contrails

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Maggie C

You can’t get to where you’re going

until you’ve come from where you came.

Human Rights Day

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Maggie C

On this day in 1948, the United Nations adopted a universal set of human rights that apply to all of us. As of this day in 2016, none of these rights have come to full — or in some cases, even partial — acceptance and observance.

I was going to post portions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with my own commentary as to our current (mostly) failings to practice/enforce these rights, but frankly it got too depressing for me.

Instead I will share the text in full, and anyone interested in contemplating the current state of human rights can read the declaration and form their own conclusions. I believe it’s important — maybe even imperative — that we do so.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article I
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11
1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14
1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15
1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16
1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17
1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21
1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23
1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25
1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26
1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27
1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29
1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

What conclusions have you drawn?

reaffirmation (renewed horizons)

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Maggie C

sometimes
constructive outcomes
rely on
destructive beginnings

glass is broken
then reassembled into
new and creative forms

grass lays dormant
trees are stripped of leaves or
frozen in winter winds
only to reawaken in spring
for new and vibrant growth

structures are gutted
rendered useless
until labor and skill restore them
to even greater
utility and beauty

we are tested
in times of turmoil
beaten down and disillusioned, but

we won’t be broken
we won’t lie dormant
we won’t allow our strengths to
be rendered useless

we are creative
we are vibrant
we are useful
and beautiful

we’ll move ahead
constructively
because that is how
we grow

The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: New Horizon
“[S]how us something that you want to achieve [in the New Year]… imagine your new horizons.”

For me, I hope the new year brings more creative opportunities in working with stained glass, landscaping my yard and do-it-yourself projects in my home. And I hope to continue to grow and find new ways of using my strengths to contribute in building a better world.

Enquiring Minds

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Maggie C

Way back in another lifetime, like about 25 years ago, I wrote a bi-weekly column for a tiny local newspaper. The focus was mostly about my family and the joys of raising two bright, beautiful daughters; daughters who had lots of questions, most of which I had no viable answer to.

Here is a column I wrote in 1992 that demonstrates the quandary of fielding questions about life, love, and the pursuit of wind-blown hats.

Twenty Questions

“Mommy, why is the sky blue? What makes grass?” We are barely ten miles out on a 60-some mile long trip. The truck’s radio is broken and there are four of us stuffed into the cab, with no room for the girls to lie down and sleep. I think Sarah saves up her best questions for just such occasions. I’m not sure why the sky is blue, but there are two things I know for certain: this will be a long, long trip and I will have a headache when it is over.

Sarah has entered the “how come” phase of life, where questions comprise roughly 75 percent of her conversation. Another 20 percent consists of demands for personal services such as feeding (immediately), dressing (in pink, if you please) and putting her hair into an assortment of Barbie-esque hairdos. The final five percent of her speech is a mishmash of statements ranging from “I’m not going to be your friend anymore and you can’t come to my birthday!” to “I love everyone in the whole world!”

Watching television with my preschool daughters has become a trying ordeal. As soon as the character appears on the screen I am barraged with questions. “Mommy, who is that? What is he doing?” And most importantly, “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?”

Every time lettering appears on the screen or a commercial comes on, Sarah seems to have a Pavlovian-programmed reflex to turn to me and inquire, “Is the show over now?”

It’s even more challenging if I tune in a program for the girls to watch and then leave the room. Absence is no excuse for not having all the answers. “Why was the little girl laughing? Was that her Mommy in the car?”

“I don’t know, Sarah. I didn’t watch the show and I have no idea who or what you are talking about.”

“Oh.” Sarah waits a few seconds. “Were they good guys or bad guys?”

Maybe I should feel honored that my daughters seem to regard me as omniscient, but that’s not really the case. Sometimes I flunk out on seemingly simple questions.

“Why is the sun shining on us so hot?” Sarah asked one day.

“Because it’s a hot, sunny day,” I said. Made sense to me.

“No! That’s not why!” Sarah glowered at me, as if I had told her she couldn’t wear pink anymore or something equally repugnant. I guess I could have gone into an explanation of the earth’s position relative to the sun, or theories of global warming, but I have a feeling none of that would have been the right answer either.

To compound the problem, Emily is into imitating, so if Sarah starts up playing Twenty Questions, Emily pipes in with 20 of her own. Only Emily adds a new twist to the game. She precedes each question with: “Mommy?” I wait for the question to follow. Instead she repeats herself: “Mommy??” I turn toward her to let her know that I am listening. Not good enough. “Mommy!?”

“What!” I finally respond. Only after my verbal response will she proceed with her question, if she still remembers it. If she doesn’t remember what she was going to ask, she starts over: “Mommy?”

Sometimes the questions are entertaining. They show a unique form of logic with which only young children are blessed. One windy day, the family was on an outing and my husband, who wears a hat to protect his balding scalp from the elements, was having a difficult time keeping the hat on his head. Emily was delighted to watch her daddy repeatedly chase his cap down the street.

That evening as I was brushing Emily’s hair, she asked, “Mommy?”

“What?” I responded quickly. I’m learning, you see.

“Why doesn’t Daddy have any hair?”

“Why don’t you ask Daddy?” I suggested wearily, having fielded my quota of questions for the day.

Apparently remembering the day’s earlier activities, Emily turned to her father and asked, “Daddy, did the wind blow your hair away, too?”

Even I couldn’t wait to hear the answer to that one.

The Daily Post Discover Challenge: Tough Questions

Blessed Two

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Maggie C

Last Thursday I posted my contribution to Susie Lindau’s #Blessed Project, which is aimed at inspiring us to consider the blessings in our lives.

I decided to give it a second go-around this week. So here it is, #Blessed, Part II.

I’m blessed with:

the ability to hang on when skies are grey…

curiosity…

time to myself where I can just let my thoughts float by…

a place to line dance when I’m feeling wired…

and beautiful vistas to admire from my favorite perches.

With Thanksgiving Day behind us, it’s a good time to notice that there are 364 additional days in which we can be thankful.

Let’s keep counting our blessings.

Blessed One

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Maggie C

Susie from Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride blog has introduced a #Blessed Project on her website, aimed at encouraging us to “count our blessings,” so to speak. Her suggestion is as follows:

“Sometime between now and December 18^th take a break and make a blessed project list. This will remind you of what makes you happy. We can only think about one thing at a time, so this project should hip-check negative thoughts out of your cranium for a while. Endorphins will fill the space. Can you feel it?”

I love the idea! Here is my first list of things for which I am thankful. (There may be more to follow. I have been blessed a LOT!)

I am blessed by:

abundance…

supportive family and friends…

diverse interests…

new beginnings and hope…

resilience…

strength to keep reaching toward the light…

and seasons that each bring their own beauty!

I wish you all a #blessed Thanksgiving Day and every day!

What do you count as your blessings?

lend a hand

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Maggie C

when I wring my hands
they lose their ability
to reach out and help

Weekend Coffee Share (11/12/16)

Posted on November 12, 2016 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am trying very, very hard to not be political right now. Hillary supporters are grieving. Trump supporters are celebrating. And I’m not really sure who the people are that think vandalism and violence and rioting is the appropriate response to the presidential election results.

But I realized last night that I’m not being political at all. I’m being human. And that’s very important right now. One of the definitions Dictionary.com gives us for the word “human” is “sympathetic; humane.” I might add fallible, imperfect, visceral, discerning, emotive and perseverant to the list.

Regardless of our political stances, we are all human. And so it hurts when Starbucks puts out a drink cup design meant to represent unity, and social media trolls decry the design as a divisive political statement. Since when did unity become a Blue or Red characteristic to vilify?

And it hurts when I watch late night show host monologues of the evening after the election, and it makes me cry; not with laughter, but with sorrow. I try to cry softly so as not to upset my dog, because he doesn’t understand what’s going on. He watches me warily and worriedly, and then he comes over and jumps up to frantically lick my face as if to say, “It’s okay. Be happy! I don’t like it when you’re sad.”

And then I wonder how many parents are trying to grieve discreetly so as not to frighten their young children. And it hurts more. Much more.

If we were having coffee, I would think I should apologize for being such a downer, for being a thoughtless host for expressing my not-so-uplifting feelings. But then I would rethink, and realize that I’m just being human. And I would try to respect that you, too, are human and regardless of your thoughts and feelings about the election or the candidates or the Starbucks coffee cup, we would most likely both be humane about one another’s beliefs.

And what’s a good coffee share without honesty and respect and – if not real understanding—at least a willingness to listen. So please have another cup of coffee and I will respectfully listen as you share your honesty. After all, that’s what a thoughtful host does.

Thanks to Diana at PartTimeMonsterBlog.com for hosting the #WeekendCoffeeShare.

next step

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Maggie C

the sixth stage of grief
acceptance may bring comfort
“What’s next?” leads to hope

What Rhymes with Stanza?

Words at rest, words at play

Category Archives: humanity