The Starz Film Festival Line up of Women’s Rights Brims With International Power and Beauty in Struggles of Women undeniably asserting Their Heart and Humanity.
(for complete listings and updates go to www.denverfilm.org)

What this festival means to me is that people are knitted together in a mosaic across the world of common threads and passions for treating the earth as a partner in our quest for peace.

On November 12, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House “Precious” débuts, starring Gabourey Sidibe , which is based on the novel, Push,” by Ramon Lofton. November 21, their triumph as the powerful nexus of change and self-determination evokes adulation and authority in the final film, “The Young Victoria,” which will be débuted at 7:30 p.m.

The triumph of the spirit and transformation of women , in the cast of 3,000 nuns on November 14 and 15, at the Tivoli Starz Theatres on Auraria Campus in “Blessings.” This stirring documentary, about the nuns of Nangchen, spiritual practitioners of supreme devotion in Eastern Tibet renews one’s faith in humanity.

The film, “After the Rape,” depicts the life of Mukhtaran Mai, who was ordered raped by a tribal council, by six men in an act of revenge against her twelve year old brother. The rapists were acquitted in a Pakistan court in the town. She was expected to kill herself but instead created a justice center for domestic violence against women and the Mukhtar Model Girls School. Her unyielding efforts have transformed the lives of girls and families. This film can be viewed Tuesday Nov. 17 at 6:45 p.m. and at 8:45 p.m. on Nov. 18 at the Tivoli.

“Twelve Stones,” “Crossing Midnight,” “Likhaya,” depict the lives of heroic women in Myanmar, Nepal and Swaziland, who through their common threads of consciousness life their families, and their communities from the depths of suffocating isolation. The directors these films, respectively, Sandy Smolan, Kim Snyder and Aaron Kopp capture the quality of life and survival of people on the edge of despair. In many parts of the world micro businesses and centers for women to rise upon the stage of economic justice are creating a world wide revolution in the worth and dignity of their families.

In “Twelve Stones,” women learn to work together for economic justice in a remote and intolerant male dominated social system to transform their lives.
In “Crossing Midnight,” Millions fleeing Myanmar find the clinic established by Dr. Cynthia Maung and medical students twenty years ago has transformed the lives of countless refugees.

In “Likhaya,” a group of women have created a sustainable farm in Swaziland in southern Africa. Here they treat the ravages of HIV/AIDS through their methods of sustenance of the spirit and community. These films will be shown on Sat. Nov. 21 at 3:15 p.m. and Sun. Nov. 22 at 6:45 p.m. at Tivoli.

The supplement to the Denver Post, page 14F that this focus of the festival concerning women, “celebrates their art, achievements, brings together scholars, human rights advocates, and citizens. The Starz Film Festival has a monthly session presenting the work and lives of women.”

In this showcase is “My Neighbor My Killer,” by Annie Aghion, in cooperation with the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness, exploring the civil war between Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda, and specifically the process of reconciliation. This will be shown at the Tivoli Sun. Nov. 14 at 4 p.m., and Mon. Nov. 15 at both 4:30 and 7 p.m.

“One for the Road,” is directed by Eva Lopez Sanchez is a part of the Festival de Cine Mexicano. The film will be shown on Sun. Nov. 14 at 1:45 p.m. and at 7 p.m. on Sun. Nov. 15.

“Quest For Honor,” is directed by Mary Ann Smothers Bruni is about honor killings in Kurdistan, “tracking the investigation of these atrocities by women’s rights groups.”

Along with this film is the showing of “Sin By Silence,” directed by Olivia Klaus. She spent seven years filming Brenda Clubin, who founded the Convicted Women Against Abuse organization in California State Prison. The group is responsible for many changes in the corrections system with respect to women who take their partner’s lives and who are victims of domestic violence. These films will be shown on Sat. Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. and Mon. Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

“When the Mountains Tremble,” directed by Pamela Yates and Newton Thomas Sigel. This is being shown at the Denver Post Building in the DVA Auditorium on Wed. Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in cooperation with the Denver Justice and Peace Committee, CAMINOS, Natural Resources Defense Council and is being sponsored by both the Denver Post and Peace Jam. This film is based on a 1983 documentary of the Nobel laureate, Rigoberto Menchu in Guatemala, who is a Quiche Mayan.

“Two Spirits,” directed by Lydia Nibley, is a documentary about Fred Martinez a “nadleehi,” a young Navajo who in 1979, was at a carnival and was brutally murdered because he lived according to traditions and his sexual orientation. This tribute is a documentary of his life and through the tender eyes of his mother who recounts how Fred rose above the bigotry of many of his peers and local citizens came to terms with who and how he lived like a soaring eagle. This film will be shown at the King Center Sat. Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to these many talented and determined warriors of the spirit there will be a panel entitled, “Women and Film: Diversity Through the Decades.” This takes place Sun. Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the King Center. Anna Sophia Robb, recipient of the 2009 Rising Star Award, Sarah Siegel-Magness, the producer of “Precious,” Eva, Sanchez-Lopez, the director of “One For the Road,” Emily Kunstler, the director of the film, “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe,” and Dixie Carter, an actress from, “That Evening Sun,” are members of the panel.

What shines forth in these excerpts and in the ways of the world in this time is the determination, trust, spirit, and wisdom of women and the community of their faith to preserve a balance against extremism and hatred toward them and the earth.

Grab your heaviest jacket and some hot cocoa before you leave the house-- it’s that time of year again! Colorado residents wait excitedly every year and it’s finally time for the mountains to open! That’s right, ski and snowboard season is upon us once again and, after Wednesday’s snowstorm, it looks like it’s going to be a good one!

It’s a well known fact that Colorado is popular for skiing. Having the Rocky Mountains in our back yard providing tons of mountain space makes that easy. With over twenty ski resorts all around Colorado, everyone can find something to enjoy. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Pass are already open for the season. Aspen Mountain, Crested Butte, Snowmass, Telluride, Vail Mountain, Copper Mountain and Steamboat open in November. Echo Mountain, Powderhorn, Buttermilk, Sunlight Mountain and Silverton open in December. Most of these ski destinations are only a few hours from Denver and are open for morning runs, afternoon runs or all day runs. While these are some of Colorado’s most popular ski mountains, there are many others to explore as well.

For some Denver residents, finding time to go to the mountains can be tough, even if it’s only an hour and a half drive. Something you may not be aware of is that Echo Mountain, located in Idaho Springs, is only 35 miles outside of Denver! When I first heard about a ski resort so close to Denver, I didn’t think it could possibly offer the same ski experience the other mountains do. It surprised me to find that Echo Mountain gets 762 cm of annual snowfall a year and hosts 85 acres of powder covered land. Probably the most notable thing about Echo Mountain is that it offers night skiing! On several nights each week, you can ski on a well lit run until 9pm. In addition, Colorado.com has named Echo Mountain the least expensive skiing experience at $39 for an adult day pass.

Although many find skiing a fun and challenging sport, playing in the snow all day isn’t for everyone. What could be better a way to reminisce about the warmth of summer than to sit in Colorado’s largest hot springs pool? Relax in a 90 degree swimming pool or a 104 degree therapy pool while your family and friends spend the day skiing at Glenwood’s most popular ski resort, Sunlight Mountain. Glenwood Springs’ natural hot springs are open year round, and it can be an absolute treat watching the snow fall around you while you stay toasty warm in therapeutic waters!

Don’t want to drive yourself up into the mountains? A Private Guide would love to transport you and your group to the mountains this winter! Let us help you plan a weekend retreat with one of our many winter tour packages. Whether its a few days on the slopes or luxury weekend spent dining, shopping and swimming, experience Colorado winters at their finest in one of many festive resort towns!

I would love to hear your favorite thing to do while the snow is falling! Whether it’s skiing, sitting in the hot tub, sledding or just sitting by the fire and reading a book, leave your comments about your most memorable Colorado winter!

-Kelli Wilson, Intern
A Private Guide, Inc

Grab your heaviest jacket and some hot cocoa before you leave the house-- it’s that time of year again! Colorado residents wait excitedly every year and it’s finally time for the mountains to open! That’s right, ski and snowboard season is upon us once again and, after Wednesday’s snowstorm, it looks like it’s going to be a good one!

It’s a well known fact that Colorado is popular for skiing. Having the Rocky Mountains in our back yard providing tons of mountain space makes that easy. With over twenty ski resorts all around Colorado, everyone can find something to enjoy. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Pass are already open for the season. Aspen Mountain, Crested Butte, Snowmass, Telluride, Vail Mountain, Copper Mountain and Steamboat open in November. Echo Mountain, Powderhorn, Buttermilk, Sunlight Mountain and Silverton open in December. Most of these ski destinations are only a few hours from Denver and are open for morning runs, afternoon runs or all day runs. While these are some of Colorado’s most popular ski mountains, there are many others to explore as well.

For some Denver residents, finding time to go to the mountains can be tough, even if it’s only an hour and a half drive. Something you may not be aware of is that Echo Mountain, located in Idaho Springs, is only 35 miles outside of Denver! When I first heard about a ski resort so close to Denver, I didn’t think it could possibly offer the same ski experience the other mountains do. It surprised me to find that Echo Mountain gets 762 cm of annual snowfall a year and hosts 85 acres of powder covered land. Probably the most notable thing about Echo Mountain is that it offers night skiing! On several nights each week, you can ski on a well lit run until 9pm. In addition, Colorado.com has named Echo Mountain the least expensive skiing experience at $39 for an adult day pass.

Although many find skiing a fun and challenging sport, playing in the snow all day isn’t for everyone. What could be better a way to reminisce about the warmth of summer than to sit in Colorado’s largest hot springs pool? Relax in a 90 degree swimming pool or a 104 degree therapy pool while your family and friends spend the day skiing at Glenwood’s most popular ski resort, Sunlight Mountain. Glenwood Springs’ natural hot springs are open year round, and it can be an absolute treat watching the snow fall around you while you stay toasty warm in therapeutic waters!

Don’t want to drive yourself up into the mountains? A Private Guide would love to transport you and your group to the mountains this winter! Let us help you plan a weekend retreat with one of our many winter tour packages. Whether its a few days on the slopes or luxury weekend spent dining, shopping and swimming, experience Colorado winters at their finest in one of many festive resort towns!

I would love to hear your favorite thing to do while the snow is falling! Whether it’s skiing, sitting in the hot tub, sledding or just sitting by the fire and reading a book, leave your comments about your most memorable Colorado winter!

-Kelli Wilson, Intern
A Private Guide, Inc

n Nabvajo the term "Nadleehi," was used to define F. C. He was brutally murdered in Cortez while coming home from a carnival but the story of the two spirit begins with the ancestry of the distinct roles of women, men, "Dilbaa," and "Nadleehi" people in the ways of the people. They always were accepted and revered. Long before the country looked at the eays of marriage of people of the same sex the people were leaders and their families cherished.

Several leaders speak about the significance of nadleehi in bridging the relationships of people in the clans. The ways of the people were decimated by the primary school and Christian imposing of values that destroyed the cultural heritage of the people. When Freddy was eight years old he sat down with his family and expressed to them that he was not a boy. His family embraced him but people in his community in school did not accept him. He suffered extreme bigotry at the hands of these students and yet, resolved that everyday when he awakened he would be who he wanted to be.

This is a film in which the narratives of community members express their commitment and strength in recognizing the gifts of this slain child. Many of the scenes depict the views of his mother who embraced him and nurtured his being with all her heart. There is an expression, "Hozay naashaa doo," I will walk in beauty, which is the way that F,C lived as a two spirit. This film is dedicated to his life and will. It is dedicated to all of those who have come and those who have been a part of the Red Road Way who have been obliterated in hate crimes.

Lydia Nibley is the director of this hour documentary. Go to www.twospirits.org and to the film festival at www.filmdenver.org and view this sensitive and demanding account of a young eagle.

This film will be seen for years to come, "Blessings," at the Starz Film Festival Nov. 12 through 21, usually at the Tivoli on Auraria Campus. Go to www.denverfilm.org and look at the wide array of presentations, often with the stars and directors.

Uplifting: beautiful film called, "Blessings," about The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Eastern Tibet. It is about a documentary of the trip of Tsoknyi Rinpoche III to take some students to see them in 2005. They left a young woman there who decided to join their monasteries. Look at www.pundarika.org and you will see more uplifting information than you thought was ever possible. Their efforts are dedicated to peace and happiness throughout the world.

In 1959 the Chinese nearly destroyed this community. Every year in the dead of winter 100 of their community practice a ritual called tummo, the yoga of inner fire. The nuns sit all night , wrapping wet sheets around their bare skin, and dry the sheets with the fire of their fire within. Some of them dry twenty-five sheets in that way. In the morning they have a long procession in which they wet their sheets in barrels of ice water and dry them as they walk. As a result of the energy that they have instilled in the community surrounding them the violence, the alcoholism, and peace and harmony have spread throughout the region. The contact between the fierce Khampa nomads and the monasteries is marked by peace and calmness.

Ani Sherab Zangmo died in 2008 in her 80's but she was a rare and gifted practitioner. She went into hiding for twenty years in the caves in the upper mountains and emerged at the request of the Gebchak Gompa to teach.

She said, "Having realized the nature of mind which is, in essence, the mind that wishes to benefit others and lead them from suffering, you can be of great benefit to others."

I can think of nothing more uplifting than these women.

It is said, "When you have love deep in your being, then you naturally benefit others."

OPT OUT: COP OUT
By Helen L. Burleson, Doctor of Public Administration

Well they managed to sell us out again! How creative are they who play on words. Opt out are words that are “full of sound and fury and signifying nothing!”

Game playing has taken on a new dimension and dynamic. I wonder, in the game our legislators are playing, which one of us is going to get health care and which ones are not. Let us all pray that we live in a state where the governor feels we are worthy of survival because we can get the quality health care that we all have a right to have.

If we consider ourselves the FIRST WORLD, then why are we being treated like second class citizens? Would we be better off living in one of the countries we designate as “third world” where some of them provide universal health care? Are we to be adjudged more backward than “third world” countries?
Now let’s look at the arena where the game was formulated. I believe the arena is called Congress. Yes, that’s it. Congress is where men and women are elected to represent the people, and to make laws that protect the people.

At this point I need to revisit the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. For those who have not read it lately or have never read it, I will place a copy of it here:

The Preamble states:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Let’s zoom in on the phrase, “promote the general Welfare.” Have all these naysayers who are attempting to play the game of “NO” read this Preamble lately? If so, then why are they denying us our “GENERAL WELFARE?”

Now, it is time for me to get out my old faithful, trusted dictionary. Welfare as a noun is defined as: (1) The good fortune, health, happiness. (2) Prosperity, etc. of a person, group, or organization; well-being; to look after a child: welfare, the physical or moral welfare of society. (3) Health, happiness, and good fortune: well-being. (4) Prosperity. (5) Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government; TO PEOPLE IN NEED. The word welfare comes from old English wel faran “condition of being or doing well.” From vel (see well). Adverb+faran “get along” (see fare) as a verb,…Meaning “social concern for the well-being of children, the unemployed, etc.

Ah ha, the unemployed! Why has our government allowed so many American companies to outsource work that deprives American workers the opportunity to be employed in order to care for their families and maintain their homes? This outsourcing also deprives our treasury of collecting taxes from these companies on foreign shores, thus providing them with opportunities for sheltering or sequestering billions of dollars.

It’s dissection time. Notice how the Preamble refers to GENERAL WELFARE which has been defined above. In breaking down or parsing the word welfare, we learn that welfare includes and encompasses HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL AS MORAL WELFARE.

What part of welfare as health is it that our legislators don’t understand? Is it because they are paid by a certain institution not to care about our welfare? It is because they are just naturally inhumane, insensitive and lacking in empathy and compassion? Why is it that they feel that they are privileged and have the RIGHT to enjoy freedom of choice in selecting the best health care programs for themselves that we, the people, don’t have that same RIGHT? Is this a matter of the royals vs. the peons? Is this an Aristocracy and not a Democracy? It was my understanding in elementary school that one of the main reasons why the people who left debtors’ prison in England and came to the “New World” was to get rid of a system where people were exploited by the nobility. It was also my understanding in elementary school that Our Founding Fathers developed a Constitution that promoted the GENERAL WELFARE. Did I misread the Preamble or did our legislators have a different social studies book? Some where there is a mismatch between our governing document and our legislators interpretation of this document? Didn’t they have social studies when they went to elementary school?

Why then are they playing games with our lives? I want to know what the explanation is. I believe when they are sworn into office they have to pledge to uphold The Constitution of the United States of America. Did they forget? Could removal from office boost their selective memories and choices so that they can be forced into REALITY? Right now they are living in a fairy tale world where all the kings men are privileged.

Opt out is a cop out. Opt out is subterfuge. Opt out is game being played with American lives.

It is time for we, the people, to call them out and throw them out! NO MORE GAME PLAYING WITH OUR LIVES!

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

ODE TO A BLEEDING HEART

The one factor that contributed most to the downfall of the Democratic Party during the seventies and eighties was allowing conservative Republicans to seize control of the political rhetoric. The Democrats simply sat back and allowed themselves, their constituency and their agenda to be redefined in the eyes of the American people by conservative "spin doctors" without rebuttal. As a direct result, they've allowed the term "liberal" to become a bad word in the political lexicon.

When you consider how methodically the conservatives went about mounting their assault on the liberal agenda you can't help but recognize that it was a stroke of genius. Ironically, the conservatives took the Democratic Party's strength and made it a political liability. First they took the party's penchant for being concern with the plight of the downtrodden and coined phrases such as "bleeding heart liberals" and "tax and spend Democrats." They then played on the frustration of the middle class by tying civil rights legislation, welfare, and crime into one neat bundle as the source of middle class woes; then they attributed all of these problems to what they called the Democrat's tendency to be " bleeding heart liberals". Once the connection was made between minorities, welfare, crime, and the liberal agenda, it was just a matter of repeatedly hammering the message home.

In addition, conservatives used such tactics as spitting out the word "liberal" as though they were saying rapist. In this way they not only implanted a negative attitude toward liberalism in the mind of the voter, but it was said in such a way that the implication was made that it went without saying that all the negative stereotyping of liberalism was true. In other words, their attitude seems to suggest, "I could substantiate what I'm saying about liberals, but I don't think it's necessary since we all know what they're like." And in the election that spawned the "Republican revolution" the voters said, yes, we do.

Through these strategies conservatives accomplished three goals with one ingenious stroke -- they defined minorities as slovenly criminals, they define liberal Democrats as "soft on crime", and they allowed themselves the freedom to place these thoughts in the American psyche without having to substantiate their facts. Moreover, they accomplish all this in every sound bite, and without seeming to be racist, with the use of just one word, "liberal." In fact, conservatives have been so thorough in their disparagement of liberalism that at this point the word "liberal" is treated like vulgarity, and simply referred to as "the L word."

One would think that Democrats would be up in arms in defense of their liberal tradition. It would seem that they would be falling all over one another in an attempt to debate this issue. But instead, these people are falling over one another trying to put distance between themselves and the liberal tradition. Where are their backbones? Where is that one Democrat willing to say, wait a minute! Read your history! It was the "bleeding heart liberal" policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that brought this country back from the brink of disaster.

*******　

In 1921 -- eight years before the great depression -- Republicans took over the helm of this nation for 12 years. During that time there were three Republican administrations, the first of which was the administration of Warren G. Harding. History remembers Harding's administration for one thing more than anything other -- scandal. It was during Harding's presidency that the Teapot Dome Scandal erupted. His administration was considered the most corrupt administration in the history of the United States -- until Nixon's, and then Reagan's.

Next, in 1923, came Calvin Coolidge, the president that Ronald Reagan is said to have most admired. Coolidge's policies of large tax cuts, allowing business a free-rein, and his encouragement of stock speculation contributed greatly to the impending stock market crash and the great depression that was to come.

Then in 1929 Herbert Hoover came to power. During his administration the stock market crashed, starting the great depression. In spite of the fact that by 1933 the unemployment rate was at 33.3% with 16 million people out of work, the Republican, Hoover, just sat, thinking that the economy would eventually rejuvenate itself. During Hoover's administration 15,000 WWI veterans marched on Washington demanding that they be paid what they were owed by the government. Hoover responded by calling in federal troops to throw these ex-servicemen off government property.

Finally in 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a liberal democrat, was elected overwhelmingly. He immediately surrounded himself with a group of the finest minds in the country, including Columbia professors Adolph A. Berle, Jr., Rexford G. Tugwell, and Raymond Moley, known at the time as the "Brain Trust." After assembling these men and others he went about the business of developing a" New Deal" for the working class people of this country.

The New Deal had two components -- one to help the economy to recover from the effects of the great depression, and a second component to give relief to the American people and to insure that they were never be placed in a position of total destitution again. To help heal the economy Roosevelt created programs that regulated business, controlled inflation, and brought about price stabilization; to bring relief to the people he signed The National Labor Relations Act which guaranteed workers the right to collective bargaining, and he created the Social Security Administration to guarantee workers some sort of income once they became too old to work. He also signed the Fair Labor Standards Act which protected workers rights and set a minimum wage for workers.

With his New Deal in place Franklin Delano Roosevelt, this "bleeding heart liberal", not only led this country out of the worst, Republican generated, crisis that this country has ever faced, but went on to lead the free world in victory over Hitler in WWII. He then ushered in the most sustained prosperity that the world has ever known.

One would think that conservatives would have seen the light, but their passion to further enrich the wealthy at the expense of the middle and lower classes seems to supersede all logic. Therefore, from the moment that the New Deal went into place, conservatives have been determined to dismantle it. The closest they've come to succeeding started during the Reagan administration with Supply-Side Economics, or, "Reaganomics" -- and the battle is currently raging in Washington D.C. as we speak.

Supply- Side Economics was a scheme hatch by U.S.C. economist Arthur Laffer and the Reagan crowd which was supposed to cut the deficit and balance the budget. The theory behind Reaganomics was ostensibly, if you cut taxes for business and people in the upper tax brackets, and then deregulated business of such nuisances as safety regulations and environmental safeguards, the beneficiaries would invest their savings into creating new jobs. In that way the money would eventually "trickle down" to the rest of us. The resulting broadened tax base would not only help to bring down the deficit, but also subsidize the tremendously high defense budget. When the plan was first floated, even George Bush, Reagan's vice president to be, called it "voodoo economics."

Reaganomics, for the most part, sought to undo many of the safeguards put into place during the Roosevelt era and create a business environment similar to that which was in place during the Coolidge Administration. What actually took place, however, was even more like the Coolidge era than planed. Instead of taking the money and investing it into creating new jobs, the money was used in wild schemes and stock market speculation. One of these schemes, the leveraged buy out, involved buying up large companies with borrowed funds secured by the company's assets, then paying off the loan by selling off the assets of the purchased company. This practice cost the citizens of this country its industrial base. In addition, the bottom fell out of the stock market. On Monday, October 19, 1987 the Dow-Jones Average fell 508.32 points. It was the greatest one-day decline since 1914 - 15 years before the Great Depression.

And what about Ronald Reagan's promise to balance the budget and lower the deficit? By the time he left office he was not only the most prolific spender of any president, but he also added more to the deficit than all of the other presidents from George Washington to his own administration combined. And what does the Republican Party propose to do about that? One of the Republican proposals in their "contract with America" is a capitol gains tax cut -- for the rich.

History is clear. The conservative Republicans don't mind spending money, they just don't want to spend it on those who need it -- us. Remember, they're the party of Alexander Hamilton, one of this country's founding fathers who believed that only those who owned property should even be allowed to vote. He also said:

All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and wellborn, the other the mass of the people.... The people are turbulant and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government.

Debates of the Federalist Convention (May 14-September 17, 1787).

So, let's set the record straight. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, that "bleeding heart liberal", not only brought the nation back from the Great Depression and saved the world from Hitler during his life, but his "New Deal" for the American people gave us the greatest prosperity we've ever known, and allowed him to reach back from the grave to save the nation from Ronald Reagan 50 years after his death.

That isn't to say that the liberal Democratic philosophy corners the market on what is in the best interest of the nation -- it is clear that both parties have had illustrious moments in the past -- but rather, this is one of those defining issues in American politics that determines whether this is to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, or a government where the citizens or nothing more than disposable resources for big business.

In the past the Democratic Party has always been there to draw a line in the sand on this issue, but in recent history the liberal philosophy has been distorted to the point that even Democrats are distancing themselves from their own political philosophy.

But what makes America great, are those dramatic moments in American politics when that one individual has the courage to put everything on the line to defend, protect, and save the American people disaster. And the annals of modern American history will clearly show that during those moments, it was a "bleeding heart liberal" that stepped up to the plate. First FDR, then Bill Clinton, and now Barack Hussein Obama.

Thus, future historians will record that there is nothing more honorable in American politics than a bleeding heart . . . Because those hearts bleed for America.

Listen to this heart bleed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghz4_kikLkE

Eric L. Wattree
wattree.blogspot.com

Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

He lived with grace and dignity, without regrets. He was a friend to whom I never expressed how much his presence calmed me and made me feel at ease. I never said how much I missed him and when he finally died his life was forfeited without fanfare. He was simple, and serene in his demeanor and though he died he left a presence in my consciousness that is a measuring stick for the severity the world holds in life in almost all relationships.

One cannot measure worth of commitment in half-filled promises. Blue was always committed to us even though we often took him for granted. He was a peaceful giant of character, related to each of us as precious members of his home. He did not see distinction between the poor and the destitute. He cared for every one and in every circumstance with consistency and grace. He was one of the decent beings that defined the nature of refined commerce and industry, or governance and bureaucracy. He left a model for framing the way in which we relate to one another. Blue served efficiently as an ambassador of hope and forgiveness.

In most of the institutions that we have created, namely the United Nations on October 24, 1945, we had expected to live in a world of peace much as Blue has lived among us. What we have failed to understand in our official business is that owning a business does not give the right to anyone to be cruel and neglect others. No matter what, our commitment must be to cover the world as a blanket with unending compassion and mercy.

Even though the United Nations was formed to defend the rights of those who suffer and to restore peace it has been a shabby cousin of the spirit of Blue. We have not had peace in the last sixty-five years anywhere. What is the legacy of being afraid to embrace our neighbors as equal members of the community? What prevents us from realizing the basic tenants of respect, dignity, grace and peaceful existence? Are we unable to overcome our true origins as snarling mongrels who are always on the defensive? We are naive to think that one can turn and walk away from the care and mercy of everything in our world without devouring this world and being destroyed.

We will always remember Blue, a prince of peace. Though he was a Black Labrador, he came to us without question and left us with a feeling in our hearts that we will never forget his spirit.