CASA CRY JANUARY, 2018
Even if you are not a Christian you surely have to admit the message of Christ makes a lot of sense. If we do good to others, both the good and the bad, the world would be better off. If everyone tried to make it easier for others to be good we could have a wonderful world. Simply feeling another person’s pain is not compassion. This will make you miserable without helping the other. Finding some way to alleviate one’s suffering, even in part, can have genuine benefits for both parties. People who practice compassion are happier and healthier. Compassion is linked to forgiveness and you can learn to practice it. You’ll also find out why practicing compassion with a focus on making your own life better doesn’t work; the focus must be on the other person’s suffering. I suggest we make a resolution this new year to stop the wars; and instead of using 50% of tax money for war we give assistance to those in need in the world at a personal sacrifice. Let us forgive everyone who has hurt us, even if they have not apologized to us. We have the blueprint for happiness given to us by Christ. We can choose to follow it or continue to make life miserable. Let’s make the earth better than we found it. Christ came to be like us so we could learn to be like him. ----Don Timmerman
“ When Christ said “Love your enemies” I think he probably meant don’t kill them.” ---Church of the Brethren
“There is no such animal as a just war. Either Jesus was a liar or war is never necessary.” --- Ben Salmon
Why do they hate us? America has taken 70% of all the world wealth gains since 2012. ---NPR
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little.”
DON’S JOKES
My daily prayer: "Lord, help me to become the person that my psychiatrist medicates me to be. Amen.” What does the Gingerbread Man sleep on? Cookie sheets. In Iceland during Christmas they give one another gifts of books. Then just before they go to bed they eat chocolates and read. I just eat chocolates!
What is the BIGGEST ROOM in the WORLD? It is the ROOM for IMPROVEMENT! What kind of pizza does a cannibal order? One with Everybody on it. Every time I turn around there’s more trouble in the world, so I’ve stop turning around. Why doesn't the sun drink coffee? It would keep it up at night. All last night I dreamed about mufflers; loud ones-- rumbling ones --back firing ones----when I woke up I was just so so---EXHAUSTED!! A little girl asked her Mom, “Where do humans come from?” Her Mom answered, “God made Adam and Eve and they had children and that’s who we all descend from.” A few days later the girl asked her Dad the same question. Her Dad answered, “Many years ago there were monkeys from which people evolved.” The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, how is it possible that you told me the people were created by God, and Dad said people evolved from monkeys?”
Her Mom answered, “Well, dear, it’s very simple: I told you about my side of the family, and your father told you about his!” Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. I went to a huge sale the other day. I bought two huges. You never know when you'll need one. In church bulletin: “Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.”
INTERESTING FACTS
Monsanto is giving cash to farmers who use the controversial chemical, XtendiMax. Several states are already trying to stop the chemical use since it will drift into other areas. It looks like Monsanto really wants farmers to use XtendiMax. The agribusiness giant is offering a cash incentive to farmers to use this pesticide that has caused crop damage to 3.1 million acres in nearly two dozen heartland states. ---Reuters, 12/11/17
Weapons producers worldwide raked in $375 billion in profits last year. ----- the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The Pentagon still cannot account for $6.5 Trillion of U.S. taxpayers. What makes matters worse is that taxpayers think it is alright. The Trump Admin Approved Allowing Ukraine to Buy Weapons from U.S. Dealers.---A.P.
"At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in what has been described as 'ethnic cleansing' in Myanmar's Rakhine state over a one-month period between August and September --- Doctors Without Borders
A 62-year-old immigrant worker is the latest victim in a wave of industrial fatalities in the US. On-the-job injuries claim nearly 5,000 lives every year. WSWS.org 12/17/17
The human rights arm of the U.N. has declared that it is “shocked and appalled” over the mass hanging of 38 men accused of being members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Al Qaeda at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. The mass execution was ordered by the government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abad. This only shows that the U.S. armed invasion of Iraq was not for human rights, but oil for the fossil fuel industry.
For more than two years, Saudi/US bombing has targeted civilian infrastructure: Hospitals, schools, factories, markets, funerals, sea ports, electrical power stations and water treatment facilities. US drones strikes and incursions by US Special Forces into Yemen have killed civilians as well. Armed conflict has directly taken the lives of some 12,000 people, but that tragic number is greatly exceeded by the number of those who are dying from a combination of malnutrition and otherwise easily preventable ailments and diseases like respiratory infections, measles, and cholera, including more than 1,000 children each week. 20 million of Yemen’s population of 28 million people are food insecure and few have access to clean drinking water. More than half of the hospitals in the country are not functioning --- Brian Terrell is a co-coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence This past weekend over 70 more civilians were killed.
Corporate giants, including Pfizer and Coca-Cola, have said they’ll give the windfall from the tax cuts to their shareholders, not to their workers. The tax bill will also repeal the individual health insurance mandate, which experts say will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 13 million Americans are projected to lose their health insurance. Experts estimate Trump will personally benefit from a tax cut of up to $15 million a year --- Democracy Now, 12/21/17
An investigation proves that state troopers in Texas are essentially acting as deportation officers. ---ACLU
The 7 best companies that sell fair trade Products are: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Rishi Tea, Fair Indigo, Fairhills Wine, Green Mountain coffee, Theo Chocolate, and Blends for Life. ---Global Citizen
The International Committee of the Red Cross is reporting the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has reached 1 million, making it the worst cholera epidemic on record. At least 2,200 people have already died from the outbreak, which began in April amid the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign, which began just over 1,000 days ago. According to the Red Cross, more than 80 percent of Yemenis now lack food, fuel, water and access to healthcare. A new investigation by the Associated Press has found as many as 11,000 civilians were killed in the U.S.-backed battle to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul from the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The figure is far higher than official estimates
----- Democracy Now, 12/22/17
Some 26% of undocumented workers reported wage theft—nonpayment of wages for work completed—in the period following Hurricane Harvey. The unpaid wages among the 361 workers surveyed exceeded $20,000.
Some 44% of undocumented workers reported wage theft in previous months, and 57% in the past year. The workers did not know where to report wage violations and wage theft. ---Democracy Now, 12/1/17
Amount the pharmaceutical companies spent on ads for prescription drugs in 2016: $6,400,000,000 The number of inmates in Texas who donated money for Hurricane Harvey relief: 6,663.
Number of German churches that housed asylum seekers last year to prevent their deportation: 692 Average amount an American has paid in income taxes since 2001 to fund wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria: $7,170 ---Harper’s Index
Some 70% of people in jail in the U.S. haven’t been convicted of a crime. They just can’t afford bail. ---The Nation, 11/6/17 In Africa, the Pentagon is engaged in about 100 missions in 20 African countries.----Cato Institute
*************
When I reflect on the celebration of Christ’s birth and the coming of the new year, Christ’s words are what I cling to. They give me hope. We are to “love our neighbor as our selves”. Our neighbors are the migrants, the refugees, the hungry, the sick, the poor, the oppressed In society. Those with material power and great wealth are like pigs eating at the trough with no concern for neighbor. Christ’s words strengthen me. We were created to care for one another. We are all greater than what we see at the seats of power and wealth. We are stronger than them because we have love for others as our base. Accrued wealth and power will disappear, but love will end*ure. Words from a song by Miriam Therese Winter say it best. “Love that engages enfleshes the word. The poor will have privilege, the hungry will eat, all of the homeless will dance in the street. In God’s revelation real love will release the incarnation of justice and peace.” This I believe. Peace, Roberta
NOTE
THURS., JAN. 4---VIGIL AT ICE, at KNAPP & BROADWAY, STARTING AT NOON. We pray that the government will not separate families, detain innocent people and take away DACA.
WEDS., JAN 17 ---ROTC VIGIL AT MARQUETTE U. Please call Don at 414- 342-0168 or Bob at 414-739-4162 for the time and place. Since 9/11 the U.S. spent $4.3 trillion on war. With that amount of money every American could have free health care. We could make college free for all with just 20% of that amount of money. For the price of 2 submarines we could give everyone in the world clean drinking water. With just 5% of our yearly military budget we could end world hunger. ---Oxfam America
"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible." –Dan Berrigan
THURS., JAN 25 ----STOP SELLING GUNS VIGIL AT NOON AT BREW CITY SHOOTER’S SUPPLY, 43rd & Lincoln. Gun homicides in Mexico this year are the highest on record, yet the U.S. exports guns to the Mexican military, which then distributes them to state and local police. There are nearly ten times more sold this year than in all the years, 2001-2004. At least 954 people were killed by police so far this year in the U.S. ---Washington Post
We are still collecting money to get a new safer truck to do pick ups of donations. Thanks to all who already gave. We wish you all a very happy and peaceful New Year!
Casa Maria Catholic Worker
1131 N 21st St.
Milwaukee WI 53233
(414)344-5745
[email protected]
Facebook.com/CasaMariaCatholicWorker
Even if you are not a Christian you surely have to admit the message of Christ makes a lot of sense. If we do good to others, both the good and the bad, the world would be better off. If everyone tried to make it easier for others to be good we could have a wonderful world. Simply feeling another person’s pain is not compassion. This will make you miserable without helping the other. Finding some way to alleviate one’s suffering, even in part, can have genuine benefits for both parties. People who practice compassion are happier and healthier. Compassion is linked to forgiveness and you can learn to practice it. You’ll also find out why practicing compassion with a focus on making your own life better doesn’t work; the focus must be on the other person’s suffering. I suggest we make a resolution this new year to stop the wars; and instead of using 50% of tax money for war we give assistance to those in need in the world at a personal sacrifice. Let us forgive everyone who has hurt us, even if they have not apologized to us. We have the blueprint for happiness given to us by Christ. We can choose to follow it or continue to make life miserable. Let’s make the earth better than we found it. Christ came to be like us so we could learn to be like him. ----Don Timmerman
“ When Christ said “Love your enemies” I think he probably meant don’t kill them.” ---Church of the Brethren
“There is no such animal as a just war. Either Jesus was a liar or war is never necessary.” --- Ben Salmon
Why do they hate us? America has taken 70% of all the world wealth gains since 2012. ---NPR
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little.”
DON’S JOKES
My daily prayer: "Lord, help me to become the person that my psychiatrist medicates me to be. Amen.” What does the Gingerbread Man sleep on? Cookie sheets. In Iceland during Christmas they give one another gifts of books. Then just before they go to bed they eat chocolates and read. I just eat chocolates!
What is the BIGGEST ROOM in the WORLD? It is the ROOM for IMPROVEMENT! What kind of pizza does a cannibal order? One with Everybody on it. Every time I turn around there’s more trouble in the world, so I’ve stop turning around. Why doesn't the sun drink coffee? It would keep it up at night. All last night I dreamed about mufflers; loud ones-- rumbling ones --back firing ones----when I woke up I was just so so---EXHAUSTED!! A little girl asked her Mom, “Where do humans come from?” Her Mom answered, “God made Adam and Eve and they had children and that’s who we all descend from.” A few days later the girl asked her Dad the same question. Her Dad answered, “Many years ago there were monkeys from which people evolved.” The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, how is it possible that you told me the people were created by God, and Dad said people evolved from monkeys?”
Her Mom answered, “Well, dear, it’s very simple: I told you about my side of the family, and your father told you about his!” Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. I went to a huge sale the other day. I bought two huges. You never know when you'll need one. In church bulletin: “Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.”
INTERESTING FACTS
Monsanto is giving cash to farmers who use the controversial chemical, XtendiMax. Several states are already trying to stop the chemical use since it will drift into other areas. It looks like Monsanto really wants farmers to use XtendiMax. The agribusiness giant is offering a cash incentive to farmers to use this pesticide that has caused crop damage to 3.1 million acres in nearly two dozen heartland states. ---Reuters, 12/11/17
Weapons producers worldwide raked in $375 billion in profits last year. ----- the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The Pentagon still cannot account for $6.5 Trillion of U.S. taxpayers. What makes matters worse is that taxpayers think it is alright. The Trump Admin Approved Allowing Ukraine to Buy Weapons from U.S. Dealers.---A.P.
"At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in what has been described as 'ethnic cleansing' in Myanmar's Rakhine state over a one-month period between August and September --- Doctors Without Borders
A 62-year-old immigrant worker is the latest victim in a wave of industrial fatalities in the US. On-the-job injuries claim nearly 5,000 lives every year. WSWS.org 12/17/17
The human rights arm of the U.N. has declared that it is “shocked and appalled” over the mass hanging of 38 men accused of being members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Al Qaeda at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. The mass execution was ordered by the government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abad. This only shows that the U.S. armed invasion of Iraq was not for human rights, but oil for the fossil fuel industry.
For more than two years, Saudi/US bombing has targeted civilian infrastructure: Hospitals, schools, factories, markets, funerals, sea ports, electrical power stations and water treatment facilities. US drones strikes and incursions by US Special Forces into Yemen have killed civilians as well. Armed conflict has directly taken the lives of some 12,000 people, but that tragic number is greatly exceeded by the number of those who are dying from a combination of malnutrition and otherwise easily preventable ailments and diseases like respiratory infections, measles, and cholera, including more than 1,000 children each week. 20 million of Yemen’s population of 28 million people are food insecure and few have access to clean drinking water. More than half of the hospitals in the country are not functioning --- Brian Terrell is a co-coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence This past weekend over 70 more civilians were killed.
Corporate giants, including Pfizer and Coca-Cola, have said they’ll give the windfall from the tax cuts to their shareholders, not to their workers. The tax bill will also repeal the individual health insurance mandate, which experts say will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 13 million Americans are projected to lose their health insurance. Experts estimate Trump will personally benefit from a tax cut of up to $15 million a year --- Democracy Now, 12/21/17
An investigation proves that state troopers in Texas are essentially acting as deportation officers. ---ACLU
The 7 best companies that sell fair trade Products are: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Rishi Tea, Fair Indigo, Fairhills Wine, Green Mountain coffee, Theo Chocolate, and Blends for Life. ---Global Citizen
The International Committee of the Red Cross is reporting the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has reached 1 million, making it the worst cholera epidemic on record. At least 2,200 people have already died from the outbreak, which began in April amid the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign, which began just over 1,000 days ago. According to the Red Cross, more than 80 percent of Yemenis now lack food, fuel, water and access to healthcare. A new investigation by the Associated Press has found as many as 11,000 civilians were killed in the U.S.-backed battle to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul from the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The figure is far higher than official estimates
----- Democracy Now, 12/22/17
Some 26% of undocumented workers reported wage theft—nonpayment of wages for work completed—in the period following Hurricane Harvey. The unpaid wages among the 361 workers surveyed exceeded $20,000.
Some 44% of undocumented workers reported wage theft in previous months, and 57% in the past year. The workers did not know where to report wage violations and wage theft. ---Democracy Now, 12/1/17
Amount the pharmaceutical companies spent on ads for prescription drugs in 2016: $6,400,000,000 The number of inmates in Texas who donated money for Hurricane Harvey relief: 6,663.
Number of German churches that housed asylum seekers last year to prevent their deportation: 692 Average amount an American has paid in income taxes since 2001 to fund wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria: $7,170 ---Harper’s Index
Some 70% of people in jail in the U.S. haven’t been convicted of a crime. They just can’t afford bail. ---The Nation, 11/6/17 In Africa, the Pentagon is engaged in about 100 missions in 20 African countries.----Cato Institute
*************
When I reflect on the celebration of Christ’s birth and the coming of the new year, Christ’s words are what I cling to. They give me hope. We are to “love our neighbor as our selves”. Our neighbors are the migrants, the refugees, the hungry, the sick, the poor, the oppressed In society. Those with material power and great wealth are like pigs eating at the trough with no concern for neighbor. Christ’s words strengthen me. We were created to care for one another. We are all greater than what we see at the seats of power and wealth. We are stronger than them because we have love for others as our base. Accrued wealth and power will disappear, but love will end*ure. Words from a song by Miriam Therese Winter say it best. “Love that engages enfleshes the word. The poor will have privilege, the hungry will eat, all of the homeless will dance in the street. In God’s revelation real love will release the incarnation of justice and peace.” This I believe. Peace, Roberta
NOTE
THURS., JAN. 4---VIGIL AT ICE, at KNAPP & BROADWAY, STARTING AT NOON. We pray that the government will not separate families, detain innocent people and take away DACA.
WEDS., JAN 17 ---ROTC VIGIL AT MARQUETTE U. Please call Don at 414- 342-0168 or Bob at 414-739-4162 for the time and place. Since 9/11 the U.S. spent $4.3 trillion on war. With that amount of money every American could have free health care. We could make college free for all with just 20% of that amount of money. For the price of 2 submarines we could give everyone in the world clean drinking water. With just 5% of our yearly military budget we could end world hunger. ---Oxfam America
"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible." –Dan Berrigan
THURS., JAN 25 ----STOP SELLING GUNS VIGIL AT NOON AT BREW CITY SHOOTER’S SUPPLY, 43rd & Lincoln. Gun homicides in Mexico this year are the highest on record, yet the U.S. exports guns to the Mexican military, which then distributes them to state and local police. There are nearly ten times more sold this year than in all the years, 2001-2004. At least 954 people were killed by police so far this year in the U.S. ---Washington Post
We are still collecting money to get a new safer truck to do pick ups of donations. Thanks to all who already gave. We wish you all a very happy and peaceful New Year!
Casa Maria Catholic Worker
1131 N 21st St.
Milwaukee WI 53233
(414)344-5745
[email protected]
Facebook.com/CasaMariaCatholicWorker