April 11: Pray for Peace

In resposnse to my post earlier today, and in remembrence of the terrible murder of Martin
Luther King, Jr. 45 years ago today, I am making a simple request for one week from today, Thursday, April 11, 2013.

Say a prayer for Peace

If you can honor my simple request, thank you.

If you would like to do more, may I suggest:

1. Organize a group to pray with,
2. Make your prayer specific, perhaps directed toward gun violence, or peace in Syria, or Sudan, or Korea, or Afghanistan.
3. send me an e-mail at quixote32@gmail.com, and let me know how it went, and what you prayed for.
4. There are 7 billion people, but only six degrees of separation.  Tell everyone you know.

I am going to pray in the Anglican Christian tradition. If you are neither Anglican, not Christian, pray in your own manner, even if you would rather call it thoughtful meditation.  We all have something to say.



Bill

B-Peace for Jorge

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has initiated an important program of antiviolence, called B-PEACE.  It is an acronym for

Bishop’s Action Steps Toward Peace:

·         Programs for youth

·         Employment for teens and young adults

·         Academic excellence in public schools

·         Communities for families

·         End to gun violence

 

The official website is http://www.diomass.org/b-peace

I invite you to explore this website, and get involved if you are moved to do so.

 

The Bishop of Massachusetts, Tom Shaw, is one of the most inspirational people of faith that I have met, and he has dedicated much of his energy to this and other social callings.  He recently urged the diocese to read The Rich and the Rest of Us by Tavis Smiley and Cornell West, to teach us about the new trend in poverty in America, and to take action.  The launching of this new program is an example of such action, directly from the heart of Bishop Shaw, and dedicated to his friend, Jorge Fuentes, who was murdered with a gun in Dorchester, Massachusetts in September, 2012.

 

I hope that all my friends read this, and respond.  If you are a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, or a member of the Anglican Communion, or a practicing Christian, or a socially responsible person of any faith or understanding, this initiative is worth your while.

Peace,

 

Bill

Some common sense responses to gun violence

I'll be brief today....I know, I'm never brief....don't worry though, I'm posting a link to a 22 page report from Mayors Against Illegal Guns titled "Access Denied".  Please read it, as I will be referring to it's contents in the near future, hopefully.  http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/9/c1/6/1017/3/access_denied.pdf

Please pay close attention to the summary reccomendations:

• Remove "policy riders" on federal appropriations bills that limit firearms research at the CDC and NIH and provide appropriate funding to study the role of firearms on public health.
• Fully fund the National Violent Death Reporting System and expand it to all 50 states to improve our understanding of the role firearms play in fatalities.
• Reconstitute the research program on gun trafficking at the National Institute of Justice to update and expand our understanding of the market for illegal guns.
• Resume the publication of Justice Department reports on illegal gun markets and trafficking patterns.
• Rescind the Tiahrt Amendments 1

1"Access Denied" by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, January, 2013.

OK.  As I promised I'm staying brief today.  But here's a good couple of hours worth or studying for my peacemaker friends.  You'll probably get nostalgic for my explanations of St. Augustine and Immanuel Kant when you've finished (seriously, it's a good read...but then, so was my philosophy blogging).

Peace to you all.  I'l talk soon.  Feel free to comment/write.