‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Cover Crop Seeds
RAISE YOUR VOICE By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar From time to time, readers of the alley are reminded that Wendell Phillips, our neighborhood”™s namesake, was an abolitionist. I will assert here that, were he still alive, he would be opposed to the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people. Now days, this opposition to all forms of oppression circulates via this paper in surrounding communities, including the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) which maintains an office in the Powderhorn Neighborhood. The LSP is splendidly adept at mingling strains of progressive rural thought with the corresponding urban strains. Our nation”™s soil health is an overriding issue for the LSP. Why bother? Well, an estimated 1/3 of our topsoil has already washed away. The applied math does not bode well. But hey, just add more chemicals”¦ right? Wrong. Actually, the world”™s supply of phosphate is nearing exhaustion. (Note: President Biden has [...]
On Entering the Twilight Zone
RAISE YOUR VOICE By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Sales of color televisions began in 1954, but it was not until September of 1961 that the premiere of Walt Disney”™s World of Color persuaded consumers to purchase color televisions. Having entered the realm of consciousness prior to ”™61, “baby boomers” like me now imbibe black and white reruns as a type of “food for the soul”. Indeed, we have existed long enough to relive The Twilight Zone. “The Twilight Zone is a place that exists at any moment of Time, of space or of mind”¦ but always when you least expect it. When you find yourself in this realm of unlimited possibility, be careful what you say or do. The right decisions may help you find your way back out”¦” Sunday, April 11, 2021”¦ Fading after a long day, before turning in I became aware that Daunte Wright had been killed. With apologies [...]
Democracy and the Wizard of Oz
RAISE YOUR VOICE By PETER MOLENAAR A few blocks east of Cedar on Riverside Avenue is the People's Center where, at age 70, I received the Moderna Vaccine. Given that my father died of COVID-19 at age 99, I look forward to voting in seven more presidential elections. Right? Looking back, at age 20, I was actually fit enough to assist in voter registration in Carthage, Mississippi. Mrs. Hudson was our guardian while the three of us faced down a comparable gathering of hostile young men. Subsequently, for fear of a lynch mob, we wisely deflected a deployment of flirtatious southern belles. Then, at age 32, I would tour the Soviet Union in the midst of electoral activity. To facilitate the voting process, everyone there had the day off with pay! Fast forward to this country... major sections of the working class remain captivated by Trumpism, and are imprisoned by racist thinking. Do you remember the Wizard of Oz and the associated cast of [...]
