Social Justice

Some people don’t like my social commentary blogs. That’s okay. Don’t read them. I have enough other blog categories [governance/boards, fundraising, nonprofit management, etc. etc. and so forth]. Read those.

But I promised myself years ago that my website would do two things:

• Provide free resources for the nonprofit sector worldwide. And my Free Download Library and monthly newsletter do that.
• Second, that I would speak out regarding justice and fundamental human rights. Because silence is consent. And I choose to take the risk to speak out. Those are my social commentary blogs.

Today is Thursday, November 10. The second day after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Here are more articles to stimulate thinking:

• Women Actually Do Govern Differently. And research tells us over and over and over that women’s way of leading adds significant value.
• Damaging Global Prosperity. Trump and Brexit and …. may actually harm prosperity.

I’ve just left #2016IFC, the International Fundraising Congress.

Wonderful seeing colleagues from around the world. Wonderful to get beyond North America and beyond western Europe. So many voices and perspectives and stories and dreams and comitments to caring for the world and its people.

Talking with people outside the U.S. And everyone asks me, “WTF is going on in the U.S.? Who is this Donald Trump? How could anyone support his hate and ignorance and ego and….

So here’s something my nephew Daniel the movie critic posted on Facebook right after the last debate. I’ve highlighted what I consider is the most wonderful statement from Daniel.

• While I’ve been an open Hillary supporter since it became apparent Bernie no longer had the math to win, tonight was the moment I decided (realized?) she really might be a great President. Between the three debates, we’ve seen Hillary stand up to five hours worth of a clinically insane man lying to her face, lying to the country, and insulting her in every way imaginable. Her poise in those five hours is truly an act of superhuman resolve and composure. And tonight, in a debate that dug much deeper into the issues than mere soundbites, she so clearly has ideas, passion, and optimism–at a time where almost no Americans have optimism–and she really knows what the fuck she’s talking about. My vote for Hillary Clinton switched tonight from an act of necessity to an act of pride and excitement. 

Read this amazing piece from Garrison Keilor, in the Washington Post.  My friend Rory Green forwarded this to me. Knowing how angry I would be. Knowing how this would resonate with me. How sad I would be. How sad I am.

Read this. Think about this. Ask yourself about Hillary. Ask yourself about women you don’t know. Ask yourself about the women you do know. And look in the mirror. Only then can you think about Hillary.

Thank you, Mr. Keilor for this marvelous piece. Thank you for seeing and knowing.

“I saw Hillary once working a rope line for more than an hour, a Secret Service man holding her firmly by the hips as she leaned over the rope and reached intothe mass of arms and hands reaching out to her …. Read the rest.

Gun violence. Political nonsense. Fascism. Racism. Sexism. Nationalism. Islamophobia. Building walls, even real ones. Shooting Black men and boys. Shooting police. Who is punished?

So what are you doing about all this? What am I doing? What are our nonprofits doing?

Business as usual doesn’t work anymore. Sticking to your knitting is pretty awful.

Transformation is needed. Everywhere. And certainly here in the USA where I live.

Transformation…where love meets social justice

• Is there any hope for new age politics?
• We already know how to reduce police racism and violence
• Reading Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” after the Dallas shooting

The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution.

By journalist Jonathan Eig.

Wow. So very very very good. This book tells “the extraordinary story of one of the most far-reaching scientific breakthroughs known to mankind…. This is a grand story of radical feminist politics, scientific ingenuity, establishment opposition, and, ultimately, a sea change in social attitudes.”

Other books by Eig:

• Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season
• Get Capone: The Secret Plot that Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster
• Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig

Great newsletter.

Wonderful series about about empathy and social change.

AND an article about our own Kim Klein…. “Is social justice fundraising an oxymoron?”

Pay attention to Transformation.

Pay attention to Kim Klein, long-time advocate for social justice and grassroots fundraising for social change.

Excellent article about electing women and people of color.

“What I want to know from my Democratic Party is, when will the voices of people of color, when will the voices of women, when will the voices of labor, when will the voices of black women, when will our voices be effective, legitimate equal leaders in a big-tent party?” Asked Representative Donna Edwards.

And the op-ed author, Jill Filipovic, concludes by commenting: “Right now, ‘the woman card’ and ‘the race card’ are broadly seen as cynical tactics. Democrats should make them central components of a winning hand.”

When will this change? How long must we wait? How much harder must we fight around the world – and yes, even in the U.S. of A. We’re #72 in the global ranking of women’s representation in the lower house. Australia is 45. Canada is 48. Sweden is #5. Rwanda is #1.

When will this change? How long must we wait? Because actually, research repeatedly finds that women are better than men as leaders in so very many ways and in so very many instances.

I’m so angry I could…..

This is one of the best pieces I’ve ever read about gender bias.

Sady Doyle is in a job interview. “We’re a progressive site,” the man across the table begins, “And our readership, as with most progressive sites, is mostly men. You’ve focused a lot on women’s issues. Would you be comfortable writing something that men would be able to read?”

Does he not even realize what he’s saying? Progressive men wouldn’t want to read anything about women? Most progressives are men? Really? Then why is there still so much gender bias and racial bias and homophobia and and and ….

Sady writes more in her tumblr article, Progressive: A young white man says, “Support Hillary Clinton all you like, but don’t confuse that with opposing actual power.”

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (WTF?!#!*) Actual power? Yes. White over black. Men over women. Straight over LGBTQ.

So then Sady asks: “Is feminism part of the left? Is it non-negotiable, central? Or is [feminism] a side issue, something that cane written off, discounted at will…”

Honestly, I’m not feeling the love from the left. Or from those progressive men.

Read Sady Doyle’s marvelous piece. Because it just gets better and better. And share it with men you know and love. And other women. And with the lefties and socialists, too. Share Sady’s article everywhere.

And….. Beth Ann of Vancouver just sent this marvelous article from Esquire: “Things About Being A Woman That Women Won’t Tell You.”  Things like fear and sex and clothes and abortion and…  I was laughing and crying. And yelling. Thank you, journalist Caitlin Moran.

I’m so angry I could….

One of my favorite movies is The American President with Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, and Martin Sheen. (And Martin Sheen then moved on to The West Wing. My most favorite television show ever. I would get confused about reality and The West Wing. I’d talk with friends as if what was happening in The West Wing was actually happening in the other West Wing.

Anyway, back to The American President. President Andrew Shepherd makes the most marvelously exceptionally swell speech about problems and solutions and fear and blame. I wish someone would recite this speech in the U.S. Congress right now. Maybe President Obama could channel President Shepherd. (President Shepherd even talked about gun control. And 20 years after that movie, this country allows the shooting of kids on college campuses, in downtown streets, in elementary schools, in homes…)

But I digress………

The point of this blog was Andy Shepherd’s statement: “Making you afraid. And telling you who to blame.” There’s a problem. People who talk about the problem (so many elected officials – and presidential candidates) arouse fear. Intentionally. And then tell us who to blame.

Let me say that again: Making you afraid of “it.” And telling you who to blame.

Do you play that game? Do you make others afraid and tell them who to blame? Does your organization? Do your elected officials do that? Does your government do that?

Maybe we need different elected officials. Maybe we need to radically change our governments and the people therein. Maybe we need to take a deep breath and stop the fear-mongering and the hate speech and blame game.

I want Jed Bartlett and Andrew Shepherd as president. Well, actually, I want Hillary Clinton.

By the way:  Wikipedia tells me that The American President is #75 on the American Film Institute‘s list of America’s Greatest Love Stories. Some of the other films on the list are: Casablanca (#1). Gone with the Wind (#2). West Side Story (#3). An Affair to Remember (#5). Pretty Woman (#21). When Harry Met Sally (#25.) An Officer and a Gentleman (#29). Titanic (#37). A Star is Born (#43). The English Patient (#56). Coming Home (#78). The Princess Bridge (#88). Dirty Dancing (#93). To name just a few! And I really enjoyed all of these.

P.S. And for those who don’t know, Aaron Sorkin wrote The American President and The West Wing. And the Newsroom, too. I wish that were still on.

Thanks to Sheena Greer.

I love her home page at Collude: Learn to kick ass. Hire me to kick ass. Be inspired to kick ass. WOW!

And read this great blog. She quotes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For example: “White people believe they have so little to learn.” She talks about life long learning and listening. She understands white privilege.

Read Sheena’s lovely blog. Yes, kicking some ass. Mine. Hers. And a bunch of yours, too.