Comments for another pebble

Comment on sacred dialogue by Jean DeVoll-Donaldson

Jean DeVoll-Donaldson — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:13:40 +0000

I, too, would appreciate updates from this website, as well as word on who to contact regarding using your copyrighted materials. You have excellent resources. I would like to use your stone meditation, and perhaps other materials at a four-state (U.S.) conference which is our first joint step toward increasing cultural proficiency and fighting racism in our synods. I am an assistant to the bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod. My phone number is ###-###-####. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Comment on sacred dialogue by Marnie Rourke

Marnie Rourke — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:37:12 +0000

If there is a mailing list that would send updates from the website, I would love to recieve them. I am being trained by Lutheran Human Relations Association to be a workshop facilitator. The next phase of my training will be to attend Crossroads workshop in January. I understand that this is also a requirement to serve on the Synod’s anti-racism team. Once accomplished I would be delighted to join the team.

Blessings,

Marnie Rourke

Comment on Rachel Ray: terrorist sympathizer? by taino8632

taino8632 — Sat, 31 May 2008 03:09:58 +0000

I am cognizant that the keffiyeh has become a controversial symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and of terrorism. However, just because it was used by Arafat and by many terrorists does not imply that it is now unusable for everyone else.

The keffiyeh serves a functional purpose as it protects against the elements in the arid climate. It is widely used in the Middle East as well as in Africa. Let us not forget that even British and American troops wear the keffiyeh to protect against the sun and sand in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is incredibly offensive to disregard the cultural significance of an item while assigning superficial interpretations such as “all terrorists wear keffiyeh, so keffiyeh are terrorist symbols”. This is a silly and offensive game we play.

As we become an increasingly global community it is imperative that we take into account each other’s stories seeking to understand culturally specific elements and not simply relying on the most “obvious”, easy or convenient interpretation(s) of meaning.

Wearing a keffiyeh is not an endorsement of terrorism nor does it imply solidarity with the PLO.

It is time that we stop falling into the stereotyping trap. Reducing the rich cultural heritage of those around us to simplistic stereotyping is never acceptable and will always lead to righteous criticism.

Comment on Rachel Ray: terrorist sympathizer? by creeping

creeping — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:26:42 +0000

don’t think rachel ray had any clue - she was caught in the middle…but, let’s suppose D&D put a white hood on her? or an arm band with a swastika? would you be outraged then or consider it racism run amok? by the way, what race does the keffiyeh belong to?

do you know the history of this particular item and its prominence? what it stands for symbolically? doesn’t sound like it…ironically it’s sort of a neck scarf favored by people who like to detach the head at the neck…with large knives

here’s some more attire that might more aptly share the ideology with the ’scarf’

Comment on White Liberal Blogger Depicts Michelle Obama Being Lynched by Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:42:04 +0000

I agree with providing the link and not picture itself. There are always those who have a (in my opinion) prurient interest in seeing derrogatory, debasing, demeaning images — I don’t think we need to make it that available. I’m not objecting to its being offensive (which I found it to be), but rather that there didn’t seem to be any redeeming factor for it.

Comment on White Liberal Blogger Depicts Michelle Obama Being Lynched by taino8632

taino8632 — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:31:35 +0000

I have removed the image from the post but have left the link for those who wish to see it.

Comment on White Liberal Blogger Depicts Michelle Obama Being Lynched by jenny A

jenny A — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:22:50 +0000

I think that a link to the picture is enough on our website.
I don’t see any reason to have the picture up.
The visual is important but I do not think we need to “duplicate” (give it more publicity).

Comment on The fear of white decline by goodtimepolitics

goodtimepolitics — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:54:55 +0000

Obama himself said that he started using drugs because he was having problems with which he was “white” or “black”!
http://goodtimepolitics.com/2008/05/17/the-new-radical-elites-party/

Comment on The Continuing Racial Polarization of the Electorate by Debra Russell

Debra Russell — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:07:44 +0000

Are you voting “for” or “against” someone? In her Chicago Sun Times column* (May 15, 2008), Mary Mitchell says “its one thing to vote for a candidate out of racial or gender pride and another to vote against a candidate because of race and gender.” That’s the primary difference in African Americans voting for Obama and white, working class voters in Pennsylvania and Indiana who voted for Clinton saying they would never vote for a Black person.

I also believe that many people overlook that fact that African American voters also believe that Obama is qualified — he’s smart, experienced, an excellent organizer and represents the possibility of hope. There have been African American presidential candidates in the past who have not garnered this kind of “overwhelming” support among African American voters.

* http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/951269,CST-NWS-mitch15.article

Comment on sacred dialogue by taino8632

taino8632 — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:52:51 +0000

Robert,

We are in the process of making the site more accessible for the visually-impaired. Stick with us for the changes.