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Our Mission |
WAWA/WeAreWideAwake is my Public Service to America as a muckracker who has journeyed seven times to Israel Palestine since June 2005.
WAWA is dedicated to confronting media and governments that shield the whole
truth.
We who Are Wide
Awake are compelled by the "fierce urgency of Now" [Rev MLK, Jr.] to raise
awareness and promote the human dialogue about many of the crucial issues of our
day: the state of our Union and in protection of democracy, what life is like
under military occupation in Palestine, the Christian EXODUS from the Holy Land,
and spirituality-from a Theologically Liberated Christian Anarchist
POV.
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The Walls of Berlin and Bil'in |
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Garth Hewitt: From the Broken Heart Of Gaza |
FACTS ABOUT THE WALL from friends in Bethlehem
Read the truth about the Wall and what is happening today in the Holy City of Bethlehem. |
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Eileen Fleming's Biography
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"We're on a mission from God." The Blues Brothers "Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all...and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils." George Washington's Farewell Address - 1796 "My aim is to agitate & disturb people. I'm not selling bread, I'm selling yeast." Unamuno
"Imagine All the People Sharing All the World." John Lennon "If enough Christians followed the gospel, they could bring any state to its knees." Father Philip Francis Berrigan
"You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down." Tom Petty
"If I can't dance, it's not my revolution." Emma Goldman
"We have yet to begin to IMAGINE the power and potential of the Internet." Charlie Rose, 2005
Only in Solidarity do "We have it in our power to begin the world again" Tom Paine
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"Never doubt that a few, thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead |
"You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
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Declaration of Independence |
We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that, among these, are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it. -July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence |
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Home Blog March 2009 March 11, 2009
March 11, 2009: Miracles in Gaza, the state of Christianity in the US and the state of our union
Ambassador
Charles W. Freeman Jr. has withdrawn his acceptance of chairmanship of
the National Intelligence Council. Freeman was clear that he would
distinguish between the US’s foreign policy interests and those of
Israel, and that required telling the truth.
In
2007 he criticized US policy, saying: “We abandoned the role of Middle
East peacemaker to back Israel’s efforts to pacify its captive and
increasingly ghettoised Arab populations.”
It is probable that Freeman was in fact forced to withdraw by AIPAC, which initiated a vicious smear campaign against him.
Not a reason to hope for change, as Freeman says:
“I
regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has ended by
casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone decide what
policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather
than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a
foreign government.”
Message from Charles Freeman First Published by The Wall Street Journal
To
all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement during the
controversy of the past two weeks, you have my gratitude and respect.
You
will by now have seen the statement by Director of National
Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have withdrawn my previous
acceptance of his invitation to chair the National Intelligence Council.
I
have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record
would not cease upon my entry into office. The effort to smear me and
to destroy my credibility would instead continue. I do not believe the
National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its
chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a
passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign
country. I agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it
against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special
interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political
campaign.
As
those who know me are well aware, I have greatly enjoyed life since
retiring from government. Nothing was further from my mind than a
return to public service. When Admiral Blair asked me to chair the NIC
I responded that I understood he was "asking me to give my freedom of
speech, my leisure, the greater part of my income, subject myself to
the mental colonoscopy of a polygraph, and resume a daily commute to a
job with long working hours and a daily ration of political abuse." I
added that I wondered "whether there wasn't some sort of downside to
this offer." I was mindful that no one is indispensable; I am not an
exception. It took weeks of reflection for me to conclude that, given
the unprecedentedly challenging circumstances in which our country now
finds itself abroad and at home, I had no choice but accept the call to
return to public service. I thereupon resigned from all positions that
I had held and all activities in which I was engaged. I now look
forward to returning to private life, freed of all previous obligations.
I
am not so immodest as to believe that this controversy was about me
rather than issues of public policy. These issues had little to do with
the NIC and were not at the heart of what I hoped to contribute to the
quality of analysis available to President Obama and his
administration. Still, I am saddened by what the controversy and the
manner in which the public vitriol of those who devoted themselves to
sustaining it have revealed about the state of our civil society. It is
apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public
discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great
importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends.
The
libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively
that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other
than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American
understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of
the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include
character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion
of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard
for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process
through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who
dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political
correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for
decision by Americans and our government other than those that it
favors.
There
is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the
opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly
intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government –
in this case, the government of Israel. I believe that the inability of
the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any
option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction
in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain
policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel.
It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is
not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East;
it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United
States.
The
outrageous agitation that followed the leak of my pending appointment
will be seen by many to raise serious questions about whether the Obama
administration will be able to make its own decisions about the Middle
East and related issues. I regret that my willingness to serve the new
administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider,
let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the
United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will
and interests of a foreign government.
In
the court of public opinion, unlike a court of law, one is guilty until
proven innocent. The speeches from which quotations have been lifted
from their context are available for anyone interested in the truth to
read. The injustice of the accusations made against me has been obvious
to those with open minds. Those who have sought to impugn my character
are uninterested in any rebuttal that I or anyone else might make.
Still,
for the record: I have never sought to be paid or accepted payment from
any foreign government, including Saudi Arabia or China, for any
service, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of a foreign government, its
interests, or its policies. I have never lobbied any branch of our
government for any cause, foreign or domestic. I am my own man, no one
else's, and with my return to private life, I will once again – to my
pleasure – serve no master other than myself. I will continue to speak
out as I choose on issues of concern to me and other Americans.
I
retain my respect and confidence in President Obama and DNI Blair. Our
country now faces terrible challenges abroad as well as at home. Like
all patriotic Americans, I continue to pray that our president can
successfully lead us in surmounting them.
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123672847973688515.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Related Link:
Patriot Follows the Money and Exposes Foreign Agents
The Miracles of Gaza: "One thousand Gazan dead, another three thousand born" March 08, 2009 http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/
The
signs of God's greatness keep on occurring. During the recent Israeli
attack that had killed 1500 Palestinians, God made 3700 babies
appeared. “If they killed a thousand of us, then we will bring on
thousands more as their replacements,” thus a mother in Gaza said.
In
contrast to the mentality of the Zionist-Jews forces who are known to
be afraid of death, giving birth is a part of Jihad for the Gazan
citizens. Due to that, death is not a thing that they cry over.
If
there are phrases that say, “One gone, a thousand emerged,” then in
Gaza what happened was “One thousand Gazan gone, three thousands more
appeared”. The sorrow of the Gazan citizens over the death of 1412 sons
and daughters of Gaza, was straight away soothed by God with the birth
of 3700 babies. Interestingly, they were all born within the 22 days of Israeli attacks on this small city.
Hamam
Nisman, the Director of the Social Communication Service in the Health
Ministry of the Gazan government said that in 22 days of Israeli
attack, a total of 3700 babies were born in Gaza.
“3700
babies have been born between the 27th December 2008 and 17th January
2009 when Israel launched assaults that had caused the death of 1412
Gazan citizens, in which the majority of them are made up of women and
children,” he said.
In January alone, the number of birth
is the highest ever being registered compared to the other months
preceding it. “50 thousands cases of birth are recorded every year in
Gaza, and in each month around 3000 to 4000 births are recorded.
However during the 22 days of Israeli attacks, we recorded 3700 number
of births and for the rest of January, 1300 number of births were
recorded. This means that there was an increase in the number of births
in the month of January till it reached 1000 cases,” he said as cited
by islamonline.net.
“This is a ‘karomah’ for the people of Gaza, who had lost a lot of souls,” he expressed full of happiness.
According
to him, if the numbers of death and birth in Gaza are compared , then
the number of birth reaches 50 thousands whereas the number of death
reaches 5 thousands every year.
“Israel is deliberately killing
the women and children in order to destroy the future of Gaza, 440
children and 110 women had been killed and 2000 children as well as
1000 women were wounded,” he revealed.
“The New Anwar” Sent Down From Heaven
Anwar,
is the name of a Gazan new-born baby from the family of Mahmud Ulyan.
It was also the name of his blood brother who had been Shaheed earlier.
“They had killed Anwar, and heaven is now sending down the new Anwar”
The
Al Yarmuk street, west of Gaza city had lost 15 of its residents during
the Israeli attacks. However they now have received 30 newborn babies,
born during that period.
It seems that Israel will keep on
confronting the demographic problem of Palestine, where the number of
birth in the country is increasing after the war occurred. Ummu Ahmad,
the mother of 4 children affirmed the matter.
“By the wills of
Allah, I will give birth to one child every year, we will keep on
fighting them, if they kill a thousand of us, then we will bring on
thousands others to replace them.”
The statistics showed that in
the last 10 years, there was an increase in the number of population in
Gaza, from 1 million it now becomes 1.5 millions. It means that the
increase has reached 50%. If Gaza contributed 36% into the total
population of Palestine in 1997, now the population of Gaza makes up 40
% of the overall population of Palestine.
It is estimated that
by the year 2025 the citizens of Palestine would reach 6 millions. It
is this growth that worries Israel. Urnun Suvir, a lecturer at the
University of Haifa wrote in his latest book, that the increase in the
number of Palestinian population would threaten the strategy of Israel
and endanger the existence of “Israeli State”.
Aid Convoys enters Gaza
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/03/20093913411900703.html
America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious American Religious Identification Survey Finds Major Denominations Losing Members By DAN HARRIS
March 9, 2009
America
is still a predominantly Christian nation, but it's becoming both less
Christian and less religious, according to the results of the new
American Religious Identification Survey.
According to the poll,
which came out today, the percentage of Americans who define themselves
as Christian has dropped from 86 percent in 1990 to 76 percent in 2008.
In
one of the most dramatic shifts, 15 percent of Americans now say they
have no religion -- a figure that's almost doubled in 18 years.
Americans with no religious preference are now larger than all other
major religious groups except Catholics and Baptists.
Have You Seen Changes at Your Place of Worship? Tell ABC News.
"What
seems to be happening is there is a decline in what we might call
traditional brand loyalty to the old denominations, specific churches,"
said Barry Kosmin, a principle investigator for the American Religious
Identification Survey.
In the last 18 years, despite population
growth and immigration, almost all religious denominations have lost
ground. Mainline Protestants are down the most. Methodists, for
example, have gone from 8 to 5 percent.
Baptists are down from 19.3 to 15.8. And Jews are down from 1.8 to 1.2 percent.
Meanwhile,
the number of atheists, while still small, has nearly doubled from
900,000 to 1.6 million. Kosmin says that people may feel more
comfortable admitting their lack of faith at a time when atheist books,
like Christopher Hitchens' "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons
Everything" and movies are getting a lot of attention. Comedian Bill
Maher took aim at religion in his documentary film "Religulous," saying
that he preaches "the gospel of 'I Don't Know.'"
But researchers
point out that just because people are dropping out of organized
religion, that doesn't mean they're abandoning faith. In an informal
poll on Twitter today, we heard similar sentiments.
"I no longer attend church, but still pray to Jesus," said Sean Whitney.
Dramatic Shift in Way Americans Worship
"I dropped out of the Catholic faith years ago. However, it doesn't mean I have stopped believing in God," said Carmen Rivera.
The
study finds that more people are exploring spiritual frontiers. Some
2.8 million Americans now say they identify with new religious
movements like Wicca, paganism or spiritualists. Catholic strongholds
in New England and the Midwest have faded as people have moved toward
the Sunbelt.
"We are becoming a nation of spiritually anchored
people who are not traditionally religious," said Serene Jones,
president of the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.
While
Americans may be leaving established denominations, the one major
growth area in American Christianity is among evangelicals.
Megachurches are booming, rising from 5 to 11.8 percent of the
population.
And with the economy in free fall, many megachurches
say they're seeing increased attendance. They're praying that perhaps
hard times will draw Americans back to their faith.
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7041036&page=1
Christianity is not the problem-it is how it is interpreted.
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The Beatitudes spun for the 21st Century
About
2,000 years ago, when Christ was about 33, he hiked up a hill and sat
down under an olive tree and began to teach the people;
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."
In
other words: it is those who know their own spiritual poverty, their
own limitations and sins honestly and trust God loves them in spite of
themselves who already live in the Kingdom of God.
How
comforted we will all be, when we see, we haven't got a clue, as to the
depth and breadth of pure love and mercy of The Divine Mystery of The
Universe.
God's name in ancient Aramaic is Abba which means Daddy as
much as Mommy and He/She: The Lord has said, "My ways are not your
ways. My thoughts are not yours." -Isaiah 55:8
Christ proclaimed more: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
The
essence of meek is to be patient with ignorance, slow to anger and
never hold a grudge. In other words: how comforted you will be when you
also know humility; when you know yourself, the good and the bad, for
both cut through every human heart.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be filled."
In other words: how comforted you will be when your greatest desire is to do what "God requires, and he has already told you what that is; BE JUST, BE MERCIFUL and walk humbly with your Lord."-Micah 6:8
"Blessed
are the merciful, they will be shown mercy."
In other words: how comforted you will all be when you choose to return only kindness to your
'enemy.'
"For with the measure you measure against another, it will be measured back to you" Christ warns his disciples as he explains the law of karma in Luke 6:27-38.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they see God."
In other words: how
comforted you will be when you WAKE UP and see God is already within you,
within every man, every woman and every child. The Supreme Being is
everywhere, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. Beyond The Universe
-and yet so small; within the heart of every atom.
"Blessed are The Peacemakers: THEY shall be called the children of God."
And what a wonderful world it would be when we all seek peace by pursuing justice; for there can be none without the other.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires, theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven."
And one fine day the lion will lie down with The Lamb and man will make war no more and that is the Kingdom of God.
| Related Links:
A Greater Awakening
The New Body of Christ: 5th in A Greater Awakening Series
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Prophets, Doors, Walls: MLK, X, Lennon, Gaza and Thee
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The Stages of the Soul and How Religiosity/Fundamentalism is holding up Evolution
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Have you heard the true tale of the Bedouin named Mohammed Ali?
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21st Century Letter to the Churches in the USA
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"HOPE has two children.The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it."-St. Augustine
"He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust." - Aquinas |
Order My Books |
"Memoirs of a Nice Irish-AmericanGirl's Life inOccupied Territory" AND "Keep Hope Alive" To order either book click here. |
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Everyone has the right to freedom of
opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
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The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway. © 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith " In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."-Mother Teresa
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“You cannot talk like sane men around a peace table while the atomic bomb itself is ticking beneath it. Do not treat the atomic bomb as a weapon of offense; do not treat it as an instrument of the police. Treat the bomb for what it is: the visible insanity of a civilization that has ceased...to obey the laws of life.”- Lewis Mumford, 1946 |
The age of warrior kings and of warrior presidents has passed. The nuclear age calls for a different kind of leadership....a leadership of intellect, judgment, tolerance and rationality, a leadership committed to human values, to world peace, and to the improvement of the human condition. The attributes upon which we must draw are the human attributes of compassion and common sense, of intellect and creative imagination, and of empathy and understanding between cultures." - William Fulbright |
“Any nation that year after year continues to raise the Defense budget while cutting social programs to the neediest is a nation approaching spiritual death.” - Rev. MLK |
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Establishment of Israel |
"On the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations." - May 14, 1948. The Declaration of the Establishment of Israel
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