Joy may be in short supply right now, but take the wins when we can get them

 On this last day of June, the rulings just keep rolling in and some we win, some we lose.  So, let's celebrate our wins:

• Birthright citizenship, survives for now
• Voting by mail, survives for now
• SCOTUS ruled for E. Jean Carroll

One can only imagine how these rulings are affecting a certain person, but for the rest of us, take the small victories.  Even the ruling today about transgender athletes, won't affect current Minnesota laws as per Gender Justice:

"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports — a painful setback for transgender youth in 27 states with discriminatory bans, including our neighbors in North Dakota. But the Court’s decision does not overrule Minnesota’s trans-inclusive laws and policies. Despite today’s rulings, trans and nonbinary young people in Minnesota can and will continue to play alongside their teammates, and be treated with the dignity they deserve. "

So, if you are in need of something that will lift you up, pick up a copy of 

It is a story about kindness.  You may find it slow or schmaltzy, but I found it entertaining and delightful.

And if you want to do something that will give me some joy, please consider donating to my July walk for the American Cancer Society.  You can make your donation on my Facebook page.

As we close out June and the end of Pride Month, I hope you are finding some joy in nature, relationships, social gatherings, or maybe you attended a great concert or found a really good book that just lifted your spirits.  I hope you are finding joy on a regular basis.  And just one last reminder, early voting has started in Minnesota, so please plan on voting early, and in person.  The sooner the better.

A little joy this week

 

The Obama Presidential Center opened this week.  In a week of negativity originating in the D.C. area by the usual suspects, it was refreshing to listen to encouraging speeches and watch videos of the Obamas reading to children.  A public library exists in the new building.  A garden water feature to honor his mother, a picnic area to honor Michelle's father and a museum to honor her mother.  

And there was laughter.  Biggest laugh by Hillary when Michelle mentioned "the Peace Prize." 

A video of some of the interior exhibits in the museum.

And a video of the Obamas reading Where the Wild Things Are.

A little joy is what we needed this week.

Looking for hope in all the wrong places...

 It has been a challenging couple of months.  I am afraid I did fall into the trap of despair, briefly.  But I'm back! And I've put some post it notes on my desk to remind me to not go so long without writing something positive.  So here goes.

I just finished reading An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960's by Doris Kearns

This book was a fascinating account of the behind the scenes political activities focused on the speech writing of Dick Goodwin for JFK, LBJ, Eugene McCarthy, and RFK.  I learned so much about the times I lived through, but was fairly young at the time.  Aware of many of the events, but just in reading this book, how many of the readers here know just how much LBJ was responsible for?  I think too many of us associate him with the escalation of the Vietnam War and ignore the amount of social change he helped usher through Congress and especially the 89th Congress.  

Here's a brief list:

• NASA - chief legislative leader for creation of NASA in 1958
• Civil Rights Act - 1964
• Voting Rights Act - 1965
• Fair Housing Act - 1968
• Medicare and Medicaid - 1965
• Higher Education Act - 1965 that many of us who had work-study in college benefited from
• Immigration and Nationality Act - 1965
• Created Head Start in May 1965
• and more

And so much social upheaval.  The riots, the assassinations, the missed opportunities because of the assassinations.  Reading about the pettiness of previous political leaders, puts a bit of perspective on the current outrageous behavior of he who will not be named.  Nor will I forget that many of these programs are being dismantled by SCOTUS.  However, the pendulum may swing back.  It is a fascinating account and worth spending time to read just how much was accomplished.

We are, of course, looking for those who will lead us out of the morass we are living in.  I think if you have a chance to read something you are most unlikely to see out on your own, I recommend Pope Leo's first encyclical.  Bishop Marianne Budde has a piece in her Substack - Reflections on Pope Leo's First Encyclical. Truth has been in the news recently with the Scott Pelley episode with 60 Minutes and his revelation about being pressured to present untrue information.  So this section jumped out at me:

"The search for truth is an essential element of democracy, which is itself a means of contributing to the common good. When questions about what is true lose their appeal, and a pragmatism takes hold that is content with what appears useful or effective, then democratic life is weakened. After all, democracy does not consist of rules and procedures alone, but above all of a solid concordance with the facts and a genuine commitment to the good of individuals and society as a whole. Indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism. As the philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote, the ideal subjects of such regimes are not so much those who are ideologically convinced, but rather “people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.” 

There are more statements in the encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence" and it worth taking the time to read.  I doubt very many people have ever read papal encyclicals in the past, but Pope Leo is someone who I believe will make a very visible difference in our lifetimes. 

There are 153 days until the November election.  What is giving you hope?  What are you doing currently to contribute to the "common good"?   And what are you reading that is providing you with sustenance during these challenging times?  Feel free to share in the Comments section.