‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Warblers of the World
By Peter Molenaar Flitting about within the fronds of my garden”'s crimson red okra, so tiny it was. Soft grays of wing, green and gold of body, its rapid head/eye movement processed a world far beyond the realm of my own slow wit. Most precious gift”¦ Come back! Members of the Audubon society have met at the East Lake Library. They are planning a street demonstration to demand bird-safe glass at the new Vikings Stadium. SAVE THE BIRDS ”“ SAVE THE PEOPLE ”“ SAVE OUR PLANET! A bird of similar feather was V.I. Lenin. He wrote an article in 1912 condemning a German firm which specialized in providing strike breakers, i.e., criminal hooligans. This firm was owned by one Ludwig Koch. Curious? Meanwhile, an ISIL has been spotted. Truthfully, an ISIL is not some type of bird, but rather it is another “monster of our own making.” (more…)
Gailileo”'s Compromise
By Peter Molenaar August 2, Powderhorn Art Fair”¦ Before descending the slope from the corner of 35th Street and 15th Avenue, I was enticed to scan the annual Women”'s Prison Book Project yard sale of used books. A hardback copy of Galileo”'s Daughter caught the eye. It was an excellent purchase for the sum of $3.00. It happened a few centuries ago that our Galileo made the irrefutable but annoying observation that Earth revolves around the sun. In order to please the Pope, he was compelled to present this finding not as fact, but rather as a dialogue between opposing hypotheses. Then despite his earnest effort, he subsequently found himself bowing before the Inquisitors-General while recanting his “heresy.” However, the point: By making this compromise, Galileo not only extended his own life but was able to preserve his work such that science was elevated forever. 1920”¦ More recently, our V.I. Lenin was to heap scorn upon those [...]
Through Different Eyes
By Peter Molenaar In this part of the world, we are fortunate to have The Circle, a paper which elevates Native Americans while stifling racism and chauvinism in general. It was not so long ago that I communicated with Ricey Wild to commend her column “It Ain”'t Easy Being Indian.” Her words, so often packed with meaning, are a reflection of personal experience. Do see the June issue for the context of the following quotation. “I understand now how we the oppressed were with evil intent told to oppress other non-whites so we kept fighting against each other rather than organizing to make null and void our common adversary ”“ White people. I sincerely apologize to people whom I have never met whose culture I degraded. I truly did not know but when I did learn I stopped that behavior and became interested and respectful of others”' human experiences and history”¦ When I say or write White people I mean the culture of greed and hate they [...]
