New American Resistance – 24 July

THE SENATE IS LOOKING TO VOTE ON HEALTH CARE AS EARLY AS TUESDAY!  We have to fight to protect the ACA, until we have a plan that can bring true, compassionate, universal health care to this country.  While that’s the most pressing issue at the moment, it’s far from all we have to talk about this week.  As usual, this series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – 17 July

Despite the craziness with new Russian reveals (and there is a lot of it) and the ever-constant fight to protect health care, I took last week off in honor of my birthday.  But we’re back this week…and we must keep it up.  As usual, this series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – 3 July

Alright, so Congress is on recess all week.  The Senate doesn’t resume until the 10th and the House is out until the 11th.  However, the egregious assault on our health care continues so I figured we’d do the post anyway.  Also, even if they are out of their D.C. offices, you can (and should!) feel free to call all their offices and leave messages about how important health care is.  As usual, this series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – 26 June

I’m returning to form this week, after last week’s more personal and theological reflection on the Kingdom of God and how it affects my personal politics.  As always, it seems there’s a lot to cover.  Let’s see…ah, the GOP’s still trying to rob many of the fundamental human right of health care in the name of profit and power.  That being said, let’s get to it shall we?  This series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – Your Kingdom Come…

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post in this series.  My homeroom students of four years were getting ready to graduate (awww…I’m so proud of them!) and I didn’t want to weigh myself down mentally and emotionally by going back through the week’s news to put these pieces together.  Then I spent the first week of summer vacation as one of five chaperones on a mission trip with twenty of our upcoming seniors in Baltimore working with Catholic Charities.  Well, a lot’s happened in the news that could fill this post.  However, instead of going back and trying to make sense of it all right now, I’m writing something a lot more personal.  I want to write about why I’m passionate about what I’m passionate about and explain the forces that shape my politics.

New American Resistance – 23 May

Well, it was a…wild week last week, to say the least.  And this week the ol’ Man of Orange is travelling abroad.  Given everything that began coming to light last week there’s been a lot of talk about impeachment and what exactly may be coming down the line for the Trump Administration.  To try and offer some clarification, this week I’m spotlighting some pieces to help explain, through history and the Constitution, what impeachment is, what’s going on now, and what we might be able to expect from the future.  This series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – 15 May

This series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.  But I’ve been struggling…especially since the House GOP voted for the AHCA.  My struggle crystallized as Kalie and I were driving home from the movies Friday night, listening to Billy Joel.  In “Great Wall Of China” (a song he wrote after he found out his longtime manager had embezzled over 90 million dollars from him) he sings, “You only beat me if you get me to hate.”  It’s getting harder and harder to not feel hate towards these power-hungry, wealth-worshipping, rich, white, men who care for nothing outside of oppression, profit, and more power.  But Billy Joel is right (and, you know, Jesus who says the same thing)!  If I hate, I’ve lost.  The struggle must go on but hate and anger devour those who hold them.  We must RESIST but always in and through LOVE. 

New America Resistance – 9 May

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about our win in stopping the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act for the American Health Care Act, a move that would’ve cost millions of Americans their coverage?  Ha, well it turns out the House GOP was still looking to formally bury any pretense of morality or compassion by passing an even worse version of the AHCA last week – with all the problems of the first version PLUS the ability to allow insurance companies to deny coverage/raise rates to unaffordable levels for people with preexisting conditions.  This week this series will focus on the now all-important healthcare battle about to begin in the Senate and the importance of those in the media who are still brave enough to speak truth to power.

New American Resistance – 100 Days In…

Between midterm grading and chaperone duties while traveling, I’ve been too busy and too tired to do the writing  and research this series requires.  As I’ve caught up on the news, I only became more tired.  Why?  Well, he’s dropping bombs on ISIS.  He’s itchin’ to fight North Korea.  The Senate went nuclear and the EPA was ordered to remove climate change from their website for starters.  Despite emotional fatigue, we can’t let up.  So let’s jump in.  This series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – A Win!

This post won’t be like the others in the series.  Rather, this is a short celebration/reflection on our win last week.  The GOP tried to push forward their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.  It was a hasty move, driven by their desire to spite Obama, anchored in a dangerous plan that would rob millions of their health care.  But something happened.  First the vote was delayed from Thursday to Friday and then the bill was pulled because they knew they didn’t have the votes to get it passed.  This is proof that all of our voices calling out (both liberal and conservative alike on this issue) and saying it wasn’t the right move were heard.  When we struggle with our ability to bring about change, we need to remember this moment.  We spoke out.  We were heard.  And it affected what happened. This is an important victory!!!  This is why we need to stay informed and vocal.  Power to the people!