to get rich; you’re asked by your people to serve. You’re also not supposed to be the voice of the 10% of the voters who want less strict gun laws unless you represent that minority.
Perhaps it is time to add a name and a picture to this story. The Republican Andrew Ogles represents the Nashville district where the latest school shooting occurred. He reacted to the shooting by saying he was “utterly heartbroken” by the shooting.
Not so fast: this is the 2021 Christmas card of Ogles and his happy family, showing a true Christian spirit.
Fast forward to 2123, when those historians of the future study the news clippings of March 27, 2023. Again, they wearily shake their heads. They conclude that a massive structural failure in American politics allowed the killing of its people to go on. At the same time, there was no other western country with a killing score that even remotely came near to the nearly two mass shootings per day record of the U.S.
And the future historians will study the wisdom of Rep. Ogles who expressed today: “We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost”.
It’s time for America to prioritize the safety and well-being of its citizens over corporate interests and the opportunism of politicians.
The first round of negotiations on a global treaty to halt plastic pollution has ended in a split on whether goals and efforts should be global and mandatory, or voluntary and country-led.
More than 2,000 delegates from 160 countries met in Uruguay for the first of a planned five sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), a UN negotiating body aimed at crafting the first legally binding agreement by the end of 2024.
The world desperately need a plastics treaty and it will be a long process to agree to something. The chemical industry that produces plastic plans to make more and more plastic, and controlling a strong industry is difficult! They argue recycling is the answer, but they have done a terrible job making plastic recyclable and safe for the public. Recycling is not the answer, less than 9 percent has been recycled since plastic’s creation.
If there is one thing you do for your health, don’t drink bottled water!
Plastic particles are in our organs and blood streams. Plastic particles are in our babies when they are born. Plastic contains lots of toxics, I would avoid eating and drinking from plastic containers!
There are so many things wrong with this election it is hard to know where to start. Too many lies, too much money, voter restrictions, election deniers, conspiracies, and awful candidates.
Vote! The most important thing you will do in November!
What is good? This is our voice, our participation in democracy. A voice that can be taken away if we vote for the wrong candidates.
Be open minded and vote for the future.
Voting is not easy, and no one wants to be a gullible voter. Never base your vote on campaign ads. Good voters guides are easily available. Newspaper endorsements are good sources for how candidates stand on the issues, even if you don’t agree, they often give both sides of the issues. Websites of candidates work also. Be open minded and look for the issues you care about.
Look for the positive. Who has a vision for the future instead of just attacking their opponents. Never vote for bullies or those who call for violence.
This is your vote for a better society. Make a plan and get yourself to the polls. Thank you.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus
October is a magical month bursting with rich colors of red, orange and yellow, with a background of green. Stunning! Go for a walk or bike ride! Love our fragile planet!
Nature overperforms in October, and we need to respond by overperforming to take care of her! Every action matters.
Protect our beautiful world!
Unfortunately, 2022 has been an awful year for bad storms, and this year’s extreme weather is worse than in the past, and sadly future weather extremes will be worse than what we have seen this year. The good news is that it is not too late; scientists agree that we can still avoid many of the predicted impacts of future climate change, but only if we take compelling and urgent climate action. Because elected officials are slow to respond, we must all take individual climate action.
We are in a climate crisis, a plastic crisis, a democracy crisis, mental health crisis and a lying crisis.
We need to work overtime to protect our planet!
What can we do? Individual action is a powerful tool for reversing the climate crisis especially when millions of us unite together. The Actions for Happiness calendar below will help you navigate in a positive way through each day. Add your own daily positive thing to do for the Earth; use less plastic, drive less, waste less, vote, and always tell the truth, Demand people you know tell the truth and never share anything that might not be true. Like a historian check all your sources for truth! Finally, vote for our planet and truth!
Everyone can play a part by raising their voice, sharing solutions, and advocating for change –
Health4earth 