James O'Connor Whitlock
Footprints
Last updated 20030525 at
1700 EDT by jow
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PERSONAL PAGES, COLLECTIONS, NOTES AND RAMBLES
A Work Always In-Progress &
As-Found
No longer. Not another minute. Never again will I
acquiesce in silence.
Not until they take away my voice.
Not In My Name
James O'Connor Whitlock
Bitsy's Dad
Buffalo, New York
whitlock@BuffaloPeacePeople.org
http://www.BuffaloPeacePeople.org/whitlock/
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only
thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
"In the end we will remember not the words of our
enemies but the silence
of our friends." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
"Our lives begin to end the day we
become silent about things that matter."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing."
Albert Einstein
Get involved now. Your
silence betokens consent and implicit affirmation.
Visit and peruse our under-construction site at BuffaloPeacePeople.org
Share your own observations and journey into peace activism; let others know
they are not alone.
Ask for a personal site like this by email request to: editors@BuffaloPeacePeople.org
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MoveOn Petition and Comments - 20030304 - MoveOn drafted a Petition to the UN Security Council to be delivered on March 6th, 2003. The clock is winding down now but there's still time to have an impact. Take a look at the local copy of the petition and my own added comments if you like, but please do go to the original and sign it yourself with your own comments.
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Letter to My Daughter, Bitsy - 20030115 - So much of what we now do, we do in the names of children; our own and those everywhere whose world we may destroy if we if we hesitate for a moment to stand tall and resolutely with our convictions. Sometimes, the words we share with those we most love inspire those still silent most of all. Bitsy, eleven years old and sweet and thriving as all children are when we allow it, is my dearest love and only child, living apart with her Mom. If you're still silent and nothing else moves you to reconsider, please read this and see if it helps. And if you're already speaking up, consider sharing some of your most personal words to your own special loves with others -- that they may more clearly see and resonate with the heart that moves you to do whatever you do to stand-up for what you know and believe to be right, fair and just for all.
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Note to a Colleague - 20030121 - Charles Cobb, director of the WNY Peace Center, a respected friend and fellow peace activist in WNY, keeps telling me that the awakening we need to save the futures of our children will not occur in response to the usual rallies, film screenings, and various same-old/same-old events we habitually organize -- attended by all the same people -- those already awakened. Rather, if it happens at all, he says and I increasingly believe, it will occur as a result of one-to-one heartfelt and informed communication between each and every one of us and those to whom we expose our hearts, our knowledge, our fears, and our hopes. The linked note is a recent sanitized exchange with someone I know and work with every week. It may offend him. He may get angry. His anger could affect and degrade our working relationship. But we have to speak up, friends, even with the risk of approbation and mitigation of our working careers. Surely our children deserve no less than that. Please,all of you so much better informed and so much more eloquent than I, take a chance and reach out to everyone you know who will listen. You will not want to live with the consequences of your silence if you do not.
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Narratives of My Travels - a running collection of journal entries, bits of notes to friends, rambling about whatever I'm trying to sort out, observations, and so on. All being something of an audit trail revealing me as I twist and turn trying to avoid life's brambles and canyons. Most of the time when I'm confronted with trying and perplexing circumstances, I write about them in some form partly as a way of working out the issues, problems or solutions. I hope that others will feel stronger and less alone perusing this collection; not because they reach similar conclusions but simply because we struggle with the same general issues and problems. We all have that in common. We are not alone. Together we shall prevail.
Here. Now. by William Rivers Pitt - my current favorite handout. Also now up as a <pdf> file [104 KB]. Yes. Do something. Do anything. Just don't sit around doing nothing.
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"Do something. Do anything.
At the end of the day, it does not matter what you do. A sign in your yard, a button
in the lapel of your coat, an email sent around to friends, will have a small but salutary
effect. It will make others in the country who feel isolated in their fear that something
has gone terribly wrong understand that they are not alone. Big storms gather around
small particles.
Think on this as you give thanks for what you've got. The moment is here, now, upon
us all. Even the smallest effort can and will make a difference. On a large enough scale,
it could change the face of the world. Be thankful for that, as well, and do something
with it."
How about right now? Email me if you want help getting connected.
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First they came -- But I didn't speak up -- 20021224.pdf - [101 KB]
Collections
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Temporary Filings - really quite huge now, but only partially and poorly organized.
