Author: resolutewoman
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The myth of redemptive violence
In his book The Powers That Be, Walter Wink writes that the myth of redemptive violence “is the story of the victory of order over chaos by means of violence. “It is the ideology of conquest, the original religion of the status quo. The gods favor those who conquer. Conversely, whoever conquers must have the…
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The weakness of violence
In his book The Powers That Be, Walter Wink argues for nonviolence. Wink quotes Martin Luther King: “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing that it seeks to destroy.” And, he quotes Friedrich Nietzche: “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he…
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We don’t have much time
Jane Goodall, ever the optimist, wrote in her book Reason for Hope, published in 1999: “Yes, I do have hope. I do believe we can look forward to a world in which our great-grandchildren and their children after them can live in peace. A word in which there will still be trees and chimpanzees swinging…
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Celebrating 100 years of voting
British women won the right to vote on February, 6, 1918—100 years ago. At least some British women won the right to vote. Only female property owners who were 30 or older were eligible to vote, explains The New York Times. It took another decade before Britain extended the right to vote to all women…
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In an instant
“Life changes in the instant,” writes Joan Dideon at the beginning of her book about the year after her husband died–The Year of Magical Thinking. “The ordinary instant.” Thankfully, my husband is alive. But, the book made me think of the day when my mother died and the day when my father died. “Life changes…
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What does love look like?
Matt de La Pena wrote a children’s book titled Love. He wants his child to know there is more to the world than the divisiveness he sees every time he turns on the television, he told The Dallas Morning News in an interview for its January 21, 2018, issue. Every page shows visual examples of…
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I am wealthy
On Valentine’s Day, I will be thankful for my husband—and my children—and for my big circle of friends and family. “I am wealthy in my friends,” Shakespeare once wrote. And, I am wealthy because I count many of my family members as friends, too. And, many of my friends are like family! –Joy
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What a privilege
“When you arise in the morning, think what a privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” What a great quote from Marcus Aurelius. Valentine’s Day is coming. It’s time to show how much you love your family and friends.
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Normal confusion
“A certain number of people have arrived at a standard confusion that is considered normal,” R.D. Laing, psychiatrist and author, once said. Laing also stressed, “There are an infinite variety of human experiences, but certain societies limit the number of acceptable experiences.” When I heard Laing speak in 1972, I filed away my notes. I…
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Protesting in Iran
In one of Tehran’s busiest squares, an Iranian woman removed her headscarf, tied it to a stick and waved it for all to see. Half a dozen other women have protested Islamic law by removing their headscarf, reports The New York Times. Their protest is significant in Iran, even though the women are “still small…