With Thanksgiving coming up and it being a time when we get together with family and friends, I wanted to give you a way in which you can easily make other people's lives work and your own in the process. It is something that you might want to begin now and continue on a long-term basis, and that is to become a matchmaker. When I say 'become a matchmaker' I don't solely mean in the sense of connecting people up who would make good love matches, although that might be part of it. I am also talking about putting people together who have work, hobbies and other aspects of their lives in common. In this way, you go from being a matchmaker, to becoming more of a connector. Indeed, you may be one already or you may know of one, two, or many for that matter.
So how do you personally become a connector? Well, the first criteria is that you have to want other people's lives to work, regardless of whether yours is or isn't. By giving out that sort of energy, you will get rewards back in spades and you'll see, your life will automatically improve.
And the second criteria to becoming a connector, is that you cannot be the jealous type. You have to have the attitude that there is enough to go round for everyone. There is enough money, there is enough work, there are enough friends, there is enough love, and, by adopting that perspective, you will always have more than enough of all of the above.
So, with those two criteria in mind, think about whom in your life could benefit from connecting up with someone else in your life, whether it's friends, family, work associates or anyone you enjoy meeting for that matter. How could one help the other? How could their meeting mutually benefit each other's lives, regardless of it being love, work or friendship?
If there is something that you can easily do to make a difference this Thanksgiving, it is to start connecting people up who will benefit from the meeting, as one thing is for sure, without connectors we would all live very lonely lives.
Some of you may have noticed that I disappeared off the Huffington Post for a few months. I have now started to do regular 'How Happy is' television segments on the KTLA morning show and have completed my website which I would love you to visit at www.howhappyis.com, where you can read many more articles, watch videos, make contact with me, ask any questions and sign up for a monthly newsletter. Happy Thanksgiving. I look forward to hearing from you. Sophie x
November 26, 2009
Our Problematic Syria Policy
I am currently in Israel, in an area called the Golan Heights, which rests alongside the Syrian border. The following is a video blog that highlights the problematic policy the United States has with regards to Syria, and its larger role in the region.
No Fair Election In Honduras Under Military Occupation
As the Honduran election approaches this Sunday, let's be clear about the conditions under which it is taking place. Human rights abuses are rampant, freedom of speech is under attack, and the election process is in the hands of the very people who perpetrated the coup. Clearly, no free and fair election is possible under the repressive thumb of the military coup that has been in place for five months.
While the 23 nations of the Rio Group from Latin America and the Caribbean have condemned the election and announced they will not recognize its outcome, the Obama administration still insists it will recognize the results -- once again isolating the United States from those who are upholding democracy in the hemisphere.
President Obama should join the rest of the world and immediately declare the elections fraudulent and demand the immediate restoration of President Manuel Zelaya, the withdrawal of the Honduran military, and a delay of the election until three months after Zelaya has been full reinstated.
Imagine a "free and fair election" under the conditions in Honduras today (and imagine if this were taking place in the United States):
The same Honduran military,which perpetrated the June 28 coup forcing President Manuel Zelaya out of the country, and which has brutally occupied the country for five months, physically controls the ballots, the ballot boxes, the computers that tabulate the results, and the dissemination of the outcome.
The legitimate President of the country is being held captive in the Brazilian Embassy under draconian circumstances, and has denounced the elections as fraudulent.
The leading opposition candidate, the independent Carlos H. Reyes--who has a real chance of winning a free and fair election--has withdrawn his name from the ballot in protest. Throughout the country, hundreds of candidates for congress and municipal office, including those from the mainstream parties, have announced they are withdrawing from the election. They include the mayor of San Pedro Sula, the nation's second largest city.
All three trade union federations, the leading human rights organization, women's groups, organizations of indigenous and African-descent peoples, the gay and lesbian movement, and the campesino movement--united in the National Front Against the Coup d'Etat--have denounced the election as fraudulent.
The coup government has made it illegal to advocate not voting.
Peaceful demonstrations are routinely teargassed. As the Committee of Families of the Disappeared (COFADEH) has documented, dozens of people have been killed, over 600 beaten, and over 3,500 illegally detained, including lawyers who have shown up to secure the release of detainees. Opponents of the coup continue be threatened, illegally arrested, and beaten in their homes.
The military has recently instructed all mayors in the country to compile a list of persons in their jurisdiction who oppose the coup.
The two presidential candidates remaining in the election from the traditional parties of the oligarchy, Elvin Santos from the right wing of the Liberal Party, and Porfirio Lobo Sosa from the National Party, both initially supported the coup.
No free and fair election can take place under these circumstances. Only when the legitimate President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has been fully restored to office for three months, only when the military has been pushed back into its barracks, and only when civil liberties are completely restored can an orderly transfer of power to a new administration take place. By persuading coup leader Roberto Micheletti to briefly step aside in the week before the election, the U.S. State Department has tried to whitewash the election at the last minute. But that doesn't change the fact that the Honduran military and the oligarchs, who perpetrated the coup and who have dictated the nation's politics for decades, are still brutally repressing the people of Honduras.
The vast majority of Hondurans aren't fooled. After five months of military repression, they know the difference between a fraudulent cover for the continuation of the coup regime, and a truly free and fair election under the rule of law. So does the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the Rio Group. They understand well the dangerous precedent the Honduran coup represents.
President Obama should refuse to recognize the results of the election and bring an end to the embarrassing isolation of the United States from the rest of the world.
While the 23 nations of the Rio Group from Latin America and the Caribbean have condemned the election and announced they will not recognize its outcome, the Obama administration still insists it will recognize the results -- once again isolating the United States from those who are upholding democracy in the hemisphere.
President Obama should join the rest of the world and immediately declare the elections fraudulent and demand the immediate restoration of President Manuel Zelaya, the withdrawal of the Honduran military, and a delay of the election until three months after Zelaya has been full reinstated.
Imagine a "free and fair election" under the conditions in Honduras today (and imagine if this were taking place in the United States):
The same Honduran military,which perpetrated the June 28 coup forcing President Manuel Zelaya out of the country, and which has brutally occupied the country for five months, physically controls the ballots, the ballot boxes, the computers that tabulate the results, and the dissemination of the outcome.
The legitimate President of the country is being held captive in the Brazilian Embassy under draconian circumstances, and has denounced the elections as fraudulent.
The leading opposition candidate, the independent Carlos H. Reyes--who has a real chance of winning a free and fair election--has withdrawn his name from the ballot in protest. Throughout the country, hundreds of candidates for congress and municipal office, including those from the mainstream parties, have announced they are withdrawing from the election. They include the mayor of San Pedro Sula, the nation's second largest city.
All three trade union federations, the leading human rights organization, women's groups, organizations of indigenous and African-descent peoples, the gay and lesbian movement, and the campesino movement--united in the National Front Against the Coup d'Etat--have denounced the election as fraudulent.
The coup government has made it illegal to advocate not voting.
Peaceful demonstrations are routinely teargassed. As the Committee of Families of the Disappeared (COFADEH) has documented, dozens of people have been killed, over 600 beaten, and over 3,500 illegally detained, including lawyers who have shown up to secure the release of detainees. Opponents of the coup continue be threatened, illegally arrested, and beaten in their homes.
The military has recently instructed all mayors in the country to compile a list of persons in their jurisdiction who oppose the coup.
The two presidential candidates remaining in the election from the traditional parties of the oligarchy, Elvin Santos from the right wing of the Liberal Party, and Porfirio Lobo Sosa from the National Party, both initially supported the coup.
No free and fair election can take place under these circumstances. Only when the legitimate President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has been fully restored to office for three months, only when the military has been pushed back into its barracks, and only when civil liberties are completely restored can an orderly transfer of power to a new administration take place. By persuading coup leader Roberto Micheletti to briefly step aside in the week before the election, the U.S. State Department has tried to whitewash the election at the last minute. But that doesn't change the fact that the Honduran military and the oligarchs, who perpetrated the coup and who have dictated the nation's politics for decades, are still brutally repressing the people of Honduras.
The vast majority of Hondurans aren't fooled. After five months of military repression, they know the difference between a fraudulent cover for the continuation of the coup regime, and a truly free and fair election under the rule of law. So does the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the Rio Group. They understand well the dangerous precedent the Honduran coup represents.
President Obama should refuse to recognize the results of the election and bring an end to the embarrassing isolation of the United States from the rest of the world.
Webcam Of Shame
The subject line on the email from the charity CARE was nothing if not eye-catching: "25,000 will die this Thanksgiving."
So I did what they wanted -- I clicked the message open and learned that the figure refers to how many men, women and children perish from malnutrition and hunger-related causes every single day. The statistic reminded me of the news from the World Food Program earlier this month that the number of people suffering from hunger now exceeds 1 billion (and to think at the beginning of the 19th century there weren't even that many humans in existence on the planet).
Close to home, the news is not much better, with the US Department of Agriculture disclosing that nearly 50 million Americans are "food insecure," and Feeding America saying food banks have experienced a 30 percent jump in demand this year alone.
The CARE solicitation, the World Food Program's "Billion4Billion" campaign, Feeding America's "Feast for 9 Million" program and The Hunger Project's "Epicenter Strategy" all do their part to match giving hearts with empty stomachs, but the demand for help seems to keep outpacing the supply of hope.
What's a supposedly caring civilization to do? Maybe it's time for a game-changer, something radical to shake things up and wag the long charitable tail of the 5,799,356,509 people who don't wake up or go to sleep hungry every day. After all, hunger is one of those crises, like preventable disease, that we have the capacity to solve virtually overnight; all that is lacking is sufficient will.
So that Thy will be done, here's one small but provocative idea: set up global webcams that transmit graphic, live images of people quite literally dying of hunger and related diseases to shame the world into action by confronting us with the sheer horror of our neglect.
In 1960, Edward R. Murrow's broadcast, "Harvest of Shame," shined a bright light on the hidden plight of migrant farm workers. It stirred many to action. However, in the Internet age, a single television documentary (not that they produce them anymore) isn't enough to move the masses to act against the ravages of poverty and preventable disease. But if confronted with real-time video of real people at death's door - people who don't need a miracle; just a helping hand -- many would be inspired to act.
This Webcam of Shame project would require charities, NGO's, technology companies and high traffic websites to join together and install and operate a sustainable network of webcams in hospitals, urgent care centers, villages and other places where people are suffering from a lack of food or water or preventable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
With the cameras focusing directly on those who are in the process of dying, the streaming video feed would be made visible to millions of people via some of the world's most popular websites, positioned just like an advertisement for a car or a politician. A button on the webcam "ad" would allow viewers to quickly make contributions to charities that can bring relief directly to the people and communities depicted on the webcam streams. The more people who click-through, the more aid can flow to where it's needed most.
Other links on the chain of webcams could help unite people in a powerful, global movement to put pressure on governments to take more action against such "crimes of humanity," flooding the corridors of power with vast social networks of outrage about the devastation unfolding so disturbingly before everyone's eyes ("click here to send an email to your member of Congress to demand action NOW!").
The fact that 25,000 people a day die of hunger and related illnesses makes us all guilty of neglect. The Webcam of Shame (or "I Am My Brother's Keeper-Cam" or "The Eyes Of God-Cam") would bring the terrible reality of 21st century poverty and disease right into our homes and workplaces. If we turn to our laptop and are confronted by the sight of another human being dying right before our eyes, right this very second, fading away ... who among us would not act?
We know intellectually what's happening; but we're not feeling it emotionally enough to act strongly or consistently enough (I know how short I've fallen in my own response to this crisis). By shaming those of us who have so much we can give hope to those who have too little.
Sure, there would be lots of questions to answer to get a guilt-trip like this off the ground: who funds the operation of the webcam network; who installs and maintains the equipment; which charities should get the money; how do you channel citizen support for more governmental action; how do we deal with local and national government opposition; and how do we convince high traffic websites to carry the webcams (who wants their ad for a Cancun vacation running alongside an image of a dying child?). But I see these as hurdles to be crossed, not roadblocks to stop the implementation of this plan. Heck, let's just start with one webcam in one hospital focused on one dying person linked to one popular web page, and see what happens.
Of course, some will say that displaying such intrusive images violates the privacy of the suffering. But I believe that most of those who are, quite literally, dying from neglect won't neglect an opportunity to remind all of us of our own responsibility to act, and to act now.
Truly, the only real question about the Webcam of Shame is whether we are too ashamed to make it happen. In World War II, my father was in the U.S. Army's Rainbow Division, which helped liberate Dachau, and when I was young he told me the story of how they made the citizens of the town of Dachau come through the "Arbeit Macht Frei" gates and into the camp, and forced them to walk by all the emaciated bodies of the last victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
Surely those neighbors must have suspected what horrors were happening in their midst, year after year, just yards from their homes. Yet they failed to act, choosing to claim "we didn't know." Sometimes I imagine that Purgatory is a place where the angels of God, like the Rainbow Division soldiers, force-march our souls past the bodies of all the people who suffered and died in our midst throughout the course of our lives.
We suspect what is happening in the world around us, thanks to emails from groups like CARE and the good, hard work of so many charitable people and organizations. But we don't ever seem to bring ourselves to the level of action required to put a stop to the madness of hunger all around us.
At the least, a Webcam of Shame would ensure that none of us could get away with saying "we didn't know."
[p.s. if you think this idea sucks, but at least have been shamed into doing something, just click through to these or other hunger charities and give now: World Food Program (http://www.wfp.org/), Feeding America (http://feedingamerica.org/), CARE (http://www.care.org/) and The Hunger Project (http://www.thp.org/).
Jim Kennedy has worked in media relations in the government, non-profit and private sectors.
So I did what they wanted -- I clicked the message open and learned that the figure refers to how many men, women and children perish from malnutrition and hunger-related causes every single day. The statistic reminded me of the news from the World Food Program earlier this month that the number of people suffering from hunger now exceeds 1 billion (and to think at the beginning of the 19th century there weren't even that many humans in existence on the planet).
Close to home, the news is not much better, with the US Department of Agriculture disclosing that nearly 50 million Americans are "food insecure," and Feeding America saying food banks have experienced a 30 percent jump in demand this year alone.
The CARE solicitation, the World Food Program's "Billion4Billion" campaign, Feeding America's "Feast for 9 Million" program and The Hunger Project's "Epicenter Strategy" all do their part to match giving hearts with empty stomachs, but the demand for help seems to keep outpacing the supply of hope.
What's a supposedly caring civilization to do? Maybe it's time for a game-changer, something radical to shake things up and wag the long charitable tail of the 5,799,356,509 people who don't wake up or go to sleep hungry every day. After all, hunger is one of those crises, like preventable disease, that we have the capacity to solve virtually overnight; all that is lacking is sufficient will.
So that Thy will be done, here's one small but provocative idea: set up global webcams that transmit graphic, live images of people quite literally dying of hunger and related diseases to shame the world into action by confronting us with the sheer horror of our neglect.
In 1960, Edward R. Murrow's broadcast, "Harvest of Shame," shined a bright light on the hidden plight of migrant farm workers. It stirred many to action. However, in the Internet age, a single television documentary (not that they produce them anymore) isn't enough to move the masses to act against the ravages of poverty and preventable disease. But if confronted with real-time video of real people at death's door - people who don't need a miracle; just a helping hand -- many would be inspired to act.
This Webcam of Shame project would require charities, NGO's, technology companies and high traffic websites to join together and install and operate a sustainable network of webcams in hospitals, urgent care centers, villages and other places where people are suffering from a lack of food or water or preventable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
With the cameras focusing directly on those who are in the process of dying, the streaming video feed would be made visible to millions of people via some of the world's most popular websites, positioned just like an advertisement for a car or a politician. A button on the webcam "ad" would allow viewers to quickly make contributions to charities that can bring relief directly to the people and communities depicted on the webcam streams. The more people who click-through, the more aid can flow to where it's needed most.
Other links on the chain of webcams could help unite people in a powerful, global movement to put pressure on governments to take more action against such "crimes of humanity," flooding the corridors of power with vast social networks of outrage about the devastation unfolding so disturbingly before everyone's eyes ("click here to send an email to your member of Congress to demand action NOW!").
The fact that 25,000 people a day die of hunger and related illnesses makes us all guilty of neglect. The Webcam of Shame (or "I Am My Brother's Keeper-Cam" or "The Eyes Of God-Cam") would bring the terrible reality of 21st century poverty and disease right into our homes and workplaces. If we turn to our laptop and are confronted by the sight of another human being dying right before our eyes, right this very second, fading away ... who among us would not act?
We know intellectually what's happening; but we're not feeling it emotionally enough to act strongly or consistently enough (I know how short I've fallen in my own response to this crisis). By shaming those of us who have so much we can give hope to those who have too little.
Sure, there would be lots of questions to answer to get a guilt-trip like this off the ground: who funds the operation of the webcam network; who installs and maintains the equipment; which charities should get the money; how do you channel citizen support for more governmental action; how do we deal with local and national government opposition; and how do we convince high traffic websites to carry the webcams (who wants their ad for a Cancun vacation running alongside an image of a dying child?). But I see these as hurdles to be crossed, not roadblocks to stop the implementation of this plan. Heck, let's just start with one webcam in one hospital focused on one dying person linked to one popular web page, and see what happens.
Of course, some will say that displaying such intrusive images violates the privacy of the suffering. But I believe that most of those who are, quite literally, dying from neglect won't neglect an opportunity to remind all of us of our own responsibility to act, and to act now.
Truly, the only real question about the Webcam of Shame is whether we are too ashamed to make it happen. In World War II, my father was in the U.S. Army's Rainbow Division, which helped liberate Dachau, and when I was young he told me the story of how they made the citizens of the town of Dachau come through the "Arbeit Macht Frei" gates and into the camp, and forced them to walk by all the emaciated bodies of the last victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
Surely those neighbors must have suspected what horrors were happening in their midst, year after year, just yards from their homes. Yet they failed to act, choosing to claim "we didn't know." Sometimes I imagine that Purgatory is a place where the angels of God, like the Rainbow Division soldiers, force-march our souls past the bodies of all the people who suffered and died in our midst throughout the course of our lives.
We suspect what is happening in the world around us, thanks to emails from groups like CARE and the good, hard work of so many charitable people and organizations. But we don't ever seem to bring ourselves to the level of action required to put a stop to the madness of hunger all around us.
At the least, a Webcam of Shame would ensure that none of us could get away with saying "we didn't know."
[p.s. if you think this idea sucks, but at least have been shamed into doing something, just click through to these or other hunger charities and give now: World Food Program (http://www.wfp.org/), Feeding America (http://feedingamerica.org/), CARE (http://www.care.org/) and The Hunger Project (http://www.thp.org/).
Jim Kennedy has worked in media relations in the government, non-profit and private sectors.
CNN Heroes Celebrates Remarkable Acts Of Giving
Last night's 3rd Annual CNN Heroes Awards Show capped off another year-long campaign where the 24-hour news network went through over 9,000 stories of giving, featured 10 remarkable people, and selected one Hero Of The Year.
The CNN Heroes project started three years ago to highlight the extraordinary work of everyday individuals, and show that anyone has the power to make a significant difference in their communities. Today, the show is a mainstay of CNN's holiday programming, and has increased in scope each year. This year, the celebrity guest list included Nicole Kidman, George Lopez, Eva Mendes and Neil Patrick Harris.
The show, which taped on Saturday, culminated with Anderson Cooper's presentation of 2009's Hero Of The Year award to Efren Peñaflorida, a social worker and teacher in the Philippines. When he's not working, he operates out of a pushcart, educating children on the streets of the Philippines, encouraging them to learn and stay out of gangs. Peñaflorida himself escaped a life of poverty in Cavite City and has spent the last decade working to ensure that other children growing up under less-than-ideal circumstances have the same opportunities he did.
Watch Peñaflorida accept the 2009 Hero Of The Year award:
See the other heroes' stories:
When I asked Susan Bunda, Executive Vice President of Content Development and Strategy for CNN Worldwide, what separates Peñaflorida from the other finalists, she was emphatic that all of the featured CNN Heroes are worthy of extensive praise.
"I personally don't use the term 'winner.' I believe all 10 [finalists] are winners," she said. "They're all very humbled by their experience."
Peñaflorida is now a celebrity in his own right in the Philippines, with Asian newspapers marveling in his international stardom.
"When you think that somebody who is taking a pushcart to help educate children on Saturdays has the whole Philippines rooting for him, that is tremendous," Bunda said.
They may all be winners, but Peñaflorida is the only finalist who walks away with $100,000 to put toward his projects. Bunda is right, however, that the stories of the other finalists are nothing short of remarkable.
Take Jorge Muñoz, for example. Affectionately called "The Angel In Queens" by many, Muñoz works all day as a school bus driver only to arrive home and cook hot meals, which he distributes to the unemployed and homeless from his truck in New York City.
There's also Jordan Thomas, a 20 year old who lost is legs in a boating accident when he was 16. Today, he runs an organization that provides prosthetics for young amputees who can't afford them.
What is the running theme through all these stories? They all involve individuals who've used the individual power we all have to make a truly astounding difference in the world.
"For so long, we've known these heroes only on videotape. And when you get the chance to meet them in person, they're like anyone you might meet on a given day," Bunda said. She agrees that these stories make anyone feel like they can have an impact.
"They do prove to the audience that it's possible."
Want to nominate a hero for 2010? You can do so right now through CNN.com
The CNN Heroes project started three years ago to highlight the extraordinary work of everyday individuals, and show that anyone has the power to make a significant difference in their communities. Today, the show is a mainstay of CNN's holiday programming, and has increased in scope each year. This year, the celebrity guest list included Nicole Kidman, George Lopez, Eva Mendes and Neil Patrick Harris.
The show, which taped on Saturday, culminated with Anderson Cooper's presentation of 2009's Hero Of The Year award to Efren Peñaflorida, a social worker and teacher in the Philippines. When he's not working, he operates out of a pushcart, educating children on the streets of the Philippines, encouraging them to learn and stay out of gangs. Peñaflorida himself escaped a life of poverty in Cavite City and has spent the last decade working to ensure that other children growing up under less-than-ideal circumstances have the same opportunities he did.
Watch Peñaflorida accept the 2009 Hero Of The Year award:
See the other heroes' stories:
When I asked Susan Bunda, Executive Vice President of Content Development and Strategy for CNN Worldwide, what separates Peñaflorida from the other finalists, she was emphatic that all of the featured CNN Heroes are worthy of extensive praise.
"I personally don't use the term 'winner.' I believe all 10 [finalists] are winners," she said. "They're all very humbled by their experience."
Peñaflorida is now a celebrity in his own right in the Philippines, with Asian newspapers marveling in his international stardom.
"When you think that somebody who is taking a pushcart to help educate children on Saturdays has the whole Philippines rooting for him, that is tremendous," Bunda said.
They may all be winners, but Peñaflorida is the only finalist who walks away with $100,000 to put toward his projects. Bunda is right, however, that the stories of the other finalists are nothing short of remarkable.
Take Jorge Muñoz, for example. Affectionately called "The Angel In Queens" by many, Muñoz works all day as a school bus driver only to arrive home and cook hot meals, which he distributes to the unemployed and homeless from his truck in New York City.
There's also Jordan Thomas, a 20 year old who lost is legs in a boating accident when he was 16. Today, he runs an organization that provides prosthetics for young amputees who can't afford them.
What is the running theme through all these stories? They all involve individuals who've used the individual power we all have to make a truly astounding difference in the world.
"For so long, we've known these heroes only on videotape. And when you get the chance to meet them in person, they're like anyone you might meet on a given day," Bunda said. She agrees that these stories make anyone feel like they can have an impact.
"They do prove to the audience that it's possible."
Want to nominate a hero for 2010? You can do so right now through CNN.com
Thanks, But No Thanks
I grew up in a household of very loud, opinionated people. There were hardcore conservatives and what my father called "bleeding heart liberals" among us and everyone was at each others' throat vying to make their point. I always remember gearing up for what I knew would be a test of endurance and persistence for who could make the final point; it was a matter of pride to hold your own in the face of the jeers of opposition. Thanksgiving was not warm and cozy, but it was lively, and I learned to thrive in -- and actually appreciate -- the chaos.
But when it was time to carve the bird, everyone came together and partook of the ritual. My father got out the electric carving knife and then each of us put in our requests for body parts. I wanted the white meat of the breast, one of my brothers wanted a leg, and my mother fished around for the wishbone. My other brother would scoop out the stuffing from the cavity, and our mouths would water as the bird was disassembled and passed around. Around the meat, we would pile on mashed potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts, green beans, and cranberry sauce. Dessert was pumpkin pie and apple crumble with whipped cream. We all had a laugh that there was a lull between arguments while we enjoyed the feast, finally in a sort of trance over our shared love of the food. The tradition of sharing this meal brought all the disparate parts of the family together, and we celebrated despite -- or maybe because of -- our differences.
So imagine the pushback I got when I went vegetarian, and then vegan. It wasn't pretty. It was like I had betrayed the family on what was the foundation of our unity (remember, we didn't have a ton of common ground as it was): "What do you mean you don't want to eat turkey?! People have been dining on birds since the beginning of time!" Well, that wasn't altogether true; I said, "The first settlers apparently dined on bean soup with the native Americans. But besides that, I watched some pretty awful video of how turkeys -- who are really gentle and familial animals - were treated egregiously as they were processed and slaughtered for our big day. Their toes and part of their beaks are cut off without anesthesia; they are smashed together in extremely close and dirty quarters; they are given huge amounts of antibiotics (as are all factory farmed animals); they are fed rejected meat products, sawdust, and leather tannery by-products; and they are all too often dunked in scalding water and dismembered while still alive and conscious."
I looked at my parents and said, "Look, you raised me to say 'please' and 'thank you'. You raised me to be a nice person, a person who does not do unkind things. You raised me to not hurt animals. You raised me to be thoughtful and to question things if they don't feel right to me. It's become impossible to avoid the conclusion that eating turkey doesn't jibe with those very basic and wise principles. I don't need meat to survive and it's just too cruel and ugly to feast on without feeling I've betrayed the values you've tried to instill in me."
Accusations of self righteousness flew around the house. Jabs and making fun were the talk for a few years. But I was adept at handling criticism and opposition; I held my own (without imposing my will on anyone else). Then, when we moved Thanksgiving to my house in California, things began to quietly settle down. I served sliced Tofurky (far surpassed this year by Gardein, found in Whole Foods deli section) and mashed potatoes made with Earth Balance instead of butter, and soy milk instead of milk. The stuffing was made of bread crumbs and vegetable stock, the brussel sprouts and beans and cranberry sauce were the same. The pumpkin pie and apple crumble were made from recipes by Tal Ronnen and topped with vegan whipped cream. And the truth is, it all looked the same but felt better.
And everyone loved the food; no one missed the traditional bird. The conversation was still chaotic and loud and lively. We disagreed on what we always disagreed on. But we got the foundational stuff -- the food -- right. We all shared the common desire to do a good thing and be a little thoughtful. As a family, we sacrificed a teeny tiny bit of tradition in favor of applying our shared values to what we eat, at least for that one meal a year. For that, I am truly grateful!
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
But when it was time to carve the bird, everyone came together and partook of the ritual. My father got out the electric carving knife and then each of us put in our requests for body parts. I wanted the white meat of the breast, one of my brothers wanted a leg, and my mother fished around for the wishbone. My other brother would scoop out the stuffing from the cavity, and our mouths would water as the bird was disassembled and passed around. Around the meat, we would pile on mashed potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts, green beans, and cranberry sauce. Dessert was pumpkin pie and apple crumble with whipped cream. We all had a laugh that there was a lull between arguments while we enjoyed the feast, finally in a sort of trance over our shared love of the food. The tradition of sharing this meal brought all the disparate parts of the family together, and we celebrated despite -- or maybe because of -- our differences.
So imagine the pushback I got when I went vegetarian, and then vegan. It wasn't pretty. It was like I had betrayed the family on what was the foundation of our unity (remember, we didn't have a ton of common ground as it was): "What do you mean you don't want to eat turkey?! People have been dining on birds since the beginning of time!" Well, that wasn't altogether true; I said, "The first settlers apparently dined on bean soup with the native Americans. But besides that, I watched some pretty awful video of how turkeys -- who are really gentle and familial animals - were treated egregiously as they were processed and slaughtered for our big day. Their toes and part of their beaks are cut off without anesthesia; they are smashed together in extremely close and dirty quarters; they are given huge amounts of antibiotics (as are all factory farmed animals); they are fed rejected meat products, sawdust, and leather tannery by-products; and they are all too often dunked in scalding water and dismembered while still alive and conscious."
I looked at my parents and said, "Look, you raised me to say 'please' and 'thank you'. You raised me to be a nice person, a person who does not do unkind things. You raised me to not hurt animals. You raised me to be thoughtful and to question things if they don't feel right to me. It's become impossible to avoid the conclusion that eating turkey doesn't jibe with those very basic and wise principles. I don't need meat to survive and it's just too cruel and ugly to feast on without feeling I've betrayed the values you've tried to instill in me."
Accusations of self righteousness flew around the house. Jabs and making fun were the talk for a few years. But I was adept at handling criticism and opposition; I held my own (without imposing my will on anyone else). Then, when we moved Thanksgiving to my house in California, things began to quietly settle down. I served sliced Tofurky (far surpassed this year by Gardein, found in Whole Foods deli section) and mashed potatoes made with Earth Balance instead of butter, and soy milk instead of milk. The stuffing was made of bread crumbs and vegetable stock, the brussel sprouts and beans and cranberry sauce were the same. The pumpkin pie and apple crumble were made from recipes by Tal Ronnen and topped with vegan whipped cream. And the truth is, it all looked the same but felt better.
And everyone loved the food; no one missed the traditional bird. The conversation was still chaotic and loud and lively. We disagreed on what we always disagreed on. But we got the foundational stuff -- the food -- right. We all shared the common desire to do a good thing and be a little thoughtful. As a family, we sacrificed a teeny tiny bit of tradition in favor of applying our shared values to what we eat, at least for that one meal a year. For that, I am truly grateful!
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
Every Day Is Thanksgiving
When I was on a double family RV trip to Big Sur this last Spring Break, when we arrived at our campground, a young man who was helping us set up the two large rigs dropped his campground manifesto on me, "There are two kinds of people. One who wakes up and says 'Good Morning, God' and the other who says 'Good God, Morning?'"
I wake up every day with the belief in the power of a new day and beginning, the belief that good can come from the efforts I put into the day.
For me, everyday is Thanksgiving, for as soon as I get my ego out of the way and honestly look at the gratitude I have in my heart for those who have made my life so full and meaningful...then my day is off to a great start... I know... sounds a bit "corny" after all I am now 51 but the trivial things do seem to pass me by now as I get older. Today, as I was driving my 13-year-old son home, we passed Wendell Brown, a homeless Veteran who sells poems on the street corner in Brentwood. I have read so many over the years and have always appreciated them and him, for telling his truth in a poem for making me think about who I am.
There was an Arrested Development song, "Mr. Wendell," that I always thought was about him, his dispensing wisdom on the street, while those around him searched for theirs in their cars, homes, clothes, choices. I hope that song was about him. I wish I could write a song for Mr. Wendell Brown this Thanksgiving day. On our way home, my son, Tom, read me the poem we had been handed, that we bought with our donation. I enclose it below. It is my Thanksgiving blog. It is written by Wendell Brown, a Vietnam Veteran whose story I've linked to. Happy Thanksgiving. Make Change. Wake Up!
A Day To Be Thankful
I'm thankful for Thanksgiving Day
Because it brings to mind
The gifts I've had along the way
And blessings, every kind.
I'm thankful that I live my life
In this great land of ours.
That I've not had to give my life,
And sleep beneath the flowers.
Much thanks must go to all who fought
To keep us safe and free.
Their sacrifice has dearly bought
Our peace and liberty.
We should remember all who came
Before us through the years
They kept our country much the same
By action, sweat and tears.
Not ever does a day go by
That I forget my folks.
My mother baking apple pie,
My sister with her jokes.
My dad was like a magistrate,
Who ruled on each dispute.
The claims must all be free from hate.
He'd grant or he'd refute.
I owe a debt of gratitude
To teachers that I've had.
They helped to shape my attitude
And spanked when I was bad.
The Bible says Our Father, God
Will give us daily bread,
But I would not believe it odd
If two days passed instead.
There are so very many things
We should be thankful for.
It's good we have a day which brings
God's harvest to our door.
. . . . . Turkey and Pumpkin Pie . . . . .
. . . . . . . . And Friendship . . . . . . . . .
By Wendell Brown
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
I wake up every day with the belief in the power of a new day and beginning, the belief that good can come from the efforts I put into the day.
For me, everyday is Thanksgiving, for as soon as I get my ego out of the way and honestly look at the gratitude I have in my heart for those who have made my life so full and meaningful...then my day is off to a great start... I know... sounds a bit "corny" after all I am now 51 but the trivial things do seem to pass me by now as I get older. Today, as I was driving my 13-year-old son home, we passed Wendell Brown, a homeless Veteran who sells poems on the street corner in Brentwood. I have read so many over the years and have always appreciated them and him, for telling his truth in a poem for making me think about who I am.
There was an Arrested Development song, "Mr. Wendell," that I always thought was about him, his dispensing wisdom on the street, while those around him searched for theirs in their cars, homes, clothes, choices. I hope that song was about him. I wish I could write a song for Mr. Wendell Brown this Thanksgiving day. On our way home, my son, Tom, read me the poem we had been handed, that we bought with our donation. I enclose it below. It is my Thanksgiving blog. It is written by Wendell Brown, a Vietnam Veteran whose story I've linked to. Happy Thanksgiving. Make Change. Wake Up!
A Day To Be Thankful
I'm thankful for Thanksgiving Day
Because it brings to mind
The gifts I've had along the way
And blessings, every kind.
I'm thankful that I live my life
In this great land of ours.
That I've not had to give my life,
And sleep beneath the flowers.
Much thanks must go to all who fought
To keep us safe and free.
Their sacrifice has dearly bought
Our peace and liberty.
We should remember all who came
Before us through the years
They kept our country much the same
By action, sweat and tears.
Not ever does a day go by
That I forget my folks.
My mother baking apple pie,
My sister with her jokes.
My dad was like a magistrate,
Who ruled on each dispute.
The claims must all be free from hate.
He'd grant or he'd refute.
I owe a debt of gratitude
To teachers that I've had.
They helped to shape my attitude
And spanked when I was bad.
The Bible says Our Father, God
Will give us daily bread,
But I would not believe it odd
If two days passed instead.
There are so very many things
We should be thankful for.
It's good we have a day which brings
God's harvest to our door.
. . . . . Turkey and Pumpkin Pie . . . . .
. . . . . . . . And Friendship . . . . . . . . .
By Wendell Brown
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
Thanks to Nature
Having chosen many years ago to live in the foothills of Colorado, and to have the opportunity to protect some unspoiled property, Thanksgiving time is always a reminder of the unique blessings of nature. Elk and deer, red, grey, and black foxes, coyotes, an occasional rare bobcat, and the silent and mysterious visit of the magnificent lion of the mountains, all in the context of the silence of the evergreen trees, steep rocky hillsides, and bristlecone shrubs, represent a blessing almost beyond all others.
Take away dwellings here and it could be the land before the pioneers. The stream that has been flowing 'from the basement of time' (Norman Maclean). The mountain flowers that sleep in the winter and set the meadow alive in the spring. The brilliantly colored summer birds and intrepid winter ones.
For those who require the excitement of Hollywood, the power-struggles of Washington, or the money-manipulation of New York, this is not the place.
But for me, I'm deeply grateful to Nature and Nature's God for the privilege of living here. And for my thanks, I continue to pledge faithful effort to hand it on in its intended state.
-- Gary Hart, outside Kittredge, Colorado
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
Take away dwellings here and it could be the land before the pioneers. The stream that has been flowing 'from the basement of time' (Norman Maclean). The mountain flowers that sleep in the winter and set the meadow alive in the spring. The brilliantly colored summer birds and intrepid winter ones.
For those who require the excitement of Hollywood, the power-struggles of Washington, or the money-manipulation of New York, this is not the place.
But for me, I'm deeply grateful to Nature and Nature's God for the privilege of living here. And for my thanks, I continue to pledge faithful effort to hand it on in its intended state.
-- Gary Hart, outside Kittredge, Colorado
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
Sharing the Privilege of Abundance
Thanksgiving always evokes memories of the days when, as mothers of young children, we would bundle them up to deliver turkey baskets -- family to family -- to those in Washington, DC who couldn't afford a holiday dinner of their own.
That simple act connected our children to the original spirit of Thanksgiving -- where families stop not only to give thanks for plenty, but to share with strangers in need. Thanksgiving is one of the few days where soup kitchens and food pantries around the country burst at the seams -- not just with turkey and stuffing, but with volunteers eager to serve.
Americans, in fact, are the most generous people in the world when it comes to private philanthropy: 85 percent of American families give their time or money, with private giving averaging $300 billion a year.
This year Thanksgiving strikes at a critical hour for families everywhere who have been hit hard by the global financial meltdown.
In the United States, one in nine people rely each month on food stamps. Demand at food pantries and homeless shelters is at record levels. And 17 million American households have had difficulty putting food on the table during the last year -- a 14-year high.
Yet while we concentrate our efforts on addressing hunger at home, we must remember another face of hunger in our world -- one that's largely invisible until we glimpse it on our TVs from some distant country, when a typhoon, earthquake, flood, drought or conflict makes the evening news.
It's easy to forget the silent tsunami of hunger that rips an ever-greater swath through the places where there are no streets, where mothers wonder if their malnourished babies will survive and fathers despair that they cannot provide even a single meal for their desperate families. The compounding impact of the food, fuel and financial crises has pushed the numbers of those suffering chronic hunger past one billion -- one in six people on earth -- for the first time in history.
Those in the "Bottom Billion" subsist on a dollar a day or less. Each day, hunger and related ailments claim 25,000 lives, mostly children -- making hunger the world's No. 1 public health threat. Even when chronic hunger does not kill, it maims -- shattering health, longevity, and hope.
Malnutrition in children under age two causes irreversible damage to their minds and bodies. In countries like Ethiopia, Pakistan and Guatemala, one in two children is stunted. Not only is this an incalculable human loss, but it is a quantifiable financial loss to these nations. Studies show malnutrition causes tens of billions of dollars in losses to poor countries -- or as much as 11 percent of GDP.
As we've traveled the world, the two of us have shared stories and tears with other mothers -- far from Washington -- who have watched, helplessly, as their children slipped from their grasp into the maws of hunger. For them, Thanksgiving never comes.
Although the mind reels with the huge needs of the world, the solutions are surprisingly achievable. Many nations -- Ireland, China, Brazil, and a growing number of African countries -- have beat back the worst of hunger. Inexpensive nutritional interventions can dramatically improve the health -- and lives -- of women and children. For just 25 cents a day, we can feed a child at school, giving them a real shot at forging a better future.
And with $3.2 billion a year -- or $1.5 billion less than Americans spend on Halloween annually and a fraction of America's private giving -- we can feed the 66 million children worldwide who go to school hungry. This alone won't end hunger, but it would be a huge step forward.
If we are to solve hunger, it will take the political will and resources of governments. It's encouraging that the Obama administration and Congressional leadership recognize that a sustainable, comprehensive food security strategy is vital to ensure our planet's future peace and prosperity.
Yet every one of us, at all levels, can make a difference -- especially if we work together. The World Food Programme's first Internet citizens' campaign, www.wfp.org/1billion, is mobilizing the online community: if a billion Internet users donate a dollar a week, we could transform the lives of a billion hungry people across the world.
As we enter the season of colossal Wall Street bonuses and a frenzy of holiday spending, it is time for us to once more share the privilege of plenty. It is time to declare, once and for all, that not a single child should die from -- or be irrevocably stunted by -- hunger.
Not on our watch.
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary
That simple act connected our children to the original spirit of Thanksgiving -- where families stop not only to give thanks for plenty, but to share with strangers in need. Thanksgiving is one of the few days where soup kitchens and food pantries around the country burst at the seams -- not just with turkey and stuffing, but with volunteers eager to serve.
Americans, in fact, are the most generous people in the world when it comes to private philanthropy: 85 percent of American families give their time or money, with private giving averaging $300 billion a year.
This year Thanksgiving strikes at a critical hour for families everywhere who have been hit hard by the global financial meltdown.
In the United States, one in nine people rely each month on food stamps. Demand at food pantries and homeless shelters is at record levels. And 17 million American households have had difficulty putting food on the table during the last year -- a 14-year high.
Yet while we concentrate our efforts on addressing hunger at home, we must remember another face of hunger in our world -- one that's largely invisible until we glimpse it on our TVs from some distant country, when a typhoon, earthquake, flood, drought or conflict makes the evening news.
It's easy to forget the silent tsunami of hunger that rips an ever-greater swath through the places where there are no streets, where mothers wonder if their malnourished babies will survive and fathers despair that they cannot provide even a single meal for their desperate families. The compounding impact of the food, fuel and financial crises has pushed the numbers of those suffering chronic hunger past one billion -- one in six people on earth -- for the first time in history.
Those in the "Bottom Billion" subsist on a dollar a day or less. Each day, hunger and related ailments claim 25,000 lives, mostly children -- making hunger the world's No. 1 public health threat. Even when chronic hunger does not kill, it maims -- shattering health, longevity, and hope.
Malnutrition in children under age two causes irreversible damage to their minds and bodies. In countries like Ethiopia, Pakistan and Guatemala, one in two children is stunted. Not only is this an incalculable human loss, but it is a quantifiable financial loss to these nations. Studies show malnutrition causes tens of billions of dollars in losses to poor countries -- or as much as 11 percent of GDP.
As we've traveled the world, the two of us have shared stories and tears with other mothers -- far from Washington -- who have watched, helplessly, as their children slipped from their grasp into the maws of hunger. For them, Thanksgiving never comes.
Although the mind reels with the huge needs of the world, the solutions are surprisingly achievable. Many nations -- Ireland, China, Brazil, and a growing number of African countries -- have beat back the worst of hunger. Inexpensive nutritional interventions can dramatically improve the health -- and lives -- of women and children. For just 25 cents a day, we can feed a child at school, giving them a real shot at forging a better future.
And with $3.2 billion a year -- or $1.5 billion less than Americans spend on Halloween annually and a fraction of America's private giving -- we can feed the 66 million children worldwide who go to school hungry. This alone won't end hunger, but it would be a huge step forward.
If we are to solve hunger, it will take the political will and resources of governments. It's encouraging that the Obama administration and Congressional leadership recognize that a sustainable, comprehensive food security strategy is vital to ensure our planet's future peace and prosperity.
Yet every one of us, at all levels, can make a difference -- especially if we work together. The World Food Programme's first Internet citizens' campaign, www.wfp.org/1billion, is mobilizing the online community: if a billion Internet users donate a dollar a week, we could transform the lives of a billion hungry people across the world.
As we enter the season of colossal Wall Street bonuses and a frenzy of holiday spending, it is time for us to once more share the privilege of plenty. It is time to declare, once and for all, that not a single child should die from -- or be irrevocably stunted by -- hunger.
Not on our watch.
Read more HuffPost Thanksgiving coverage and commentary