Showing posts with label Personal Narrative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Narrative. Show all posts

Monday, November 06, 2017

26 Dead, Again

I think it is a mistake to reduce this repeated public health/safety issue to EVIL. It is not pure evil. What is evil? A classic definition is that it is the absence of what is good, from Aquinas. So, in that sense there is evil in this equation. Our public policy does not support the mentally ill, does not address the issue of domestic violence AND provides easy/legal access to firearms. This means we have created a culture that allows these shootings.

EVIL is not a force out of nowhere, a big bad devil. It is when there is a good--civic life and even perhaps the right to own guns--that is flawed. The shooters are wrong, they are criminal, they are mentally ill, they are domestic abusers, or all of the above. But the shooter is not evil, the culture that has given him access to guns is. 

Don't call the shooter's acts evil. If you do, it means that there is NOTHING that can be done to prevent this symptom of evil (a lack of public policy regarding mental health/domestic violence/guns). This is not true. If the society cannot see this, they lack insight--a technical psychological term. It means you are not able to know that you are sick, as in the case of schizophrenia. 

I don't know the way out of this conundrum. Except to teach my kids that access to mental health care and health care are essential, that domestic abuse is unacceptable, and that access to firearms should be regulated as part of our national security. 

There is no pure evil. Pure evil is a slogan, an excuse, a smokescreen. It cripples us. It prevents insight.

Sunday, November 05, 2017

Top Ten

turkish delight

wide-brimmed straw hats in summer

jasmine pearl tea

eyewear

outdoor fruit and vegetable markets

tepertős pogácsa

freshly ground peanut butter

peanut butter on toast with tabasco and cucumber slices

baking bread

being in my body

whiskey, neat

pockets

Széchenyi Fürdő

my mother's dumplings

rocking chairs

scarves

giving books I love to people I think might love them too

The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

diners

grandma Kelley's rice casserole

Le Mans Hall

midwives

baking muffins

Spencer Tunick

wool socks, knee-high, with stripes in the winter

clowns

"In My Mind" by Amanda Palmer

bread and butter

pumpkin

cooking split-pea soup

democracy

church bells

Gellért Fürdő

African chicken and peanut soup from the New England Soup Factory

martini with blue cheese stuffed olives

1059 Riverside

gesztenyepüré

Greek yogurt with honey, in Greece

listening to my kids giggle and play after the lights are out at bedtime

bodza

Book Club

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins

Rome

sunflowers

Indigo Girls

dandelions

sleep

Warren Dunes State Park

french fries

Ted Kooser

blue

the fact that baking bread is so simple

clean pressed sheets

One Billion Rising

walking by a lilac bush in bloom

holding hands

playgrounds

NPR

PBS

hard wood floors

handmade afghans

coffee

Jeune Homme Nu Assis au Bord de la Mer, by Jean- Hippolyte Flandrin

marching bands

HONK! festival of activist street bands

my clever, funny friend

roasted chestnuts

Rachel flodnija

birdie sing in the tree, woo woo woo, wee wee wee, I love you and you love me

Henszlmann Imre utca, 5

cuckoo clocks

handwritten letters

potluck dinners

Kelet Kávézó

Pad Thai in Budapest

tabasco sauce

massage

Amanda Palmer

marathons, watching them

hiking, with the right shoes

chocolate chip cookies, baking them

snorkling

public schools

neighbors

pie crust

yellow roses

the truth

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Found To-Do List


Lost near Brookline Village. Found by me.
Love, love the this person not only planned "nap" but also checked it off. 

Friday, October 06, 2017

Kids are More Powerful than Guns

If this populace believes that the 2nd amendment teaches unrestrained access to guns, then I am going to teach my kids that they are more powerful than guns. I will raise the next generation to think politically about what is best for our citizenship. Who is with me to develop lesson plans for kids regarding gun control? #education #lifelonglearner #longview


Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Stephen Paddock is a Victim



Stephen Paddock is a victim. I don’t believe in evil. I don’t believe in some cosmic force of corruption. If we accept that the devil exists, then we are deluded into innocence. We can write off our complicity in harm by saying that it is caused by a force outside of us. We can defend ourselves, but ultimately suffering is the only noble response to harm. The shooter did not commit an act of pure evil. There is no such thing. Pure evil would be an unstoppable force. Instead, what he committed was preventable. That is why it is a tragedy. I consider Stephen Paddock a victim. No human should be given access to instruments of mass destruction. Humans will use them. We are broken and sick at times. We live in a culture of consumption and isolation. We are weak. We reach for power. We want to act with the clarity of decision instead of suffering the world’s cold shoulder. Stephen Paddock is a victim. We are all victims of a gun culture.


Friday, September 29, 2017

3rd Grade Language Lessons


Last night at bedtime:

Leo: Mama, What is sex?

Me: That is what animals and humans do to make babies.

Leo: So for teenagers sexy and cool are the same thing?

Me: No, you can be sexy and not cool and cool and not sexy [I know, not too helpful.]

Leo: So you and Tata had sex?

Me: Yes.

Leo: And you are not cool, right? So it was sexy but not cool. Okay.


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Two Public Elementary Schools

First Day of School in Budapest:

The kids arrive dressed in white shirts and black pants or skirts. This is the customary attire for special occasions in the school: the first day, national celebrations, and graduations. The children, accompanied by their parents in the younger grades, go directly to their classrooms. There is commotion as the kids find a seat, taking any available seat. The room is crowded for the thirty students in the class. The additional parents fill every available space. Shortly before 8 am, the kids line up and process to the school’s courtyard. The younger ones (grades 1 – 2) sit on benches. The rest of the students, grades 3 – 8, stand in lines or clusters. The principal greets the student body and gathered parents. The choir sings several songs. A student reads a poem. There are more speeches. The ceremony goes on for about an hour. Then the students go back to their room to spend the first day, which will dismiss after lunch.

Expectations: dress formally, stand still and listen to speeches given by grownups, listen while classmates perform poems and songs. Values: tradition, compliance, respect for community

First Day of School in Brookline:

The kids arrive dressed in whatever they choose. They gather in the cafeteria until the bell rings and then they proceed to their assigned teacher, the younger ones accompanied by a parent. The teacher has prepared the classroom space (there are no walls or doors) with clearly displayed instructions that engage the kids immediately, directing them to store their backpacks and get started on a project. In this case, the kids were directed to decorate a bookmark. As the twenty-one students find their places, the teacher is meeting each child. She has a big smile. She greets them by name and points out their assigned spot. The parent says goodbye and the child remains for a full day of school.

Expectations: dress how you choose, immediate engagement and self-sufficiency, student as a team player. Values: individuality, transparency (clear expectations), teamwork


Thursday, August 03, 2017

Scavenged Love

I found this note, handwritten front and back, and folded into the size of a postage stamp, small enough to carry in a wallet. No names, no dates. I found it on Beacon Street, near Cafe Fixe. I'll return it to the universe here:


I want this letter to tell you that I'll be aching too, but we're both on amazing adventures that make the ache worth it. 

#loveletters
#lost
#found

Monday, July 17, 2017

You and I in Your Handwriting

You and I
by Henry Alford

My hand is lonely for your clasping, dear;
My ear is tired waiting for your call.
I want your strength to help, your laugh to cheer;
Heart, soul and senses need you, one and all.
I droop without your full, frank sympathy;
We ought to be together - you and I;
We want each other so, to comprehend
The dream, the hope, things planned, or seen, or wrought.
Companion, comforter and guide and friend,
As much as love asks love, does thought ask thought.
Life is so short, so fast the lone hours fly,
We ought to be together, you and I.My hand is lonely for your clasping, dear;
My ear is tired waiting for your call.
I want your strength to help, your laugh to cheer;
Heart, soul and senses need you, one and all.
I droop without your full, frank sympathy;
We ought to be together - you and I;
We want each other so, to comprehend
The dream, the hope, things planned, or seen, or wrought.
Companion, comforter and guide and friend,
As much as love asks love, does thought ask thought.
Life is so short, so fast the lone hours fly,
We ought to be together, you and I.


Someone once copied this poem into a letter for me.
I saved it. 
I just discovered it it nearly 25 years later.
It may or may not be a great poem.
But it is a treasure. 
Remember the days when lovers copied poetry, and put an airmail stamp on an envelope, and waited, waited, and waited for a reply. It was too expensive to call overseas. Even the postage felt extravagant. 




Monday, February 13, 2017

Meet our Beneficiaries

The One Billion Rising Budapest 2017 campaign supports three nonprofits working to end the exploitation of women:
Józan Babák--which helps pregnant women and women with young children become substance abuse free (many of their clients are prostituted women or exited women)
JÓL-LÉT Alapítvány--which works to support women’s rights in the workplace
Női Érdek, the Hungarian Women’s Lobby--which strives to build a feminist culture and defend women’s rights

Representatives from these organizations will be available at the ball to answer further questions.

https://www.facebook.com/events/465202520270111/



#Budapest #1billionrising #riseinsolidarity #sistermarch

Friday, February 10, 2017

One Billion Rising Budapest Fundraiser

Dear Friends,
Please join us February 18th, 2017 for the One Billion Rising Anti-Exploitation Ball: an evening of dance with all proceeds donated to local women’s rights groups. The evening is hosted by Barrio Del Tango, with a guest DJ.
While Budapest is famous for many things including its nightlife, it is also famous for its exploitative sex industry. The One Billion Rising Budapest 2017 campaign supports three nonprofits working to end the exploitation of women. The first, Józan Babák, helps pregnant women and women with young children become substance abuse free (many of their clients are prostituted women or exited women). The second nonprofit is JÓL-LÉT Alapítvány, which works to support women’s rights in the workplace. And the third is Női Érdek, the Hungarian Women’s Lobby, which strives to build a feminist culture and defend women’s rights. Representatives from these organizations will be available at the ball to answer further questions.
One Billion Rising Budapest is seeking donations to ensure that these NGOs can continue to carry out their work in Hungary and to help exploited women rebuild their lives. You can donate and dance at the Anti-Exploitation Ball on February 18th, or you can transfer funds directly (even from abroad) to these accounts:
• Józan Babák: Magnet Bank 16200216-17085906
• JOL-LET Alapíitvany: Magnet Bank HU48 1620 0151 1852 8549 0000 0000
• Magyar Női Érdekérvényesítő Szövetség (Női Érdek): Unicredit Bank, Hungary HU32 1091 8001 0000 0019 8472 0012
Please note “One Billion Rising” on transfer.
With thanks,
Janet Kelley, One Billion Rising Organizer and Hungarian Women’s Lobby Volunteer
For more information about One Billion Rising, a global campaign to stop violence against women: http://www.onebillionrising.org/
One Billion Rising Anti-Exploitation Ball:
February 18th, 2017. 8 pm – 12 am
Barrio Del Tango
1053 Budapest, Irányi utca 18-20
No formal dress required! Come dressed to dance!
Entrance to the party is free. Cash bar.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Women's March on Budapest


Good morning! Thank you for joining us!
I am Janet Kelley, one of the organizers of this march.
Recently we’ve heard so much abusive language toward women, immigrants, people of color, and the LGBTQ community that at times even leaving the house is in itself an act of courage.
The fact that you showed up today to march for Women’s Rights is a tremendous act of bravery. Give yourselves a round of applause!
Our banner says, Build Bridges not Walls. Why? Because we believe in bridges. Connections. Alliances. Networks. Conversation. Communication. So turn to your neighbor and introduce yourself. Your name, what you do, why you march today…
As we build bridges today, look out for each other. Give each other space and patience as we cross the bridge.
We are building bridges. A bridge is a testament to humanity’s intelligence and ability to solve problems. To join what has been divided. Budapest is a city defined by bridges--the Lanchid was the first bridge to join Buda and pest and now the city is defined by many of them.
As we drop our banner today, we will stand at the center of the bridge. Let us have the courage to work for Women’s Rights from the center of the bridge—putting our stories, our demands, our power, our voices center stage.
We need to acknowledge that we live in a world with an elected leader emboldened to denigrate and sexually assault women. We cannot stand silent. We cannot close our eyes. We must start today to resist such leadership.
Some people have criticized this march as futile, or frivolous, or ill-conceived--or all those other words used against women to undermine them when they stand up for their rights. But I know one thing, when my children and grandchildren ask me what it was like when Trump was elected, I can tell them: Women joined forces around the world to say: Our power is real. Our courage is real. And we are watching you.
We are joined with the Women's March on Washington to send a bold message to the new American government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, we recognize that to defend the most marginalized among us is to defend all of us.
There is work to be done. In America. And in Hungary.
We have asked Kevehazi Kata to speak about Women’s Rights in Hungary. She will speak briefly in Hungarian to let us know more about the situation for women in Hungary.
(Kata speaks)
Thank you Kata, and special thanks to Greenpeace for their tremendous support in planning and carrying out this event today. And a special thanks to the police who willingly cooperated with us to provide us our route.
Mostanában olyan sok sértő és megbélyegző dolgot hallhattunk nőkről, bevándorlókról és menekültekről, kisebbségekről, az LMBTQIA közösségről, hogy ha kilépsz otthonról, már önmagában az is bátorságra vall. Az, hogy ma itt vagy és felvonulsz a nők jogaiért hatalmas bizonyítéka a bátorságodnak. Tapsoljuk meg magunkat!
A jelmondatunk: „Falak helyett hidakat!” Hogy miért? Mert hiszünk a hidakban. Kapcsolatok. Szövetségek. Hálózatok. Párbeszéd. Kommunikáció. Fordulj oda a szomszédodhoz és mutatkozz be neki! Mondd el a nevedet, hogy mit csinálsz, hogymiért menetelsz ma.
Mivel ma hidakat építünk, figyeljünk egymásra, amíg átkelünk a hídon. Adjunk helyeés legyünk türelmesek egymással.
Hidakat építünk. A híd az emberiség intelligenciájának szimbóluma. Annak, hogy képesek vagyunk problémákat megoldani. Összekötni azt, ami korábban külön volt.
Budapest meghatározó elemei a hidak. A Lánchíd volt az első híd, ami összekötötte Budát és Pestet és mostanra a várost ezek a hidak határozzák meg.
Amikor ma kifüggesztjük a transzparensünket, a híd közepén fogunk állni. Hadd vegyük a bátorságot ahhoz, hogy a nők jogaiért a híd közepéről dolgozzunk – hadd legyenek a történeteink, a követeléseink, az erőnk, a hangunk a színpad közepén.
Fel kell ismernünk, hogy hol tartunk ma. Egy olyan világban élünk, ahol egy választott vezető arra bátorít, hogy rossz hírbe hozzunk és szexuálisan bántalmazzunk nőket. Nem maradhatunk csendben! Nem csukhatjuk be a szemünket! Még ma el kell kezdenünk szembeszegülni az ilyen irányítással.
Néhányan bírálták ezt a felvonulást azzal, hogy hiábavaló vagy haszontalan vagy rosszul van megtervezve vagy bármilyen más kifejezéssel, amit azért használnak a nők ellen, hogy ellehetetlenítsék a helyzetüket, amikor kiállnak a jogaikért.
De egy dolgot tudok: amikor a gyerekeim és az unokáim megkérdeznek, hogy milyen volt, amikor Trumpot megválasztották, azt mondhatom nekik: a nők világszerte egyesítették erőiket, hogy azt mondhassák: Az erőnk valódi. A bátorságunk valódi. És figyelünk téged.
Csatlakozunk a washingtoni Nők Felvonulásához, hogy Trump elnökké avatásának másnapján üzenetet küldjünk az új amerikai vezetésnek és a világnak, hogy a nők jogai emberi jogok. Kiállunk egymásért, mert rájöttünk, hogyha megvédjük a leginkább kitaszítottakat, akkor mindannyiunkat megvédjük.
Sok munkánk van Amerikában és Magyarországon is.
Megkértük Keveházi Katát, hogy beszéljen a nők jogainak helyzetéről Magyarországon. Ő fog szólni arról, hogy mit tehetünk a
nők jogaiért itt, Magyarországon.
Köszönjük neked, Kata és külön köszönjük a Greenpeace-nek a hatalmas segítséget a mai esemény szervezésében és lebonyolításában. És köszönjük a rendőrségnek, aki készségesen együttműködött velünk és biztosította az útvonalunkat.
Keveházi Kata vagyok. 17. éve dolgozom a nőkért, és van 3 lányom. Büszke vagyok rá, hogy itt lehetek, és résztvevője lehetek ennek a napnak.
Ez egy történelmi nap. Mától a világ leggazdagabb és legbefolyásosabb országának vezetője egy olyan
férfi, aki megtestesíti mindazt, amitől ez a világ, amelyben élünk, romlott, veszélyes, és fájdalmakkal teli: a férfiuralom erőszakosságát, gátlástalanságát, agresszióját és fölényességét.
Legyünk bátrak kimondani, hisz tudjuk: a háborúk, a szegénység, az éhezés, a környezetrombolás, a migráció, mind a patriarchális hatalmi célok, hataloméhes férfiak végzetes, százmilliók pusztulásával járó játékának következményei.
Az erőforrásokért, pénzért vívott véres vagy vértelen ütközetek leginkább kiszolgáltatott áldozatai a nők és lánygyermekek. A nők elleni erőszak jól bevált tömegpusztító fegyvere minden háborúnak, a zaklatás a munkahelyi kultúra és a mindennapok része, a verbális, sőt a fizikai bántalmazás sokak családjában az élet természetes velejárója.
A mai nap történelmi nap, hiszen világszerte nők tömegei menetelnek, hogy megmutassák a nők erejét.
Igen, nagy utat tettünk meg, mi feministák, és a nők egyenlőségét támogató férfiak az elmúlt 100-150 évben.
A nők tanulhatnak, fizetett munkát végezhetnek, választhatnak és választhatók, javakat birtokolhatnak, saját akaratukból házasodhatnak és válhatnak el, dönthetnek arról, mikor és kitől
szeretnének gyermeket vállalni. Már ott, ahol. Mert vannak országok, társadalmi csoportok, ahol ez korántsem evidens.
Sok mindent elértünk, de tudjuk, hogy mindez kevés.
Garantált jogok ide vagy oda a férfiuralom megszállottjai és gyakorlói (és velük a nekik bólogató nők ) elidegeníthetetlen joguknak tartják, hogy előírják,
- mit tudunk – többnyire nem eleget, de azt se jól
- hogy mire vagyunk képesek – na jó, középvezetők esetleg lehetünk,
- hol a helyünk – otthon, természetesen,
- mi a feladatunk – a szeretteinkről való gondoskodás - mert magunktól eszünkbe sem jut
- hogy mennyit érünk – annyit semmi esetre sem, mint egy azonos képzettséggel, tapasztalattal rendelkező férfi,
- hogy mennyire és mennyiben vagyunk hasznosak a munkahelyen és használhatók az ágyban.
A többség társadalmi megbecsültségét mind a mai napig az adja, van-e mellette férfi, elég szépek, kedvesek, alkalmazkodók vagyunk-e, szülünk és háztartunk-e rendesen.
Magyarországon nem sokra becsülik a feminizmust. Kommunista métely, amúgy is posztszocialista örökség, hogy a nők és férfiak egyenlőségét a törvény biztosítja - ez nem is kérdés.
Hogy romlott a nők helyzete?
Hogy az idősgondozás, a házi betegápolás gyakorlatilag megszűnt; hogy továbbra sincs elegendő bölcsőde; hogy az egészségügyet már csak a dolgozók tartják életben; hogy a sérült gyermeket nevelő anyák 10% alatti arányban tudnak dolgozni; hogy csökkent az iskolaköteles életkor; hogy Nyíregyházáról nevezik el Amszterdamban a piros lámpás negyed egy részét; hogy nő a női
hajléktalanok aránya, hogy a legkonzervatívabb muszlim országok szintjén áll a parlamenti képviselők aránya, és hogy 1 árva nő sincs a kormányban? Ugyan.
Annyira egyenlők vagyunk, hogy nőkérdés más nincs is. Csak családok vannak, az alkotmány által is védetten. Nem érdekes, hogy minden ötödik család egyszülős, ahol 90%-ban a nő a családfenntartó. Hogy a 3 éve alatti gyermekgondozási segély vagy a sérült gyermeküket, hozzátartozójukat gondozó nők által igénybevető ápolási díj összege a létminimum egyharmada. Hogy a gyermekek fele szegénységben él és 50000 7 éven aluli gyermek éhezik. Miközben 4 milliárdért rendezünk be egy várbéli dolgozószobát. Az sem indokolja az Isztambuli Egyezmény ratifikálást, hogy a magyar rendőrség még mindig ott tart, hogy családon belüli erőszak esetén ki sem jön, ha nem folyt még vér. Ha mégis, hát nem történt semmi. Minek ugrál annyit az asszony. A parlamentben is megmondták, hogy „Fogd be a szád, anyukám”!
Hát mi befogjuk. És gályázunk és gólyázunk.
A férfiuralom nem lenne a nyakunkon, ha a nők többsége el ne fogadná alárendelt szerepét. Saját és gyermekeik anyagi és biztonsága érdekében alkalmazkodunk a zaklató főnökhöz, a bántalmazó férjhez, hálásak vagyunk a buszsofőrnek, ha vigyorogva mégis kinyitja az ajtót, és megdicséri a külsőnket.
Csapda ez nőtársaim, hogy a férfiak, az erős férfiak teremtik meg a biztonságunkat, miközben a legfőbb veszélyforrást a világ biztonsága, és hétköznapjaink biztonsága szempontjából éppen az
arrogáns férfihatalom jelenti, az egyenlőtlenségek növekedése, a hatalom nélküliek elnyomásán és semmibevételén alapuló patriarchális értékrend fennmaradása jelenti.
A mai nap azért is történelmi nap, mert ma világszerte milliók menetelnek együtt azért, hogy kifejezzék, nem, nem fordulunk vissza! Nem engedünk az eddig elért emberi és szociális jogainkból,
szolidárisak vagyunk egymással, minden kisebbséggel, a kiszolgáltatottakkal.
Kedves nőtársaim, elég erősek, okosak, önállóak és felelősségteljesek vagyunk. Ne féljünk a vezető szereptől, ne féljünk az érdekeink és gyermekeink érdekeinek képviseletétől, álljunk ki a jogainkért, a kiszolgáltatottakért, a társadalmi igazságosságért, egymásért és önmagunkért.
This is a historic day. From today, the leader of the world’s richest and most influential country is a man who represents all that makes this world we live in rotten, dangerous, and full of pain: chauvinistic aggression, scrupulousness, and arrogance.
Let’s be brave enough to say, since we know it’s true: war, poverty, hunger, environmental destruction, migration are all the result of patriarchal aspiration to power, the result of the games of power-hungry men, destructive games that come with hundreds of millions of casualties.
The victims of the battles for money and resources, bloody or not, are mostly women and girls.
Violence against women is an effective weapon of mass destruction in every war, harassment is part of workplace culture and our everyday life, and verbal and physical abuse are natural parts of life in many families.
It’s a historic day because around the world, masses of women are marching, to show their strength.
Yes, we’ve come a long way, we feminists and men who support equality, in the past 100-150 years.
Women can study, earn a wage, vote and be elected, own property, marry and divorce at their own will, and decide if, when, and with whom they have children. In some places. Because there are countries and communities where this is far from the case.
We’ve achieved a lot, but we know it’s not enough.
Regardless of actual rights, believers in and practitioners of male dominance (and with them, acquiescent women) feel it is their inalienable right to dictate:
● What we know - mostly not enough, and what we do know, we don’t know well
● What we’re capable of - okay, we can be middle manages
● Our place - at home, naturally
● Our job - to care for our loved ones, because we wouldn’t have realized this ourselves
● Our worth - in any case not as much as a man with the same education and experience
● How useful we are at work and in bed
The respect of the majority in our society remains determined by whether a woman has a husband or boyfriend, is pretty enough, nice enough, accommodating enough, and whether she bears children and keeps a household well.
In Hungary, feminism is not valued. It’s a communist fluke, a post-socialist inheritance that equality between the sexes is enshrined in law - there’s no question about it.
Has the situation of women deteriorated?
Perhaps because care for senior citizens and homebound patients has disappeared? Because
there are still not enough nursery schools? Because only the hard-working staff keep our health care system alive? Because only 10% of women with disabled children are able to work.
Because the required school-leaving age has been lowered? Because in Amsterdam, part of the red-light district is named after Nyiregyhaza? Because the percentage of women in the homeless population is rising? Because the ratio of female MPs approaches that of the most conservative of muslim countries? Because there isn’t a single woman in the cabinet?
No. We’re so equal, there’s no question about women. There are only families, and those are protected in the constitution.
It doesn’t matter that every fifth family is a single-parent one, of which 90% have a woman as the sole breadwinner. That the amount of support for women raising a child under three, caring
for a disabled child, or caring for a family member is one-third of the subsistence level. That half of the children in our country live in poverty and 50,000 children under the age of 7 are hungry,
and that the children of parents struggling to make ends meet are taken away.
In the midst of all this, we furnish an office in the Castle District for 4 billion forints ($14 million). And the ratification of the Istanbul Convention doesn’t influence the fact that the Hungarian
police still does not come to the scene when cases of domestic violence are reported, if blood is not flowing. If they do, well, nothing much happened. What’s the woman going on about? In parliament they’ve said, “Close your mouth, woman!”
We do close our mouths. We put up with it.
Male dominance would not be burdening us today if the majority of women didn’t accept their subordinate status. We put up with our abusive bosses and husbands, we’re grateful to the bus driver if he decides to open the door, and compliments us on our looks – all in the interest of our own and our children’s safety and well-being.
This is a trap, my fellow females. It’s a trap to think that strong men provide our security, while the main threat to the security of the world and of our daily lives is that arrogant male dominance, which leads to the rise of inequality, and the perpetuation of a patriarchal value system based on the oppression of the powerless.
It’s a historic day also because around the world, millions are marching together today to say "No, we’re not turning back! We’re not giving up any of our hard-won human and social rights. We’re in solidarity with each other and every minority, every oppressed group.”
My dear women, we are strong enough, smart enough, independent enough, and responsible enough. Let’s not be afraid to be leaders. Let’s not be afraid to represent our interests and those of our children. Let’s stand up for our rights, for the oppressed, for social justice, for each other, and for ourselves.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Top Ten

turkish delight

wide-brimmed straw hats in summer

jasmine pearl tea

eyewear

outdoor fruit and vegetable markets

tepertős pogácsa

freshly ground peanut butter

baking bread

being in my body

pockets

Széchenyi Fürdő

my mother's dumplings

rocking chairs

scarves

giving books I love to people I think might love them too

The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

diners

grandma Kelley's rice casserole

home made play dough

Le Mans Hall

midwives

baking muffins

Spencer Tunick

wool socks, knee-high, with stripes in the winter

clowns

"Coin-Operated Boy" by the Dresden Dolls

bread and butter

pumpkin

cooking split-pea soup

democracy

church bells

Gellért Fürdő

African chicken and peanut soup from the New England Soup Factory

martini with blue cheese stuffed olives

1059 Riverside

singing the ABC's as a lullaby

gesztenyepüré

Greek yogurt with honey, in Greece

sneaking away from a sleeping baby

sneaking back into my bed where my four and five-year-olds are tangled up, deeply breathing

bodza

Book Club

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins

Rome

sunflowers

avocados

Indigo Girls

dandelions

sleep

Warren Dunes State Park

french fries

blue

the fact that baking bread is so simple

clean pressed sheets

V-Day

walking by a lilac bush in bloom

holding hands

playgrounds

NPR

Prairie Home Companion

PBS

hard wood floors

freshly squeezed ABC juice--apple, beet, carrot

handmade afghans

coffee

Jeune Homme Nu Assis au Bord de la Mer, by Jean- Hippolyte Flandrin

marching bands

my clever, funny friend

roasted chestnuts

Rachel flodnija

birdie sing in the tree, woo woo woo, wee wee wee, I love you and you love me

Henszlmann Imre utca, 5

cuckoo clocks

soft-boiled eggs in egg cups

potluck dinners

Kelet Kávézó

7-year-old Leo with missing front teeth

tabasco sauce

massage

Amanda Palmer

the truth

Monday, June 13, 2016

America's Moral #Pulse

More love. More vulnerability. More kissing.

#SpencerTunick photo

#Orlando

America's Moral #Pulse



#LoveIsLove