Upon until recently, my understanding of world peace relied heavily on diplomatic negotiations among nations, relied on leaderships of the free world to safeguard freedom, relied on democratic process that ensures protection for justice. While all of these are still vital, none of them guarantees anything. Because, any of these can be manipulated, misguided, and deceptive. True world peace can only be achieved when each and every individual human being surrenders himself wholeheartedly to peace, when each and every one becomes PEACE. We talk peace. We walk peace. WE ARE PEACE. Only then, violence will be cornered, oppression will find itself in no place to flex muscles. Let’s make today count!

* * *

Only when we develop a genuine sense of love and respect towards all members of our human family, will we be able to sustain a true gratitude towards all beings in nature. That’s when not only the world is peaceful, but also enchanting. Remember, we are all members of our human family, and our human family is a member of the bigger family of nature.

* * *

Everything in nature has its purpose in the grand desideratum of the circle of life. That purpose may not seem obvious to be directly beneficial to us humans. That does not warrant us the rights to destroy it. We must come to the realization that destroying any part of the structure will lead to the collapse of the structure itself.

* * *

The most coward act in the world is to use violence to suppress peace and obstruct justice. Peace and justice cannot prevail if the free world continues to tolerate such coward acts 

* * *

We are the same, and we are different. We are the same because we all are members of the same human family. We are different because each of us is unique. Love each other because we are brothers and sisters. Respect the individual liberty of each other because we all have our own individual personalities and needs and all of us are created equal and are endowed with basic human rights. That’s the spirit of Diversity. From this point on, when we say Diversity, we mean the interweaving of Love and Freedom.

* * *

For too long the gift of diversity and the unconditional love mother nature endows we so have taken for granted. We expect her nurturing to continue indefinitely while compounding uncontrolled punishment to her. Our common mother will never tell us how much pain she has been enduring. But she has being teaching us silently how to love and be passionate without prejudice. Isn’t it time that we return the love and compassion to her, and manifest love and compassion to each other and all beings? Doing so, we as children will console her and put a genuine smile on her heart, while creating harmony and peace for ourselves.

* * *

Deep down most people want peace, want to make friends, want to connect themselves with others. That’s what humanity is all about. Violence cannot solve conflict, war plants seeds of hate that’s inherent generations upon generations.

* * *

Being grateful and appreciative. Once that becomes our primary attitude, we open ourselves to endless enrichment.

* * *

Within the heaven of the godly peace lies love in all beings.

* * *

To be successful in any profession requires skill and knowledge. That usually means vigorous training and education. All it requires for being a champion for peace is a heart that believes in peace. Believe that I AM PEACE. My life is the message for peace, myself is an instrument for peace, my act sparks inspirations for others standing up for a nonviolence and cruelty-free society. Each of us may be a small drop. But collectively we converge onto an ocean that brings Peace to the world and extends our love and compassion to all life around us. Imagine!

* * *

True liberty cannot be attained if one lives in fear. Fear exists if one does not nourish oneself with inner peace.

* * *

We see, we hear, we think, we talk, we feel, we touch, we breath, we drink, we eat. We are codependent to all lives in the universe. Realizing this barefaced fact, it becomes apparent that anything we do has an impact on others, even it is some thoughts going through our mind. Invisible does not imply powerless. Invisible is the prelude to manifesting physical, and is contiguous to the state of mind of other beings. Underestimate not the power of a peaceful mind. It disseminates positivity to actuate livelihood. It sends amicability to comfort the surroundings.

* * *

Anxiety and uncertainty, being stressed and strained, fear and insecurity, these all are symptoms of lack of inner peace. All the learning for acquiring inner peace primarily directs to the same objective: shielding off the intrusion of annoyances cause by elements that are none essential to life. Those elements are countless. But the list for the opposite is quite short: liberty and compassion, both are attainable within one’s own natural capacity.

* * *

When one is at peace with himself, with the surroundings, with all beings in the universe, he is no longer to be under obligation to himself or anyone else, nor does he feel anyone is under obligation to him. That’s the state of liberty. In that state, there’s nothing in him but compassion. Oh, my friend, do you see it?

* * *

Quote

Jonathan Chen

Everything in nature has its purpose in the grand desideratum of the circle of life. That purpose may not seem obvious to be directly beneficial to us humans. That does not warrant us the rights to destroy it. We must come to the realization that destroying any part of the structure will lead to the collapse of the structure itself.

Mother Nature’s Cry

by Susan Chen

The cover of June 4th Poems

You were in your late teens or early 20s. You were tender trees ready to become strong woods. You were rising suns. You were hopes of a nation. You were about to embrace the challenges and joys of life. You were about to repay your parents for their love and hard work in raising you. You were on your way to bring vigor to the world. You were …

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You stood up for the people. You stood up for an ancient country to become a member of a peaceful world. You stood up for freedom, justice, and the rights of citizens. You stood up to challenge the world’s most unpassionate governing machine. You stood up to pursue a dream that had been living by millions and millions. You stood up to see that dream to become reality.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You inspired. You inspired the street vendors who gave you a cup of tea, a bowl of noodles, with a hearty smile on their faces who normally would have to count each and every penny to make a living. You inspired your teachers and members of school staff who were with you to make sure you were fine with tears on their faces, despite knowing their futures were at risk. You inspired medical workers who performed emergency cares non-stop, treating you like their own sons and daughters. You inspired reporters and journalists who told the truth to the world, defying the rules and routines that they could only write a pre-authorized story line. You inspired police men and women who joined you in the grand march, facing potential ultra harsh punishments. You inspired students overseas who spent day and night asking themselves: what can we do to help, with their hearts beating together with yours. You inspired the world, from the deserts of Africa to the mountains of Europe, people were cheering and crying with you. You were about to witness the fall of Berlin Wall, the freedom ringing in the entire East Europe, the democratic election in South Africa.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You would be around your 40s, the most energetic, productive ages. You would be leaders in the professions you would have engaged. You would be proudly telling your children what you did in the early summer of 1989. You would be together joyfully with you families after work. You would be walking with your friends in a Sunday afternoon in Tiananmen Square, telling them: look this is where it all started 21 years ago that had changed China.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You still cannot rest in peace. Those who ordered the murder are still being praised. Your mothers who have been relentlessly out-crying for justice are continuously suffering from all forms of political persecutions. Sympathies are not allowed. Compassion is forbidden. Open mourning is a sure arrest.

But, you did not die in vain. You will never be forgotten. Justice will eventually prevail. Freedom will one day ring in the ancient land you loved so much.

One day, there will be a National Memorial day dedicated to you on that day every year thousands and thousands people will bring fresh flowers to you.

One day, there will be a cemetery built for you, in it there will be a gigantic wall made of the most precious marble with your names permanent engraved.

One day, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee will no longer be intimidated when they graciously pronounce you, all of you, the Laureates.

One day, people will be proudly telling their children and grand children the story of the Tiananmen heroes.

One day, you will be able to rest in peace.

The quote:

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~ Catherine Ponder

The video:

The discussion:

Grace: Uhm, what about bullies, predators & dictators? What should I feel? I’ve been giving it some thought.

Gordon: Mind if I jump in here? One of the hardest things we must do in life is to detach ourselves from those we love so that they can take responsibility for their own mistakes. It is when we become too attached that we stifle those we are close to. All parents experience this dilemma of having to let go of the people they love most in the world so that they can grow. But letting go is also necessary when those we love become alcoholics, addicts, users, abusers, etc., as anyone who has ever been to an Alanon meeting knows. Forgiveness in such cases is really a 2-part process. The first kind of forgiveness is the recognition that other people can hurt or control you only because you allow them to. In this sense, forgiveness means “No matter what X does, I will not let it affect my happiness.” The second type of forgiveness comes when the person concerned asks for forgiveness. This is only possible if the person acknowledges what he or she has done and realizes it is wrong. The forgiver has several options. One is when when the transgression simply no longer matters and can be forgotten. Another is acknowledging that the offender is moving forward with his or her life and is making an effort to improve. In extreme cases, forgiveness also means letting go completely and permanently. In the cosmic scheme of things, it matters more how we let ourselves feel about what others have done than the deeds themselves. There will always be injustice, victimization, abuse, and pain in the universe, but we can only rise above it within ourselves. Wasting precious time on resentment and anger serves little purpose and distracts us from far more important things.

Grace: I understand fully what it means to forgive & how important it is to forgive others for having hurt you in any way.

What I am still struggling here is…what about those who are doing great injustice to others? Maybe it’s my weird sense of righteousness, but I’ve never been the one to get over this feeling, even as a small kid, whenever I see someone getting bullied.

Man, as an 11-years-old, I even refused to talk to a best friend in class for months just because I caught her bullying another classmate. Of course, I forgave & forgive her very easily. We’re still best of buddies I just can’t get over these kind of acts.

Do we forgive Hitler? Do we forgive Mao? Do we forgive Ahmadinejad? It’d be very difficult to separate the acts from persons like these. They offend me not because they have hurt or harmed me, simply because I am human.

Jonathan Chen: This little video has stirred some in-depth discussion, which makes it very worthy of posting. The message in the video focuses on forgiving and letting go sentiments that directly impact our own mental state, left by those who are or have been part of our lives. As Gordon pointed out, each person will eventually have to be responsible for their own acts. Justice will work its way to punish criminal activities – at least that’s what it supposedly does. As someone who has access to a person who is on the verge of misdeed, we do everything within our capacity to help that person change before it is too late, so that we are doing our part the best we can, and we have inner peace in ourselves. The mental strength achieved via self-cultivation here is having a clear understanding about the purpose, not letting resentful emotion dominate the process.

Forgiveness and courage against injustice do not contradict each other. In fact, forgiveness strengthens our ability to fight injustice. By letting go personal emotions that cluster our minds, we’ll be able to grasp the grand picture, and have the focus and energy to make a difference. Pursuing justice against those committed inhuman crimes and enduring forgiveness for those who we care about lead to the same goal: peace.

Grace: That makes a lot of sense Without forgiveness, it’s how normal people would get radicalized into violent acts like terrorism, out of rage & anger at what they see & hear. I’m all for a voice of reason to get heard. Now I see what all those petitions & letters from the Amnesty are about.

Gordon: Grace, like you, I have always been a person who reacted strongly to injustice and oppression. For most of my life, I spent a lot of emotional and spiritual energy raging against the status quo. It wasn’t until I lived in Prague in the 1990’s that I discovered that all of the former dissidents I met there were profoundly unhappy people. The average Czech played along with the machine, paid lip service to the glorious martyrs of Communism, and looked forward to a time when they could make a decent living and live like Western Europeans. They emerged mostly unscathed from 60 years of totalitarian rule. But the dissidents all bore deep scars. It was a revelation for me because I had never questioned the notion that doing the “right thing” was always the best thing to do. I now believe that one must keep things in perspective and maintain a balance between anger at the way things are and acceptance (resignation?) that there are many things we cannot change in life. I hate to refer to a cliche, but I believe there is much universal wisdom in what is commonly referred to as the serenity prayer:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Because I was raised the way I was, I will always err on the side of outrage rather than complacency, but I can only hope that as time goes on, I will find more effective ways of channeling that anger about the way things are and choose my battles more carefully. Wisdom isn’t easily acquired.

Jonathan, it is interesting that you refer to self-cultivation, as this term is such a difficult one for most Westerners to grasp. In the current political discourse in this country, it has become virtually impossible to advocate forgiveness or even tolerance, and those who hold the most unbalanced and extreme views seem to get the most attention. As much as I want to believe that those responsible for the abuse and torture of millions will receive justice in the hereafter, I think that justice must happen in this lifetime to make a difference. The notion of truth and justice commissions, as happened in South Africa after apartheid, is perhaps the best example of how justice and forgiveness can occur simultaneously. But there are still far too many wrongs in the world which have not been made right, too many victims who have not been made whole, and I fear that the future holds more of the same. For those of us who care about such things, we will never be fully at ease.

Grace: Hmm, Gordon, rage is hardly ever in my realm anyway. “Peace” has been one part of my armor in spirit. Between anger and resignation, surely there is another way.

I think, for most people, ignorance is bliss and it’s probably best for them to stay that way until they’re fully prepared for a new level of awareness.

I’m afraid I’ve become too aware of everything but I have confidence that I’m strong enough to deal with any negativitiy that may come as part of the package. And, prayer has been one major part of my defence.

Back to the topic of forgiveness, I believe most peope can’t get pass this very first test — self-forgiveness, to be able to forgive their own selves first of all.

Jonathan Chen : Gordon, your personal encounters have significantly enriched your range of vision. Not many people have such rich experience and allowed the broader exposure to enhance their views. The state of mind you have arrived may be a result of the combined effect of serenity teaching and self-cultivation, because I sense you allow yourselves to a lot of thinking and reflection. The willingness of embracing diverse ideas is obvious in Grace too. I agree with you, Grace, that self-forgiveness is perhaps the start. It all comes to being able to make a judgment: does the resentfulness towards oneself or towards anyone else produce positivity.

Relying on serenity teaching and performing self-cultivation definitely reflect cultural differences. But for anyone who achieves a decent degree of serenity is most likely an effort of doing both. Sage, in Chinese, is what we refer for those who are with such statue. In real life, we all have emotions and feelings. No one is truly a sage. The courage and morality of those of us who reacted strongly to injustice and oppression should be applauded. As you pointed out, the next step is to ascend to the proficiency of channeling such energy for a greater impact, there the ability of enduring forgiveness to maintain broad minded becomes essential. I can think, in recent history, only a few with such capacity, among them the most noticeable, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They are not just iconic figures, they have changed the world.

For those of us who want to accord a change for the better, we may not be able to see the immediate impact. We should believe in that our efforts are not to be wasted, because we are in the middle of a long relay that the baton has to be carried to pass to the next runner. I keep these words of JFK in a close reach all the time: “All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.”

Grace: Yes, it’s a long relay indeed!! The great men & women have passed down the batons to us and we are to keep it going. It’s a group effort, the whole humanity. Individuals can only do so much

In his  “I have a Dream” address nearly half century ago,  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered the following vibrant calls:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

Today, I feel compelled to seek inspirations from the vigor his words transmit, in the midst of sensing a dangerous trend of hatred inquietude.

Throughout the history human beings everywhere have been struggling to derive a just society. The recognition of reaching a just society as the principle goal has let to collective agreements in the forms of constitutions, laws, and other documentations. The ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marks a great progress of human societies in emphasizing the underlying value of justice.

In today’s world, parts of the world are no longer isolated. Nations and regions are not static but rather organically dynamic, and societies everywhere are multicultural and multi-faith. We, in this world, are a People of peoples with different cultural identities that enrich ourselves and our communities.

It is more exigent than ever that the democratic framework within a nation and across the globe functions as it is designed that it is the protection of minority interests and popular sovereignty that popular sovereignty should not trump minority interests.

While the democratic framework and constitutions and laws intend to safeguard the individual rights and freedoms, they are what they are: frameworks. They provide us a “house” but not a “home”. We the people who are endowed with the capacity of conscience and the capability of resonance must give this “house” a soul: respecting individual liberty and embracing diversity. Only with such enlightenment deeply rooted in each and every one of us, can justice and peace become organic, natural, and enlivened.

No matter what faith and belief we have, we are all part of the same universe. It cannot be argued otherwise that the universe we are part of is created by the same Creator. If we respect and accept ourselves as part of the creation, we must respect and accept all the parts of the creation. The universality of rights is not just a value but it is the truth. It is rather conspicuous that discriminating any beings created by the Creator is an act of disrespecting the creation of the Creator, let alone members of our human family.

It is the harmonic motion of all the individuality and the uniqueness of each beings in the universe that forms the ultimate living art the Creator designed. Without the diversity in ethnicity and culture, our human music is monotonic, our human family is lifeless, and our human celebration is dull.

“Infinite diversity in infinite combinations… symbolizing the elements that create truth and beauty.” We are blessed with the Gift of Diversity. Let’s embrace it with open arms and celebrate it with open hearts.

I don’t use the word Hero lightly. But in my hear, KISA EMMANUEL in Uganda is undoubtedly a hero.

We call him Emma. Emma is 26, a young man with a big heart. In 2007, he and his Ministries, Grace Ministries Uganda, started the project, Uganda Orphan Aid Trust (UOAT). UOAT was established with the purpose of achieving the survival, protection and development of AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children in the impoverished communities of Uganda. This is an unthinkable task, giving the obstacles he’s facing, in terms of resource, communications and accessibility to charity organizations and donations.

But Emma was determined to make a difference. He and his wife devote themselves entirely to the cause, They started, in 2008, with helping 7 HIV positive kids. Now they are caring 87 HIV positive children, 96 orphans to AIDS and other causes and 112 vulnerable children.

Emma never takes any credit for himself. He uses the Ministries’ name to express gratitude to anyone who lends a helping hand. When talking about him with a mutual friend, Chris (who’s working with the charity organization UCHF) , Chris repeated: “he is a good man”, referring Emma.

Jonathan Chen is a fan of

Uganda Orphan Aid Trust

Many of these children are exposed to endangerment to their lives due to the lack of health care and healthy food. UOAT is committed to save the lives and carry on continued support of education and development for the children.

When I saw the story, I became emotionally attached. There are so many unknown heroes around the world with their love and compassion who are doing the impossibles. Like many of them, Emma does ask for the recognition. He’s just hoping more people would extend their love to these kids.

These kids are fortunate, because they have Emma. But, “Currently, Uganda is home to over 4 million orphans and vulnerable children who have lost either one or both parents. ” Emma needs help, these kids deserve better.

Let’s show our love together so the children know their future is bright.

One doesn’t really need to look for inspirations. Inspiration is everywhere, from a causal conversation, a sightseeing, a gathering, and, yes, splendid pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The key is being grateful, being wanted to be inspired. Gratification allows one to abandon the arrogance that blocks seeing things that are inspiring, things that are heartwarming, things that make life meaningful, colorful, and fulfilling.

I have been fascinated daily by the creative arts shared on Facebook by friends, whether it’s a beautiful photograph capturing the elegance of nature, or a stunning painting revealing an enlivening message. Looking at them defines a still moment of joy, rejuvenates the otherwise fading sense of humanity.

I thought the least I can do is treasure it for more people to enjoy.

The Global We: a Facebook initiative of Gordon J Millar. Gordon sets the mission statement for the group as:

The Global We ~ You, Me, Us… ALL of us are changing the world!
compassion for each other, conservation of our world
LOVE in action for people and planet
(( (WE are ONE) ))

Images source: The Global We on Facebook

Rucar: through the Wheelchairs For Iraqi Kids Project by Brad Blauser, I met two friends, Lili Avram and Cornelia Davis. They both share the passion to make their hometown a better place for the people there: better development, better education. I admit that I did not know much about Rucar before. Seeing the breathtaking pictures they and their friends posted, I just know I want to visit that gorgeous place soon, meet the friendly people and enjoy the local cuisine.

Images source: The Rucar on Facebook

Autumn: Rachy is a “musician and artist at heart”. But she’s definitely a photographer. Her album Fall 2009 captures some of the most stunning colors nature offers. This collection was taken around Boston. It reminds me a famous poem by the celebrated writer Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty: The frost-covered leaves are redder than the spring flowers.

Images source: Rachy Burckardt’s Photos on Facebook

So, there you have it. Enjoy!

No one should be surprised by the public outrage towards the High Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, because people care about their individual rights and liberty, care about the fundamental values this nation stands for, care about the democracy of their country. I have seen reactions from citizens who rarely pay attention to politics expressing total shock and disbelief. Citizens see clearly that with this decision the nation’s and multinational powerful economic interests are on their way marching onto the dominance in our electoral process, the individual citizens’ voice is to become overwhelmingly weak, and our already weakened democracy is to become further dysfunctional.

In one of my posts, I quoted Joseph Costello, “One should approach the legacy of the Founding Fathers with a sense of reverence and awe. It is the brightest shining governance star ever created by the mind of man.” The Founding Fathers framed our democracy with the belief and emphasis “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”. It is this framework that empowers the people to make this nation a nation where individual liberty is protected, and freedom flourishes. Make no mistake that, in this framework, corporations are not included to bear the same unalienable Rights. That is not an omission, not a negligence. That is by design. Because, as the Constitution starts, WE THE PEOPLE are what to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. NOTHING ELSE!

In fact, the founders explicitly indicated that corporations are not people, as Chief Justice John Marshall referred to the corporation as an “artificial being, invisible, intangible“. And they had warned us on the possible challenge corporations could impose to this framework. Thomas Jefferson told us that America must “crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” And “…there is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by ecclesiastical corporations. The power of all corporations, ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses.“

Abraham Lincoln went straight to the heart of the endangerment, “Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”

Our political arena these days is amazingly polarized. There are big sharks out there who enjoy thoroughly politicizing everything. But this should not be viewed as a liberal issue, or a progressive issue, or a conservative issue. This is about common citizenship against special interests taking away common citizenship. It is about restoring the institutional integrity of the democratic process. It’s worth to note that it was Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican president, who called for public financing of elections and told Congress, “All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law.” It was also president Roosevelt who signed the Tillman Act in 1907, which banned corporate donations to federal campaigns.

Now, let’s take a look at the case and ruling process.

Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, sought to run television commercials promoting its film Hillary: The Movie, a documentary critical of then-Senator Hillary Clinton, and to show the movie on DirecTV. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA)(AKA McCain-Feingold), 2 U.S.C. § 441b, prohibited corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech that is an “electioneering communication” or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate. In January 2008, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the commercials violated provisions in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) restricting “electioneering communications” 30 days before primaries. The Court found that the film had no other purpose than to discredit Clinton; Citizens United argued that the film was fact-based and nonpartisan.

The Supreme Court docketed this case on August 18, 2008, and heard oral arguments on March 24, 2009. A decision was expected sometime in the early summer months of 2009.

However, on June 29, 2009, the Supreme Court issued an order directing the parties to re-argue the case on September 9, 2009.

Instead of looking into the case itself, and whether the ruling of the District Court, after hearing all parties, would hold legal ground, the five Justices, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Antonin Scalia, and Justice Clarence Thomas, decided to re-argue the case themselves. They motioned it to an matter of an entirely different magnitude: corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections. They used it as a vehicle to finalize a happy-ending of an over-a-century power-influence pursuit of the special interests and their lobbyists. In doing so, they overturn two precedents: Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990), and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2003). This unprecedentedly process redefines the roles of the Court system and Judges and Justices working within them. It contradicts Justice Roberts’ own understanding of these roles:

“Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire. Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedents, shaped by other judges equally striving to live up to the judicial oath.”

“I will remember that it is my job to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat.”

“I do think that it is a jolt to the legal system when you overrule a precedent. … It is not enough that you may think the prior decision was wrongly decided.”

“The role of the judge is limited; the judge is to decide the cases before them; they’re not to legislate; they’re not to execute the laws.”

They RULED that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited, because doing so would be in noncompliance with the First Amendment. And Justice Kennedy wrote: “If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech.”

This is truly amazing! Engaging in political speech = Corporate Funding political campaigns? Jailing associations of citizens? Limiting corporate funding in elections is in noncompliance with the First Amendment?

I found it amusing that the five justices of concurrences for this ruling would somehow believe the intelligence of the citizens and common sense could be so bluntly insulted.

The First Amendment, submitted to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789 and adopted on December 15, 1791, was to amend the Constitution, in part, for its lack of adequate guarantees for civil liberties. The entire text for the First Amendment reads the follows:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Reading the above simple text, and knowing a little bit of the background and the intent, can any one, let alone the highest authorities of law, not derive to the conclusion that (1) the First Amendment addresses protecting rights and civil liberties for the people, and (2) money is not speech? “A corporation, after all, is not endowed by its creator with inalienable rights“, as dissenting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg declared during oral hearings.

Any attempt of interpreting the above text to suggest the First Amendment implies that the rights outlined in it and the civil liberties it intends to protect should also apply to non-human entities is absurd and manipulative.

Apparently, this AMBIQUITY by not putting down the words NOT Corporation was all Justice Roberts and his allies needed to crack the dam open.

Before the flood washes off our democracy entirely, we have no choice but fix it, with legislative and constitutional remedies:

• support Fair Elections Now Act
• push for a Constitution amendment that firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.

Dear fellow citizens, this ruling puts our democracy in endangerment. Thus the individual liberty and constitutional rights for each and every one of us are in jeopardy. It exposes how venerable our democratic system can be. Now it is time for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and all in between, to be united as ONE in saving our democracy, for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come.

In his statement on the January 21th Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Ralph Nader begins with “Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court … shreds the fabric of our already weakened democracy by allowing corporations to more completely dominate our corrupted electoral process.”

Two pieces of reality we should be seriously alarmed: already weakened democracy, and corrupted electoral process.

In addition, we must also be concerned about the role of the justices and the Court itself in our democratic system, because I am worried that we have become too comfortable and too accustomed to the apparent political affiliation these judges display that tampers their ability to defend our constitution independently, as demanded by their constitutional duties.

With this unprecedented ruling, by that I mean it proactively overrules a century long statute and two precedents, the Court shows no interest in facing the harsh reality that the vast majority has already lost faith in our government and agrees with Nader’s assessment of “weakened democracy” and “our corrupted electoral process”. No matter how eloquently Justice John Roberts reasoned the ruling and how forceful he tried to attach this to the First Amendment, this decision does not help repairing the “weakened democracy”, it does not help rebuilding the confidence of the public on the government, it does not help encouraging voters to actively participate in the electoral process. It fails to address the fundamental purpose of any fair election law at any given historical junction or all time that these laws are to protect the institutional integrity of the democratic process.

Let’s face it, how many Americans now think their voices and votes can make a difference? How many believe that the institution is focusing on improving the well-being of the people, that the government is dependent upon the People and independent of anything else? America has already seen how money works in Washington. This Court decision only furthers the powerless-feeling in the People.

However, our electoral process has already been corrupted, long before this Court decision, long before the Citizens United vs FEC case. Even without the power of the unlimited corporate spending granted by this ruling in political speeches, the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats alike had already been Kotou-ing to corporations, unions and other special interests for their supplies of money, whether through PACs or large contributions bundled by lobbyists. This ruling just makes it so much easier for both sides – suppliers and recipients. It makes the campaigns that much less “dependent of the People”.

When the People stop speaking, the end of democracy is near.

I do have faith on the People. Americans always speak out loud and clear in critical junctions of the democracy. If nothing else, this ruling services a wake-up call. It helps us to lift the cover and see the threat our democracy is facing. Now it is our turn to stand up, speak out, act strongly and urgently in taking care our own business: clean up the corruption and restore the institutional integrity of the democratic process!

We can repeatedly remind the politicians that our government is “of the people, by the people, for the people.” However, we should have by now come to the realization that money speaks LOUDER.

So, we need action. We need legislation to protect our democracy. And, as Mr. Nader points out, “ It is indeed time for a Constitutional amendment to prevent corporate campaign contributions from commercializing our elections and drowning out the civic and political voices and values of citizens and voters.”

We do have concerned citizens as well as House Representatives and Senators who have realized the severity of the situation that they proceeded with certain vital measures, among them:

Legislative Initiatives:

Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752)

The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act (H.R. 4431)

The Public Company Responsibility Act (H.R. 4435)

The End Political Kickbacks Act (H.R. 4434)

The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act (H.R. 4432)

The Ending Corporate Collusion Act (H.R. 4433)

The End the Hijacking of Shareholder Funds Act (H.R. 4487)

(Petition of Rep. Alan Grayson  on these bills:

http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4)

Citizens Campaigns:

Amend the Constitution to Prevent Corporate Control of Our Elections

Move To Amend

Fair Elections Now

Take the matter in our own hands. Take action now!

There are two pressing matters I am consumed with. One is the Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations to spend unlimited funds in public elections. The other is the earthquake and the aftermath relief efforts in Haiti.

But, this morning, an NPR headline caught my attention by surprise:

‘Stunning’ News From Ford: It Earned $2.7 Billion Last Year

Ford Motor, the American car maker that did not need a bailout from the government, reported this morning that it earned $2.7 billion last year and expects to remain profitable in 2010.

As the Detroit Free Press says, the news marks “a stunning improvement over its historic, $14.7-billion loss in 2008, especially for a year that saw industry sales drop to their lowest level since 1982.”

In these days filled with swirling depressing news, this is like a breeze of fresh air. $2.7 Billion does not make anyone drop his jaw. But it does break the fairytale that American companies can’t compete. It shows when a company takes its fiscal responsibility seriously, it can succeed, and it can pull itself out the mud without a  bailout.

This is really encouraging, considering the entire business world is scrambling, and this profit is its first in four years that came during one of the worst years in decades for global vehicle sales and auto company profits. I hope it sends a promising message to other companies, and sets a model for others to look into in restructuring their business operations driving towards profitability that will create domestic jobs and strengthen the economy.

So I thought I’d squeeze this in.