Women and Politics: A New Conversation
November 15, 2012 at 5:17 pm 4 comments
I attended an event with Marianne Williamson this weekend called Sister Giant, and my life will never be the same. I learned so much. I learned that the US incarcerates more of its people than any other nation in the world, or any nation in history. Think about that for a moment. I learned that our military budget is almost twice that of all other nations of the world combined. Let that resonate in your soul for a minute. I learned that we have 300 million people in this country, 46 million of which live in poverty and 16.1 million of them are children of these United States of America. Let that sink into your heart. Further, I also learned that 17,000 children on earth die of starvation every single day, we are the only species systematically destroying its own habitat, and two billion people – almost a third of the world’s population – live on less than 2 dollars a day. And there’s so much more to talk about.
Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” So brilliant! We need more than a new politics; we need a new worldview. We need to shift from an economic to a humanitarian organizing principle for human civilization. And women, en masse, should be saying so.
For those of us who have spent the last 10, 15, 20 years or more pursuing self-growth, personal growth, spiritual or transformational work…our time has come. Our time has come to take all that we have learned, all that we have accomplished and bring it forth into the world. Into a time a great healing. It is time to start a new conversation of possibility, a shift in perspective that we have yet to see, but we the American people are ready for. To merge love and healing with politics. Politics are the possibility for peace on the planet. They are the means to the end, but only if we come from our hearts, use our voices, and speak our truths. Do I have all the answers today? No. Will I in 2024 when I run for Congress? Probably not. But I’ll be aligned with what feels authentically right to me, and I will be working to put human beings before profits, and by God, as Marianne Williamson says, “Our babies will be fed!”
I am thankful to be in this place, at this time, thinking these thoughts, in this body, with such wondrous emotions! I am grateful for it all.
After sharing my experience and my commitment with my best friend Elizabeth, she said, “We are united sisters standing tall, seeing and speaking the truth with compassion and conviction. And as we stand tall we free ourselves from all suppression and oppression igniting a new paradigm that is for the goodness and well being of all concerned. And so it is!”
And so it is!
Entry filed under: Politics, Relationships. Tags: Parenting, politics, transformation.
queen of connection | Shelby L. Phillips 
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Monique Roy | November 15, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Doesn’t the idea of that we put more people in prison than any other nation stagger you? And we do almost nothing to rehabilitate them. Which is why I love The Power of Peace Project (www.thepowerofpeace.org). Not only are they doing something to change the mindset of the men still in prison towards peace, responsibility and positive impact, but they give them a purpose…teaching them to mentor the kids who are almost destined for prison and to help them see that the path doesn’t have to go that way and that they can do something better with their life. Since the guys in prison are in many ways heroes to the kids on the streets, this is becoming a powerful circle of influence. The motto of The Power of Peace Project – “Hope is the New Dope” – and their idea that these reformed prisoners can become the ‘anti-virus’ to the chaos in the neighborhoods they helped create originally is starting to take hold. If you want to help visit the website at http://www.ThePowerofPeace.org or follow on Facebook to see how you can get involved.
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YouCanPlanAParty | November 15, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Monique, thank you so much for taking the time to share about the Power of Peace Project. I also learned about the “cradle to prison pipeline” and how if we don’t save our African American and Hispanic boys by the 3rd grade, eight years old, we may loose them to the prison system! This is tied into education, poverty, the war on drugs…because desperate people who have never felt needed or cared for can do desperate things.
We used to rehabilitate our people. We used to have prevention programs, work programs. But that was before building and running prisons became big business. Did you know we built 23 prisons in 23 years and only 1 university?
It is a time of great change, the start of a new conversation — one to move away from big business dictating policy to one of for-the-good-of-the-whole.
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Darla Haun | November 16, 2012 at 3:07 pm
As I read your blog, I’m inspired to be part of that charge, part of that change. From thinking only of me and mine to really being a part of the solution. For years I’ve been content with just getting by and for the last several it’s been clear that hasn’t been enough.
You have my vote today and in 2014 Shelby Phillips, future Senator!!! I love that!
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YouCanPlanAParty | November 16, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Darla,
I’m so glad to have inspired something in you and if I can uplift you in anyway along your journey I’m your gal! Perhaps you’ll come to the Women’s Campaign School I plan to open to train candidates and campaign managers in this new conversation?!? As I said, I have a lot of work to do before 2024 when I run…I still have two little girls to get off to college, but there’s plenty we can do together before then. Thank you in advance for your vote. 🙂