History!

Aloha, Friend!
Today We Celebrate
The Making of
History


click on the miracle of the day:

We long to join the birds in their freedom. . .

"The man who is anybody and who does anything
is surely going to be criticized, vilified, and misunderstood.
This is a part of the penalty for greatness, and every great man understands it;
and understands, too, that it is no proof of greatness.
The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure contumely without resentment."
Elbert Green Hubbard

The progress of humanity has been a long journey. . .

"Any person in a position of prominence
must always keep in mind
that if he is going to accomplish anything worthwhile,
he must have courage and fortitude
to stand against the abuse and criticisms of others."

Paul Osumi

It seems folly, trying to get new ideas to fly. . .

"Greatness does not approach him
who is forever looking down."
Hitopadesa

And sometimes, as if in a dream, they fly. . . They FLY!!!


"The Way of Heaven
is to benefit others
and not to injure.
The way of the sage
is to act
without competing."
Lao Tzu


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"All violent feelings
have the same effect.
They produce in us
a falseness in all our impressions
of external things. . .
the 'Pathetic Fallacy.' "
Ruskin, 1856

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It has been much worse than pathetic watching transcendentally hypocritical blow-hards like Boehner weep crocodile tears about extending health care to the millions of our fellow citizens who lack it. It has been beyond sad to see the slurs hurled at civil rights veteran Congressman John Lewis, at Representative Frank, and others who aroused the ire of "Tea Bagger" demonstrators in Washington this past week by having opinions different than theirs, but mostly for being "different" from the bulk of the demonstrators themselves.

But we did it.

It included over 200 amendments proposed by Republican members of Congress
but not one of them voted for it.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that the new law will reduce our deficits
by one trillion dollars in the next ten years; but the opposition says that we cannot afford it,
despite current trends in health care costs that will bankrupt the nation if they continue as is.
Americans, alone of all major nations' citizens, must fear bankruptcy if they have the misfortune to become seriously ill - and these are people who have insurance! Every day too many of us lose our insurance, or are denied critical, life-saving care. To say nothing of those, including children, who cannot even GET insurance coverage.
Now all of that will likely end. Republican leadership calls it "Armageddon."

So today is a historic day. As people benefit from the new law, they will forget that they were ever against it, or why they feared it. Those who called FDR a "devil" did not decline their own Social Security checks.

In a neat bit of timing, our historic accomplishment marks 45 years to the week
that Martin Luther King said:

I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long,
because "truth crushed to earth will rise again."

How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because "no lie can live forever."





And, behind the dim unknown,

Standeth God within the shadow,

Keeping watch above his own.

How long? Not long,
because the arc of the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice.

How long? Not long, (Not long) because:



His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat.

Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on. [Applause]


Martin Luther King
Our God Is Marching On!
March 25, 1965. Montgomery, Ala.


ALOHA, cloudia